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Licence for French canals

DeanS

By DeanS
in General Boating

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Chris Pink Veteran II

Chris Pink

Posted
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Do you need to pay a french equivalent type of licence on french canals similar to the local C&RT licence?

 

Its' called a vignette, you only need it when you navigate, ie not when moored. the yearly one runs from Jan 1 and this year, for the first time, it's on length rather beam x length.

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Dean as well as licencing there are also additional training requirements you need to think about too -

Thus far not mentioned in this thread.

 

I don't profess to the accuracy on Wiki (I haven't read through it all) but I am aware of this from previous research I've undertaken and this is a basic summary.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_Europ%C3%A9en_des_Voies_de_la_Navigation_Int%C3%A9rieure

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Tam & Di Influencer

Tam & Di

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That's better - the other two were for 2012 and the calculation system has changed this year. It is now based on length in metres, plus a lump sum which relates to the size band you fall into plus the length of time you have it for. As noted, you only pay for the time you actually wish to cruise. The annual version runs from 1st January in each case. There is a 10% discount on that one if it is purchased by the end of March.

 

The wiki stuff Dog House links to is about the need for a steerer's licence - an ICC - which requires a practical boating test plus a test for a working knowledge of the CEVNI rules which are the highway code for boating on the continent. If you reckon to stick on the Canal du Midi you can just sit the simple test and get the ICC, as once you're there it's almost like a fairground dodgem car track with all the little hire boats. The basic rule for a small craft (under 20m) is that they give way to all other craft, but if you venture on to the more serious waterways it is absolutely crucial that you do have a proper working knowledge of the rules or you won't be flavour of the month with the commercial batelliers.

 

You must also have a VHF set (2 if over 20m), with a ship's licence for it to be on your craft and an operator's certificate for someone to use it.

 

You will find all this and more set out on the DBA website (or mine, as it happens).

Edited by Tam & Di
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The wiki stuff Dog House links to is about the need for a steerer's licence - an ICC - which requires a practical boating test plus a test for a working knowledge of the CEVNI rules which are the highway code for boating on the continent.

 

 

Yup...

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bargemast Influencer

bargemast

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Yup - indeed. More than inflation too if my calcs. are correct.

 

But then the Euro is under a lot of pressure.

 

 

Gone up more than inflation you say, well yes, and quite a lot too.

 

I will show you the huge difference for a 62' narrowboat for a years (Liberté) vignette.

 

In 2012 this 62' x 6'10" which is 18.91m x 2.10m = 39.71m2 had to pay for the from 25m2 upto 40m2 = 253.10€

 

In 2013 this boat is in the most expensive category over 14m = 466.96€ = 7.71€ x 18.91m=145.80€ so= 612.76€

 

Which will make the 2013 rate 359.66€ more expensive than the 2012 rate = 242 % more, I call this abusive madness.

 

Another exemple imagine a boat 10.95m x 4.75m = 52m2 , this boat is in the 8m upto 11m lenght rate= 187.65€ + 7.71€ x 10.95m= 272.07€

 

A 37' nb = 11.30m x 2.10 = 23.70m2, this boat is in the 11m upto 14m rate = 357.52€ + 7.71€ x 11.30m = 444.64€

 

Which means that for 28.30m2 less you have to pay 172.57 € more.

 

Vive VNF !

 

Peter.

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Chris Pink Veteran II

Chris Pink

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Vive VNF !

 

Peter.

 

It's inevitable with any procedural change there will be winners and losers. My licence has gone up €5, 1% if it was 1m shorter it would have gone down (a lot). The penalty, until now, for a beamy boat.

 

For the big barges the vignette is a complete bargain.

 

Perhaps you are proposing UK licenses should be calculated on nominal area?

 

I don't think anyone can realistically complain about the cost of French licenses.

 

Take a look at CRTs prices and then treat yourself to a bottle of very expensive wine

 

With your examples above you give another reason why a narrow boat is not a suitable craft on the French canals.

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bargemast Influencer

bargemast

Posted
Posted (edited)

It's inevitable with any procedural change there will be winners and losers. My licence has gone up €5, 1% if it was 1m shorter it would have gone down (a lot). The penalty, until now, for a beamy boat.

 

For the big barges the vignette is a complete bargain.

 

Perhaps you are proposing UK licenses should be calculated on nominal area?

 

I don't think anyone can realistically complain about the cost of French licenses.

 

Take a look at CRTs prices and then treat yourself to a bottle of very expensive wine

 

With your examples above you give another reason why a narrow boat is not a suitable craft on the French canals.

 

 

 

It always worried me when VNF people went on trips to the UK, to discuss with BW, as they could catch their virus, making canal users pay a lot, for badly- or not maintained canals.

 

In the UK it's easier for them to do so, as you haven't got much to compair with, but we don't have to cross the Channel, only a border without any customs to clear to get into Belgium, where you don't pay to use the waterways in Wallonie, and only a fairly small fee to use the Flamish waterways, if you go a bit further North, you're in Holland where you don't pay to use the very well maintained waterways.

 

I don't mind paying but is has to be in relation to the size of your boat, I don't know what the size of your boat here is, but mine is only 14.75m and I always had to pay the maximum rate for the over 60m2, and if I would have had a Rhine-barge of 110m x 11.40m (far from the biggest nowadays) I would have to pay the same rate for it's 1254 m2, as the 63.43 m2 boat I'm living on, which to me isn't fair.

 

As I tried to make clear with the narrowboat examples, I feel sorry for the poor (often wealthy enough) nb owners that are punished for the lenght of their boat.

 

A m2 rate would be more adapted to all boats, but would make it more expensive for you.

 

There are lots of complains about the 2013 rates, and the way they're made, without having listened to the different boating organisations, if the rates continue to go up like this, in a few years boating will become an exclusivity for the wealthy, and nobody cares for the people that haven't got much money to play with, and of which their boat is their only living accomodation. (not unlike the UK).

 

Peter.

 

edited to add that I don't drink, and think that you can maybe treat yourself to one-, or more bottles of very expensive wine, to celebrate that you'll only have to pay 5 € more, which is even less than the inflation.

 

In not a single of my posts I've ever said that a nb is a suitable craft for the waterways here, but if that's the boat you own, that's it.

Edited by bargemast
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Chris Pink Veteran II

Chris Pink

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Well of course comparison with much cheaper waterways is one thing. But less than €150 for a 7.5m boat compares very well with the £450 in the UK and although the trend could have the dangers you say it doesn't exclude small boat owners from the system like in the UK.

 

But I would agree that the lesson of the effect of BW greed that you outline above would be a tragedy in France.

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  • 2 months later...
Grehan Gongoozler

Grehan

Posted
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VNF rates have been updated for 2013 on french-waterways.com - http://www.french-waterways.com/vnf-guide.html

There has also been a recent concession, extending the 10% 'early bird' discount until April 30th and limiting the rise for an annual licence ('vignette')

Qualifications and regulations information can be found here - http://www.french-waterways.com/practicalities/regulations.html

Safety equipment - http://www.french-waterways.com/practicalities/boat-equipment.html

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bargemast Influencer

bargemast

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You might want to consider a bigger engine too if you plan on doing the whole system.

 

 

If you're not operating commercially, there's no need for more power, as you're not forced to be navigating on big rivers when they're in flood to arrive in time at your destination to deliver your cargo.

 

Most of the time you'll be cruising on canals where your engine will be plenty powerful already, also I personally don't think that a widebeam(narrow)boat will go much faster with a bigger engine, they were not designed to be fast.

 

Peter.

  • Greenie 1
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Athy Veteran II

AthyDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted

Well what with our boat not being suitable for mainland Europe and now needing a bigger engine, however have we managed over the years??

No doubt the absence of waterside JCBs has helped.

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Well what with our boat not being suitable for mainland Europe and now needing a bigger engine, however have we managed over the years??

 

I've given you a greenie for that.

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