Locaboat Plaisance Canal Boat Rental

Pénichette Classes

The full range of Pénichettes are comfortable and easy to handle, and is constantly being improved and updated to satisfy the demands of an international guest. Across Europe there are now 400 Pénichettes. Whether for couples, families or groups of friends there is always a Pénichette to suit your requirements.

Click here for Main Boat Index Page
"Aft - Deck"      Spacious, elegant and modern. Ideal for Families and Friends.	"Classic"       Traditional Styling, Ideal for couples and Families.	"Europa"      Inside and outside steering positions. Advanced technology.	"Flying Bridge"      Inside and outside steering positions. Advanced technology.

FRANCE Alsace / Lorraine / Ardennes  -  Anjou  -  Brittany  -  Burgundy / Nivernais / Loire  -  Canal du Midi / Camargue Perigord / Lot / Baise  -  Somme / Picardy -  South Burgundy / Franche Comte
GERMANY Brandenburg - Mecklenburg	HOLLAND	IRELAND	ITALY	POLAND

Life on Board

Comfort on board:
Everything is planned for your well-being. You're so close to nature, yet the boats are roomy, with showers and running hot and cold water. There's storage space to satisfy the most demanding. It's easy to fill the water tanks every day at locks and villages. Sheets and bedding are provided.

Relaxation on deck:
The deck is one of the most acclaimed features of the Penichette. Spacious, flat and right under the captain's eye, it can act as reading room, sunlounger or picnic table. Moving around the boat is easy and safe. Indoors, the saloon is the place for board games, family discussions or intimate dinners.

Meals on board:
On board you'll find everything you need for cooking and eating. Prepare your meal in open countryside or at the quayside. Villages are never far away, and you can use bicycles to fetch fresh bread or warm croissants for breakfast.

Under way:
Driving your boat is straightforward and enjoyable once you've received some simple guidance at the base. You'll soon get used to going through locks and start to enjoy handling your craft. Detailed navigation guides show where you can moor, shop, take on water or go sightseeing.

Your Welcome at the Base

Getting to the base:
The sheet of base details sent with your confirmation shows you how to get to the base, whether you're coming by car, by train or by plane. Bases differ in size, but all offer you a warm welcome. When you arrive, go to the office with your voucher.

Your reception at the base:
Our staff are there to help you all through your holiday and to make sure it's a complete success. It takes about 15 minutes to get through the paperwork such as signing the hire contract, paying the damage deposit (by cheque or credit card), paying for any extras, and arranging to have your vehicle moved if you are doing a one-way cruise. Then you'll be told about any special features of your cruise, as well as how to go through the locks. If you haven't yet obtained your navigation guide book, this is the moment to buy a copy. You will be given the boat's hand book which has full instructions as well as recommendations for places to stop en route.

Learning to handle the boat:
Now you are ready to go aboard! Once you're settled in, a technician will come on board to show you how everything works and to teach you about handling the boat. In just a few minutes you will have grasped the basics. If you're not confident about anything, ask the technician to go over it again. Often he'll speak two or three different languages. Cruising at speeds of from 6 kph to 12 kph allows unhurried manoeuvres and gives plenty of time for looking around.

Hiring bicycles:
Whether small-wheeled bicycles or mountain bikes, they are an indispensable adjunct to your cruise. Tow paths along canals make ideal bicycle tracks. You can reserve them when you book or hire them on arrival. You pay at the base.

Parking:
All our bases have enclosed parking and some offer undercover parking. A charge will be made of between 25F and 35F per day.

Journey's end:
The reception staff will check over the inventory and take note of any comments. Your deposit will be returned to you and you will be asked to pay the fuel charge based on running hours

• Locaboat Plaisance is the only company to offer such flexibility over days and durations.
• Starting days available are Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays.
• Take over between 4pm and 6pm.
• Paperwork and instruction are done during this period. Return is also on Fridays, Saturdays or Mondays, between 8am and 9am. (eg. one week hire covers 7 nights from 4pm Monday, finishing at 9am Monday).
• Hire duration is generally for one week or two weeks, but you can also go for periods of 10 / 11 days, for long weekends or for 4-day mini-weeks.

• The cruises suggested have been calculated on the basis of a speed of 8kph on canals, 10 kph on rivers. Above this speed you may damage the banks. Times allow for going through locks (15 - 20 minutes) and bridges, but not any waiting time, whether foreseeable or not.
• You may stop where you like when you like. The mooring spikes on board give you total freedom. You can also stop at developed marinas or public wharves.

• There are some exceptions:
  - No lock closures: Anjou, Brittany, Camargue, Charente, Lot, Baise and Somme.
  - Easter Sunday: all the Midi canals are open as well as the Saone between Corre and Soing.
  - Whit Sunday: the Canals de Bourgogne, du Nivernais, du Midi, de St Quentin, de Roanne à Digoin and the river Saone all stay open.
  - 14th July: the Saone stays open.
• Locks are generally worked by a lockkeeper.
• On the Lot and the Charente, locks must be operated by the boat's crew. As a result you can cruise all the daylight hours with no worry over opening hours or public holidays. For these locks you will need a crew of at least two active members. On other waterways, there are occasional locks to be operated by the boat's crew, whilst others are automatic, with easy-to-follow instructions. You will receive full details at the base on departure.

• On rivers (but not canals) there can be floods in springtime or occasionally in autumn. In this case we may have to restrict your cruise to canals only, or possibly to switch departure base, but it should not be necessary to cancel your cruise.
• The River Lot from Luzech is the most prone to flooding.
• You should check on river levels before starting out for your holiday.

• The Bassin de Thau in Southern France as well as the Muritzsee and the Plauertzee in Germany should not be attempted in winds stronger than Force 4.
• Our staff at the base will tell you the position and give instructions.

• You will find in our base access notes full details about methods for getting back to your car. You will be told at the base about arrangements for having your own car driven to the end-point of your cruise.
• We must draw your attention to the fact that one-way cruising is an optional feature which can never be totally guaranteed owing to the possibility of cancellations or other difficulties.
• You must therefore recheck one week before departure whether the one way cruise is available and in which direction it will be.

• in France: Locaboat Plaisance has been authorised to offer boat hire without need for a captain's permit. After you have been given instruction in handling your craft and navigation rules you will be given a permit for the duration of your cruise.
• in Holland / Ireland / Italy: no licence is required.
• in Germany: You don't need a licence for cruising if you start from Matzlow and Furstenberg and go as far as Liebenwalde to the north of Berlin. Starting from Ketzin, you will be asked for a licence that is valid in your country of residence. If no licence is necessary in your country of residence then one will not be asked for at Ketzin.