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Gent-Oostende Kanaal at Brugge

Cruising the Canals & Rivers of Europe

Waterways of Belgium

Table of Contents 4 Waterways of Belgium

34 Leie river log

70 Liège - Maastricht map

5 Vlaanderen (Flanders)

35 Best Cities to Visit: Brugge

79 The Boatlifts

6 Wallonie (Wallonia)

36 Brugge map

80 Strepy-Thieu boatlift

7 Waterway Permits and Fees

39 Best Cities to Visit: Gent

85 Canal du Centre boatlifts

8 Classification of waterways

40 Gent map

87 Ronquières plan incliné

12 Place Names

42 Gent city map

91 Cruising Guide & Charts

14 Index map of Belgium

43 Gent city, Leie river log

92 Self-skippered Rental Boat Operators

15 Waterway dimensions

44 Kanaal Gent-Terneuzen log

17 Portals connecting Belgium with Netherlands and France

45 Central Belgium map

18 Through Routes

48 Best Cities to Visit: Brussel

19 Less Traveled Routes 20 Fields of Flanders map 21 Kanaal Nieuwpoort-Duinkerke log 22 Kanaal Plassendale-Nieuwpoort log 23 Lokanaal log 24 IJzer river log 25 Kanaal Ieper-IJzer log 28 Brugge-Gent-Kortrijk map 29 Kanaal Gent-Oostende log 32 Leie river map

46 Best Cities to Visit: Antwerpen 49 Kortrijk map 50 Leie river log 52 Canal Nimy-Blaton-Péronnes log 54 Canal du Centre log 56 Historic Canal du Centre log 57 Canal Bruxelles-Charleroi log 59 Sambre river log 62 Meuse-Ardennes map 64 Meuse river map 65 Meuse river log

E

Cruising the Canals & Rivers of Europe

ls

Ca n uro a

Waterways of Belgium

EuroCanals Guide: Waterways of Belgium was first published in January 2003. This third edition (2011) has been updated and expanded. The guide is intended to provide information for travelers by barge, canal cruiser, bicycle, on foot or even as car or rail tourists. It not only shows “Where You Can Go” but also why you might want to go there. More information is available from the EuroCanals website: http://eurocanals.com

Published August 2011 by EuroCanals Publishing, 369 Montezuma St., Suite 154, Santa Fe NM 87501 USA Email: [email protected] All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted or used in any form without the prior permission of the publisher, except for personal use by the purchaser. The purchaser is licensed to install copies of this document on any computer owned or used by the purchaser and to burn additional copies on CD/DVD for their own use only; not to be distributed to other persons. © Copyright Tom Sommers 2003, 2009, 2011

Updated November 2013.

Photos by the author and courtesy Don & Cathy Jo Chesnut, Odysseus http://donandcathysblog.blogspot.com/

Waterways of Belgium The old image of Belgium: “Belgium is that small and not very pleasant place one must pass through between the more desirable cruising areas in France and the source of many vessels and conversion work, the Netherlands.” The new image of Belgium: “We had a great time in Belgium this past summer and want to encourage other bargees to spend some time there. There are some really beautiful peaceful canals, especially in the north, that people really should enjoy. Also, the portion of the Meuse we travelled, from Namur to France, is well worth the praise it gets.” Belgium is currently a very good place to cruise; there is a big push on at present to encourage tourism by boat, thus there are many good `marinas' or municipal moorings being set up. However there are not that many boats resident, therefore you will find it a lot less crowded than Northern Holland in the summer, for instance. The major waterways often serve industrial areas, thus they are busy with commercial barges and sometimes pass through unpleasant environments. But the smaller, short-cut or dead-end canals and rivers shouldn’t be overlooked. This guide has been written to help those boaters that are “just passing through” but also to encourage pleasure cruising in Belgium, to find and enjoy a country that is rich in history, art, excellent museums, fine restaurants and friendly people in cosy, welcoming local bars. Some live-aboard bargees have found that this is a great country in which to moor for extended periods; don’t worry about the commercial traffic and less-pleasant areas, just find the spots that you enjoy! Belgium is divided into two regions of language: French is used in Wallonie (Wallonia), on the southern and eastern side, while Dutch is used in Vlaanderen (Flanders), in the north and west. This separation also applies to culture, government and the administration of the waterways. A network of canals spreads throughout the country, with the only exception being the area in the mountains of the southeast bordering Germany and Luxembourg. Some of the original canals have not been maintained and are no longer in service, but 1,578 kilometers of waterways are currently active. Although a few canals are dead-end, they are all connected in a single network that can be accessed by any cruising vessel. Lock dimensions vary substantially, but the minimum size is no smaller than the Freycinet standard common in France; the minimum dimensions found anywhere in Belgium are Draft 1.80* meters, Height 3.60 m, Beam 5.08 m. *one exception: Moervaart draft = 1.20 m.

Vlaanderen (Flanders) is “Low Country”, so there is an abundance of waterways and a relatively small number of locks. The 33 waterways in Flanders require only 102 locks; eight of those waterways have no locks at all. There is a great deal of flat countryside; bicycle routes and dedicated pathways are prevalent all over. Canal towpaths and wooded trails can be found near almost every waterway. Language is not much of a problem; most people speak Flemish but are often keen to use their English. Information regarding fees and regulations in Vlaanderen can be found at: http://www.waterrecreatie.be/htmlEN/start.html IJzer river near Fintele

Wallonie (Wallonia) is hilly country but even so there are fewer locks than on many of the popular canals in France.

The three rivers and six canals include a total of only 50 locks. The language is French, they are fiercely proud of this and thus somewhat more reluctant to use English – if you speak even a little French, it can help a great deal. Reading French is especially helpful on the very useful website which offers a full range of waterway information, along with daily updates of the status of the waterways at: http://voies-hydrauliques.wallonie.be/opencms/opencms/fr Sections of particular interest while traveling include: Avis à la batellerie (notices to bargees; you can subscribe for email notices) Download the pdf document LA NAVIGATION DE PLAISANCE EN RÉGION WALLONNE Information regarding regulations: http://voies-hydrauliques.wallonie.be/opencms/opencms/fr/promotion/divers/faq/index.html

Meuse river near Dinant

Waterway Permits and Fees Each of the provinces of Belgium, Vlaanderen (Flanders) and Wallonie (Wallonia), have their own regulations and costs; see the border line on the map of Belgium. Brussels is a separate province, however a permit from either province is honored. Skipper's License: Residents of Belgium must obtain a boating license. Visitors from other countries should carry a license obtained from their home waterway authority, or the ICC (International Certificate of Competence.) Licenses obtained by foreign visitors in France or the Netherlands will be honored. Information regarding pleasure cruising in Vlaanderen is available (in English, with some documents in Dutch only) at: http://www.waterrecreatie.be/htmlEN/faq.php Permit for the boat: a cruising permit for all boats over 6 meters overall length must be purchased and displayed on the port side of the boat. An annual permit for boats 6 to 12 m costs €75; for boats over 12 m and speedboats the permit costs €125. Permits may be purchased at half of the above cost for short periods. See the webpage below for full details, including points of purchase. http://www.waterrecreatie.be/htmlEN/faq_waterwegenvignet.php Information regarding pleasure cruising inWallonie is available (in French only) at: http://voies-hydrauliques.wallonie.be/opencms/opencms/fr/plaisance/navigation_de_plaisance/index.html On that page you can download an 80-page PDF document with very complete information (in French only) at the line: “La brochure gratuite à télécharger "La Navigation de plaisance en Région wallonne" regroupe les informations les plus utiles concernant les activités de loisirs sur l'eau.” Permit for the boat: a cruising permit with an identification number, called the MET, must be obtained at the first lock when entering Wallonie, and then presented upon demand at all other locks or ports. You must state your furthest point of destination in Wallonie. There is no charge for the permit, nor for the use of the locks throughout Wallonie.

Classification of waterways: The canals and rivers of Belgium are shown on this map, classified by the size of barges permitted. Klasse I waterways are equivalent to the French Freycinet waterways, suitable for the French peniche or Belgian spits, the waterways cruised most commonly by pleasure boats and converted barges.

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LUXEMBOURG

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The San Remo is one of the very large barges which travel the Klasse IV, V &VI waterways of Belgium; it fills the width of a 12m lock and fits gate-to-gate in the 89.5m length of the Nieuwe Dammepoort lock in Brugge. But that doesn’t prevent pleasure boats from using the locks and canals at the same time; the Nieuwe Dammepoort lock is D-shaped, this barge has been seen in that lock with both a private converted barge and a 14-meter motoryacht alongside. Barges do have priority in the locks, boaters must carefully follow the instructions of lockkeepers. But there are also plenty of peaceful, natural rivers and canals in Belgium where the larges barges don’t go, such as the river IJzer shown below. Pontoon docks near bridges and locks, as well as at towns, offer little in the way of facilities but a lot in the way of a pleasant place to spend the night.

Sometimes the best way to travel along the waterways is to leave the boat tied-up at a pontoon and head off on foot or bicycle, enjoying the forests and the fields on the flat, smooth towpath or side roads.

Locks range from the huge Wintam lock at left to Sluis Versel below. Nieuwe zeesluis Wintam: connects Zeekanal Brussel-Schelde to Zeeschelde 250m X 25m, rise/fall varies with tide Sluis Versel: connects Albertkanaal to Netekanaal 81.6m X 10.5m, rise/fall 5.0m

A Note Concerning Place Names

Belgium is a country of more than one language and is bounded by other countries that often have their own version of the name for a place or waterway. This makes it confusing to prepare maps and documents, so I have elected to show (with some exceptions) the name used locally in that part of Belgium. Following are some of the names in each language.

Country: Province: Cities:

Rivers:

Dutch (Flemish) België Vlaanderen Wallonië Antwerpen Bergen Brussel Brugge Doornik Duinkerken Gent Ieper Luik Kortrijk Namen Nieuwpoort Oostende Roeselare Boven-Schelde Boven-Zeeschelde Beneden-Zeeschelde Grensleie Ijzer Leie Maas Samber Schelde

French (Wallonne) Belgique Flandre Wallonne/Wallonie Anvers Mons Bruxelles Bruges Tournai Dunkerque Gand Ypres Liége Courtrai Namur Nieuport Ostende Roulers Haut Escaut Escaut Maritime Supérieur Escaut Maritime Inférieur Lys mitoyenne Yser Lys Meuse Sambre Escaut

English Belgium Flanders Wallonia Antwerp Mons or Bergen Brussels Bruges Tournai Dunkirk Ghent Ypres Liege Kortrijk Namur Newport Ostend Roeselare Upper Escaut Upper Escaut Maritime Lower Escaut Maritime Middle Lys Ijzer Leie/Lys Maas/Meuse Sambre Schelde/Scheldt

Waterway Maps & Dimensions On the following pages are a map and dimensional details of the waterways of Belgium; use the index numbers to locate a canal or river of interest. Don’t forget to use the tools provided in Adobe Reader to enlarge the page for easy viewing. Scenic & Pleasure Ratings Plus-marks following the waterway name indicate ratings: + Pleasant, some picturesque sections ++ Pleasant, picturesque, a recommended cruise section +++ Pleasant, very picturesque, as must-do cruise section none A transit waterway Navigation Ratings NAV column indicates the relative difficulty of navigation: A Easiest; little or no commercial traffic, slow currents B Some sections have intense traffic, strong current and/or shallow places C Heavy commercial traffic, strong currents; experience required Draft & Height Many of these waterways are rivers; some are tidal. The volume of water will vary substantially depending on the season and climatic conditions, causing large variations in water depth and bridge clearances. Great care should be taken in planning and executing a trip. Contact local authorities and gather information from lock-keepers, other boaters and commercial barge captains. Lock Size The length and width of locks may vary along the waterway. Lock Size shown is the minimum length and minimum width, not necessarily on the same lock. These dimensions, along with Draft & Height, are the limiting factors which may restrict the use of that waterway by a specific vessel. Marinas In Vlaanderen province marinas are named “jachthaven”; in Wallonie province they are “port de plaisance”. They are marked on the map by blue dots. There are also many moorings available, without services, in towns and rural areas. Portals Waterways connecting into the Netherlands and France are indicated as A through J described on the page “Portals into Belgium”, following the map and waterway details.

These connections are

rs ste Oo

chelde

J

Dunkerque

23

21

24

24 Veurne 26 Lo

Oudenburg

Brugge

25 Diksmuide

Roeselare 19

27

Ieper

Ooigem

Kortrijk

Menen 18c

A Antwerpen

16a

Geraardsbergen

7

Turnhout

Schoten

16

Tournai

16

Péronnes

31

Blaton

H pe

G

Scar

28

29

Ath

Strépy-Thieu boatlift 30 31 Nimy 32 Mons 30a

ut

Canals

bre

Sam

Rivers

8 4

4

Genk 11

Hasselt

Wallonie (Wallonia)

Ronquières inclined plane Seneffe 29

Pommeroeul

Esca

C

8 Lommel 10a Bocholt 9 12 Leopoldsburg 10b Kwaadmechelen

Dessel

Vlaanderen Brussel (Flanders)

Halle

Bossuit

17a

Deûlémont

Lys

Balgerhoeke

3

3a

4 2 Zelzate Eeklo Herentals Lier 20a 20b 1 1a Temse Schelle 6b Lokeren 5 Rumst Durme 2 22 6a Gent 20a 13a Mechelen 18a DenderDeinze 2 monde 13 14 16a 18b Leuven 15 Oudenaarde

17

I

Zandvliet

Terneuzen

34b

Charleroi

F

D 4a

34b

4

Smeermaas (BE)

Maastricht 4c 4b

34c

Liège

Huy

Namur

33a

33b

4

Maasbracht

34a 34a

Dinant

Waulsort

Givet (FR)

Disused Canals/Rivers

E

1,2,3 etc EuroCanals Waterway Index Locks se

Meu

Marinas (jachthaven, port de plaisance)

FRANCE 0

10

20

30

40

50 km

LUXEMBOURG

GERMANY

Nieuwpoort

Helmond

B

Weste rs

Zeebrugge 22

NETHERLANDS

e

eld ch

BELGIUM Oostende

Tholen Bergenop-Zoom

WATERWAY Kanaal Gent-Terneuzen

Index# FROM 1 Gent

TO Zelzate (NL border)

LENGTH LOCKS LOCK SIZE DRAFT HEIGHT NAV 17.1 km 0 5.50 m 51 m C

Moervaart +++

1a

Kanaal Gent-Terneuzen Lokeren

27.0

0

1.20

4.50

A

Boven-Zeeschelde (tidal)

2

Gent

Antwerp

77.0

0

2.50

5.00

C

Beneden-Zeeschelde (tidal)

3

Antwerp

Westerschelde

30.7

0

5.00

open

C

Schelde-Rijnverbinding (NL canal)

3a

Antwerp

Zandvliet (NL border)

20.4

0

5.00

5.00

C

Albertkanaal/Canal Albert +

4

Antwerp

Liège (Ile de Monsin)

129.6

6

134.0 X 12.5

3.40

6.70

C

Canal de Monsin

4a

Canal Albert

Basse Meuse

0.8

1

135.0 X 15.0

3.40

8.90

B

Haccourt-Visé canal

4b

Haccourt

Visé

1.2

1

55.0 X 7.5

2.40

5.30

A

Canal de Lanaye

4c

Canal Albert

Basse Meuse

1.9

1

135.0 X 15.0

3.20

8.20

B

Rupel river (tidal)

5

Schelle

Rumst

12.0

0

2.70

35.0

C

Beneden-Nete river (tidal)

6a

Rumst

Duffel

10.2

0

2.50

4.50

C

Netekanaal +

6b

Duffel

Albertkanaal

15.2

2

81.0 X 10.3

2.50

5.00

A

Kanaal van Dessel over Turnhout naar Schoten ++ K. van Bocholt naar Herentals ++

7

Schoten

Dessel

63.3

10

51.5 X 6.7

1.90

5.15

A

8

Herentals

Bocholt

57.4

10

51.5 X 6.7

2.10

4.93

A

Kanaal Dessel-Kwaadmechelen++

9

Dessel

Kwaadmechelen

15.8

0

2.80

5.20

A

Zuidwillemsvaart

10a

Lozen

Bocholt

4.9

2

1.90

5.15

A

Zuidwillemsvaart ++

10b

Bocholt

Smeermaas

38.6

0

1.90

5.15

A

Kanaal Briegden-Neerharen

11

Lanaken

Neerharen

4.9

2

2.50

6.05

A

Kanaal naar Beverlo +++

12

K. Bocholt-Herentals

Leopoldsburg

14.8

0

1.90

4.40

A

Kanaal Leuven-Dijle +++

13

Dijle river

Leuven

30.0

5

51.7 X 7.5

2.30

6.00

A

Dijle river (tidal)

13a

Rumst

Mechelen

6.5

1

109.5 X 10.5

2.10

5.00

C

Zeekanaal Brussel-Schelde

14

Brussels

Hingene

27.0

3

106.0 X 14.75

5.30

30.00

C

Dender river +++

15

Dendermonde

Geraardsbergen

43.6

8

41.85 X 5.20

1.90

3.95

A

Haut Escaut river +++

16

Bléharies (FR border)

Bossuit

38.7

2

41.5 X 6.50

2.50

7.00

A

Boven Schelde river ++

16a

Bossuit

Gent

44.8

3

41.5 X 6.50

2.50

5.88

A

Kanaal Bossuit-Kortrijk ++

17

Bossuit

Kortrijk

15.2

6

38.5 X 5.10

1.80

3.93

A

52.3 X 6.7 55.0 X 7.5

WATERWAY Canal de l’Espierres

Index# FROM 17a Haut Escaut river

TO LENGTH LOCKS LOCK SIZE DRAFT HEIGHT NAV Canal de Roubaix (FR) 8.4 2 38.4 X 5.1 1.60 1.75 A

Leie ++

18a

Gent

Deinze

25.2

0

1.80

4.40

C

Leie +++

18b

Deinze

Menen (FR border)

37.7

2

115 X 12.5

1.90

4.20

A

Grensleie/Lys mitoyenne +++

18c

Menen

Deûlémont FR

16.3

2

185 X 12.5

1.90

4.20

A

Kanaal Roeselare-Leie ++

19

Ooigem

Roeselare

16.5

1

110 X 11.5

2.50

5.00

B

Afleidingskanaal van de Leie ++

20a

Deinze

Balgerhoeke

27.5

1

43.75X 5.87

2.30

4.50

A

Kanaal van Eeklo Boudewijnkanaal

20b 21

Afleidingskanaal v de Leie Eeklo Brugge Zeebrugge

1.7 12.0

0 2

125.0 X 12.0

2.30 6.30

4.65 8.75

A A

Kanaal Gent-Oostende ++

22

Gent

Oostende

66.3

2

89.7 X 10.2

2.30

4.27

A

Kanaal Plassendaele-Nieuwpoort

23

Kanaal Gent-Oostende

Nieuwpoort

21.0

2

45 X 8.5

2.0

5.20

A

Kanaal Nieuwpoort-Duinkerken

24

Nieuwpoort

French border

18.7

1

45 X 8.5

1.80

4.50

A

Ijzer river +++

25

Nieuwpoort

Lokanaal

31.0

1

45 X 8.5

1.60

4.80

A

Lokanaal +++

26

Veurne

Ijser river

14.3

1

47.4 X 5.20

1.80

4.20

A

Kanaal Ieper - Ijzer

27

Ijser river

Ieper

15.2

2

40.85 X 5.15

1.40

4.50

A

Kanaal Blaton-Ath ++

28

Blaton

Ath

22.6

21

41.05 X 5.08

1.80

3.70

A

Kanaal Charleroi-Brussel +

29

Charleroi

Brussel

68.2

11

81.6 X 11.5

2.50

4.30

B

Centrumkanaal/Canal du Centre (new waterway) +++

30

Seneffe

Nimy

24.3

3

85 X10.3

2.50

4.95

A

Centrumkanaal/Canal du Centre (historic waterway) +++

30a

La Louvière

Thieu

7.2

5

41.1 X 5.2

1.90

3.70

A

Kanaal Nimy-Blaton-Péronnes

31

Nimy

Péronnes

38.9

2

86 X 12

2.50

4.95

A

Kanaal Pommeroeul-Condé

32

Pommeroeul

French border

6.1

2

149 X 12.5

3.00

6.80

A

Basse Sambre river

33a

Namur

Monceau (Charleroi)

53.3

8

85 X96.0

2.60

4.20

B

Haute Sambre river +++

33b

Monceau (Charleroi)

Erquelinnes (FR border)

34.2

9

40.47 X 5.15

2.20

3.90

A

Haute Meuse river +++

34a

Hastière (FR border)

Namur

45.8

9

100 X 12

2.40

5.22

B

Meuse Moyenne river

34b

Namur

Liège (Ile de Monsin)

68.8

4

136 X 14

2.80

6.30

B

Basse Meuse river ++

34c

Liège (Ile de Monsin)

Barrage Lixhe

10.9

0

2.40

5.50

A

Portals connecting Belgium with the Netherlands: A Kanaal Gent-Terneuzen provides a route north from Gent, allowing traffic to bypass Antwerp. It can be considered for passage between Holland and the coastal ports of Belgium across the relatively open waters of Zeeland, where caution is advised.

B Schelde –Rijnverbinding is a Netherlands canal, an inland waterway between Holland and Antwerp via a sheltered bay at the eastern end of the Oosterschelde. Ports are available at Tholen or Bergen-op-Zoom NL. The waterway connects directly into the commercial docks of Antwerp and the pleasure-bat harbor in the center of the city.

C

Zuidwillemsvaart is a canal route at the northeast of Belgium, an alternate to the traffic and current of the Maas river. It is a useful connector through the cities of Helmond and ‘S-Hertgenbosch into central Holland.

D Maas river is a frequently traveled route from anywhere in the Netherlands into Belgium and on south to France. It is known as the Meuse river in Belgium and France. It also connects with western Belgium via the Albertkanaal.

Portals connecting Belgium with France: E

Meuse river flows north from France through the Wallonie province, becoming the Maas in the Netherlands at Maastricht. It is a major route to the Champagne region and then Paris, or to the entire eastern, central and southern waterway network of France.

F

Sambre river is a quiet and very pleasant route from Brussels or eastern Belgium into France; passage can continue along the river Oise to the Seine and Paris.

G

Escaut river connects Gent and western Belgium waterways to northern France; passage can continue along the river Oise to the Seine and Paris.

H

Scarpe river is a “shortcut” connector between the major French waterway route known as Liaison Dunkerque-Escaut (or Liaison au Grand Gabarit) the central Belgium waterways to Gent or Brussels.

I

Lys river (Leie in Belgium) is a beautiful and very pleasant route from the Liaison Dunkerque-Escaut to Gent.

J

Canal de Furnes follows the coast from Dunkirk into Belgium, a useful route after crossing the Channel from England.

Through Routes: North/South between France & The Netherlands Somewhat surprisingly, there are only four inland-waterway connections along the entire Belgium/Netherlands border; Kanaal Gent-Terneuzen & Schelde–Rijnverbinding in central Belgium and Zuidwillemsvaart & Maas river on the east. Near the North Sea, in the province of Zeeland NL, vessels suitable for the open waters of the Ooster- and Wester-Schelde can arrive at the port of Terneuzen and travel south, along with large commercial ships, on the industrial Kanaal GentTerneuzen to the port of Gent. From there, the binnenvaart (inland waterways) network of Belgium can be used to travel west to English Channel ports or coastal France, south to French canals leading to Paris and the rest of France, or east to Antwerpen and Brussel. A more protected route through Zeeland is the Schelde–Rijnverbinding, “binding” the mouth of the Rhine and the area around Dordrecht and Rotterdam to the Schelde river at Antwerpen. The Schelde route continues west to Gent. Southbound traffic can pass due south through Brussel and on into France. Probably the most popular route for waterway travel between these two countries is at the eastern side of the Belgian network, along the Maas/Meuse river. From Nijmegen, in southeastern NL, southbound cruisers most commonly travel up the Maas and the Julianakanaal to the city of Maastricht and enter Belgium near Liège. From central NL, the ZuidWillemsvaart can be used from s’Hertgenbosch to Maastricht (or as an optional bypass of the Maas/Julianakanaal, especially if the river flow is strong.) Following the Meuse upstream will bring you directly into France in the ChampagneArdenne region, or you can stay in Belgium and cross to the west from Namur past Charleroi and enter France on either the Sambre or Escaut rivers.

Through Routes: East into Germany: There are no connecting routes directly into Germany or Luxembourg. Access to Germany is available from Nijmegen, NL on the Waal (Rhine) river or other canals further north. From France, access is available from Nancy on the Moselle/Mosel river or from Strasbourg & Mulhouse on the Rhine.

Through Routes: East/West: Traveling across Belgium is via the Albertkanaal in the north and the Canal du Centre/Meuse in the south. It is not often done, except to connect into the Netherlands on the Maas or to do a circular cruise of Belgium. In the latter case, the northern option may be attractive, leaving the commercial traffic on the purpose-built Albertkanaal while visiting a few small towns along the more rural, slower Zuidwillemsvaart/Kanaal Bocholt-Herentals/Kanaal Dessel-Turnhout-Schoten.

Less Traveled Routes: There are several short-cut or dead-end canals and rivers in Belgium that offer a peaceful, often very beautiful cruise away from commercial barge traffic. Wildlife sightings are common along these waterways and they are often a good place for bicycling or hiking. Beneden Nete & Netekanaal (#6b & 6a on the map) The Beneden Nete (Lower Nete) is a tidal river, a tributary of the Rupel and Zeeschelde. Above the town of Duffel the river becomes non-navigable and in the 1950s-60s the upper end was replaced by the Netekanaal, connecting to the Albertkanaal. This provides a bypass of Antwerpen for traffic between the Albertkanaal and Gent or Brussel. A stop at the town of Lier, near the junction of river and canal, is recommended. Afleidingskanaal van de Leie (Leie Diversion Canal, #20a on the map) is useful as a bypass of Gent from the river Leie west to the Kanaal Gent-Oostende. But it also continues north for another 13.4 km toward Zeebrugge before it stops at a section no longer in service. Near this point is the side canal Kanaal van Eeklo (#20b on the map), a short connector into the city of Eeklo. There are no moorings available on the Leie Diversion Canal but there is a port at Eeklo. Kanaal Roeselare-Leie (#19 on the map) heads west from the river Leie for 15.4 km to an end at the city of Roeselare. Kanaal Leuven-Dijle (#12 on the map) reaches southeast from Rumst, past the city of Mechelen for 31.4 km to the city of Leuven. The adjacent river Dijle (#13 on the map) is navigable for 6.5 km through Mechelen. Kanaal naar Beverlo (#11 on the map) doesn’t quite get to Beverlo; it turns south near Dessel and ends at Leopoldsburg, 15 km later. With the exception of an industrial area at about 4 km, the banks are lined with trees and flowers. The canal and the town of Leopoldsburg are popular with bikers and hikers as well as pleasure boaters. Lokanaal and Ijzer (#25-26 on the map) offer a loop cruise of 45.3 km and 2 locks, including the towns of Veurne, Nieuwpoort, Diksmuide and Lo. A side canal, Kanaal Ieper-Ijzer (#27 on the map) leads another 15.2 km to a dead-end at the city of Ieper (Ypres). Kanaal Bossuit-Kortrijk (#17 on the map) is a 15 km connector between the Boven-Schelde and the Leie; the junction with the Leie is at the city of Kortrijk. This is a pleasant canal in its own right and makes possible a loop of three days cruising between Gent and the towns of Oudenaarde and Kortrijk, traveling the Schelde and Leie rivers. Dender river (#15 on the map) connects through past the town of Ath to join the Blaton-Ath canal (#28 on the map) but traffic is limited to vessels with draft less than 1 meter; this section is essentially unused. However, a cruise from Dendermonde to Geraardsbergen on the meandering Dender is highly recommended. There is a variety of vegetation lining the banks and in the fields beyond, along with many ducks and herons for company.

Fields of Flanders

Zeebrugge

There are three ports equally spaced along the English Channel coastline of Belgium: Zeebrugge, Oostende and Nieuwpoort. All of these are a longer sea-crossing from England than to Calais or Dunkerque, so most vessels crossing the channel will arrive at one of the French ports and then travel north on the canals which parallel the coast. Oostende (These ports are not shown in detail in this inland-waterways guide, refer to Channel pilot books.)

Brugge

Plassendale

Oudenburg

Leffinge

Snaaskerke

Nieuwpoort Adinkerke

Dunkerque

Wulpen

Veurne

Fortem

De Dodengang

Lo In dry years the Ieper-Ijzer Canal can be very shallow; it may be best to tie up the boat at Fintele or at the Knokkebrug bridge and travel to the town of Ieper by dinghy, kayak or bicycle.

A trip on IJzer loop is almost entirely rural, with small-town stops at the picturesque and historic towns of Veurne and Ieper (and by bicycle across the flat fields to towns like Poperinge and Westvleteren.)

Diksmuide Kanaal Nieuwpoort-Duinkerken Kanaal Plassendale-Nieuwpoort Kanaal Gent-Oostende Boudewijnkanaal Lokanaal IJzer river Kanaal Ieper-IJzer Locks Moorings

Knokkebrug

Fintele

De Boot/Isera

Westvleteren Boezinge Poperinge

Ieper

0

5

10

15

20 km

Kanaal Nieuwpoort-Duinkerke, Belgium

locks

moorings

Connects the Ganzepoot canal intersection at Nieuwpoort to the French border. Speed limit 7 km/hour, 4 opening bridges. R/L label does not follow the normal river right bank/left bank convention, as tidal waters make the flow direction unclear; on this table R/L means right side/left side as viewed when traveling from Nieuwpoort to Dunkirk. KM Feature approx. 0.0 junction

Name Ganzepoot, Nieuwpoort

0.1

lock/liftbridge

Veurnesluis

1.2 1.9 2.0 4.9L 5.7 5.7 6.4 8.4

railway bridge road bridge road bridge site lift bridge mooring/town road bridge foot bridge

Pelikaanbrug N355 autoroute War Monument Wulpen Wulpen N330

10.0

lift railway bridge

10.2

lift bridge

Nieuwpoortbrug

10.2 10.4L

foot bridge junction

Lokanaal

10.4

lock (open)

Nieuwpoortsluis

10.5R port/town 10.9 11.5 11.8 15.6 15.9 16.0L 18.8

Veurne

lift bridge

Ieperbrug

road bridge road bridge road bridge foot bridge mooring/town border

Duinkerkebrug N8 autoroute Adinkerkebrug, N34 Adinkerke France-Belgium

Lock Description/Operator/Comments Height Ports code: Electric-Water-Toilets-Showers-Laundry-Fuel varies, 45m X 8.5m VHF20 tel 05 923 30 50 tidal Lockkeeper will open lift-bridge abandoned by railway, now a footbridge Height >4.5m Height > 4.5m; wide bridge, 4-lane highway for the Belgian 4th Army Division, World War I new bridge, height unknown Free mooring both banks, no facilities shops nearby on south side Height > 4.5m; wide bridge, 4-lane highway Height >4.5m low clearance; bridge must open for passage, use phone box at waiting quay for rail office or call Veurne lockkeeper VHF20 tel 05 831 10 04 low clearance; bridge must open for passage, call Veurne lockkeeper VHF20 tel 05 831 10 04 Height >4.5m Contact Veurne lockkeeper if traveling onto the Lokanaal. 90m X 6.35m VHF20 tel 05 831 10 04 Lockkeeper operates all bridges (except rail) and the port below. Free mooring (24 hours) E/W/T/S shops nearby low clearance; bridge must open for passage, call Veurne lockkeeper VHF20 tel 05 831 10 04 Height >4.5m Height > 4.5m; wide bridge, 4-lane highway Height >4.5m Height >4.5m

Kanaal Plassendale-Nieuwpoort, Belgium

locks

moorings

Connects the Ganzepoot canal intersection at Nieuwpoort to the Gent-Oostende canal. Speed limit 5 km/hour, 7 opening bridges. R/L label does not follow the normal river right bank/left bank convention, as tidal waters make the flow direction unclear; on this table R/L means right side/left side as viewed when traveling from Nieuwpoort to Plassendale. KM Feature approx. 0.0 junction 0.1

lock

0.2 lift bridge 1.25R port 1.40R lock 2.8R restaurant 3.7 lift bridge 6.3 lift bridge lift bridge 9.8 9.9L mooring/town 12.2 road bridge 13.8L mooring 14.0 road bridge 14.0 overhead pipes 15.7 lift bridge 18.3 lift bridge 18.4L mooring/town 19.2R mooring/town 20.1 road bridge 20.7 railway bridge 21.0 lift bridge

Name Ganzepoot, Nieuwpoort Graven N380 Le Boat base St Joris Nieuwendam Rattevallebrug Slijpebrug, N325 Leffingebrug Leffinge Kalsijdebrug, N33 cycling stop/pavilion Snaaskerke, Groene 62 Gistelbrug Zaanvoordebrug Oudenburg Oudenburg A10 Oudenburgsesteenweg

21.1

lock

Plassendale

21.2

junction

Kanaal Gent-Oostende

Lock Description/Operator/Comments Height Ports code: Electric-Water-Toilets-Showers-Laundry-Fuel varies, 45m X 8.5m VHF20 tel 05 923 30 50 tidal Lockkeeper will arrange lift-bridge openings upon request low clearance; bridge must open for passage tel 05 823 66 23 0.8m 124m X 12.5m VHF20 tel 05 823 52 76 menu/quality unknown low clearance; bridge must open for passage low clearance; bridge must open for passage low clearance; bridge must open for passage Free mooring left bank (24 hrs limit) E/W shops nearby on west side Height >5.5m Free mooring pontoon left bank (24 hrs limit) E/W No shops/cafes Height >5.5m Height >5.5m low clearance; bridge must open for passage low clearance; bridge must open for passage Free mooring left bank (24 hrs limit) E/W shops on east side 1km Free mooring right bank (24 hrs limit) E/W Oudenburg same side 1km Height >5.5m Height >5.5m low clearance; bridge must open for passage 90m X 6.35m VHF20 tel 05 926 60 62 0.8m Lockkeeper will arrange lift-bridge openings upon request

locks

Lokanaal, Belgium

moorings

Connects the Nieuwpoort-Duinkerke canal at Veurne to the river IJzer. Speed limit 7 km/hour, 6 opening bridges. R/L label follows the normal river right bank/left bank convention; on this table R/L means right side/left side as viewed when traveling downstream from Fintele to Veurne, even though the log is shown as traveling upstream. KM Feature approx. 0.0 junction 0.3

lift bridge

1.2 1.5

road bridge road bridge

2.3

lift bridge

5.0 6.2 6.8 7.5 7.6L

lift bridge foot bridge foot bridge road bridge mooring/town

11.6L

mooring/town

11.7

lift bridge

12.6

lift bridge

13.4

foot bridge

14.3

lock/lift bridge

14.4

junction

14.5L

mooring/town

Name

Lock Description/Operator/Comments Height Ports code: Electric-Water-Toilets-Showers-Laundry-Fuel Kanal Nieuwpoort-Duinkerke low clearance; bridge must open for passage, call Veurne lockkeeper Rozebrug VHF20 tel 05 831 10 04 N390 wide bridge, 4-lane highway A18 autoroute wide bridge, 4-lane highway low clearance; bridge must open for passage, call Veurne lockkeeper Kortewildebrug VHF20 tel 05 831 10 04 Millebrug low clearance; bridge must open for passage, call VHF20 tel 05 828 81 83 Oerenbrug Height >4.2m Height >4.2m Fortembrug Height >4.2m Alveringhem Free mooring at pontoon, no facilities; cafe nearby, shops 1km west Free mooring at pontoon, no facilities; cafe & shops nearby, east side. Lo Picturesque windmill "Markymolen" adjacent to mooring. Visit historic town of Lo 400 meters east. low clearance; bridge must open for passage, call Fintelesluis lockkeeper Lobrug VHF20 tel 05 828 80 72 low clearance; bridge must open for passage, call Fintelesluis lockkeeper Kellenaersbrug VHF20 tel 05 828 80 72 Hullebrug Height >4.2m 47.5m X 5.2m VHF20 tel 05 828 80 72 Fintelesluis 0.7m No waiting quay, call lockkeeper early. Tie to floating pontoons in lock. IJzer river T-junction, river is navigable eastbound only. On the IJzer river: free mooring at pontoon, no facilities. no shops. Restaurant De Hooipiete adjacent to mooring, Fintele Restaurant De Lisdodde 250 meters west across lock and dam; website www.delisdodde.be

locks

IJzer river, Belgium

moorings

Connects the Lokanaal at Fintele to the Kanaal Plassandale-Nieuwpoort at Nieuwpoort. Speed limit 7 km/hour, 1 opening bridge. R/L label follows the normal river right bank/left bank convention; on this table R/L means right side/left side as viewed when traveling downstream from Fintele to Nieuwpoort. KM Feature approx. 0.0 junction

Name Lokanaal

0.1L

mooring/town

Fintele

3.1 6.3R

road bridge junction

Kanaal Ieper-IJzer

lift bridge

Knokkebrug

6.4 13.1 13.3L 13.4 13.5R 13.7R 15.0L 19.7 23.8 27.8 27.9R 28.1 29.4

Lock Description/Operator/Comments Height Ports code: Electric-Water-Toilets-Showers-Laundry-Fuel

railway bridge site IJzertoren road bridge Diksmuide mooring/town Diksmuide Yacht Haven mooring/town Diksmuide Yacht Haven mooring/site De Dodengang lift bridge Tervatebrug road bridge Schoorbakkebrug, N302 road bridge Uniebrug, N367 mooring/restaurant D'Uniebrugghe road bridge A18 autoroute reservoir Nieuwpoort Spaarbekken Sint-Joris Yacht Haven 30.3L mooring/city VVW Westhoek 30.5 closed channel IJzer river St-Joris 0.8m 30.6R lock 31.0 junction Kanaal Plassendale-Nieuwpoort

On the Ijzer river: free mooring at pontoon, no facilities. no shops. Restaurant/hotel De Hooipiete adjacent to mooring; www.hooipiete.be Restaurant De Lisdodde 250 meters west across lock; www.delisdodde.be Height >4.8m low clearance; bridge must open for passage, no waiting quays. Call in advance to schedule: tel 05 828 87 83 or Fintele lock tel 05 828 80 72 Height >4.8m WW1 memorial tower and arch; floating restaurant www.waterenvuur.be Height >4.8m Fee-charging mooring along wall, E/W/T/S; cafes, shops nearby Fee-charging mooring along grassy bank, E/W; cafes, shops 400 meters "Trench of Death" WWI memorial, preserved battle trenches Height when closed 4.8m Height >4.8m uniebrugghe.be wide bridge, 4-lane highway Fee-charging marina/restaurant tel 05 824 17 57 E/W/T/S/L Sightseeing, shops, restaurants in Nieuwpoort city 1km west Westbound channel from marina closed by low fixed bridge; use St-Joris. At NW corner of Spaarbekken 124m X 12.5m VHF20 tel 05 823 52 76

Kanaal Ieper-IJzer (Ieperlee Kanaal), Belgium

locks

moorings

Connects the IJzer river to the town of Ieper. Dead-end at port in Ieper. Speed limit 7 km/hour, 5 fixed bridges. R/L label follows the normal river right bank/left bank convention; on this table R/L means right side/left side as viewed when traveling downstream from Ieper to IJzer river, although the direction of the log below is upstream. KM Feature approx. 0.0 junction

Name IJzer river

2.5R

site

De Boot/Isera

2.7 7.4R 7.4 8.6 10.5 10.8 11.0 13.7 14.9L

road bridge mooring/cafe road bridge lock/road bridge road bridge road/foot bridge lock/road bridge road bridge junction

Drie-Grachtenbrug Deraedt Ann Cafe Steenstratebrug, N369 Sluis Boezinge Sas Boezingebrug

15.2

mooring/town

Sluis Boezinge-Dorp N38 Ieperlee river IeperYacht Haven VVW Ieperlee

Lock Description/Operator/Comments Height Ports code: Electric-Water-Toilets-Showers-Laundry-Fuel Moored barges; Isera is a B&B, De Boot is an eco-B&B with electric boat rentals. Adjacent to Blankaart nature reserve, with hiking and tours. Height >4.0m Free mooring, no facilites; cafe nearby Height >4.0m 3.22 40.8m X 5.1m VHF18 tel 05 742 21 65 Height >4.0m abandoned railway bridge 3.50 40.8m X 5.1m VHF18 tel 05 742 21 07 Height >4.0m non-navigable; ruins of locks Fee-charging marina/restaurant tel 05 721 46 71 E/W/T/S Sightseeing, shops, restaurants nearby

IJzer-Ieper Loop

This area was the site of some of the bloodiest battles of WWI, the only area of Belgium unoccupied by Germany, preventing them from attaining the important French ports. The canal was essentially the front line for four years; over 300,000 allied troops were killed in four major battles between 1914 and 1918. The town of Ieper (Ypres) was reduced to rubble but has been convincingly rebuilt to look exactly as it did before.

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow...

De Dodengang, the “Trenches of Death” have been maintained as a memorial and historic site, easily visited from a mooring pontoon 1.5 km north of Diksmuide on the IJzer river.

Hops at Poperinge

Beer in Belgium

World-famous Belgian beers are served in the cities of Brugge and Gent but brewed (and available for drinking in cafes) in the small towns of Flanders and Wallonie. Here are the comments of Don and Cathy Jo Chesnut on their visit to the fields of Flanders: ...We moved Odysseus about 8 km to our next tie-up spot, a little village called Fintele. From there we set out on our bikes again, making a beer pilgrimage to Belgium's hop headquarters at Poperinge.

We also tasted "the best beer in the world." Recently, thousands of beer enthusiasts on ratebeer.com proclaimed the beer produced at the St. Sixtus Abbey in Westvleteren as the worlds best. Since we were so close it seemed unreasonable not to check it out. There are no tours of the abbey itself but there is a cafe nearby that sells the famous brew so we were happy to sample some of the 5.8% blond and 8% brown. We took home some 10.8% for later, not trusting our bike riding skills after that. The percentages refer to alcohol content, of course.

For more information, go to Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belgian_beer

Zeebrugge

Terneuzen

Brugge

Oostende

Balgerhoeke

Oudenburg Beernem

Brugge-Gent-Kortrijk Kanaal Plassendale-Nieuwpoort Kanaal Gent-Oostende Boudewijnkanaal Eeklokanaal Afleidingskanaal van de Leie Kanaal Gent-Terneuzen Ringvaart Leie river Bovenschelde Roeselare Zeeschelde Kanaal Roeselare-Leie Moervaart Izegem Locks Marinas 0

5

10

15

20 km

Sint-Joris

Zelzate

Eeklo Alterbrug

Lokeren

Gent Deinze

Ingelmunster Ooigem Harelbeke

Kortrijk

Oudenaarde

Kanaal Gent-Oostende, Belgium

Sheet 1, Oostende to Brugge

locks

moorings

Connects the cities of Gent and Brugge to the North Sea at Oostende. Speed limit 12 km/hour, 12 opening bridges. R/L label follows the normal river right bank/left bank convention; on this table R/L means right side/left side as viewed when traveling downstream from Gent westward to the sea, although the direction of the log below is upstream. KM Feature approx. 0.0 junction

Name Oostende harbor

Lock Description/Operator/Comments Height Ports code: Electric-Water-Toilets-Showers-Laundry-Fuel

varies, 120m X 17.5m VHF10 tel 05 933 09 05 tidal Lockkeeper will open lift-bridges at lock 1.0 double lift bridge Ringlaan, N34 Demeysluis lockkeeper will open lift-bridges VHF10 1.7 swing bridge Doksluis Bridge at south end of open lock VHF10 tel 05 932 10 82 2.0 swing bridge Doksluis Bridge at north end of open lock VHF10 tel 05 932 10 82 5.8 lift bridge Plassendalebrug low clearance; bridge must open for passage VHF10&20 tel 05 926 60 62 Restaurant Plassendale menu/quality unknown 5.9L restaurant 5.9L junction Kanaal Plassendale-Nieuwpoort 6.0L mooring/town Plassendale Free mooring left bank, no facilities 11.8 lift bridge Stalhillebrug Handsome modern bridge; low clearance; bridge must open for passage 11.8L mooring/retaura Ter Spindle Estaminette Free mooring left bank, no facilities restaurant: terspinde.be 12.5 road bridge N377 Height >5m; wide bridge, 4-lane highway 14.8R restaurant Cafe Nieuwege menu/quality unknown 14.9 lift bridge Nieuwegebrug low clearance; bridge must open for passage VHF18 tel 05 035 35 59 N31 Height >5m; wide bridge, 4-lane highway 19.4 road bridge 20.3 road bridge Waggel-Waterbrug Height >5m 20.4 railway bridge Height >5m 21.0 lift bridge Scheepsdalebrug low clearance; bridge must open for passage VHF18 tel 05 035 35 59 Krakelebrug low clearance; bridge must open for passage VHF18 tel 05 035 35 59 21.0 swing bridge 21.9 junction Budewijnkanaal 22-26 city Brugge (Bruges) Views and access to the historic city of Brugge. 0.2

lock

Demeysluis

Kanaal Gent-Oostende, Belgium

Sheet 2, Brugge to Beernem

locks

moorings

Connects the cities of Gent and Brugge to the North Sea at Oostende. Speed limit 12 km/hour, 12 opening bridges. R/L label follows the normal river right bank/left bank convention; on this table R/L means right side/left side as viewed when traveling downstream from Gent westward to the sea, although the direction of the log below is upstream. KM Feature approx. 22.2 lift bridge 22.8

lock

22.8R junction 23.9 lift bridge 24.0 lift bridge 24.3L mooring 24.8L

port/city

25.0 lift bridge 25.6 swing bridge 25.7R mooring 25.8 road bridge 26.0L site 26.3L

port/city

26.5 28.0 30.8L 30.9 33.4L 34.1 34.1L 36.5 36.9

foot bridge lift bridge mooring lift bridge closed canal floodgate restaurant road bridge foot bridge

37.2L

port/town

Name

Lock Description/Operator/Comments Height Ports code: Electric-Water-Toilets-Showers-Laundry-Fuel Warandebrug low clearance; bridge must open for passage VHF18 tel 05 035 35 59 Round lock; 89.5m X 70m VHF18 tel 05 033 17 48 Nieuwe Dammepoort 1.73m Lockkeeper will arrange lift-bridge openings upon request Kanaal Brugge-Sluis abandoned canal; good for walking/cycling on towpath Noordelijke Kruispoortbrug low clearance; bridge must open for passage VHF18 tel 05 035 35 59 Zuidelijke Kruispoortbrug low clearance; bridges open in succession VHF18 tel 05 035 35 59 Free 1 hour mooring left bank, no facilities City-managed moorings along both sides of closed-end canal. Enter under Coupure yacht haven a fantastic lifting footbridge; call harbormaster for opening. The prime moorings in Brugge, convenient and pleasant. VHF18 tel 05 035 35 59 Gentpoortbrug low clearance; bridge must open for passage VHF18 tel 05 035 35 59 Katelijnepoortbrug low clearance; bridges open in succession VHF18 tel 05 035 35 59 Free 1 hour mooring right bank, no facilities Ringlaan, N30 Height >5m; wide bridge, 4-lane highway Barge Boat Hotel Club-managed moorings on east side of closed-end canal. E/W/T/S Flandria yacht haven no shops nearby, city center 1.5km north. tel 05 038 08 66 La Bourgeoise Height >5m Steenbruggebrug low clearance; bridge must open for passage VHF18 tel 05 035 35 50 Free mooring left bank, no facilities Moerbruggebrug low clearance; bridge must open for passage VHF18 tel 05 035 35 50 Beernem Keersluis Dewitte-Willy N370 Beernem Beernem

one-way traffic, watch lights. Moorings above & below floodgate. bar/cafe: menu/quality unknown Height >7m; wide bridge, 4-lane highway Height >7m Club-managed moorings on left bank. E/W/T/S shops nearby, city center 1.5km north; use new foot bridge. tel 05 079 11 96

Kanaal Gent-Oostende, Belgium

Sheet 3, Beernem to Gent

locks

moorings

Connects the cities of Gent and Brugge to the North Sea at Oostende. Speed limit 12 km/hour, 12 opening bridges. R/L label follows the normal river right bank/left bank convention; on this table R/L means right side/left side as viewed when traveling downstream from Gent westward to the sea, although the direction of the log below is upstream. KM approx. 37.7L 40.2 41.8 45.2 46.1L 47.5 49.8 52.1 54.8 55.5 57.6 60.0 61.7 61.8 62.2 63.3 64.7 65.3 65.6 65.9 66.4

Feature closed canal road bridge road bridge road bridge mooring cable ferry road bridge road bridge junction road bridge road bridge road bridge junction flood gate road bridge road bridge foot bridge road bridge junction foot bridge road bridge

Name N368 N44 Oostmolen

Ringvaart (Gent Ring) K1 R4

Lock Description/Operator/Comments Height Ports code: Electric-Water-Toilets-Showers-Laundry-Fuel Height >7m; wide bridge, 4-lane highway Height >7m; wide bridge, 4-lane highway Height >7m; wide bridge, 4-lane highway Free mooring left bank at factory, no facilities or shops, short-term only Be alert for cable on surface or underwater. Height >7m Height >7m Canal crossing: north, Eeklokanaal; south, Afleidingskanaal van de Leie Height >7m; wide bridge, 4-lane highway Height >7m; wide bridge, 4-lane highway Height >7m; wide bridge, 4-lane highway use Ringvaart to south for moorings and city center Height >7m; wide bridge, 4-lane highway Height >7m; wide bridge, 4-lane highway

R40 Verbindingskanaal Bargiebrug

end of navigable canal

Schipdonk sluis

t

Leie river

uze n

Ka

na

al

naal

ingska

d Verbin

art

Ringva

The natural river Leie twisted through Afleidingskanaal van de Leie eight sweeping curves between Kortrijk “Schipdonkkanaal” and Deinze; this section was replaced Leie Diversion Canal by the straight, wide Schipdonkkanaal, the ship channel for barges, which extends north past Deinze to its junction with Gent-Oostende Kanaal, bypassing the narrow Leie from Deinze into Gent. Nevele Baarle

rne

K1

Evergem sluis Ge nt -O os ten de

Gen t-Te

Gent-Oostende Kanaal

Kan aal

vaar

Ring

Drongen

Wate r

spor

See Gent Map

tbaa

n

Leie K2

Gent

Afsnee

art

Ringva

St-Martens Latem

St-Martens Leerne

3 Jachthavens: VVW Gent-Leie GLV KGVW

BovenSchelde K3

Deurle Ooidonk

Leie Leieonn

able navig

Deinze

Astene Turning basin, eastern limit for commercial barges

Leie “Schipdonkkanaal”

The meandering “tourist” Leie is 25 km of pleasure-cruising territory, a sightseeing day-trip or a route from the southwest directly into the center of Gent.

0

1

2

3

4

5 km

BovenSchelde

Don Chesnut on Odysseus writes about the “tourist” Leie: The Leie is very much like the Vecht River is Holland, just narrower and curvier and the houses are even more spectacular. Friday morning we left the city (Gent) and headed down (southbound but upstream) the Leie River. The weather was perfect; sunny and warm. It was just a short 3 hours to our stop in the Deinze Yacht Haven

Leie river, Belgium

Kromme “Tourist” Leie, Deinze to Gent

locks

moorings

Connects the Leie river at Deinze to central Gent and the Ringvaart. Speed limit 12 km/hour (9 km/hr for vessels with draft >1m.) R/L label follows the normal river right bank/left bank convention; on this table R/L means right side/left side as viewed when traveling downstream from Deinze eastward to Gent. “Kromme” means “curving”, a narrow, twisting river. KM approx. 0.0 0.9L 1.0 1.5 2.0 3.1 3.3 3.4 4.8 4.8 4.9L 8.0R 11.2 11.2L 15.4 17.8R 19.2 20.7L 21.7L 22.9 24.4R 24.7 24.8 24.9 24.9 25.0L 25.1R 25.2R 25.2R

Feature

Name

junction Leie schipdonkkanaal boat club/town Deinze road bridge N35 road bridge Tolpoortbrug road bridge Guido Gezellebrug turning basin factory bridge road bridge lift bridge Ophaalbrug lock Astene mooring Astene mooring Deurle road bridge St-Martens Leerne boat club/town St-Martens Leerne cable ferry Baarle mooring St-Martens Latem road bridge A10 boat club junction Drongen arm cable ferry Afsnee closed-end channel road bridge R4 junction Ringvaart road bridge R4 open lock K2 boat club KGWV boat club GLV closed-end channel boat club VVW Gent Leie

Lock Description/Operator/Comments Height Ports code: Electric-Water-Toilets-Showers-Laundry-Fuel Leie ship channel Deinze Yacht Club tel 09 386 40 67 E/W/T/S Height >7m; wide bridge, 4-lane highway low clearance; bridge must open for passage tel 09 386 15 73 Height >9m Eastern limit for commercial barges Height >7m Height >4.4m low clearance; bridge must open for passage tel 09 386 10 19 open lock; 42.2m X 5.2m no facilities no facilities Motor Yachtclub Gent www.motoryachtclubgent.be E/W/T club cafe/bar Be alert for cable on surface or underwater. no facilities Height >7m; wide bridge, 4-lane highway Leie Snelvaarders tel 09 230 61 24 Alternate channel of the Leie, 2km to the town of Drongen. Be alert for cable on surface or underwater. Height >4.4m

Koninklijke Gentse Watersport Vereniging vzw tel 0475 65 39 45 Gentse Leie Vaarders tel 09 220 7585 E/W/T/S www.gentseleievaarders.be VVW Gent Leie tel 09 220 44 24 E/W/T/S www.vvw-gent-leie.be

Best Cities to Visit: Brugge, the “Venice of the North”, is, like Gent, crisscrossed by many small canals, although nearly all of them are forbidden to visiting vessels. Kanaal Gent-Oostende curves around the city from the northwest to the south. The name comes from the Norse “Bruggia”, meaning mooring place, and moorings are available for extended visits to this very pleasant and interesting small city. Modern docks are located at the southern end of the city, or for a walking-distance mooring use the Coupure, a deadend canal cut into the center of the city from the southeast curve of the canal. As with the “other” Venice, Brugge has always been a major trading center, although nowadays the trade is mostly with the large volume of tourists. The village-like city is one of the most charming and easily-toured destinations in Europe. There are scores of shops and restaurants to satisfy any tastes. Almost everyone rides the canal sightseeing boats, which are most enjoyable when the stone buildings are floodlit in the evening. From Brugge, one of the abandoned canals of Belgium can be the location of a pleasant day’s excursion. A bicycle path alongside the Damse Vaart leads from the northeast corner of the ring canal to the classic Flemish village of Damme and beyond into the perfectly flat but very beautiful countryside, well populated by dairy cows. Don’t pack a lunch, you will find enjoyable small cafes in the village. Much of the bank of the Kanaal Gent-Oostende around the city is a park; this makes the cruising enjoyable and it is also a great place for walking and cycling. But there are inconveniences; along with one lock, the Nieuwe Dammepoortsluis, there are seven bridges that must open for boats. Because these bridges serve roads with heavy traffic, the bridges operate under strict rules and will open only for convoys of boats. Contact the bridgekeepers on VHF 18 and follow their instructions carefully; they know about other traffic that may not be seen by you and will arrange the schedule and position of boats accordingly. There are pontoons available for mooring during waiting periods. The three bridges west of the lock operate independently but should be passed in a convoy. On the eastern side the two bridges at Kruispoortbruggen will open in succession, as will the next two, Gentpoortbrug and Katelijnepoortbrug. Again, follow the convoy and the bridgekeeper’s instructions. It is courteous to advise them if you are dropping out of a convoy, say to moor at the Coupure.

Boudewijnsluis

Zeebrugge 12 km via canal (#21)

Damme 4.6 km via disused canal (good cycle path)

Krakelebrug

Oostende 20 km via Gent-Oostende canal (#22)

Warandebrug

Scheepsdalebrug

Ka ende

st

t-Oo

Gen

naal

Nieuwe Dammepoortsluis

Kruispoortbruggen Historic Center (Markt)

Brugge

Coupure moorings

Gentpoortbrug

0

1km

Katelijnepoortbrug

Flandria Jachthaven

Gent (Ringvaart) 40.6 km via Gent-Oostende canal (#22)

Coupure moorings The Coupure is a popular mooring, very close to the center of Brugge (see map, previous page.) Coupure means “cut”; it is a disused canal branch straight into the center of the city. Note the church steeple, St Anarei; the central “Markt” is just a few blocks to the left. Despite the proximity of the tourist area, the moorings are in a quiet residential area. Electricity and water are available at the dock, no other services.

A liveaboard barge, moored (and well guarded) along the Kanaal Gent-Oostende at Brugge.

Best Cities to Visit: Gent, the capital of Flanders, is a true center of the compass; waterways radiate north, east, south and west, accessed

from the center of the city or from the Ringvaart which circles the perimeter and connects all of the waterways. The Ringvaart makes it easy to bypass Gent and continue directly on a route from Brugge to Antwerpen or Brussel, for instance. It is not a full circle, rather a large C with the top end at the seaport north of the city and the bottom end at the BovenZeeschelde on the southeast of the city, where the tidal Schelde turns toward Antwerpen. But the C also crosses Kanaal Gent-Oostende, river Leie (and Arm van Drongen of the Leie) and the Bovenschelde as it enters the city from the south. It is easy to guess the reason that Gent became an important city many centuries ago, as it is located at the junction of two major rivers, the Leie and the Schelde. The Leie loops through the center of the city and several canal cuts have been added, so there is a great deal of waterfront. However, some channels are forbidden due to silting and low bridges, thus cannot be accessed by visiting boaters. Moorings are available in marinas and along the banks of the Leie at some locations. There is a group of three marinas on the Leie at the inside of the junction with the Ringvaart and two in the city center. The latter are both within a short walk of the historic city center. The three outside marinas are 6 km from the center. It is essential to plan your route into Gent in advance, using one of the routes detailed below. Once you are moored in Gent, the historical and cultural sights can be visited on foot, by bike or by dinghy (tours and small rental boats are available.) (See map on next page) Entering from the west on Kanaal Gent-Oostende: turn south on the Ringvaart and enter the city on the Leie (draft 1.9m, bridge clearance 4.05m.) Or continue on the Ringvaart to the Bovenschelde, then into the city on the Opperschelde or Visserijvaart (draft 1.9m, bridge clearance 3.9m.) Entering from the southwest on the Leie: continue into the city on the Leie (draft 1.9m, bridge clearance 4.05m) to the Gent-Centrum Jachthaven or continue via Ketelvaart, Opperschelde, Bovenschelde, Visserijvaart to Portus Ganda Haven. Entering from the south on the Bovenschelde: continue into the city on the Opperschelde or Visserijvaart (draft 1.9m, bridge clearance 3.9m.) Entering from the east on the Boven-Zeeschelde: turn west on the Ringvaart then north on the Bovenschelde, continue into the city on the Opperschelde or Visserijvaart (draft 1.9m, bridge clearance 3.9m.) Entering from the north (Netherlands) on the Gent-Terneuzen Kanaal: turn east into the Handelsdok, then west to Portus Ganda Jachthaven (draft 12m, bridge clearance 4.2m.)

uze n

Kan aal

KYCG Jachthaven

t

K1

K1, K2, K3 are Keersluis, open locks used as floodgates.

Evergem sluis Ge nt -O os ten de

Gen t-Te

Gent-Oostende Kanaal

rne

vaar

Ring

Ka

al

k elsdo Hand

Historic Center

Drongen

Baarle

Gent-Centrum Jachthaven

Wate r

spor

K2

Leie

naal

ingska

d Verbin

art

Ringva

na

E

A

tbaa

n

C

Leie

D

Central Gent Waterways: A Ketelvaart B Opperschelde C Benedenschelde D Visserijvaart E Vertakking de Pauw

Portus Ganda Jachthaven

B

Gent

Afsnee

a Ringva

BovenSchelde

rt

St-Martens Latem

3 Jachthavens: VVW Gent-Leie GLV KGVW

K3

Yachting Merelbeke

Sluis Merelbeke art

Ringva

0

1

2

3

4

5 km

BovenSchelde

Bo

ve

nZ

ee

sch

eld

e

Gent is a city of Flemish facades, spires and tourists from all over Europe. It is popular with British visitors, so English is not uncommon at the docks and on the streets. The Gentse Feesten draws huge crowds during the last two weeks of July for theatre, dance and music, as well as crowd events such as swimming across the Leie river from the docks of the Portus Ganda jachthaven. For more information on visiting Gent: www.gent.be Street map: http://gentgis2.gent.be/geoloketstadsplan/

The city is located at the confluence of two major rivers, the Leie and the Schelde; the various channels cut by those rivers centuries ago has resulted in a multitude of waterways which can be navigated by visiting cruisers. In fact, just getting to the two marinas in center of the city is a great sightseeing tour itself. The non-navigable canals are served by fleets of tour boats. The local government is committed to waterway improvements, such as reopening the Reep channel from Ketelvaart to Portus Ganda jachthaven.

Gent-Terneuzen Kanaal

Muidebrug

X

ste Oo ntGe

Hand

Tolhuissluis

aal

X

uwv De Pa

200

600

800

1000m

X

Reep X

X 400

X

X

0

t aar

Gent

Jachthavens@Snepkaai: KGVW GLV VVW Gent-Leie

Lousbergbrug liftbridge tel 0477 58 18 04

e

All bridges on Leie are fixed Clearance >4.05m

rijv

Leie

VHF19 tel 0472 41 78 43

nscheld

Opperschelde

X

art

Ringva

X

Benede

Ketelvaart

se Vis

tel 0479 24 63 88 [email protected]

K2

Portus Ganda Jachthaven

X

Coupure

Gent-Centrum (Lindelei) Jachthaven

ing

ertakk

St-Jorissluis

l

aa

X

k

elsdo

Historic Center

an

eK nd

kan s g n i d Verbin

Gentbruggesluis (no passage)

Brusselseportsluis 41.5 X 6.5m tidal lock tel 0477 58 18 04

Bo

All bridges on Bovenschelde are fixed Clearance >3.9m

ve

ns

ch

el

de

Leie river, Belgium

locks

Ringvaart to center of Gent.

moorings

Follows the Leie river within the city of Gent, Ringvaart to the end of the navigable river. Speed limit 12 km/hour. R/L label follows the normal river right bank/left bank convention; R/L means right side/left side when traveling downstream, in this case into the city center. This log will take you to the Jachthaven Gent Centrum; to go to the Jachthaven Portus Ganda, see the Gent city map. KM approx. 26.1 26.1 26.2 26.3L 26.4R 26.5R 26.5R 26.8 26.8 27.5L 27.9 28.6 29.1 29.7 29.7L

Feature

Name

junction Ringvaart road bridge R4 open lock K2 boat club KGWV boat club GLV closed-end channel boat club VVW Gent Leie road bridge railway bridge closed-end channel road bridge Europabrug road bridge road bridge road bridge closed-end channel

29.9L

port/city

30.0R 30.1

junction Ketelvaart closed-end channel

Gent

Lock Description/Operator/Comments Height Ports code: Electric-Water-Toilets-Showers-Laundry-Fuel

Koninklijke Gentse Watersport Vereniging vzw tel 0475 65 39 45 Gentse Leie Vaarders tel 09 220 7585 E/W/T/S www.gentseleievaarders.be VVW Gent Leie tel 09 220 44 24 E/W/T/S www.vvw-gent-leie.be

Height >4.0m Height >4.0m Height >4.0m Height >4.0m Coupure, non-navigable link to Gent-Oostende Kanaal Jachthaven Gent Centrum tel 0479 24 63 88 E/W/T/S www.vpf.be [email protected] northern end of navigable Leie

Kanaal Gent-Terneuzen, Netherlands/Belgium Westerschelde to center of Gent.

locks

moorings

Follows the canal from the Westerschelde, NL to the center of Gent BE. Speed limit 12 km/hour, no opening bridges. R/L label follows the normal river right bank/left bank convention; R/L means right side/left side when traveling downstream. KM approx. 0.0 0.1 2.1R 2.1R 2.1R 2.1R 2.8R 5.7 7.8R/L 12.8L 13.5 14.0L 15.8R 16.7 21.0L 22.8R 23.7R 26.7R

Feature

Name

junction Westerschelde NL lock/liftbridge Oostsluis Terneuzen closed channel Zijkanaal A port Aricom Yacht Services boatyard Vermeulen's Jachtwerf boat club WV Neusen Aricom Yacht Services boatyard swing bridge Sluiskil barge harbor Sluiskil port/town Sas van Gent swing bridge Sas van Gent museum harbor Sas van Gent border/port/town Zelzate BE lift bridge Zelzatebrug barge harbor Kluizendok barge harbor Rodenhuizedok junction Moervaart barge harbor Mercatordok

27.5L

port/town

Langerbrugge

28.3R 29.0L 29.7R 30.5 32.3 32.7R 32.9 34.4 34.5 34.7 34.8

barge harbor junction barge harbor lift bridge railway bridge lift bridge barge harbor road bridge road bridge road bridge port/city

Sifferdok Ringvaart Grootdok Muelestedebrug Wiedauwkaaispoorbrug Muidebrug Handelsdok Dampoortbrug Pauwbrug Gent

Lock Description/Operator/Comments Height Ports code: Electric-Water-Toilets-Showers-Laundry-Fuel Listen on Terneuzen Central traffic conrol VHF3 tidal 160/105m X 24m VHF18 tel 0115 61 22 79 1 km channel north to three jachthavens and Terneuzen city center moorings near city tel 0115 61 45 77 www.aricom nl E/W/T/F boat service/moorings tel 0115 61 27 16 www.vermeulensjachtwerf nl moorings near city tel 0115 61 44 11 www.wvneusen.nl E/W service/indoor storage tel 0115 61 45 77 www.aricom nl Height closed 6.5m/7.0m VHF11 close to shops and cafes E/W Height closed 7.0m VHF11 classic barges in harbor Jachthaven Zelzate tel 0486 47 65 66 [email protected] tel 093 44 51 64 VHF20 Height >7.2m

Mendonk Yacht Haven 1 km east tel 0478 91 82 26 vvwmendonk.com E/W/T/S Koninklijke Yacht Club Gent tel 0477 79 96 80 E/W/T/S/L Royal Belgium Sailing Club tel 092 27 72 15 www rbsc.be

no entry by pleasure vessels VHF20 tel 092 53 81 20 250m south of bridge: 90º left turn to Handelsdok VHF20 tel 092 23 96 20 follow Handelsdok to south 90º right turn onto De Pauwvertakking

Portus Ganda jachthaven

VHF19 tel 0472 41 78 43 E/W/T/S

Terneuzen

Central Belgium

Zeekanaal Brussel-Schelde Kanaal Charleroi-Brussel Zeeschelde Bovenschelde Ringvaart Leie Dender Rupel Beneden Nete Netekanaal Dijle Kanaal Leuven-Dijle Canal du Centre Canal Nimy-Blaton-Péronnes Canal Blaton-Ath Albertkanaal Kanaal van Dessel...

Menen

Deinze

Wetteren Asper

Kerkhove

de pth >1 m

Wallonie

Ath

Leuven

Ronquières inclined plane Seneffe

Nimy

istoric ntre Pommeroeul Mons Hnal du Ce Ca

t Es ca u

rpe

Mechelen

Halle

Strépy-Thieu boatlift

X

Herentals

Duffel

Brussel

Ninove

Vlaanderen

Blaton

30km

Boom Rumst

Dendermonde

Geraardsbergen

Péronnes

Klein Willebroek

Denderleeuw

Bossuit

Sca

Lier

Aalst

Gavere

Oudenaarde

Kortrijk

Tournai

20

Durme

Gent

Canal de la Deûle

10

Viersel Temse

Locks Moorings 0

Massenhoven

Zelzate

Deûlémont FR

Lys

Schoten

Antwerpen

re

b Sam

Namur Charleroi

Best Cities to Visit: Antwerpen Schelde river

Grote Markt

A major seaport and petrochemical processing center, the commercial harbor at this city can be daunting to pleasure cruisers. It’s best to tie up across the river Schelde at the Linkeroever Jachthaven; the Saint Anna pedestrian/cyclist tunnel (1.1km south of the jachthaven) under the river will bring you to the downtown restaurants, shops and diamond merchants. Nationaal Scheepvaartmuseum (Maritime Museum) is located 4 blocks north on the east bank of the river, home to an extensive collection of ships, maps and nautical items. The Grote Markt and cathedral are then just one block off the river. Or moor at the Willemdok marina, located right next to the Schipperskwartier (commercial shipping quarter, not surprisingly adjacent to the Red Light District.) The tall rust-colored building at right is the MAS, Museum aan de Stroom, featuring the art, history and culture of Antwerpen and the river Schelde (Stroom translates as river.) For more information on visiting the outstanding museums, picturesque galleries, sculpted streets and beautiful architecture of Antwerpen: visit.antwerpen.be

Willemdok

Sch

Entering Antwerpen:

eld

1 -From the North Sea, via Westerschelde/Beneden Zeeschelde to Jachthaven Linkeroever or via Boudewijnsluis (lock) to Jachthaven Willemdok.

ijn

e-R bin ver

2- From Gent or Brussel, via Boven Zeeschelde to Jachthaven Linkeroever or via Royersluis (lock) to Jachthaven Willemdok.

din

1

g

Boudewijnsluis

3- From the central Netherlands, via Schelde-Rijnverbinding, no lock required to Jachthaven Willemdok.

3

4- From eastern Belgium or Netherlands, via Albertkanaal, no lock required to Jachthaven Willemdok.

Be

ned

en

Ze

es

Noordkasteelbrug

che Antwerpen jachthaven info: lde www.jachthaven-antwerpen.be (Watch the 2-minute video on the Home page)

Saint Anna tunnel Gent 75.6 km via Boven-Zeeschelde

Jachthaven Willemdok tel 0323 231 50 66 gsm 0495 53 54 55 [email protected] 1

2

3

Siberiabrug

Royersluis

Kattendijksluis (closed) Linkeroever Jachthaven access High Water +/- 1 hr

Jachthaven Linkeroever tel 0323 219 08 95 gsm 0475 64 39 57 [email protected]

0

To Jachthaven Willemdok: Enter via liftbridges Siberiabrug & Londenbrug; contact harbormaster VHF62

4

5 km

2

4 Londenbrug

al

ana

rtk Albe

Jachthaven Willemdok Scheepvaartmuseum Historic City Center

Antwerpen

Budabrug, Vilvoorde

Royal Yacht Club

Best Cities to Visit: Brussel The capital city (and now the center of European Union bureaucracy) might be as a good city to visit as Brugge and Gent, if it made itself a more pleasant stop for canal travelers. Although the city has a lot of things to offer for visitors, a welcoming, pleasant waterfront along the canal is not one of them.The Canal Charleroi-Bruxelles which passes through the city is busy with commercial traffic and is fronted by some rather dismal neighborhoods and industrial buildings. Regarding ports, one boater reported “...the Royal Yacht Club seemed to be the only place, but was not one I would really recommend - noisy roads, and just off the main canal with fast moving barges and plenty of surge.” But another had this comment: “The club and the people here are terrific.” The front side of the haven is shown at left, but directly behind it is the Domaine Royal, a large park with walkways and small lakes, leading to the Royal Castle of Laeken, floral gardens and on to the Brussels Expo, the Atomium and Mini-Europe (see the websites below for descriptions.) These are all within an easy walk from the jachthaven. For visits to the city center and elsewhere, an extensive tram system is available.

Royal Yacht Club

Bruxelles Royal Yacht Haven tel 022 16 48 28 Water and elctricity at the docks, showers and a restaurant at the clubhouse. For more information on visiting Brussel: www.brussels.info or visitbrussels.be

Kortrijk (Courtrai, French) was established as a Gallo-Roman town at an important crossroads on the Leie river. Today it is an interesting small city with a mix of progressive architecture and ultramodern bridges alongside historical features, such as the beautiful stone arches and towers of the Broeltoren bridge. The historical city centre is a car-free pedestrian area with lots of shops, bistros and shopping malls, just a few blocks from the moorings. More restaurants and parks can be found on the north side, across the fantastic curving Collegebrug footbridge. A four-decade project to improve the barge route along the Leie has brought new bridges, parks and riverside walkways. The last two bridges, Reepbrug and Budabrug, are scheduled for completion in 2012. Traffic on the Doortocht Kortrijk may be stopped during work, watch the traffic lights and listen or call on VHF20. King Albert Park

Onze-Lieve-Vrouw Hospital

Groe

Leie

Kan

ninge

rug

jk rtri hannel o t K h-c

h toc throug r o o nd

Budabrug

D ge a bar

footbridge

Buda Island at

bo

Reepbrug Ronde van Vlaanderenbrug

Noordbrug

Leie

Leiebrug

Kasteelbrug

Kortrijk 0

100

200

300

400

500m

esur

el

Historic Center

Kor

trijk

-Bos

suit

Passantenhaven Kortrijk free moorings along quay

nn

a ch

a

ple

brug

Damb

Collegebrug footbridge

aal

Broeltoren

Leie river, Belgium Sheet 1, Canal de la Deûle to Kortrijk.

alternate channel

locks

moorings

Follows the Leie river north from Deûlémont, FR to Kortrijk, BE. Speed limit 12 km/hour, no opening bridges. R/L label follows the normal river right bank/left bank convention; R/L means right side/left side when traveling downstream. KM approx. 0.0 0.4R 1.7L 2.4L 2.7L 2.8L 3.5L 2.7 5.6L 6.1L 6.8 8.5 9.2 9.6R 9.9 11.3L 14.4L 15.8 16.3L 16.3L 16.3L 16.5 17.4 21.2 22.8 24.8 24.9 25.0L 26.7 26.9 27.2

Feature

Name

border/junction Canal de la Deûle FR town Deûlémont closed channel arm of Leie alternate channel Warneton road bridge/town Warneton mooring Warneton alternate channel Warneton road bridge/town Warneton lock Komen/Comines fuel dock Captain Neptunia road bridge/town Komen/Comines road bridge foot bridge Wervik boat club/town Wervik road bridge Wervik BE/Wervicq FR closed channel Wervick arm of Leie lock Menen road bridge closed channel Menen arm of Leie mooring Menen boat club/town Menen-Halluin road bridge/town Menen-Halluin road bridge N32 road bridge/town Wevelgem-Lauwe road bridge A17 road bridge R8 road bridge mooring/town Bissigem railway bridge road bridge Kortrijk road bridge Kortrijk

Lock Description/Operator/Comments Height Ports code: Electric-Water-Toilets-Showers-Laundry-Fuel

1.2

south end of natural river loop Height >4.4m mooring at pontoon north of bridge, no services north end of natural river loop Height >4.4m 195m X 12.5m VHF68 tel 056 55 58 80 fuel barge and chandlery: Tel: 056 55 81 40 VHF 13. Height >4.4m Height >4.4m VPF VZW Jachthaven Wervik tel 056 31 50 92 E/W/T/S Height >4.4m

1.7

195m X 12.5m VHF20 tel 056 51 14 21 Height >4.4m North side of channel, close to town/shops E/W South side of channel, Yacht Club de la Lys tel 0320 23 83 61 E/W/T/S Height >4.4m Height >4.4m wide bridge, 4-lane highway Height >4.4m Height >4.4m wide bridge, 4-lane highway Height >4.4m wide bridge, 4-lane highway Height >4.4m narrow channel No facilities; shops, cafe 500m Height >4.4m modern suspension bridge, 4-lane highway

Leie river, Belgium

Sheet 2, Kortrijk to Deinze

alternate channel

locks

moorings

Follows the Leie river north from Kortrijk to the junction with Kromme Leie. Speed limit 12 km/hour, no opening bridges. R/L label follows the normal river right bank/left bank convention; R/L means right side/left side when traveling downstream. KM approx. 27.4 27.5R 27.7R 27.9R 28.1R 28.2R 28.4R 28.5 27.5L 27.7L 28.2L 28.5 28.5R 29.7 30.7L 31.4 32.0R 32.4 33.5 36.9 37.5L 40.4 41.8 42.3R 42.8 44.1R 45.2 47.0 50.1 52.2 53.0

Feature

Name

island Buda island road bridge Kasteelbrug road bridge Budastraat foot bridge Broelbrug/Broeltoren foot bridge mooring/town Passantenhaven Kortrijk road bridge Dambrug island Buda island road bridge Reepbrug road bridge Budabrug foot bridge College Bridge road bridge Groeningebrug junction Kanaal Kortrijk-Bossuit road bridge R8 boat club/town Kuurne road bridge/town Harelbeke-Kuurne lock Harelbeke road bridge Harelbeke road bridge N36 Beneluxbrug road bridge junction Kanaal Roeselare-Leie road bridge N382 road bridge N357 junction/lock Eloois-Vijve lock St Baafs-Vijve junction Eloois-Vijve road bridge road bridge N459 road bridge railway bridge junction Leie schipdonkkanaal

Lock Description/Operator/Comments Height Ports code: Electric-Water-Toilets-Showers-Laundry-Fuel south end of island; pleasure boats take east channel, Height 2.95m

stone arch bridge, stone towers at each end Free mooring in city center on east bank E/W Height 2.95m north end of island; pleasure boats take east channel, Height 2.95m west channel along Buda Island west channel along Buda Island west channel along Buda Island

Height >4.4m wide bridge, 4-lane highway WSV Kuurne E/W/T/S 2.18

115m X 12.4m VHF20 tel 056 71 12 74 Height >4.4m wide bridge, 4-lane highway

2.39 2.18

Height >4.4m wide bridge, 4-lane highway Height >4.4m Lock on southern end of Leie natural river loop 43.2m X 6m 136m X 16m VHF22 tel 056 60 85 99 Northern end of Leie natural river loop

Leie ship channel; Afleidingskanaal van de Leie

Canal Nimy-Blaton-Péronnes, Belgium

Sheet 1, Mons to Pommeroeul

locks

moorings

Connects the Canal du Centre at Le Grand Large (lake) to the junction with Canal Pommeroeul-Condé. R/L label follows the normal river right bank/left bank convention; on this table R/L means right side/left side as viewed when traveling westward. KM approx. 0.0 0.7 0.9 2.7 4.4 4.8L&R 6.6 7.6 7.6 7.8 8.3R 9.0 9.3 9.5 10.6 11.7 12.3R 12.5 12.8 13.2 14.8 15.9 16.8L

Feature

Name

Bridge Height junction Canal du Centre KM24.8 road bridge E19 6.50 flood gate/footbridge 6.60 road bridge 6.60 road bridge 5.60 barge harbor road bridge 7.60 road bridge 7.00 road bridge 7.00 railway bridge barge harbor road bridge 8.60 railway bridge road bridge 7.90 road bridge road bridge barge harbor road bridge 7.00 road bridge 5.50 road bridge 5.50 road bridge 8.00 road bridge 5.90 junction Canal Pommeroeul-Condé

Description/Operator/Comments Ports code: Electric-Water-Toilets-Showers-Laundry-Fuel west side of “Le Grand Large”, Mons

disused

closed at KM5.35, Hensies lock

Canal Nimy-Blaton-Péronnes, Belgium

Sheet 2, Pommeroeul to Pérrones

locks

moorings

Connects from the junction with Canal Pommeroeul-Condé to the junction with Haut Escaut river. R/L label follows the normal river right bank/left bank convention; on this table R/L means right side/left side as viewed when traveling westward. KM approx. 17.8 18.7 19.3 20.8 20.9 21.1R 21.1L 21.3 22.9 25.4 25.9R 26.2R 26.0 26.4 27.6 30.6 31.0 31.5R 32.2 33.1 36.3 37.0R 37.2R 37.8R 38.1 38.9

Feature road bridge railway bridge road bridge railway bridge footbridge junction closed canal road bridge road bridge railway bridge port port road bridge road bridge road bridge road bridge railway bridge closed canal road bridge road bridge lock boatyard yacht club yacht club lock junction

Name

Bridge Description/Operator/Comments Height Ports code: Electric-Water-Toilets-Showers-Laundry-Fuel 6.70 5.40 6.70

Canal Blaton-Ath

Péruwelz Péruwelz

5.40 6.80 5.40

VHF68 tel 069 665973 / 0488 607085 !12.50 E/W/T/S/L www.peruwelz.be

6.40 6.40 6.40 5.30 6.50 6.50

Maubray-Péronnes Chantier Naval Plaquet Tournai Yacht Club Péronnes Yacht Club Péronnes Haut-Escaut river KM4.65

One chamber 86x12m height 12.5m VHF22 tel 0474 65 73 59 Closed due to bankruptcy March 2014. tel 069 89 00 00 / 0498 034018 !9.00 E/W www.tyc.be/fr/ tel 069 442081 / 0477 571640 !8.00 E/W/T/S/L www.peronnesyachtclub.be One chamber 86x12m height 5.6m VHF20 tel 069 44 26 84

Canal du Centre, Belgium

Sheet 1, Seneffe to Strépy-Thieu

locks

moorings

Connects from the junction with Canal Bruxelles-Charleroi to the junction with the Historic Canal du Centre, western end. R/L label follows the normal river right bank/left bank convention; on this table R/L means right side/left side as viewed when traveling westward. KM approx. 0.0 1.7R 1.8 2.1 2.6L 2.6L 2.8 3.1 4.3 4.5L 4.8L 5.9 6.3 8.6 10.0 11.4 11.9 12.9 13.1L 13.1L 13.1L

Feature

Name

Bridge Description/Operator/Comments Height Ports code: Electric-Water-Toilets-Showers-Laundry-Fuel junction Canal Bruxelles-Charleroi KM26.1 restaurant quay Le Nautic www.nautic.be tel 064 267229 / 0475 680402 road bridge railway bridge waterski base road bridge 5.25 road bridge road bridge road bridge barge harbor grass mooring on east bank, no facilities. junction Historic Canal du Centre, eastern end road bridge flood gate canal bridge turning basin boatlift Ascenceur de Strépy-Thieu Two basins 118x12m height 73.15m VHF20 tel 064 671210 road bridge road bridge junction Historic Canal du Centre, western end lock Ecluse de Thieu One chamber 41.06x5.20m height 6.00m tel 064 662014 yacht club Yacht Club des Ascenseurs tel 067 330921 / 0475 945235 !1.00/m E/W/T/S/L www.ycda.be

Canal du Centre, Belgium

Sheet 2, Strépy-Thieu to Mons

locks

moorings

Connects from the junction with Historic Canal du Centre to the junction with the Canal Nimy-Blaton-Péronnes. R/L label follows the normal river right bank/left bank convention; on this table R/L means right side/left side as viewed when traveling westward.

KM approx. 13.1L 14.5 14.9 17.1 17.4 17.8 19.2 19.3 20.1 20.2 21.3 22.5 23.7 24.2 24.4

Feature

Name

Bridge Description/Operator/Comments Height Ports code: Electric-Water-Toilets-Showers-Laundry-Fuel Historic Canal du Centre, western end

junction road bridge foot bridge road bridge road bridge lock Ecluse d’Havre foot bridge road bridge foot bridge factory bridge lock/bridge Ecluse d’Obourg-Warton road bridge road bridge railway bridge lake Le Grand Large

24.8

port

24.8

junction

One chamber 124x12.5m height 10.00m VHF22 tel 064 872229

One chamber 96x12m height 5.00m VHF20 tel 065 651467

Royal Club Nautique Mons-Borinage !1.00/m E/W/T/S/L tel 065 874890 [email protected] Canal Nimy-Blaton-Péronnes KM0.0 Port du Grand Large à Mons

locks

Historic Canal du Centre, Belgium

moorings

This original canal is bypassed by the Strépy-Thieu boatlift on the Canal du Centre. R/L label follows the normal river right bank/left bank convention; on this table R/L means right side/left side as viewed when traveling westbound. Some locks on this canal may be closed during 2015 season; inquire before traveling. KM approx. 7.9 7.8 7.8L 7.7R 7.6 7.0 6.8 6.4 5.4 5.2 5.1R 5.0 4.6 4.4 4.1 3.5 2.9 2.6 1.7 1.3L 1.2 1.0 0.0

Feature

Name

Bridge Description/Operator/Comments Height Ports code: Electric-Water-Toilets-Showers-Laundry-Fuel

junction lock yacht club mooring boatlift lifting bridge narrow passage lifting bridge road bridge turning bridge mooring boatlift boatlift road bridge turning bridge road bridge railway bridge road bridge boatlift barge harbor factory bridge road bridge junction

Canal du Centre Ecluse de Thieu Yacht Club des Ascenseurs Ascenseur 4 Thieu Thieu

One chamber 41.06x5.20m height 6.00m tel 064 662014 tel 067 330921 / 0475 945235 !1.00/m E/W/T/S/L www.ycda.be quay on north bank, no facilities Two basins 40.8x5.2m height 16.90m tel 064 662882 call in advance tel 064 662650

Strépy-Bracquegnies

call in advance tel 064 662650 4-lane bridge, high clearance Strépy-Bracquegnies call in advance tel 064 662650 grass mooring on north bank in front of Salle des Machines, no facilities. Ascenseur 3 Strépy-Bracquegnies Two basins 40.8x5.2m height 16.90m tel 064 662650 Ascenseur 2 Houdeng-Aimeries Two basins 40.8x5.2m height 16.00m tel 064 223586 4.24 Houdeng-Aimeries call in advance tel 064 662650 disused Ascenseur 1 Houdeng-Goegnies

Canal du Centre

Two basins 40.8x5.2m height 15.50m tel 064 223585

Canal Bruxelles-Charleroi, Belgium

Sheet 1, Charleroi to Viesville

locks

moorings

Connects from the river Sambre at Charleroi to Ecluse 3, Viesville. R/L label follows the normal river right bank/left bank convention; on this table R/L means right side/left side as viewed when traveling northbound. KM approx. 0.0 0.11 0.12 0.13 0.2 0.37 0.9 1.9 2.1 2.6 4.4 4.9 5.0 5.8 6.8 7.0 7.2 8.8 9.4

Feature

Name

junction factory bridge railway bridge road bridge turning basin factory bridge factory bridge road bridge railway bridge lock/road bridge foot bridge pipeline bridge road bridge railway bridge pipeline bridge lock road bridge road bridge lock/road bridge

Sambre river KM39.0

Description/Operator/Comments Ports code: Electric-Water-Toilets-Showers-Laundry-Fuel

Ecluse 1 Marchienne-au-Pont One chamber 85.1x11.5m height 7.00m VHF20 tel 071 329301

disused Ecluse 2 Goseliers

One chamber 85.8x11.5m height 7.00m VHF18 tel 071 353949

Ecluse 3 Viesville

One chamber 85.92x11.5m height 7.00m VHF22 tel 071 354889

Canal Bruxelles-Charleroi, Belgium

Sheet 2, Viesville to Seneffe

locks

moorings

Connects from Ecluse 3, Viesville, to the junction with the Canal du Centre near Seneffe. R/L label follows the normal river right bank/left bank convention; on this table R/L means right side/left side as viewed when traveling northbound.

KM approx. 12.8 13.0 14.3 14.9 15.3 15.6 18.9 21.9 23.6L 23.6L 24.2R 24.8 25.4 25.7 25.8 26.1L

Feature

Name

road bridge foot bridge railway bridge foot bridge road bridge foot bridge road bridge road bridge junction Branche de Bellecourt port SNEF Yachting Club branch channel road bridge railway bridge road bridge road bridge junction Canal du Centre KM0.0

Description/Operator/Comments Ports code: Electric-Water-Toilets-Showers-Laundry-Fuel

tel 064 554622 !9.00 E/W/T/S/L www.snef.be [email protected] closed

Sambre river, Belgium

Sheet 1, Charleroi to Montignies

locks

moorings

Connects from Canal Bruxelles-Charleroi to Ecluse 12, Montignies. R/L label follows the normal river right bank/left bank convention; on this table R/L means right side/left side as viewed when traveling eastbound. KM approx. 39.0 39.0 39.2 39.5 39.6 39.7 39.9 39.9 40.0 40.1 40.2 40.6 40.9 41.0 41.4 41.9 42.3 43.4 43.8 44.4 44.7 45.1L 45.4 46.3 46.6 46.8

Feature

Name

Bridge Description/Operator/Comments Height Ports code: Electric-Water-Toilets-Showers-Laundry-Fuel Canal Bruxelles-Charleroi KM0.0

junction factory bridge factory bridge lock Ecluse 11 Marcinelle railway bridge railway bridge road bridge road bridge railway bridge road bridge foot bridge road bridge road bridge road bridge road bridge railway bridge 2 pipeline bridges road bridge railway bridge lock Ecluse 12 Montignies foot bridge barge harbor road bridge railway bridge road bridge foot bridge

4.50 4.50

One chamber 119.4x12.5m height 3.00m VHF18 tel 071 361248

disused

One chamber 112x12.5m height 2.20m VHF20 tel 071 369185 possible mooring, no services, difficult access to city streets. 5.65

Sambre river, Belgium

Sheet 2, Montignies to Auvelais

locks

moorings

Connects from Ecluse 12, Montignies, to Ecluse 14, Auvelais. R/L label follows the normal river right bank/left bank convention; on this table R/L means right side/left side as viewed when traveling eastbound. KM approx. 47.3 47.6 48.6 48.8R 49.0 49.2L 49.8 50.2L 50.6 51.0 51.7 52.6 53.2R 53.9 55.8 57.5 58.4 59.2 60.1 62.0 62.5 62.9L 63.0 63.8L 64.0 65.5 66.7

Feature

Name

foot bridge foot bridge railway bridge barge harbor road bridge barge harbor Pont-de-Loup factory bridge barge harbor road bridge lock Ecluse 13 Roselies railway bridge road bridge barge harbor foot bridge railway bridge road bridge railway bridge 2 railway bridges road bridge lock Ecluse 14 Auvelais road bridge mooring Auvelais railway bridge barge harbor road bridge pipeline bridge road bridge

Bridge Description/Operator/Comments Height Ports code: Electric-Water-Toilets-Showers-Laundry-Fuel

former Vankerkoven boatyard, now closed

One chamber 112x12.5m height 3.60m VHF22 tel 071 384211

One chamber 136.3x12.5m height 2.80m VHF18 tel 071 772725 LIDL supermarket near east end of bridge wooden quay with bollards; no facilities

Sambre river, Belgium

Sheet 3, Auvelais to Namur

locks

moorings

Connects from Ecluse 14, Auvelais, to the junction with the Haute Meuse river at Namur. R/L label follows the normal river right bank/left bank convention; on this table R/L means right side/left side as viewed when traveling eastbound. KM approx. 67.6 69.5 70.3 72.3 72.8 74.1R 74.2 75.2 75.3L 75.8 77.2 77.9 78.3 80.6R 80.8 81.0 83.8 85.6 86.2 86.5 86.8 87.5 87.6 87.7 Meuse 46.0R

Feature road bridge road bridge lock railway bridge road bridge barge harbor railway bridge road bridge halte railway bridge road bridge lock railway bridge barge harbor road bridge road bridge railway bridge lock road bridge foot bridge road bridge road bridge road bridge junction port/city

Name

Bridge Description/Operator/Comments Height Ports code: Electric-Water-Toilets-Showers-Laundry-Fuel

Ecluse 15 Mornimont

One chamber 111.9x12.5m height 4.60m VHF20 tel 071 785375

Floreffe

free, no services, some shops nearby. Tranquil, monastery on hill above.

Ecluse 16 Floriffoux

One chamber 111.9x12.5m height 3.90m VHF18 tel 081 450275

reported 2014; new bridge, not shown on Google Earth Ecluse 17 Salzinnes-Namur

Haute Meuse river KM46.4 Namur/Jambes

One chamber 136x12.5m height 2.30m VHF22 tel 081 736802

Port de Plaisance de Henri Hallet tel 081 31 39 46 E/W/T/S WiFi [email protected]

Meuse-Ardennes Hasselt

Brussel

Maas/Meuse river

Ronquières inclined plane

Mons

Seneffe

Charleroi

Namur

Basse Meuse

Haute Meuse (Upper Meuse)

Zeekanaal Brussel-Schelde Kanaal Charleroi-Brussel Canal du Centre Canal du Centre (historic) Sambre Meuse Albertkanaal Maas Julianakanaal Zuidwillemsvaart Kanaal Briegden-Neerharen Locks Moorings

Dinant Anseremme Waulsort Heer

eu

se

South of Namur the Meuse twists through the wooded cliffs of the Ardennes forest.

Liège

Huy

Beez Jambes

M

Sa

Maas

Meuse moyenne (middle Meuse) The section from Liège to Namur is a busy industrial area with heavy barge traffic.

Profondeville

e mbr

Maastricht

The river flows north from France and through Wallonie as the Meuse; it becomes the Maas when it enters the Netherlands at Maastricht. It is a popular direct route for cruising between France and Netherlands.

Halle

Strépy-Thieu boatlift

Genk

0

10

20

30

40km

Meuse river

The Meuse river is an important through-route for inland waterway travel in Europe; it is part of the shortest, most direct route between the North Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. This long scenic river flows north into Belgium and the Netherlands from its source near the far southern border of the Champagne region in east-central France. It is common for pleasure boaters to purchase a boat or barge in Holland and then travel directly to France up the Meuse, on canals connecting to Paris, Burgundy or on to southern France. This view of the Meuse is looking south from the citadel at Namur; Jambes Yacht Haven is at left, on the right bank; La Plante lock is on the left bank (because they are headed south, many boaters say they went “down the Meuse” to France.)

Meuse river, Belgium

Basse Meuse

s

E

uroCanal

e enn

Seraing

y

o eM

us e M Wanze Beez

Namur Charleroi

Andenne

A

9

Jambes

Wépion

7

6

eu

se

5

Dinant

H

au te

M

4

3

1

Heer-Agimont FR

2

C

Meuse Moyenne locks, km from border: A Grands Malades 48.7 B Andenne-Seilles 63.4 C Ampsin Neuville 82.8 D Ivoz-Ramet 97.2

8

Profondeville

Hastière

D

Huy

B

Liège

Anseremme Waulsort

Heer

Haute Meuse locks, km from border: 1 Hastière 4.5 2 Waulsort 9.3 3 Anseremme 16.5 4 Dinant 20.3 5 Houx 23.8 6 Hun 28.8 Meuse river 7 Rivière 33.6 Sambre river 8 Tailfer 39.1 Locks 9 La Plante 45.3 Moorings Self-skippered rental boat base 0

Écluse 4 Cheminées last lock in France, 4km north of town of Givet

5

10

15

20km

Meuse river, Belgium

Sheet 1, French border to Dinant

locks

moorings

Follows the Meuse river from the French border through the Ardennes to Dinant. Speed limit 12 km/hour, no opening bridges. R/L label follows the normal river right bank/left bank convention; R/L means right side/left side when traveling downstream. KM approx. 0.0 0.5 0.6L 0.7 1.3R 2.7R 3.8L 4.5L 5.2L 5.6R 5.9 9.3L 9.8R 9.9 10.0R 10.2L 13.6L 14.8

Lock # Lock Description/Operator/Comments Height Ports code: Electric-Water-Toilets-Showers-Laundry-Fuel last lock in France, 4km north of town of Givet

Feature

Name

lock border mooring road bridge island island town lock halte island road bridge lock boat club cable ferry port/town site site island

Écluse 4 Cheminées France

Hastière Waulsort 2 Yachtclub de la Haute Meuse Waulsort Waulsort Château de Waulsort Château de Freyr Ile Moniat

15.2R

boat club

Yachtclub de Anseremme

16.4 16.5L 16.9R 17.1 17.5R

railway bridge lock island road bridge site

Anseremme 3 Ile d'Amour N97 Viaduct Charlemagne Rocher Bayard

19.2R

port/city

Dinant

road bridge

Pont Charles De Gaulle

port/city

Dinant

19.4 19.5L

Pont de Heer Ile d'Androssart Ile Blaimont Hermeton-sur-Meuse Hastière Hastière

1

no services Height >5.2m Use left-bank channel for through passage Use left-bank channel for through passage long quay left bank, no services; 2.72 100m X 12m VHF18 tel 082 64 44 19 wooden dock on left bank, free, town with services 800m Use left-bank channel for through passage Height >5.2m 2.40 100m X 12m VHF20 tel 082 64 41 93 water available clubhouse onboard "Hirondelle" tel 082 64 64 63 22 pedestrian ferry on small boat Port de Plaisance de Waulsort tel 082 64 53 66 E/T/S

2.27

Castle & gardens open to visitors, mooring at quay www.freyr.be Use right & left-bank channel for through passage tel 0475 69 55 52 E/W/T/S/L www.yca.be Rental Base Ardennes Nautisme ardennes-nautisme.com Height >5.2m 100m X 12m VHF22 tel 082 22 26 56 water available Use left-bank channel for through passage very high, wide bridge, 4-lane highway free-standing rock spire Port de Plaisance de Dinant tel 082 22 90 38 E/W close to shops/cafes www.dinant-tourisme.com/dinant/produits/listing/i206/Yacht-havens.html Height >5.2m Port de Plaisance de Dinant tel 082 22 90 38 E/W/T/S/L www.dinant-tourisme.com/dinant/produits/listing/i206/Yacht-havens.html

Meuse river, Belgium

locks

Sheet 2, Dinant to Namur

moorings

Follows the Meuse river from Dinant north to Namur. Speed limit 12 km/hour, no opening bridges. R/L label follows the normal river right bank/left bank convention; R/L means right side/left side when traveling downstream. KM approx. 20.3L 21.9R 22.2 23.8L 24.1R 25.0 26.0L 26.5 27.1R 27.2R 28.8L 29.7L 30.9 32.0R 33.6L 34.2 34.8R 36.3L 38.9 39.1L 40.8R

Feature

Name

lock Dinant closed channel Bassin de Bouvigne island Ile d'Al Golette lock Houx island Ile de Houx railway bridge town Anhée road bridge N92 Pont d'Yvoir island Ile d'Yvoir mooring/restaurant Ile d'Yvoir lock Hun site Château de Hun road bridge Pont de Rouillon island Ile de Godinne lock Rivière road bridge N947 island Ile de Lustin ski zone/town Profondeville road bridge Pont de Wepion lock Tailfer island Ile de Dave

43.9R

port

Plage d'Amée

44.3R 45.3L

island lock

Ile Vas T'y frotte La Plante

46.0R

port/city

Namur/Jambes

46.0L 46.2 46.8L

site road bridge junction

Casino de Namur Pont de Jambes Sambre river

Lock # Lock Description/Operator/Comments Height Ports code: Electric-Water-Toilets-Showers-Laundry-Fuel 4 1.82 100m X 12m VHF18 tel 082 22 23 53 water available

5

2.03

6

2.81

7

2.02

8

2.26

9

1.73

Use right & left-bank channel for through passage 100m X 12m VHF22 tel 082 61 13 04 water available Use left-bank channel for through passage Height >5.2m Height >5.2m Use left-bank channel for through passage tel 0478 73 98 94 La Gauloise, menu/quality unknown 100m X 12m VHF18 tel 082 61 13 05 water available pedestrian ferry on small boat Height >5.2m Use left-bank channel for through passage 100m X 12m VHF22 tel 081 41 13 09 very high, wide bridge, 4-lane highway Use left-bank channel for through passage Height >5.2m 100m X 12m VHF18 tel 081 47 00 51 Use left-bank channel for through passage Port de Plaisance de Namur tel 081 31 39 46 E/W/T/S/L WiFi [email protected] Cell: Guillaume Loute 0476 23 31 42 Use left-bank channel for through passage 100m X 12m VHF20 tel 081 26 14 06 Port de Plaisance de Henri Hallet tel 081 31 39 46 E/W/T/S WiFi [email protected] Height >5.2m

Meuse river, Belgium

Sheet 3, Namur to Huy.

locks

moorings

Follows the Meuse river from Namur east to Liège. Speed limit 12 km/hour, no opening bridges. R/L label follows the normal river right bank/left bank convention; R/L means right side/left side when traveling downstream. KM approx. 47.0 47.4 48.7R 48.8 49.7L 50.1 52.4L 53.9L 56.8 60.4 61.9 63.4L 64.8R 65.5 68.9R 73.8R 74.9 76.0L 77.2 77.3R 77.6 78.2 80.1L 81.1R 81.9 82.8R 85.2L 85.9 89.0 92.4

Feature

Name

Lock Description/Operator/Comments Height Ports code: Electric-Water-Toilets-Showers-Laundry-Fuel road bridge Pont des Ardennes Height >5.0m 2 railway bridges Height >5.0m lock Grands Malades 3.90 200m X 25m VHF18 tel 081 30 05 57 road bridge Pont des Grands Malades Height >5.0m shipyard Meuse & Sambre tel 081 22 02 33 www.meusam.com road bridge Viaduct Beez Height >5.0m port Beez Port de Plaisance de Beez tel 081 2258 57 E/W/T/S site Military amphibious training on river road bridge N942 Height >5.0m road bridge N968 Sclayn Height >5.0m island Ile Dossai Use right & left-bank channel for through passage lock Andenne-Seilles 5.25 110m/87m X 25m VHF22 tel 085 82 64 87 island Ile de Belgrade Use left-bank channel for through passage Height >5.0m road bridge N921 Andenne-Seilles island Ile des Chanoines Use left-bank channel for through passage Ile de la Sucrerie/Bousquet island Use left-bank channel for through passage road bridge N612 very high, wide bridge, 4-lane highway; modern suspension bridge port Statte Yacht Club de Huy tel 085 23 14 33 E/W/T/S restaurant www.ych.be railway bridge Height >5.0m three concrete arches site Fortress Huy road bridge Pont Badouin Height >5.0m three concrete arches, pictuesque bridge road bridge Pont de l'Europe Height >5.0m port Corphalie Yacht Club de Huy tel 085 21 35 85 E/W/T/S cafeteria www.ych.be site Tihange nuclear power plant, 3 cooling towers road bridge N684 Height >5.0m lock Ampsin Neuville 4.80 135.5m X 16m & 55m X 7.50m VHF18 tel 085 21 37 46 island Ile de Ponthières Use right-bank channel for through passage road bridge Pont d'Ombret Height >5.0m road bridge Pont d'Hermalie Height >5.0m factory bridge Height >5.0m

Meuse river, Belgium

Sheet 4, Huy to Liège

locks

moorings

Follows the Meuse river through Liège to the junction with Canal Albert. Speed limit 12 km/hour, no opening bridges. R/L label follows the normal river right bank/left bank convention; R/L means right side/left side when traveling downstream. KM approx. 93.2 94.2L 97.2R 98.9 99.7R 100.9 102.1 103.5 104.8 105.8 107.8 107.9 108.1R 108.3 108.5R 109.7

Feature

Name

road bridge factory site lock/road bridge railway bridge factory site factory bridge road bridge factory bridge road bridge railway bridge road bridge railway bridge junction road bridge junction road bridge

N639 Ivoz-Ramet

A604 Pont de Seraing

Pont de Liège Canal de l'Ourthe Pont de Fragnée Ourthe river Pont Albert 1er

110.2L port/city

Liège

110.4 110.8 111.0 111.6 112.8 112.8R 114.0R 114.0R 114.0

Pont Kennedy La Passerelle Saucy Pont des Arches Pont Maghin Pont de l'Atlas V Ourthe river Basse Meuse river Ile Monsin Canal Albert

road bridge foot bridge road bridge road bridge road bridge junction junction island junction canal

Lock Description/Operator/Comments Height Ports code: Electric-Water-Toilets-Showers-Laundry-Fuel Height >5.0m 3 tall chimneys 4.45 135.5m X 14m & 55m X 7.50m VHF22 tel 043 36 78 49 Height >5.0m gas turbine power plant, 1 cooling tower Height >5.0m Height >5.0m Height >5.0m Height >5.0m Height >5.0m Height >5.0m Height >5.0m Height >5.0m non-navigable Height >5.0m Port des Yachts tel 042 23 14 04 E/W/T/S/L WiFi restaurant www.liege.port-autonome.be/en/pages/port-yachts.aspx Height >5.0m Height >5.0m Height >5.0m Height >5.0m Height >5.0m non-navigable non-navigable section, Barrage (dam) Monsin

Meuse river, Belgium

Sheet 5, Canal Albert to Basse Meuse river.

locks

moorings

Follows the Canal Albert from the Meuse moyenne to the Basse Meuse. Speed limit 12 km/hour, no opening bridges. R/L label follows the normal river right bank/left bank convention; R/L means right side/left side when traveling downstream. The Meuse river is known as the Meuse moyenne (middle Meuse) from Namur to Ile Monsin; at that point the Basse Meuse flows east around the island but navigation is blocked by (the dam) Barrage Monsin. Traffic continues north on the Canal Albert, along the west side of the island. Through traffic to northern Belgium or into the Netherlands follows Canal Albert. An alternate excursion can be made by using Canal Monsin to the Basse Meuse, then back to the Canal Albert through the Haccourt-ViséCanal. See the map on the next page. KM approx. 114.0 114.4 114.8R 115.5R 116.0R 116.0R 116.3 116.5 116.6R 117.1 118.3 120.6L 122.3 125.0L 125.1L 125.4 125.5L 125.5L 126.3 127.1

Feature

Name

junction canal road bridge barge basin barge basin junction canal lock road bridge railway bridge junction road bridge road bridge island road bridge boat club island road bridge junction canal port railway bridge road bridge/dam

Canal Albert Pont Marexhe

Canal de Monsin Monsin Pont de Milsaucy Basse Meuse river Pont de Wandre A3 autoroute Rampe du Pont Visé Nautical Club Ile Robinson N618 Haccourt-Visé canal Visé N602/Barrage Lixhe

Lock Description/Operator/Comments Height Ports code: Electric-Water-Toilets-Showers-Laundry-Fuel Height >5.0m

5.70

800m connection to Basse Meuse river 136m X 16m tel 042 64 13 61 Height >5.0m Height >5.0m Height >5.0m modern suspension bridge very high, wide bridge, 4-lane highway Use right-bank channel for through passage Height >5.0m tel 043 79 21 49 no facilities but close to shops and cafes Use right-bank channel for through passage Height >5.0m Port de Plaisance Visé tel 0497 92 07 76 [email protected] E/W/T/S Height >5.0m End of navigable Basse Meuse in Belgium

Liège - Maastricht Details For best viewing of this map, use the Adobe Reader tools to enlarge the page.

Belgium

Port des Yachts

Liège Ile de Monsin Barrage Monsin

Canal de Monsin

Can

al A

Wandre

Bas

se M

euse

Lock (écluse) Weir (barrage) Marina/moorings 0

1

2

3

lber

4

5 km

t

Haccourt-Visé Canal Haccourt Visé Barrage Lixhe

l

anaa

Canal de Lanaye

rtk Albe

Briegden Lanaken

Briegden-Neeharen Kanaal

Smeermaas Lanaye

Maastricht

Neerharen

Jul

Eijsden

ian

Maas

aka

naa

l

Rekem

Zuid Willemsvaart )

Netherlands

Traveling betwen the cities of Liège and Maastricht can be confusing, especially as most charts and guidebooks show the waterways of either Belgium or the Netherlands, but not both on the same map. The above map should help. The direct through-route northbound, starting at Liège, is via the Meuse, which flows directly into the Canal Albert at Ile de Monsin. Leave the Canal Albert on the Canal de Lanaye and rejoin the Basse Meuse through Maastricht, then travel into NL on the Julianakanaal. Or reverse this route when southbound. To travel into central or northern Belgium, continue on the Albertkanaal or join the Zuidwillemsvaart at Maastricht. For a pleasant rural route, bypass the industrial Canal Albert via the short stretch of the Basse Meuse; this may be a good place to moor and visit the smaller town of Visé rather than mooring in one of the large cities; shops are nearby.

Liège/Luik: This is a historic but also a very industrial city. The Albertkanaal was built for the purpose of bringing large ships from the sea at Antwerpen directly to the industries of Liége, and apparently it has worked out well, for there is a large volume of heavy barges and ships using the route and it is now Europe’s third largest river port. But the port authority has also provided a pleasure-boat jachthaven in the heart of the city, Port des Yachts, convenient to pedestrian streets and market squares. A busy highway runs past the haven and nearby buildings are not very handsome, but on the left bank, a short walk north from the haven, are the city center and the Le Carré district, the lively nightlife center of Liège.

Liège jachthaven

Across either the Pont Kennedy bridge or La Passerelle footbridge is the Outremeuse section of the city, an area od narrow passageways, cafes and interesting shops. It was the birthplace of Georges Simenon, the author of the Maigret mysteries; a walking route through the district is marked by “Simenon” brass discs. The bridges of Liège are brightly lit in a variety of colors, a modern gesture in an old city.

The entrance to the yacht basin is marked by the sculpture “Le Plangeur”

Huy: The city of Huy, halfway between Liège and Namur, is part of the sillon industriel (French for "industrial valley"). Heavy industry, including steelmaking, is prevalent near Liège, with smaller industries spread along both sides of the river to Huy. West from Huy the banks of the river become more open and wooded, with a series of small towns and quarries. The city of Huy itself is picturesque and peaceful, a worthwhile stop; there are two jachthavens on the left bank, across an historic and very handsome stone-arch bridge. The photos below are from the fortress which dominates the city and the river. The fortress was contructed in 1818 where during the Middle Ages there was a feudal castle. It was built to protect Holland's territories against attack by the Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. Occuped by the Germans during both WWI and WWII, the fortress did not have a military role during the hostilities. Rather, during the first world war, the fortress was a disciplinary prison for German soldiers who were dissenters against the war. During WWII, the fortress was once more a prison for German civilian, intellectual and political prisoners. Nowadays, the fortress is considered as a memorial and it is possible to visit it. A museum dedicated to the concentration camps and to the local resistance was created to show the difficult life in the Nazi camps and how the resistance operated in the area of Huy. It is possible to visit the fortress and museum between May and the first week of October. The river Meuse at Huy, looking east The river Meuse at Huy, looking west

Namur

Namur, located at the junction of the Meuse and Sambre rivers, is the largest city in, and capital of, Wallonie. Its most notable features are the hilltop Citadel and the Pont de Jambes, both shown here.

Namur Because of its strategic location of the Meuse and Sambre rivers, Namur's history goes way back. It was originally settled by the Celts then by the Romans. The Counts of Namur built a castle overlooking the confluence that was later taken over by the French. Then the Dutch moved in and razed and rebult the fort. In WWI the theoretically impregnable fortress was taken in three days by the Germans and the town suffered major damage during WWII. Now, even though it's not Wallonia's largest city, it is home to the regional government. The castle is commonly called the “Citadel”.

This is the junction of the Sambre and Meuse Rivers; above, the Sambre branches west under the bridge. Left, a photo from the citadel; the Sambre is hidden by the trees at the row of parked cars.

Dinant is spread along the river Meuse at the foot of a 100-meter cliff, topped by the Citadel.

It is a popular stop, although sometimes overcrowded with land-bound tourists. Moorings are at the quay on the right bank, adjacent to the city center, and on the left bank, north of the bridge.

Spectacular rock cliffs line the Meuse from Dinant into France. To appreciate the scale, notice the climber (in red circle)!

Moorings south of Dinant

Yacht Club d’Anseremme

Simple, quiet and peaceful moorings are available between Dinant and the French border. Yacht Club d’Anseremme is just 4 km (and one lock) south of Dinant, in a very beautiful and isolated setting. The D-shaped basin is entered under an arched bridge; the village, with a choice of two restaurants, is a short walk away. This is a good choice close to Dinant for those wanting quiet and privacy. Waulsort port de plaisance, 10 km south of Dinant, is on the open river, where current may be a problem. A cable ferry for pedestrians (seen in the photo) offers access to the town, which boasts three restaurants, including La Gourmandine, along with some shops. The last stop in Belgium is the quay on the left bank between the Heer bridge and the border. No services but again some retaurants and shops, plus the skipper could walk to the French lock, Écluse 4 Cheminées, to purchase a cruising permit if not already in hand. Waulsort port de plaisance

Pont de Heer, photo looking north from the French border

Charleroi: Sometimes called the “Capital of the Black Country”

for the coal, glass and iron industries of the area. One EuroCanals reader wrote “...through the unfortunate Charleroi, one of the worst industrial wastelands I have recently seen (I have seen a few, Almaty Kazakhstan, Murmansk, etc...)” The center of the city may be of some interest, but there are no nearby moorings to recommend. Barge owners often head for the shipyard at Pont-de-Loup*for repairs and maintenance. Not far east from Charleroi on the river Sambre, it is in one of the most depressing and rundown areas of French-speaking Wallonie, Pont-de-Loup with its dioxine-laden atmosphere, constant sooty rain and black oily water is not somewhere anyone would ever choose to visit without a good reason, such as barge service. *closed since 2012

The Boatlifts

Boatlifts of various designs are used on some European waterways, to replace a series of closely-spaced locks. Belgium boasts two very impressive lifts, at Ronquières and at Strépy-Thieu. The two boatlifts are the connections between the low country of Flanders and the higher, hilly Wallonie region, the watershed of the Meuse.These significant engineering achievements are even a tourist attraction for non-boaters. The inclined plane of Ronquières, on the Canal de Charleroi à Bruxelles (in the “Petites Ardennes” of the Wallonie region, just north of the eastern end of the Canal du Centre), was built in the 1960s. Its two tanks can each hold a 1350-ton barge, or several smaller vessels; the tanks are not counterweights for each other, concrete and cast iron counterweights allow each tank to operate independently. The inclined-plane ramp climbs to the south, replacing 19 conventional locks. The ramp is 1432 meters long and rises 68 meters, a 4.7% grade. The trip is accomplished in forty minutes. At the top, vessels enter a canal bridge 300 meters long to reach the higher land at the summit of the canal. The lifting work is done by electric motors, however some of the energy is recovered by passing the flow of water from the upsteam canal through hydroelectric turbines, since it is not needed to operate a normal lock system. Included in the facilities at Ronquières is a tower 150 meters tall, open for tourist viewing of the surrounding countryside. From this tower it is possible to see the vertical boatlift at Strépy-Thieu, only thirteen kilometers away (straightline) on the Canal du Centre. After twenty years of construction, the futuristic-looking structure at Strépy-Thieu opened for traffic in September 2002, replacing four aged (late 19th century) hydraulic boatlifts and two locks. Each 8000-ton tub is lifted by cables 73 meters straight up in eight minutes. If this were accomplished by a series of normal locks, say at 3 meters each, it would require about 24 locks! Strépy-Thieu is located near the western end of the “New” Centre Canal, built from 1982 to 2002 to upgrade the crossBelgium route from a capability of handling 300-ton barges to EU-standard 1350-ton barges. A 7.24 kilometer section of the original canal was bypassed, primarily because of the limitations of four hydraulic boatlifts constructed between 1888-1919. This section, including the boatlifts, is now listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Like the Eiffel Tower, the four historic boatlifts were built using a riveted-iron skeletal structure. The lifts utilize bargesize tanks in pairs; each tank counterbalances the other. A water-driven mechanism is used to create a pressure difference, causing one tank to fall as the other rises. The “Historic” canal has been reopened after being closed at Ascenseur 4 for several years due to an accident which damaged the structure and destroyed a commercial barge.

Strepy-Thieu ascenseur Canal de Centre, Belgium Bypasses 1 lock & 4 aged boatlifts

There are two tanks, however each tank works independently. These boats are entering the west tank.

Boats enter and tie up in the tank, then the overhead gate is lowered to seal the tank.

The tank is lifted by multiple cables attached to counterweights.

Counterweight

Looking southwest from the top.

Looking back, exiting northeast bound.

The Porte de Garde, located 5.2 km upstream, is lowered at night as security for the boatlift.

Canal du Centre between Mons and Seneffe offers a choice of time

travel: 19th century or 21st century. The original canal was created in 1888 and completed in 1919 using four hydraulic boatlifts (ascenseurs) built of riveted steel, based on the design previously used at Anderton, England. Each lift has two bacs (steel basins) 40.8m X 5.2m to lift or lower boats 15 to 17 meters. In 2002 the four lifts and one conventional lock of the old canal were supplemented by the new channel with a 73 meter single lift. It isn’t necessary to make a choice; you can follow either route or, if you have the time you can choose to circle through both sections. The new section is faster and quite exciting because of the height of the lift. The old section will take much longer as cruisers enjoy the drawbridges and swing bridges, the houses and buildings, as well as the beautiful trees which shade the walking paths alongside the canal.

Historic canal Some locks on this canal New canal inquire before traveling. Ascenseurs 1-4 Fixed bridge Opening bridge Railway bridge (abandoned) Footbridge mooring ute toro

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Salle des Machines

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These photos show the westernmost lift, A4. The first of the opening bridges can be seen in the far distance of the photo below. These old bridges add to the charm of this route. The first two (from the west) are lifting drawbridges; the second pair are swinging bridges, pivoting on the centerpoint. To request opening call ascenseur A3: 06 466 26 50 Just a bit west of A2 is the Salle des Machines, the machine room for A2 & A3 (A1 & A2 each have their own operating equipment.) Two redbrick towers make this a striking building; guided tours are available. Moorings are available along the bank nearby. There are shops, fuel and a weekly market on Monday at the village StrépyBracquegnies, just north of the mooring.

Leaks around the door of the tank are sealed the old-fashioned way, with dried peat!

Photos courtesy Ruud de Boer

Ronquières plan incliné Charleroi-Brussels Canal, Belgium Replaced 14 locks

The distinctive tower column is for operators and tourists only; it has nothing to do with the mechanism.

Recreational boats waiting to enter one of the two tanks, as a 1350-ton barge exits.

The tank rides on railroad wheels down a 1.5 km slope. It is counterbalanced by sliding weights. The vertical descent is 70 meters.

For complete details on both the Strepy-Thieu and Ronquiéres boatlifts, go to: http://services-techniques.met.wallonie.be/en/waterways/strepythieu_boat_lift/ http://services-techniques.met.wallonie.be/en/waterways/the_inclined_plane_of_ron/

Cruising Guide & Charts

Inland Waterways of Belgium by Jacqueline and Arthur Jones

ISBN: 0852887604 Softbound, A4 size, 170 pages Published 2005 by Imray, UK www.imray.com This is an excellent book and the advantage is that it covers ALL of Belgium and has an overall chart map included. Many photos and personal comments are included, based on a season-long tour of all waterways in their own motorcruiser.

Fluviacarte #23: BELGIQUE (New Edition November 2013)

This is not one of the usual chart/guidebooks published by Navicarte/Fluviacarte and familiar to many canal travelers. It is a poster-style chart of the whole of Belgium, 988mm wide (39 inches) by 668mm high (25 inches), scale 1/250,000. Data on reverse side in French/English/German. All canals and rivers are shown, with full dimensional data and the approximate location of each lock. Very useful for route planning, less so for detailed navigation. It is available through nautical book shops and chandleries in Belgium, France and Holland, or online at: http://www.fluviacarte.com/fr/carte-fluviale-belgique-23

For PC/Android:

Stentec DKW Vaarkaart België (New Edition November 2013)

Digital charts of Belgian waterways (for PC) is now available on dvd or as a download (1.2 GB). It a Stentec Hybrid chart for WinGPS 5 (Windows) and Stentec Navigation App (Android). The color scheme has been completely changed so that it now corresponds to the colors of DKW Vaarkaart Nederland. Sources for the chart are: NGI for topographic underground, OSM for names, RWS for North Sea, IENC Vlaanderen for details. The overview chart with a scale of 20 m/pixel is best used for orientation and to find the names and the water ways. For accurate navigation you may best use the detailed chart with a scale of 2 m/pixel. It contains no less than 14.5 billion pixels with details such as locks and bouyage. The scale on screen is about 1:75.000. http://shop-en.stentec.com/7410.html

Self-skippered Rental Boat Operators It is easy to rent a boat (15 meters or less) for a cruise of one, two or more weeks on the waterways of Belgium. A brief checkout of the boat and a lesson at the base, perhaps followed by accompaniment for a short portion of the trip, will acquaint the skipper and crew with the operation of the boat and the rules of the road for the waterways to be traveled. Once underway, the skipper is in full control of the itinerary. Each day of travel can be as short or as long as desired, with stops for dining, sightseeing, and overnight stays usually decided as you go. The only limits are the schedule of locks that must be passed through and the need to return the boat at the agreed place and time. The major company that offers rentals in Belgium (as of 2011) is Le Boat. The website is comprehensive and is itself a guide to the waterways of Belgium; you will find photos and descriptions of the available boats as well as booking information. www.leboat.com LeBoat operates from bases at Gent and at Nieuwpoort. These are good locations, as it allows multiple choices along pleasant waterways with potential visits to Brugge, Gent, Oudenaarde, Kortrijk, Ieper and Veurne, either on a one-way or round trip. Use the map in this guide and make plans! In Gent the Le Boat base is located at Portus Ganda Jachthaven in the center of the city on the Leie river.

In 2014 a new company, Bboat yachtcharter, has opened two bases in Belgium, at Kuurne (Kortrijk) and Ypres, offering the highly-respected Linssen steel yachts for cruises throughout Flanders. www.bboat.be Rentals are also available on the spectacular section of the Meuse river, in the Ardennes mountains. A satellite base of the company Ardennes Nautisme is located at Anseremme, south of Dinant. Contact the main base in France, at Pont-à-Bar: ardennes-nautisme.com

Country Guides: Guides for the inland waterways include a detailed listing of all navigable waterways, indexed to an overall map. The listings include waterway length, minimum draft, minimum bridge clearance, number of locks and minimum lock size. These Guides are useful for skippers planning a cruise. Waterways of France Waterways of Burgundy/Central France Waterways of Southwestern France Waterways of Eastern France Waterways of Brittany Waterways of Belgium Waterways of the Netherlands Waterways of Germany Canal/River Guides: For the major waterways of France: Rivers Lot, Seine, Rhône, Saône, Seille, Baïse Canal de Bourgogne Canal de Colmar Canal du Midi Canal du Nivernais Canal entre Champagne et Bourgogne Rhine/Grand Canal d’Alsace EuroCanals Guides 2014: A compilation of canal guide e-books, seminars and articles published from 2000 to 2013. On CD-ROM for PC-Windows or Mac OS-X. To Order or for more information regarding the EuroCanals Guides, Go To: www.eurocanals.com