I think I am gearing up to another year of trying to post everyday. At the very least cross posting my other social media, using the blog as some sort of content aggregator. Otherwise it will likely all be about sailing.

I’ve been looking at canal boats again. For 50,000€ I could pick up a shallow draft motor cruiser and spend a season in the European canals. Apparently some of them are even sturdy enough for coastal cruising in the Med, so Spain, Italy and even Greece are not out of reach. The issue is, as it seems to be everywhere, what to do in the off season.

Another thread I have been following on Cruiserforums.com was about travelling from the Baltic to the Med entirely along canals and rivers. Also possible… who knew? Apparently you can enter in Poland, cruise past Berlin and enter the system along the Mosel where we were a few years back. Then it’s easy-peasy all across France.

A suggested route from http://www.jsea.ca/adventures-2012.html

Baltic Sea to Marseille France in the Mediterranean.

Depart  – Stattin ( Szczecin ), Poland  – April 29 th     –  90 miles
Arrive   – Oranienburg  Germany    – May 01st

Three days in Berlin

Depart – Oranienburg  Germany   – May 06 th            –   50 miles
Arrive  –  Brandenburg Germany   – May 10 th

Depart – Brandenburg Germany   – May  12th            –  40  miles
Arrive   – Wolmirstedt Germany    – may   14th

Depart – Wolmirstedt  Germany     – May   17 th          – 55  miles
Arrive  –  Braunschweig Germany   -May 21 St

Depart – Braunschweig Germany  – May 26th –          – 90 miles
Arrive  – Osnabruck  Germany       –  June 01st

Depart – Osnabruck  Germany      –  June  02             –  110 miles
Arrive   – Munster Germany            –  June 04

Depart – Munster Germany            – June 09th           –  55 miles
Arrive   – Duisburg  Germany         – June  11 th

Depart – Duisburg  Germany         – June 13 th           – 45 miles
Arrive   – Koln          Germany         – June 15 th

Depart – Koln          Germany         – June 17th            – 55 miles
Arrive   – Koblenz   Germany         –  June 19th

Depart  – Koblenz  Germany          – June  22nd          – 65 miles
Arrive    – Trier        Germany          – June  24th

Depart  – Trier         Germany          – June  25th         –  55 miles
Arrive    – Metz        FRANCE         –  June  28th

Depart – Metz        France              –  June 30 th         –  40 miles
Arrive   – Nancy     France              – July  02 ND

Depart – Nancy    France               –  July 03rd             –  50 miles
Arrive   – Epinal   France                – July 05th

Depart – Epinal   France                 – July 05 th            –  50 miles
Arrive  – Dampierre  France           – July  07th

Depart – Dampierre  France           – July 07th            – 75 miles
Arrive  – Chalon       France             – July 10th

Depart – Chalon      France              – July 11th            – 75  miles
Arrive   – Lyon          France              -July 14th

Depart – Lyon          France              – July 14th             –  75 miles
Arrive   – Valence    France              – July 16th

Depart – Valence    France               – July 17th             –  45 miles
Arrive   – Pierrelatte  France              – July 19th

Depart – Pierelatte   France              – July  20th            –  45 miles
Arrive   – Avignon     France                July   22nd

Depart – Avignon     France               – July  23rd            – 50 miles
Arrive  – Port St.Louis   France         – July  26th

Depart – Port St. Louis France         – July 30th               – 35 miles
Arrive   – Marseille      France           –  July 31st

Of course a shallow draft sailboat or one with a swing keel could do it as well and when you put the mast back up in Marseille you would have the whole of the Mediterranean at your doorstep. Here’s an excerpt from the Distant Shores web TV show where they did it in their Southerly 49.