The Randle, based in Auxerre France and owner operated since 2008, is a classically styled French river boat constructed in 2001 and maintained to the highest standards. Fitted with all the facilities demanded by our modern cruising clientele. Air conditioned and centrally heated with two wood panelled en-suite cabins with granite and marble surfaces.
The professional crew of three has built on a high reputation for providing attention to detail, gourmet cuisine, knowledgeable tours and relaxing voyages exploring the heart of France.
Our priority is to make your cruise as relaxing and enjoyable as possible. Taking the helm is a great experience and is open to all our guests under the expert supervision of the Captain.
Enjoy a balloon ride, a round of golf , horse riding, cycle along the canal path or take a stroll through picturesque villages, dine at wonderful restaurants along our route, there are many options when you charter the Randle - the time is yours.
We wish all our guests a unique, safe, and unforgettable experience cruising the rivers and canals of Burgundy.
The Randle is renowned for its cuisine, both aboard and ashore, aboard our personal gourmet chef Gael prepares delicious tastings from fresh local ingredients, ashore gourmet restaurants temp your taste buds too. When Gael is not busy aboard the Randle she is preparing sumptuous banquets at a renowned local chateau, find out more here Gourmet Gael
Your Personal tour guide Stu is a Brit living in France with his young family in a small village next to the canal. A keen sailor Stu arrived to France by his own boat from the UK, he is very knowledgeable of the history of the region and the surrounding vineyards. Stu spends his spare time renovating his French country cottage.
Captain Tim is a also a Brit living in France and has been cruising aboard the Randle since 2008, knowledgeable of all things boaty and a lover of France and its art d'vivre. Tim is a classically trained boat-builder and engineer previously renovating historic buildings in the UK. A member of the Slow Travel Tours, a loosely affiliated group of tour providers focusing on small group slow travel, read his latest blog post here An Inland Voyage Aboard The Randle
The canal du Nivernais and river Yonne offers a haven of peace surrounded by nature, in order to maintain the unique un-spoilt beauty we mitigate our environmental impacts in the following ways.
Plastic : Not only in order to reduce environmental impact, but also to provide high quality cuisine we buy from local producers, organic wherever possible. Organic waste is composted and other waste recycled. No plastic water bottles, in fact the odd one we find floating in the canal we recycle too!
Fossil Fuel Free: The Randle runs on and is heated by a 100% bio fuel, hydrotreated vegetable oil, a renewable fuel derived from plant products and edible oils, reducing our carbon emissions by 90% when compared to conventional fossil fuel. The Kitchen is all electric too, therefore no gas is stored or used aboard the Randle.
Well-Being: Onboard HEPA air purification removes pollen, dust and bacteria, with additional benefits to hay-fever sufferers too. We have daily sanitisation procedures and complete sanitisation between cruises, we also allow a minimum of 30 hours between bookings. EU approved face masks and hand sanitiser is also provided aboard.
Solar Péniche: Our electricity is sourced from a 100% renewable supplier and supplemented by solar energy aboard. LED lighting together with high-capacity batteries means that we do not run our generator under normal operating conditions, cruise off-grid aboard the Randle.
Security : We take your security seriously, from the moment of your greeting at the airport arrivals, station concourse, or hotel foyer, we guide you to our waiting car and on to the Randle. The upper decks are camera monitored 24/7 with a crew member always aboard. Each passenger has their own key and the doors are locked at night, and in case of emergency each cabin has its own escape hatch. The Randle is maintained to the highest standard, is independently inspected, and carries an European Union commercial passenger boat certificate.
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