Place de la Bastille, Paris. Certainly one of the most animated districts of the capital. An Opera, a column, fires, the Silver Tower, a prison and tourists. This is certainly the first image that comes to mind. And, also, the marina of the Arsenal, below the metro platform. It is in this haven of peace in the middle of trees and flowers that lives Charlette, a dashing captain who has experienced no less than 90 celebrations of the storming of the Bastille and does not intend to stop on her way.
Charlette Thévenot
Charlette's life began in Marseille, in the south of France. Married to a military doctor, she travelled the world with her husband. Both invariably refused to settle down " so you can imagine us settling down in an apartment for our old age "explains the yachtswoman!
" I have been living on a boat since January 2, 1974 exactly. Phoque, my current boat, is a former professional boat of 15 meters in length. I sailed on a sailboat for 10 years in the Mediterranean before arriving in Paris and buying my current boat. euros each winter, wherever in the world, there is not much to do " she explains. " Whether in Greece, Italy or elsewhere, ports are dead in winter. "
In 1983, while in Greece, the couple learned that the Arsenal harbor, a former commercial port, was to be converted into a marina with year-round berths. " I cannot thank Mr. Chirac enough for this creation. When I learned that a port was to be opened in Paris, I understood that I would have my cake and eat it too. Living in Paris, it is the possibility offered to do everything, even if in fact one does not do everything! "
And Charlette does not deprive herself. A visit to the Louvre every Monday and her weekly appointment at the restaurant Les Associés, 50 meters from her home.
You don't live in a marina, you live there
Charlette is precise about the living conditions in her port: " We do not live in a marina, it is forbidden. One lives there and rents a site all year round. But your place of residence, in the fiscal sense of the term, remains on land. It is mandatory to provide the administration with a land address for official correspondence. Here, the harbour master's office accepts to receive mail and to put it at the disposal of the yachtsmen, but it is a tolerance, not a rule nor even less an obligation" .
This nuance makes sense, not only from a fiscal point of view. Port managers, especially in Paris, wish to preserve the nautical character of these places and refuse to allow floating apartments to be built, as is the case in Maastricht or Amsterdam in the Netherlands.
That's why Charlette has to move her boat at least once a year: " Every year, I go on vacation by boat. I go to the Bassin de la Villette to allow the harbour master's office to maintain the quays on the one hand and, on the other hand, to prove that my boat is indeed a boat, floating and sailing. I have to leave for a period of 21 days, it is an obligation. "
The same services as on land
For the rest, Phoque has all the most modern conveniences. euros on board her boat, Mrs. Thévenot has electricity, running water, access to the Internet by the fibreeuros " Two things are different, however. The electricity is resold by the port concessionaire [Charlette consumes about 60 euros per month, EDITOR'S NOTE. ] and the boats are connected to the sewerage system "explains the owner.
Obviously, boats that are equipped with gray water or sewage tanks are accommodated accordingly, of course. " Boats can connect to the sewage system or use the pumps on the pontoons ".*
However, there are disadvantages
The postcard is certainly idyllic. Nevertheless, living in the heart of Paris while enjoying the tranquility of the countryside has a price, not only financial. " I pay a rent of 700 euros per month, including water. No housing tax for the boats, but a monthly mooring tax integrated to the rent paid to the harbour master's office "explains Charlette.
As for the nuisance, of course it exists. " The Paris City Hall has recently decided to leave the parks and gardens of the capital open 24 hours a day. So we can have visitors all the time " says the owner of the boat. " Most of the time, it's groups of young people who come to chat, but sometimes some of them get on board the boats. When it is just to have a picnic on the terrace, nothing serious, you just have to ask them to leave and they do. Sometimes, on the other hand, they try to enter the boat, which is much less pleasant. This is becoming more and more frequent. "
Harmoniously, neighborly relations exist within the Port of Arsenal. " I have an entourage of other owners who are available if needed. And the staff at the harbor office is particularly nice and welcoming, I never feel isolated in the middle of this crowd "Charlette laughs.
A village life in the port
In addition, an authentic village life has been established in the port of the Arsenal. " Every first Thursday of the month, we have a resident barbecue. And, every week, I know I'll be hosting or invited by a neighbor. I feel really surrounded "ends Charlette.
Noise, pollution and urban nuisance
Obviously, the presence of a port in the heart of Paris is accompanied by the nuisances inherent to Parisian life. Less pronounced, however, as Ms. Thévenot explains. " The harbor basin is lower than the roadway, so we are relatively sheltered from traffic and wind noise. In 1999, when the big storm hit, only one tree fell. "
There remains the inevitable concern of pollution, which makes boats dirty much faster than they would be at sea or in the countryside.
Buy a boat, not an apartment
Over the years, Charlette has seen attitudes and expectations change in her port. She warns, " In particular, you should not buy an apartment on the water. It is a boat that the candidates to the Parisian river life are about to buy. If they don't think about it and don't have a clear vision of what it entails (careening, displacement, limited space) they will be disappointed and will have a bad experience "concludes the yachtswoman.
A port under public service delegation
Managed by Fayolle Marine The Paris Arsenal marina and the Halte Nautique de la Villette have a total of 200 berths and welcome more than 1,500 pleasure boats of 6 to 25 meters each year.
The Arsenal harbour has a crane, sanitary facilities and all the services for boaters, whether they live there for the day or for the year.
