In the South of France, we speak of a grau to designate an opening to the sea. It opens at Port-la-Nouvelle (Aude), in the heart of the ancient estuary of the Aude, through which the ancient sailors went to Narbonne. The delta has filled in, leaving room for the vast lagoons of Ayrolles, Bages and Sigean. It is in this southern and lacustrian environment that the Canal de la Robine was traced. The connection with the Canal du Midi needed 5 km, which was done in 1787 with the digging of a junction canal.
A beautiful alley lined with pine trees
With its arched bridge and its colorful boats, Le Somail is the ideal starting point. It is an emblematic village of the Canal du Midi, so much so that the yachtsman can't help but feel a certain uneasiness at being part of the postcard... Nearby, at Port la Robine, you turn right towards the beautiful nautical path of the canal. The succession of locks offers a superb perspective lined with pines and green oaks. The locks are self-service and you have to disembark a crew member who controls the maneuver from a terminal. The walls of the basins, the bayonets they are rounded to better resist water pressure.
The canal follows the course of the river
It is possible to make a stopover between the rushes, to visit the Amphoralis museum park, installed on an important site of Roman potters. The quays of Sallèles-d'Aude are pleasant and planted with palm trees. The basin is delimited by a particularly high lock (more than 5 meters) which leads to the level of the alluvial plain. To continue towards Narbonne, you must follow the course of the Aude for a few hundred meters. We reach it by the beautiful lock of Gailhousty. It is bordered by a building that allows the overflow of water to pass through. It consists of two basins, one of which forms a dry dock where it is possible to put a boat the time of a careening.
Narbonne, how not to remain faithful to him?
The passage in the river is short, but deserves attention in order not to deviate from the unmarked channel, especially since the current can be strong. The rest of the canal winds pleasantly through the vineyards. It is narrow and forms a long meander at the end of which the towers of Narbonne point. The lock of Gua, marks the entry in the city. Crossing Narbonne by river is an experience to be savored in slow motion: each bridge, each footbridge opens onto a new landscape that unfolds until the Pont des Marchands. This covered bridge used to carry the Via Domitia, the Roman road that linked Italy to Spain and whose remains can be admired perfectly displayed on the Place de l'Hôtel de Ville. It is amazing to pass by boat under the stores!
A stopover with a southern and cosmopolitan taste
With its historic districts and its port in the center of town, Narbonne is an enchanting place to stop. The population is cosmopolitan, the urban planning harmonious and one feels a true and beautiful atmosphere, especially when the market takes possession of the beautiful esplanades on both sides of the canal... Stalls as far as the eye can see carry products with a sunny taste and southern perfumes. Charles Trenet remained faithful to it, and we understand it! The quays of the southern exit of the city are lined with housing boats. Most of them are modest in size and reflect the personality of their owners: flowers, sculptures, therapist's sign, there is something for everyone.
The canal winds through rice fields to Mandirac, where you can see the rails and carts of a traditional shipyard. Yann Pajot runs a workcamp here, restoring the oldest boats on our coast. Downstream from the lock, the canal is often overgrown with weeds that "clog" the propellers. It is a pity, because it is dug in a tongue of land between 2 ponds which form a real paradise for the lake fauna. The nature reserve of Sainte-Lucie Island is a wooded site full of birds, which you can walk freely between ponds and canal before reaching Port-la-Nouvelle.
Local tips and tricks
- The 6 locks of the junction canal are close enough to each other so that the crew member in charge of the lockage can go on foot or by bike to prepare the next one during the lockage.
- at the Truilhas lock, an organic market gardener grows and sells sun-drenched fruits and vegetables.
- The docks of Sallèles-d'Aude have neither water nor electricity.
- The Gailhousty lock is a gathering place for local youth who do not hesitate to swim in the basin. It is sometimes necessary to impose oneself to make respect the most elementary rules of prudence
- The point that marks the entrance to the Aude must be well rounded. The power line is a convenient marker of where it is possible to take the riverbed.
- The crossing of the Aude is interrupted when the level of this one exceeds the level + 70.
- The Merchants' Bridge in Narbonne is low and arched. It should be approached with caution!
- Downstream from the Mandirac lock, the canal is often clogged with weeds. It is advisable to get information from VNF or from the harbour master's office in Narbonne before entering the canal.
- The commercial port of La Nouvelle is not accessible to river boats. Beware of the current that forms on the weir of the Etang de Bages and Sigean.
The Robine Canal in brief:
- Length 36 km
- 12 self-service locks, controlled by automated terminals
- Speed limit of 8 km/h
- Vignette and navigation tax : yes
- Managing institution: VNF
- Template : 40,50 x 6,00 m
- Minimum air draft : 3,20 m
- Minimum draft : 1,30 m
- Renter : Nicols in Le Somail
- Period of unemployment: consult the VNF website
- Smartphone application : no
