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Private Notes
We take the mast down at Le Havre and begin a summer voyage through the inland waterways of France, starting with a trip up the River Seine through Normandy. Along the way we learn about the dramatic geology of this region, about Normandy history and castles, Impressionist Painting and gardening, and travel with historic vessels like the Dunkirk Little Ship "Warrior", as we deal with ship traffic en route to Paris.
This time on Distant Shores we journey up the Seine River in France dealing with the challenges of navigating this commercial highway. Our route into Paris takes us right though the heart of this historic city where we explore some of the traditional sights, get some insights into local customs, and explore the rarely seen "underground" side of Paris.
Join us as we attempt to get our ocean-going sailboat right across France. We navigate the small canals, visit little towns and get the flavour of life inland France, this time on Distant Shores. Includes hints for people planning to do the trip themselves or interested in visiting this fascinating area!
Continuing through the small french canals we enter the Burgundy region. We travel from Briare along the canal lateral de la Loire and the canal de Centre taking the Bourbonais route and visiting wine making regions of Sancerre and Bourgogne.
We have been 8 weeks so far travelling up the Seine River, right through Paris and then south through the small french canals . The route has taken us right across France and now we just have to travel the Saone River to Lyon then down the Rhone River passing the historic city of Avignon to reach the Mediterranean Sea.
After crossing France by the small canals we arrive in Port Saint Louis on the south coast. We put the mast up and haulout for seasonal maintenance. Then we sail out of the Med and down the Moroccan coast bound for Rabat. We meet one of the largest pods of dolphins we have ever seen en route to the marina Bouregreg at Rabat. We have a gale in harbour and break the dock! All settled in we get ashore to explore this fascinating country journeying inland to the medieval marvel of Fes.
Join Paul and Sheryl Shard on a cruise to the Canary Islands of Spain as they prepare for their 5th transatlantic crossing, this time as participants of the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC). This episode of Distant Shores begins with arrival at the tiny island of Isla Graciosa following a 3-day offshore passage from Morocco. Hike this desert island and then sail to the dramatically beautiful volcanic island of Lanzarote before heading to the island of Gran Canaria to join the fleet of over 200 yachts in Las Palmas preparing for their boats for the ARC.
There are over 200 yachts gathered in the harbour of Las Palmas in Gran Canaria to participate in this year's rally across the Atlantic Ocean, nearly 3000 miles to the Caribbean. November 25 is the start date and for the last week participants, including us, have been busy preparing their boats for the voyage, attending seminars on everything from safety procedures to provisioning, having equipment and gear checked.
This time on Distant Shores we take you through the final few days leading up to the Official Start of the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers when the reality of what lies ahead sinks in and safety skills become the primary focus as dangerous weather threatens the start of this prestigious rally.
There are over 200 yachts gathered in the harbour of Las Palmas in Gran Canaria to participate in this year's rally across the Atlantic Ocean, nearly 3000 miles to the Caribbean. November 25 is the start date and for the last week participants, including us, have been busy preparing their boats for the voyage, attending seminars on everything from safety procedures to provisioning, having equipment and gear checked.
This week on Distant Shores we sail to the British Virgin Islands for the BVI Spring Regatta.
While we're there, we visit popular beaches, dive on the wreck of the Rhone, swim the vibrant reefs, attend a full moon celebration and enjoy the amenities of a private island resort.
This time on Distant Shores we sail south through the Caribbean, stopping at Saint Martin for Carnival before making landfall at Dominica to learn about this "nature island", home of waterfalls, rivers and volcanic hot springs.
Join us this time on Distant Shores as we visit Martinique where we learn about the islands tragic past in St Pierre. Then we deal with a direct hit from a tropical storm. In Marin Martinique we secure our boat in a Mangrove as Chantal hits the island!
This year we completed one of our longstanding cruising goals - to cross France by waterway and canal, and it got us thinking about some of the other great waterway voyages we have done over our 24 years of cruising. So this time on Distant Shores we look at great canal and waterway journeys…
Includes ...
Erie Canal in the USA
Trent Severn Canal in Canada
Scotland's Crinan and Caledonian Canals
Sweden's Gota Canal
Germany's Kiel Canal
Holland's Standing Mast Route
French Canals
