His Scott, My memory was correct. The Canal du Midi connects at Toulouse with the canal lateral a la Garonne and with the river Garonne. It runs in an easterly direction and falls into l'Etang de Thau at the Mediterranean The Canal du Midi has a length of 240 kilometers between Toulouse and l'Etang de Thau. There are 101 locks; 24 fall towards Toulouse and 77 towards l'Etang de Thau. Many of them are "staircase" or "riser" locks which perhaps accounts for the rather long time required to make the passage. It may be comforting to know that the flight of four locks at Castelnaudry and the flight of seven locks at Fonserannes are worked electrically. All locks have a width of 5 m 50 and a length of each chamber is 30 m 00 There are many fixed bridges, most near the locks. All have a headroom of 3 m 50 at the centerline, but this may fall way rapidly according to the arch of the structure. All traffic using the canal is self-propelled; the tow path has fallen into disuse and is no longer practicable. ~~~~~~~~~~ On the canal des Ardennes from the summit descending down into a long broad valley, we went through 32 hand operated locks in one day: 06:30 to 18:40 = 42 kilometers. The canal was opened for traffic in 1833! ~~~~~~~~~~
From Rotterdam we went to Papendrecht; Gorinchem; Helmond; to Maasbracht. Then up the Maas river through Belgium to Givet, which is the border between France and Belgium. Then you get into the French canal system, and our first canal tunnel - 565 meter long.
Normal water depth throughout is 1 m 80. Now that I have located my old books again, fire away if you have questions. Connie