Base Nautique Arques Plaisance
- Type
- Harbour
Inland waterway halt at Arques, Pas-de-Calais, on the canal network near Saint-Omer and the Audomarois marshes.
Guide
Approach and anchoring
Access by canal only. The ascenseur à bateaux des Fontinettes, a disused boat lift, stands at Arques alongside the current lock that replaced it in 1967. Air draught and lock dimensions typical of the Freycinet gauge.
Practical
Eight berths on pontoon. Basic services. Shops in Arques town. Saint-Omer and its full services within a few kilometres.
Ashore
Marais audomarois, a UNESCO Man and the Biosphere reserve, extends just north of Arques with waterways open to small craft. La Coupole, a former V2 launch site turned history and space museum, stands 5 km south.
History
The Fontinettes boat lift was inaugurated in 1888 to raise vessels more than 13 metres between two canal reaches. It stayed in service until 1967, when a single large lock replaced it. The hydraulic lift building is preserved as a technical heritage site.
Key facts
- Type
- Harbour
- Coordinates
- 50.74674, 2.29634 (50°44.80'N 2°17.78'E)
- Town
- Arques
- Country
- France
- Boaters' rating
- 4.6/5
- Updated
- July 7, 2026
Getting there
Base Nautique Arques Plaisance lies at 50°44.80'N 2°17.78'E, that is 50.74674, 2.29634 in decimal degrees.
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Base Nautique Arques Plaisance is rated 4.6/5 by boaters on BoatMap.
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