
Floating Through France
Cruising the inland waterways to the Med
Kerry Buchanan(Author)
Fraser Buchanan(Co-Author)
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Published on 4. June 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
240 pages
978-1-3994-2735-7 (ISBN)
Description
A practical and fascinating guide to taking your boat through the French canals to the fabulous cruising grounds of the Mediterranean.
How many of us yearn for adventure, or long for a slower pace and escape from the daily grind?
This is the captivating guide to taking your boat through the French canals to the fabulous cruising grounds of the Mediterranean. It is also the story of two ordinary people and their entertaining tale of mishaps: knots that untie themselves and Camargue mosquitoes that bite through jeans - all in pursuit of a dream. The prize was the azure waters of the Med, but first they had to navigate cold, tidal northern waters, followed by weeks of locks and lifting bridges, where a 'good day' meant only one lock broke, and the eclusier wasn't far away.
With humour and warmth, Kerry and Fraser share the highs and lows of their adventure along with plenty of invaluable advice on:
- Choosing and fitting out a boat for inland and coastal cruising
- Breaking free of the ties of land life
- Mastering the inland waterways - from unstepping the mast to tackling the Tidal Seine
- Making the most of Mediterranean cruising, from hidden anchorages to local delights
Whether you're planning your own voyage or simply dreaming of one, this is a warm, witty and practical companion for anyone drawn to life on the water.
How many of us yearn for adventure, or long for a slower pace and escape from the daily grind?
This is the captivating guide to taking your boat through the French canals to the fabulous cruising grounds of the Mediterranean. It is also the story of two ordinary people and their entertaining tale of mishaps: knots that untie themselves and Camargue mosquitoes that bite through jeans - all in pursuit of a dream. The prize was the azure waters of the Med, but first they had to navigate cold, tidal northern waters, followed by weeks of locks and lifting bridges, where a 'good day' meant only one lock broke, and the eclusier wasn't far away.
With humour and warmth, Kerry and Fraser share the highs and lows of their adventure along with plenty of invaluable advice on:
- Choosing and fitting out a boat for inland and coastal cruising
- Breaking free of the ties of land life
- Mastering the inland waterways - from unstepping the mast to tackling the Tidal Seine
- Making the most of Mediterranean cruising, from hidden anchorages to local delights
Whether you're planning your own voyage or simply dreaming of one, this is a warm, witty and practical companion for anyone drawn to life on the water.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Illustrations
Colour photography and beautiful watercolour illustrations by the author
Dimensions
Height: 156 mm
Width: 235 mm
Thickness: 19 mm
Weight
550 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-3994-2735-7 (9781399427357)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
06/2026
Adlard Coles Nautical
€21.49
Available for download

E-Book
06/2026
Adlard Coles Nautical
€21.49
Available for download
Persons
Kerry Buchanan writes freelance for publications including Practical Boat Owner Magazine, and her Northern Irish crime series is published by Joffe Books. She says that despite the bloodthirsty nature of her novels, she's really a very nice person, honestly. She also She wouldn't have been able to produce so many novels, stories and articles if it wasn't for the support of her husband, Fraser.
Content
Introduction
PART 1: Festine Lente
1 Choosing a boat
2 Fitting out the boat
3 Fitting out ourselves
4 Passage planning
PART 2: Home Waters
5 Ireland, North and South
6 Wales and the Bristol Channel
7 Cornwall and the South Coast
8 The English Channel and Northern France
PART 3: An Honorary Barge
9 From sailboat to motorboat
10 Preparing the boat for inland waterways
11 A look at locks
12 The Tidal Seine and Paris
13 Marne-Champagne
14 The Saone and Rhone
PART 4: Remembering how to sail
15 Southern France and Corsica
16 Sardinia, Sicily and the Straits of Messina
17 Southern Italy to Greece
Epilogue: The Debrief
Appendices
1 Summary of major boat costs
2 Costs for us
3 Paperwork we carry with us
4 The Schengen shuffle
5 Sources of information
Acknowledgements
Index
Also available from Adlard Coles
About the authors
PART 1: Festine Lente
1 Choosing a boat
2 Fitting out the boat
3 Fitting out ourselves
4 Passage planning
PART 2: Home Waters
5 Ireland, North and South
6 Wales and the Bristol Channel
7 Cornwall and the South Coast
8 The English Channel and Northern France
PART 3: An Honorary Barge
9 From sailboat to motorboat
10 Preparing the boat for inland waterways
11 A look at locks
12 The Tidal Seine and Paris
13 Marne-Champagne
14 The Saone and Rhone
PART 4: Remembering how to sail
15 Southern France and Corsica
16 Sardinia, Sicily and the Straits of Messina
17 Southern Italy to Greece
Epilogue: The Debrief
Appendices
1 Summary of major boat costs
2 Costs for us
3 Paperwork we carry with us
4 The Schengen shuffle
5 Sources of information
Acknowledgements
Index
Also available from Adlard Coles
About the authors