Canal du Rhône à Sète to Aigues Mortes

On the morning of May 5, 2025, we leave the port of Sète, heading for Aigues Mortes. We wanted to refuel at the gas station, and we had booked our passage through the canals of Sète, including a bridge opening, for 9:30 AM.

The gas station in the port had not received very good reviews, so we decided to leave a little earlier.

We had planned our stages to Erfelden in the Kandel, so we knew that if the need arose, we could be home in 21 days.

In the images, you will find the opening hours of the bridges. Please note that the passages must be booked online.

We are now back in the VNF area, so we activated our vignette for inland waterways in France starting May 5, 2025, for one month. This is quite simple if you already have an account set up there. My first officer printed out the vignette at the port's captaincy, and it is now stuck on the port side of our window.

After refueling and reaching the first bridge, we already had a sailboat in front of us, while on the opposite side, a catamaran was preparing to head out to sea.

The French do not always take the times very seriously, as the first bridge showed a willingness to open approximately 5 minutes late.

Between bridges 2 and 3, we had to wait again, but ultimately we were rewarded for our patience and could exit towards the Etang de Thau.

In just a few kilometers, we touch this lake and then enter the Canal du Rhône à Sète.

For a long while, we are accompanied on the left and right by mooring spots, so we had to adhere to the announcement to avoid wash and swell effects, but then, we were surprised by the width of the canal. We had crossed it in the area of Gallician during our round trip through the Camargue, and we remembered it being much narrower.

After just a few kilometers, we approached the town of Frontignan around noon. It appeared that there was a very wide beam across the canal. As we got closer, the beam turned out to be a lift bridge. In front of the bridge, the local harbor basin opened up, with mooring options on both sides, and there were even power connections installed on the left side. Our Navinaut had not accounted for this, and I had to send my first officer on a reconnaissance mission.

As soon as that was said and done, after what felt like half an hour, I received a photo via WhatsApp with the lifting times of the bridge. You will also find this among the images. Additionally, please note that the phone number listed below is not only valid for the winter season; you should register for the passage there in any case. Shortly after 4 PM, the bridge master came and asked us if we wanted to continue, and luckily, after another 10 minutes, we had free passage in the canal again.

During the time before the bridge, another boat had joined us, the seawatch from the Havel. It accompanied us for a few more days.

After an estimated 5 kilometers, we encountered a cargo ship ahead. I reduced speed, and we got closer until I finally had to throttle back. The freighter was loaded with coal, wherever that came from, sitting low in the water and visibly stirring up mud. The filters will be happy; hopefully, Gustav doesn't choke on the dirt.

After an estimated 2 hours at 1.5 to 3 knots, the seawatch had had enough. We held out an estimated hour longer and eventually docked in front of the canal crossing at Palavas-les-Flots.

Good night.