Summer 2024 : what boating conditions in the Ile de France ?

Navigation conditions in the centre of Paris and Gennevilliers sectors during the Games

Navigation to the Gennevilliers secondary arm postponed from 4 July 2024

Due to the closure of the Grand Arm of Saint Denis by the Athletes Village from 4 July to 12 September 2024 (installation of anti-intrusion barriers at the upstream entrance at KP 24 to KP 27 downstream of the A86), transit navigation will be postponed to the secondary arm of Gennevilliers between 4 July at 8am and 12 September at 8pm.  Navigation will be possible 24 hours a day and managed by VNF.

To enable boatyards in the area to continue operating during this period, it may be decided to temporarily suspend traffic on an alternating basis on certain weekday mornings. Users will be informed of each suspension by means of a notice sent out to skippers at least 48 hours in advance.

Navigation conditions in the secondary arm of Gennevilliers from 4 July 2024

A reminder of navigation rules to be followed

• Transit navigation will only be possible in the secondary arm of Gennevilliers between 04/07/2024 at 8:00 am and 12/09/2024 at 8:00 pm.
• Dual watchkeeping on VHF channel 10 and VHF channel 23, as well as active AIS, is mandatory for all sailing and stationary vessels.
• The size of boats and convoys is limited to 125 x 11.50 m.
• At normal draft, the anchorage is 3.70 m and the free height is 7.50 m at the 11.45 m rope.
• Speed is limited to 10 km/h and overtaking is prohibited.
• An alternating system is in place from milestone 25,080 to milestone 30,580, which is managed from a supervision centre in Chatou, at fixed times between 5am and 8pm and by announcement between 8pm and 5am. Boats wishing to pass through on an alternating basis between 8.00 pm and 5.00 am must announce themselves on VHF channel 23 at the Asnières rail bridge for downstream traffic and at the Argenteuil rail bridge for upstream traffic, and wait for authorisation to pass from the officer on duty.

Navigation may be prohibited depending on the flow at the Austerlitz lock

The navigation of passenger boats may be prohibited in the Secondary Arm of Gennevilliers if the flow exceeds 350 m³/s at the Austerlitz tide staff, by notice to skippers. It is also likely to be banned for all river traffic above 600 m3/s.

Check the VIGICRUES website

Navigation conditions in the centre of Paris

Anti-intrusion river barriers: navigation conditions on 18 and 19 July

The authorities are setting up a security perimeter on the Seine with 3 anti-intrusion river barriers installed by the Nelson Mandela bridge upstream and Charles de Gaulle and Périphérique bridges downstream. On 18 and 19 July, only transit navigation in Paris will be permitted, with 6 one-hour opening slots between 7am and 11pm for crossing these anti-intrusion barriers in both upstream and downstream directions. Notices to skippers will be issued by 8 July at the latest.

From 21 to 26 July: shutdown of navigation in central Paris

Navigation will be suspended in the Ile-de-France region from the Nelson Mandela bridge upstream to the Périphérique bridge downstream from 3 pm on 20 July to 2 am on 27 July for the purposes of preparing and organising the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games.

20 and 27 July : booking of transit slots

As it is the cereal harvest season, the government has set aside two specific slots for the commercial navigation, with priority for the transit of cereal growers 20 and 27 july. These two slots, which are open subject to booking, are as follows:

• 20 July between midday and 2 pm between the Nelson Mandela upstream bridge and the Charles de Gaulle bridge, and beetween midday and 3 pm between the Charles de Gaulle bridge and the downstream ring road bridge
• 27 July between 2am and 4am, in the downstream direction only.

This exceptional system has been put in place to ensure the smoothest and safest possible navigation in Paris during this period.

Since First July, affected users are therefore invited to make a request to reserve a transit slot by contacting the dedicated Olympic navigation helpline (contact details at the bottom of the page).

Passenger slots are allocated on 17 July (for the first slots on 20 July) and 25 July  (for the first slots on 27 July) and notified directly to users who have made a booking request.

From July 28 to September 2

Due to the storage of the Paris 2024 ceremony facilities:

• A navigation stop is planned in Paris on August 2 from 2 a.m. to 7 a.m., between the immediate upstream of the Concorde bridge (PK 172.19) and the downstream of the Alma bridge (PK 173.610),
• A navigation stop is planned in Paris from August 12 to 14 from 1 a.m. to 6 a.m., between the Carrousel bridge (PK 171.2) and the downstream ring road bridge (PK 177.9).

Due to the preparation and holding of the tests in Seine

Navigation stops are planned in Paris (between the immediate upstream of the Concorde bridge PK 172.190, and the downstream of the Alma bridge PK 173.610) on the following dates and times:

• From July 28 to 31 from 2 a.m. to 11 a.m.,
• From August 3 to 9 from 2 a.m. to 11 a.m.,
• From August 29 to 31 from 2 a.m. to 11 a.m.,
• From September 1 to 2 from 2 a.m. to 12 p.m.

In the event of cancellation of an event in the Seine and if conditions permit, VNF will notify the inland navigation service of the timetable for early resumption of navigation.

• In addition, contingency days are planned in the event of postponement of the tests, on the following dates and times:
  • August 9 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • August 10 from 2 a.m. to 11 a.m., possible extension until 4 p.m.

(only one of the two days, either the 9th or the 10th, is likely to result in an interruption until 4 p.m.).

• • September 3 from 2 a.m. to 12 p.m., possible extension until 2:45 p.m.

A navigation stop is systematically scheduled for contingency days. Their cancellation will be communicated to you by notice to the inland navigation service.

As a reminder, the locks of Port à l’Anglais, Ablon, Evry, Saint-Maurice and Créteil will remain open until midnight, the day before each navigation stop planned for the events in the Seine.

Reserved parking areas

Until August 10, 2024, parking areas are reserved upstream and downstream of Paris for freight boats awaiting authorization to cross Paris.

We remind you that direct discharges into the natural environment are prohibited by the Environmental Code. If your boat is not equipped with a wastewater collection tank, toilets have been made available to you by HAROPA PORT in the following parking areas:

• Charenton-le-Pont,
• Alfortville,
• Choisy-le-Roi,
• Bonneuil.

VNF is extending lock opening hours on the Seine and Marne rivers upstream

To limit the impact of navigation bans on users, VNF will extend its opening hours until midnight on the day before each ban on the locks at Evry, Ablon-Vigneux, Port à l’Anglais (Seine upstream) and Saint Maurice (Marne) on the following dates and times:

• 19 July: open from 6am to 11.59pm
• from 20 to 26 July: open from 06:00 to 20:00
• from 27 July to 10 August (trials on the Seine): open from 6.00am to 11.59pm
• 11 August to 27 August: open from 06:00 to 20:00
• from 28 August to 2 September (events on the Seine): open from 6.00am to 11.59pm

Private boating: navigation restrictions in Paris and Gennevilliers during the Games

In the Centre of Paris sector

Due to the preparations for the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games on the Seine, boating is prohibited from 18 to 28 July 2024 inclusive in Paris on the perimeter between the cable footbridge and the périphérique bridge downstream.

On the secondary arm of Gennevilliers (to the right of the Athletes Village)

Boating is permitted on the Gennevilliers secondary arm from 4 July to 12 September under certain conditions. Pleasure craft must:

• have an activated AIS (Automatic Identification System)
• be on dual watch on VHF channels 10 and 23.

If you are not equipped with an AIS or if you cannot sail with a dual VHF watch, you’ll need to take the Saint Denis canal to reach the Paris reach via the Port de l’Arsenal.

Navigation in the Gennevilliers secondary arm will be managed from a dedicated supervision station. Waiting areas will be set aside for pleasure boats upstream and downstream of alternating traffic.

Contact VNF assistance

From 1 July, contact VNF assistance – Navigation JOP 2024 : Tel.: 06.64.12.16.78 / E-mail : supervision-gennevilliers@vnf.fr