Barge Colibri

04/09/2024

Now September is here we are welcomed with spectacular mornings.

We still have one week free next year so you also can see the charm of Alsace in all her glory.

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06/08/2024

Colibri is now on summer break. 🍾🍾
We have had an absolute fabulous first half the season cruising in Alsace. For those of you joined us in the first half of the season, we thank you and for those coming to join us, we can’t wait to show you this beautiful canals System.

We do still have two weeks in July 2025 available If anyone needs to be pampered for a week.

Just get in touch

[email protected]

19/06/2024

These little babies just arrived to join my other sweethearts.
If you love Armanac as much as I do, there’s no other place to be.
Why not do a vertical tasting in 2025?

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29/05/2024

We are only a month in to cruising in Alsace and this canal is just stunning.
We only have a few weeks left for 2025. This canal is a must do.
For the available weeks get in touch on [email protected]

11/05/2024

Months of graft has led us to this moment. Tomorrow is show time and we are well up for this season in Alsace . This is what do !😀
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20/04/2024

Lift and tunnels part 3

20/04/2024

20/04/2024

First family cruise of the year. Lifts and tunnels 🎉🎉

16/03/2024

We have just had a week become available in September this years.
If you feel the need to pampered while enjoying the stunning scenery of the Alsace region please get in touch.

[email protected]

25/02/2024

We have just had a week become available in July 2024. July is always a fabulous time to cruise in Alsace.
For further information please contact me on
[email protected]

31/12/2023

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year, from all of us aboard Barge Colibri

02/12/2023

We have just had a week become available for our 2024 season.

13th until the 18th October

Contact me at [email protected]

17/11/2023

Just an update
now we are all moored up and safe.
What a difference two of rain can do on the waters ways that we cruise. Fiona is very happy to be at home.

07/11/2023

So today at 1300 we had the news that we where good to go. VNF has put just enough water in the canal to get us through. 9 locks and 21km later we have arrived in Saverne and our place for winter mooring. We arrived at 1845. The last two locks and 3 km where done in complete darkness. Getting the hang of breaking the law to get to where we need to be. Oh we got to see our first stork. 🥳
Pull out the cork, our season is over. 🎉🎉🎉🍾🍾🍾🍾🎉🎉🎉🎉

03/11/2023

So yesterday we made our way out of Strasbourg and was heading to Severn where our place for the winter sits empty awaiting our arrival. We are not quite sure when that will be.
As it stands today we ate 8 locks and 15 km sort. The canal has a hole in the bank and we are u able to move. We are on standby to standby. So close and yet so far.

02/11/2023

So the pilot turn up and away we go. We had to do 127kn and 8 locks. This was always going to be a big day.
0700 We turn left onto the grande canal du Alsace and we soon 13km hour, our average speed for the day.
Got held up for an hour at the first lock. Guy ( the pilot ) was not happy.
The hours started to tic by as did the crazy large boats going both ways some what faster than us.
The locks on this canal are 183m x 23m. These are built for one boat to give you an idea of what we where dealing with all day.
It wasn’t long and the sun had set and we still had some way to go. Fiona headed down stairs as her night vision is no good. We finally got Into the bright lights of Strasbourg. We finally moored up 2100. So 14 hours later we where in and trooper who had not been off the boat could go and everything he needed to do.

02/11/2023

So we are back on move after a few frantic days in Mulhouse collecting car and driving to Switzerland to collect the part and so forth. We organised a pilot and he was going to meet us on the Rhin at 06 30 the following day. it was a 40 km trip from mylhouse to the edge of the Rhin.
We moored up and was laying in bed when the boat starting rocking, (it was another boat passing us before anyone thinks of anything else ) 183m barge doing 27kmh come passed at 2300. Omg 😳
Sleep well Fiona

28/10/2023

Day 6 I think

The started off like every other day. Raining, then the wind come, a lot of wind. 20kts on the beam. YES

We started our decent and ended up doing 33 locks and 22 km.
I was absolutely wrecked by the end of it, trying to keep my baby lined up between two brick walls with that match wind , was not nice.
Did sleep very well.

26/10/2023

Day 4 and 5 consisted of rain that come from every angle. Some times it felt it was even coming upwards. I did feel very sorry for the foredeck crew (Fiona)who stood out there all day, even Trooper come inside.
So now we sit at the summit and will start our decent tomorrow.
So we we have done 140km and 60 locks. Man do we know how to fun.

24/10/2023

Day 3
The views they tell me today was fabulous. Hard to tell, rain heavy all day with clouds very low. 10 hours behind the wheel. End of day whiskey well deserved.

23/10/2023

Day 2.
We headed out of Besançon into uncharted waters. The Doubs river is very unpredictable, it can be perfect cruising and within a day can be unnavigable. Today was perfect 😀 as the river winds itself around tall limestone hills. The water levels where a little low in some areas I had to take off my polarised sunglasses as I didn’t really want to see the bottom that closely. It doesn’t help when the water is that clear, it plays on your perspective on depth.
All in all one of the nicest cruising days ever.

22/10/2023

Day one.
Crew are ready just unsure of the willingness. 😂 as we head north to Besançon and the citadel.

09/10/2023

Well our time in the valley de l’ouche has finally come to an end. The reservoirs are dry and with two weeks remaining we find ourselves heading for the Saône river. We’ve had a fabulous time getting to know all the lock keeper’s, as we usually passed through 40 locks a week. Hence I have not done much posting over the summer. We have been very fortunate to be welcome our guests back to this stunning area and hope, like us. they have enjoyed our visit to this beautiful part of France.

Stay tuned for our next adventure as Fiona myself and trooper head upto Strasbourg and beyond.

20/05/2023

So we are back doing what we love. Our first week on the Burgundy canal saw us welcome back some lovely guests that we have not seen for 12 years. It will not be that long until we see them again, as they booked for 2025.

As 2024 is fully booked , we are already selling weeks for 2025 Alsace cruise. Please get in touch if you can see your self cruising in the north of France aboard Colibri.

[email protected]

14/01/2023

This little guy can’t wait for the season to start and to meet all of you.

04/11/2022

I would like to introduce to you all to the newest member to the deck crew. Trouper. He is 12 weeks old.

24/10/2022

So Fiona and I welcomed my parents on board and we set off from chevroche on the Nivernais canal and headed to Nevers where we will spend the winter.
87 locks
144 km
6 days
We were so blessed with the weather, mum spent a lot of time on deck soaking in the sun while dad walked most of the locks to help the lock keepers prepare the locks for our arrival. All in all a very good trip.

14/10/2022

As our season has come to a close here on the Nivernais canal, I would like to take this time to thank all of our guests for making this another fabulous year. We will miss this beautiful canal and the lock keeper’s that brought smiles to our lives.
We look forward to another sold out year on the Burgundy canal before moving further north and the Alsace region in 2024.
We only have a few weeks left for 2024, so if you think you would like to join us in 2024 please get in contact with me.
[email protected]

02/09/2022

Today the world lost another beautiful soul.

We had the heart wrenching moment as we said our goodbyes to Toby this afternoon.
I know Toby touched most of you as he did us over the passed 10 years.

Next week will be the first ever week that our guests will not see into the loving eyes of our two dogs that have graced the decks of Colibri.
Sleep well my friend 🐾🐾