Narrowboat Temujin, diary in France

Wednesday 4th November 2009

2009-11-07T13:16:00.005+01:00

7.4°C Sunny spells, a few sharp showers. Mike was up just after eight in case the EDF came early. On with the chores. I started cleaning out the kitchen cupboards. We intended to go shopping in Decize but the EDF turned up at lunchtime and connected the box to the wires at the top of the pole. Mike’s lunch (cassoulet) got mushy while he was sorting out connections and cables, etc. I took a couple of photos of the set up. We all agreed none of it would pass the regulations in the UK. There were no ties around the cable from the top of the pole to the box which was right down at its base (due to the short length of cable to the junction box supplied by the electrician). The electrician the day before had fastened Chris’s box to a tree.

Well, that’s Temujin settled for the Winter. So, as there will be no more boating until next April, I thought we would blog the beginning of this year’s cruise (and maybe a few of the early years too) so if you want to read how we got here read on.............

http://nbtemujin2009.blogspot.com/

or, if you want to go further back in time?

http://nbtemujin2008.blogspot.com/

Tuesday 3rd November 2009

2009-11-07T12:10:00.000+01:00

5.9°C Grey, chilly and wet, rain most of the day heavy at times. Kept the coal fire going. I got on with the chores and did some cupboard clear outs. The EDF van came. The EDF man told them they had to get a box as he didn’t have them, the customer has to buy his own. Mike and M went to Nevers to get one. Back for lunchtime. C’s electrician turned up with the junction box he’d asked for and connected it up to the EDF box that Mike had bought from Nevers. No signs of the EDF turning again up as evening approached. Mike pulled the string on the gennie hoping we would have shore power next day.

Monday 2nd November 2009 Champvert for the Winter.

2009-11-07T12:09:00.000+01:00

7.4°C Rain overnight, grey clouds with sunny spells, occasional downpours. The men went to see the Mayor. All sorted, we were OK welcome to stay for the winter. After lunch Mike and I went to find somewhere selling electricity boxes. Eventually found one in Nevers for 340€ inc tax! Ouch! We went home via the scenic route on the west side of the river, via Fleury (and surprise - the dead Dawncraft cruiser was still there). Mike went to tell the news to the neighbours. They’d seen F (from Chatillon, now moored at St Ledger) who was disgruntled with the card system of paying for electricity there, which came to about 1€ per KWh. M said he didn’t tell him we were at Champvert and attempting to get the EDF to connect C to the electricity as he couldn’t come and join us as the locks were now closed. The boats at Gannay had been told to move and most of them were now at Decize opposite the LeBoat base. Apparently they weren’t happy as they were moored along the towpath with no facilities.

Sunday 1st November 2009 Cercy-la-Tour to Champvert

2009-11-07T12:06:00.000+01:00

10.5°C Grey, misty start after rain in the night. Rain held off until we’d been moored up for a few hours. I did a few chores while Mike refilled the water tank and went to the boulangerie for a loaf. We left at 9.25 a.m. M and D said se ya later as we winded with the flow and went past The Big Boat. The two cruisers had booked the locks for the afternoon. We passed a few fishermen and cyclists on the way down to lock 32, Roche, but no boat traffic – not surprising as after today the canal will be closed. Arrived at the lock at 10.45 a.m. just a few minutes later than the time Mike had arranged. The lady keeper had her husband working as her assistant; he was just winding a bottom end paddle down as we came within sight of the lock. She asked if we were going to La Copine and was surprised when we said no, Champvert - on the quay. The 3 kms pound below Roche was down a bit, so that was why they were running water when we got there. Down the last lock, 33 Champvert. Said au’voir and bon apetit to the keeper and her husband as we left. Mike tried to wind by the quay, but the canal was about a foot too narrow; he tried again just around the bend but again it still wouldn’t go, this time by only a few inches. Gave up and carried on down to La Copine, where it turned easily in the entrance to the old port. Waved to the guy with the boat on the hard in the port. It was just midday as we set off back up to the quay at Champvert. Tied next to the piled edge with ropes round new concrete bollards set well back from the water. Mike set the gennie up and the TV dish while I was making lunch. He watched the last F1 of the season and I expanded my new online family tree on Ancestry. The Big Boat and Lightbreeze arrived around 2.40 p.m. and moored behind us. Mike was recording the racing for M to watch later. When the race finished he gave M a lift back to Cercy to collect his car. There were loads of people walking past - and we thought there would be none as the towpath is on the far bank and the cycle path goes through the village. They all went home when it started raining heavily..

Saturday 31st October 2009 Cercy-la-Tour. C. du Nivernais

2009-11-07T12:03:00.002+01:00

6.8°C Misty grey morning, warm sunshine in the afternoon. It was the last F1 of the year, from a brand new circuit in Abu Dhabi. Mike watched the qualis.

Friday 30th October 2009 Cercy-la-Tour. C. du Nivernais

2009-11-07T12:02:00.000+01:00

2.3° C Misty start then warm sunshine. We were going to have a day out sightseeing in the car, but Mike said he really ought to be there when the electrican brought C the electricity box as he knows nothing about electric (he didn’t turn up). The lady lock keeper from Cercy came and told M that we couldn’t leave on Monday we had to leave on Sunday as there was a new stoppage notice which said the canal was closing a week early due to water shortages. (Load of bunk, there was no water shortage on the Nivernais.) The last F1 GP was on Sunday so Mike checked how far it was to Champvert and the time of the GP. After lunch he went to the lock, spoke to the lock keeper’s husband and told him we’d like to leave Sunday morning at 9.30 a.m. - just us, the others were still moving after lunch. He said he would tell her.

Wednesday 28th October 2009 Cercy-la-Tour. C. du Nivernais

2009-11-07T12:01:00.000+01:00

0.7°C Chilly night, glad we’d got the winter duvet on the bed. Sunny and warm. C was still annoyed with the EDF for not ringing him back. Just have to wait, we’re in the system. On with the jobs. Later C had a call from the EDF. There would be someone at Champvert on Tuesday to install the electricity. Looks like we’ll finally be moving on Monday!

Tuesday 27th October 2009 Cercy-la-Tour. C. du Nivernais

2009-11-07T11:59:00.002+01:00

0.9°C Sunny and very mild after a foggy cold night. Mike went with M and C to the Mairie in Champvert. The secretary said that the EDF would be coming to sort out electricity at Port de la Copine; they told her we didn’t want to go there we wanted to stay in the village, she said the mooring there belonged to the VNF. Well, we’d already got their permission to stay there so we’ll organise our own electricity. When they got back C rang the EDF. The woman from the EDF who was supposed to ring C back with details and costs, didn’t; so he tried to ring her back and ended up going round in circles, getting annoyed and frustrated and using up all the credit on his ‘phone.

Monday 26th October 2009 Cercy-la-Tour. C. du Nivernais

2009-11-07T11:58:00.000+01:00

3.7°C Sunny with a few clouds, late evening fog. Had a visit from some old friends from the UK who belong to the same boat club as us and also have a house in France near Roanne. They had decided to come on spec to find us. It was really nice to see them and have a good catch up session!

Sunday 25th October 2009 Cercy-la-Tour. C. du Nivernais

2009-11-07T11:57:00.000+01:00

9.2°C Beautiful sunny morning until just after we got up then black clouds rolled in. A few sunny spells in the afternoon.

Saturday 24th October 2009 Cercy-la-Tour. C. du Nivernais

2009-11-07T11:56:00.000+01:00

7.5°C Grey and damp. Drizzling when we got up, continued all day, much milder.

Friday 23rd October 2009 Cercy-la-Tour. C. du Nivernais

2009-11-07T11:54:00.000+01:00

9.5°C Grey morning, sunny spells in the afternoon. It rained heavily in the night but the window didn’t leak! Success! The lock keeper had called to tell M that C had set off but had broken down, he didn’t know where he was. Lightbreeze arrived OK later on one engine.

Thursday 22nd October 2009 Cercy-la-Tour. C. du Nivernais

2009-11-07T11:52:00.000+01:00

4.1°C Colder again overnight. Sunny warm morning, clouding over mid-afternoon. Mike took the secondary glazing off the starboard side bedroom window and we investigated where the rain water had found access the day before. Came to the conclusion that the wind had forced it through the corners of the hoppers. Mike put some new draught excluder around the hopper and some clear sealer in the corners.

Wednesday 21st October 2009 Cercy-la-Tour. C. du Nivernais

2009-11-07T11:49:00.000+01:00

12.8°C Much milder night. Grey clouds and rain. The Mayor wasn’t in again. The young secretary was sorry but the EDF hadn’t been in touch either. It started to rain on the way home. It poured with rain all afternoon so we played PCs. Rain eased off. The pillows and the bed below the window were soaking wet - the window had leaked. An unexpected job for next day!

Tuesday 20th October 2009 Cercy-la-Tour. C. du Nivernais

2009-11-07T11:47:00.000+01:00

3.1°C Cloudy with a few sunny spells, chilly breeze. After lunch we went to Champvert to see the Mayor again. Her secretary was there but she was only there mornings. She said to call in to see her at nine the next morning. Mike went out with the camera to take photos of the weir and an old stone mooring quay on the little river Canne which joins the Aron a few metres in front of our moorings.

Monday 19th October 2009 Cercy-la-Tour. C. du Nivernais

2009-11-07T11:39:00.000+01:00

-4.7°C Another very cold night, even with the central heating on low and one panel heater on the temperature in the cabin dipped down to 13.9°C, but we were warm enough under the duvet! Sunny, chilly day spent doing minor repairs to the boat and car, getting them ready for winter.

Sunday 18th October 2009 Cercy-la-Tour. C. du Nivernais

2009-11-07T11:37:00.002+01:00

-1.1°C River fog until mid-morning then clear blue skies and sunshine all day. A LeBoat that had moored on the pontoon overnight left at 10.45 a.m. as the fog was starting to lift. Mike went to get some bread; the car wouldn’t start so he walked (half hour round trip plus a long wait as there was a shop full of customers buying cakes as it was Sunday).

Saturday 17th October 2009 Cercy-la-Tour. C. du Nivernais

2009-11-07T11:36:00.000+01:00

SORRY! WE'VE BEEN BUSY! 7.11.2009 - catching up now!!!

4.0° C Warmer overnight. Sunny but cold all day. Mike had a chat with the neighbours about what we were going to do; decided Roanne was too far and that going to Champvert and relying on our generators for power would be OK until we could arrange shore electricity.

Saturday 17th October 2009 Cercy-la-Tour. C. du Nivernais

2009-10-19T23:25:00.000+02:00

4.0° C Warmer overnight. Sunny but cold all day. Mike had a chat with M and D about what we were going to do; decided Roanne was too far and that going to Champvert and relying on our generators for power would be OK until we can arrange shore electricity. We're running out of time and options.

Friday 16th October 2009 Cercy-la-Tour. C. du Nivernais

2009-10-19T23:22:00.000+02:00

-3.8°C Sunny cold morning, clouding over after lunch. Took the scenic route into Champvert; tested the Internet acess, all OK 2G, but fast. Then we went to the Mairie, no news yet, the Mayor was waiting for the EDF to get in touch. Maybe next week. Next stop VNF in Decize to get a stoppage list of pounds to be drained on the Lateral canal. A young lady in the office was very helpful and did a printout of their stoppages. Hmm. The only place we’re allowed to stop is Digoin. I told her we were not fans of Digoin. A little later we realised that we couldn’t stop at Fleury, so that was right out of the question now. Now what? Back to pondering on mooring at Roanne? We did the grocery shopping went back home for some lunch. A France Afloat hire boat arrived and moored on the pontoon in front of us around 4.30 p.m. It was starting to get very chilly again as the sun was hidden by thick clouds.

Thursday 15th October 2009 Cercy-la-Tour. C. du Nivernais

2009-10-19T23:18:00.000+02:00

-1.6°C The first dip below zero this end of this year. Lovely sunny day but cold. Mike carried on with jobs on the car. Lots of boats up and down, mostly late season hire boats.

Wednesday 14th October 2009 Cercy-la-Tour. C. du Nivernais

2009-10-19T23:16:00.000+02:00

2.3°C Sunny but chilly. Mike did some work on the car. Three hire boats passed through heading downhill. Lunch. Mike called me outside to watch a flock of birds soaring on thermals. It was a small flock of cranes heading south for winter and I managed to take a few photos as they formed up into the V-shape to carry on their journey all the while calling to one another.

Tuesday 13th October 2009 Cercy-la-Tour. C. du Nivernais

2009-10-14T16:51:00.000+02:00

Sunny but chilly after temperature almost down to freezing overnight; cloudy after lunch. At 10.30 a.m. Mike took M and B to collect their cars from Chatillon. I got on with the chores. Mike said the Ozzies were at Chatillon and about to go back to Oz. They told him their boat was owned by them and two other couples and one of the others was coming out to take the boat the rest of the way up to Baye. Lunch. Mike ran the engine (electricity only 5Amps) and I did some washing. He gave M a hand to fix his boat hooter and took some photos of my new Cambria orchid.

Mum and Dad rang around 8.30 p.m. Mum had had a fall the day before and had broken her arm in three places. Told them we were no nearer finding a winter mooring.

Monday 12th October 2009 Panneçot to Cercy-la-Tour. C. du Nivernais

2009-10-14T16:42:00.000+02:00

Sunny but with a chilly breeze. The Big Boat left at 9.40 a.m. to get to the first lock for 10.00 a.m. We left at ten to get there for 10.30 a.m. The resident keeper at lock 26 Sauzay was the guy from the day before. Today he was in his gardening gear with wellies and was on the ‘phone all throughout the locking. He opened both bottom end gates as we left so we thought there would be uphill traffic. There were lots of fishermen on the left bank by the old basin where the road crossed between Sauzay and Vandenesse. We met the uphill traffic, the Ozzies we’d met at Chatillon, well wrapped up against the cold. They asked if we’d found a winter mooring yet and we told them we were still waiting to hear from two places. They were going up to the summit to stay at Baye. The large lady with glasses was just closing the left hand top gate and closing the paddle as we went into the next lock, 27 Moulin d’Isenay. I stepped off and closed the right hand gate. She said thank you. She was on the ‘phone as we left, telling the next lock keeper we were on our way. 2 kms to 28 Isenay and we could see The Big Boat going down in the lock as the cut was almost straight. Just before the lock I noticed a lovely heavy horse in the field by the canal, it looked like a Pecheron. The fields around the Château du Tremblay had lots of horses in with the Charollais cows. Another lady keeper, one we hadn’t met before, worked the lock. She was a bit unsure about one gate and was poised to open the left hand gate too. Hooted and shouted OK with one gate. She said Mike was a bon Capitain to steer through one gate! It was getting close to midday and she told us we could run down to the next lock and wait in the chamber until one o’clock as it was full. Fine. She drove off down the towpath in her VNF van. 2.7 kms to Chaumigny. As we left the lock we saw a very large rat swimming, not big enough for a copyu it must have been a musk rat. Past the Château du Tremblay and through the open lift bridge (not used in years judging by the vegetation) and down to the lock. The Big Boat was in the lock. Didn’t think it was a good idea to go in the lock as they would want us to lock together again so we tied to a bollard and I made some lunch. At one o’clock Mike went out to lend a hand, but The Big Boat was already going down so he started our engine and I walked down to the lock to lend the lock keeper a hand. It was another new bloke. He was chatting with someone in the lock house and came out with a clipboard to take the boat’s name, registration number, etc (but didn’t ask us anything just wrote down what he read off the boat). I wound a top end paddle up (after asking permission first) while he wound the other to refill the lock. He went back in the lock house and I opened one gate when the lock was full. He was surprised we only wanted one gate open, he said most narrowboats have two gates opened - I told him most of them can’t steer! The guy who had insisted The Big Boat go through Bernay lock with us the day before came out of the lock house and took over - I heard the other bloke say he had an appointment and asked him to work the lock before he drove off in his van. The older chap reminded us that he’d worked a few locks for us the day before (how could we forget, M’s still traumatised!) He was chatty and asked where we were stopping for winter. 2.7 kms to the last lock of the day, 30 Cercy, where the lady from before lunch was getting the lock ready. Above the lock there seemed to be plenty of space on the quay and two boats were now out on the bank. The Big Boat was already tied on the downstream end of the pontoon. It was just after 2.00 p.m. as we winded to point back upstream on the river section and M and D came out to lend a hand with the ropes as the wind was blowing the boat off the pontoon.

SSunday 11th October 2009 Chatillon-en-Bazois to Panneçot. C. du Nivernais

2009-10-14T16:30:00.000+02:00

Grey, misty morning, sun out at lunchtime for a short while then lots of grey clouds but no rain. Mike went for bread. An English couple had arrived to move the boat behind us, a Dutch cruiser; they were off to St Leger. We set off first at ten. D came over to lend a hand with gates. Yet another different VNF man, a large quiet bloke with a moustache. Down 15, Chatillon, and The Big Boat followed. 4.7 kms to the next lock. Through the flood lock, 16 Coeuillon, and a blonde lady in a VNF van drove past us on the towpath. An ex-hire Connoisseur cruiser went past heading uphill and another VNF van went uphill as we went round the last bend before the lock, 17 Eguilly.

The blonde worked the lock, slowly. Lock18 Meulot. The large guy with tosh arrived to help the girl, she spent most of the time shouting into her phone. It was 11.40 a.m. when we left the bottom en route 1.9 kms to lock 20 Brienne; by the time we arrived there it would be midday and they were off to lunch. No mooring bollards above the lock, which was empty, so Mike banged a stake in for the centre rope and I made some sandwiches. An older man arrived and worked the lock, nattering to a friend all the time he was working, slowly. It was a short distance to Fleury, lock 21, round a long bend. The old man from 21 was coming to work it after he’d locked The Big Boat through. I stepped off and opened a gate as the lock was full, boat in and I closed the gate and closed the paddle. Then we waited for the keeper to arrive. Today, being Sunday, the café in the old lock house was open but not doing much trade. A couple a with small child were sat at one of the tables by the front door; they left as the lock emptied. The keeper was on the phone all through the locking booking the locks for us for the next day. The Big Boat arrived before we left the lock. The wreck (an old Belgian cruiser) was still by the campsite facilities below the lock. If what the VNF said was true it will be sitting on the bottom as that pound is due to be emptied in a couple of weeks’ time. 1.6 kms to lock 22 Bernay. The lock was empty with both bottom end gates open. Not knowing if there was uphill traffic due, we tied to a bollard to wait the arrival of our lock keeper. The Big Boat arrived as the keeper filled the lock. He insisted that we went in the lock together - as an experiment, he said, to see if they would fit - if not they could back out again. Our stern overlapped The Big Boat’s bows and our bows were on the gate as the lock emptied. I kept a close eye on our bows and D kept a close eye on their stern. The old guy had another friend to natter to as the lock emptied. I told him if we kept the right gate closed (the one our fender was on) he could open the left gate and we could slide across and get out. The lock emptied and his nerdy friend started opening the right gate as the keeper opened the left, shoving us back into The Big Boat until D shouted. Not doing that at the next. It was his last lock. Heaven knows why he wanted to do that, they’re not short of water and we weren’t in a hurry – just being a lazy bone idle whatsit and didn’t want to work the lock twice if he could do it once, eh? He was on the phone again as we left. It was 3.00 p.m. as we started on the 4.3 kms pound. The canal is now fairly straight after all the bends following the course of the Aron. No signs of life until the road bridge linking the villages of Mont and Limanton, then there were walkers, cyclists and fishermen fishing from their cars on the towpath. I made a cuppa but had to make myself a second coffee as the first one had a fly in it before I got to the stern! Loads of flies about as the weather had warmed up, the sun had come out and we’re in cattle country. Our new keeper at lock 23 Saigne was one we’d seen on the way up, a large chap with glasses. He wanted The Big Boat to share the two remaining locks with us. M said no. it was too dangerous and risky for his boat. D came to lend a hand with gates, Mike shut a gate and lifted a bottom end paddle. The keeper said we’d come uphill together. No we didn’t. We could go down the locks below Cercy together, he said that the locks were the same – no, they’re not, these are 10m shorter! A short distance to lock 24 Anizy. The lock was full with a paddle up. I stepped off and wound a gate open, the boat went in and I closed it then closed the paddle. Spoke to the French skipper of a small private pénichette moored below waiting to come up. He was off up to Baye for the winter; we wondered how long they’d kept him waiting. When the lock keeper arrived he wound the paddles and went through the booking procedure again - he said his own lock was the next one. The French guy went back to his boat and cast off to go up the lock. Waved to an elderly man sitting in the back cabin. Looked like the younger chap was working single handed. It was 4.30 p.m. as we tied up in the basin above the weir at Panneçot. Connected to the electricity once Mike fixed the two pin plug. The Big Boat arrived twenty minutes later and we almost filled the wooden edged quay. We were on the bottom and had to sit the boat on submerged tyres. Internet very slow 53Kbs

Saturday 10th October 2009 Chatillon-en-Bazois. C. du Nivernais

2009-10-10T16:04:00.000+02:00

Grey, drizzle with light showers. Some of the hire boats set off downhill to Decize around 9.30 a.m. Carried on with the usual chores.

Friday 9th October 2009 Chatillon-en-Bazois. C. du Nivernais

2009-10-10T16:01:00.000+02:00

Grey, showery with low hanging mist. M and D came over at ten just as the people on the DB in the corner were untying to leave; we drove to Champvert to have a look at the mooring. A long section of the bank had concrete bollards well set back from the edge next to a small park area backed by the gardens of houses. No signs of any electricity posts. The water tap was in a small toilet block (hole in the floor variety, but clean) next to the small water treatment plant, which was discharging into the canal. The pipe feeding the water tap wasn’t insulated and there was no valve to turn it off (maybe in the sewage works). We had to pass by the front of a house to get to the tap so Mike and M had a word with the guy who came out to see who we were. He said there had never been an electricity supply at the mooring or by the tap. We went into the middle of the village to the Mairie. The secretary asked us to have a seat and the Mayor would see us. She came out from her office, chatted with us (she was very helpful) and made a few phone calls. She said she’d arranged for an engineer from the EDF to come next week and take a look at the situation at the port to see if electricity could be installed. She would ring us, probably next week. A short way down the road towards Decize there was a small offline basin called Le Port de la Copine and we thought we would have a look at that. Looked like there were electricity posts around one end of the port, but all of it looked very old and not looked after. I was sure it used to be a boat club of some sort, or perhaps it was a hire boat base a long time ago. Back home with a pause at Verneuil to have a look at the church of St Laurent built in XI-XII century. M and I went in to have a look. It was tiny and had restored mediaeval murals on the walls and lots of ancient statues of saints. Interesting. Mike went to book the lock for ten the next morning but the keeper said the Canalous hireboats were leaving at ten plus there were more boats coming down the canal, so Mike decided to leave on Sunday morning instead. Good job we’re not in a hurry.

Thursday 8th October 2009 Chatillon-en-Bazois. C. du Nivernais

2009-10-10T15:56:00.001+02:00

Mild night after a thunderstorm and heavy rain; a grey day with a few light showers. We went by car to Decize, mainly for shopping, but also to have a look at a couple of moorings on the Latéral canal. Avril-sur-Loire had no facilities whatsoever, but a little further down the canal at Fleury-sur-Loire there was a nice layby with all facilities, a snack bar (it said it was open but it wasn’t) and a large Dutch boat on the quay.

We went to find the Mairie to ask if it would be possible to stay there over the winter. A very friendly secretary took our details and told us we weren’t the first to ask and she would get back to us. Back into Decize to collect a few groceries. On the way back home via Cercy and the backroads we called at the other Fleury (the lock on the Nivernais) where the community of the village of Biches had installed a halte nautique. A very old and very derelict cruiser with Belgian registration number had been dumped there and not touched for a decade or more. The facilities were all locked up but there were wash basins and electricity points and taps in a camping-type toilet block which might be available.

Took a few photos of the needle weir on the river l’Aron alongside the mooring and some balsam flowering in a drain. Found a tea plate sized field mushroom. A sign said electricity 5€, key at the lock house resto (which was now shut as it was out of season). Back home. The neighbours came over to find out how we got on. They were keen to have a look at Champvert on the Nivernais near St Léger-des-Vignes where they stayed on the way up the canal. Mike started work on the engine, replacing the old injector and finding a missing valve stem cap which had ended up on the edge of the push rod tube on the next valve over. It was lucky that it hadn’t gone down the tube or we’d have had a bigger problem. C came over to say he’d spoken to Corbigny and we couldn’t moor at Fleury on the Nivernais as that pound was due to be drained (presumably the wreck will have to sit on the bottom); he’d also spoken to the mayor (a very charming lady, he said) at Champvert who said that all three boats would be welcome to stay there over the winter and that there used to be electricity in the port which could be restored. On their return M came to tell us that there was no one at the Mairie in Champvert but someone told them that there would be someone there on Fridays. Change of plan, we’ll drive down there in the morning and ask about getting the electricity put on and staying for the winter there as Corbigny say it’s OK to stay there or at St Léger (the latter was full of DBs).

Can anybody identify the flower? - I thought it was a balsam but can't find it in any of my field guides. A garden escape perhaps? (Found it! 14.10.2009 Looking in the wrong books - Impatiens Balfourii - a garden escape, very delicate looking flowers)

Wednesday 7th October 2009 Chatillon-en-Bazois. C. du Nivernais

2009-10-10T15:45:00.000+02:00

Grey clouds, occasional showers of rain in the afternoon. M and D came round to have a bit of discussion about the winter moorings. We all went to see the Chef down at the VNF workshop just below the lock. Found him at work so we had a short chat. The pounds to be drained were from above lock 15 (where we are currently moored) to below lock 10, and no, we couldn’t stay below lock 15 on the river fed section because of the danger of flooding. He suggested contacting the VNF at Corbigny who are in charge of all the Nivernais to find out where we could stay. He said maybe at Braye or at Chitry-les-Mines. We decided to have a run out in the car after lunch as no one was answering the phone at Corbigny. We found a VNF guy at Les Granges who was very helpful; he said they were emptying the pounds either side of the summit and couldn’t guarantee the water level any of the pounds below once they had no feed. He suggested seeing the man who runs the hire base at Baye on the summit, which we did.

He was busy putting wooden posts along the banks so he could moor more boats stern to the bank as he was stacked out with small cruisers and had no room for long boats like ours and The Big Boat. He also said he didn’t take liveaboards as he’d had problems in the past with people ringing him at 2.00 a.m. to tell him the electricity had gone off! He was very nice about it and said to try LeBoat at Decize. D phoned them later, they were fully booked.

Tuesday 6th October 2009 Chatillon-en-Bazois. C. du Nivernais

2009-10-10T15:38:00.000+02:00

Getting warmer but occasionally wet. Seems like all the boats that have been in the basin for ages are leaving, soon.

Monday 5th October 2009 Chatillon-en-Bazois. C. du Nivernais

2009-10-10T15:34:00.000+02:00

Rain in the night; grey clouds, a few sunny spells plus the odd light shower. Boats were moving so we moved too, next to the wall parallel to the cut, bows towards the upstream corner. A little later The Big Boat moved on to the pontoons next to C’s boat. Chatted with F off a replica DB (been moored next to C for ages) who said he was off to Decize next week and an Australian guy from Perth (part owner of an ex-hire Connoisseur). The latter was booked to moor at Baye on the summit for the winter and was going back home to Oz.

Sunday 4th October 2009 Panneçot to Chatillon-en-Bazois. C. du Nivernais

2009-10-10T15:33:00.000+02:00

Grey, overcast, chilly morning; sunny spells between dark clouds in the afternoon. Left at ten and followed The Big Boat up to lock 24 Anizy (2.02m). The Big Boat went up first. The guy who lived in the lock house worked the lock, he told M and D that the two lady lock keepers were bringing another boat up. They turned up in their van and helped the man from the house empty the lock for us and we went up, then they drove off to do the next lock for The Big Boat. Two hireboats arrived below the lock. Just as we left the lock our engine started making a strange knocking noise and puffing out blue-grey smoke! Mike went in the engine room to try and source the problem. It was running on three cylinders. He thought it was an injector and said we could manage to get through the next few locks and fix it at lunchtime.

1 km to 23 Saigne (2.64m) and the ladies worked the lock. I went up the ladder to do the ropes. The stern lady with the glasses had already told M that they couldn’t stop at Chatillon and he ought to turn round and go back to Decize and now she asked me where we were stopping for the winter and, when I said Chatillon, she said no, no, no, you can’t stay there we will be emptying the pound on the 9^th November! She said go back to Decize. Yes, fine, well we might carry on. On the 4 kms pound I steered while Mike found the spare injector out. The Big Boat had already gone up the next lock 22 Bernay (2.43m) and was heading for Fleury for lunchtime. The new keeper had worked The Big Boat through 22 and had left a paddle up to empty the lock and gone up to Fleury to work the lock. I stepped off below the lock and opened the gate, took the ropes and closed the gate. The keeper, a younger bloke, came and said we were OK in the lock over lunchtime and he wound a paddle so the lock would fill. Mike started work on the engine; a crowd appeared from nowhere and watched through the open doors! Started the engine up and it still made the same noises. Rocker box cover off and he found that a locking nut on a tappet adjusting screw had come undone, which had allowed an excessive tappet gap and a push rod to displace itself - it was that that had been making the knocking noises! Mike finished the repair and started the engine up at one o’clock as the keeper came back from lunch. He opened the gate and we set off on the short, 1.5 kms, pound to the next lock. Fleury lock 21 (1.89m) was ready with both gates open. The lock house was now a café and doing a good trade, but they’d put a large metal fence all along the edge of the road blocking access to the lock so I had to cross the bridge over the tail of the lock and cross the lock gates that the keeper had already shut to get to the boat. Mike had climbed the ladder to sort out the ropes. What a stupid place to put a fence; there was no gate in it and the holes in it were kid sized, not adult. The keeper just jumped over it, I’m not that agile! I opened a top end gate for the keeper as there was downhill traffic. 720m to lock 20 Brienne (2.32m) and the keeper flew up the towpath in his van. The Big Boat was still in the lock and just about to leave. A DB came down (the crew didn’t help the keeper at all) and then we went up. Mike dropped me off on the right to close the gate as the keeper was on the left. It was his last lock, he’d done three. I opened the top end gate again. A France Afloat hireboat came down as we left. 2 kms to lock 19 Villard (2.39m).

A honey buzzard flew over and landed in a tree on our left so I had a good look at him through my binoculars. The sun came out from between grey clouds as we wandered around the big sweeping bends as the canal followed the river valley of L’Aron. Both gates were open so Mike dropped me off to close a gate for the keeper then grab the ropes. A new young man worked the lock. The lock house was derelict. Out through one gate. 1.9 kms to the next 18 Meulot (2.39m) and the keeper went past us in his van. One gate open for us. I stepped off below the lock and did the ropes. The grass along the right hand side was full of small bright yellow butterflies. It was our keeper’s last lock (he did two) The house was lived in and a typical keeper’s house, untidy and surrounded by stuff. A Canalous hireboat was moored above the lock on the start of the 3 kms pound. I made a cuppa. Lock 17 Eguilly (2.42m) had the right hand gate open (all the previous ones that had single gates open were on the left side). I stepped off to do the ropes. A very pleasant old chap worked the lock with a different technique to the others. A friend of his in camouflage gear arrived and crossed the gates to chat then went off to collect walnuts. The old man only had one lock to work today, he said his own lock was higher up the valley. 4.7 kms to the next. Through the open flood lock 16 Coeuillon and round wide sweeping bends with fishermen on both banks on the first one. Another old bloke worked the lock, 15 Chatillon (2.45m), with the assistance of another white haired gent. I got off on the steps and went up to do the ropes. The keeper asked if we were continuing and I said no, then he asked if we were leaving in the morning and I said no, I don’t think so. OK, he smiled. The world and his wife were doing their Sunday promenade around the basin and locks in the town. The Big Boat was moored on the canal bank beyond the basin and we tied up behind them. M and D came out to help and chat. It was 4.30 p.m. We connected into the electric box (16A split between three boats) on the corner by a British cruiser. M got his car going (there was a wasps’ nest under the bonnet!) and then gave Mike a lift back to Cercy to collect our car.

Saturday 3rd October 2009 Panneçot. C. du Nivernais

2009-10-10T15:22:00.000+02:00

2.0°C overnight, a chilly start, sunny and warm later. Mike’s early morning recording of the F1 qualis from Japan had worked OK. Mike went to see the neighbours and check the depth of water along the quay in front of The Big Boat. He decided it was as shallow as where we were (there was an old sloping stone wall, so we’d had to drop tyres below the bottom of the boat), so no point in moving the boat. I suggested he left the car where it was until we got to Chatillon. Because the weather on Monday was going to be wet we all thought moving Sunday would be best.

Friday 2nd October 2009 Cercy-la-Tour to Panneçot. C. du Nivernais

2009-10-10T15:17:00.000+02:00

Chilly start after a cold night, but warm in the sun. A light mist covered the surface of the river, but no Autumn fog this morning. The Big Boat followed the French cruiser into lock 30 Cercy (2.47m) and I walked up to give the keeper a hand, leaving Mike to finish untying from the pontoon. The keeper (a large chatty bloke, fiftyish) said he had four locks to do today. Chatting as I gave a hand to wind the gates, he told me he used to steer the Aster (wooden péniche owned by the department of Niévre and used as a trip boat, now moored at Decize) but not for the last seven years (because the boat didn’t meet current ‘elf and safety conditions for transporting the public). He asked if we were OK with one gate and I said yes, no need to open two for us. Emptied the lock and I wound the left hand gate open as there were three bollards that side and only two on the other. Then closed it behind the boat and sorted the ropes out. The keeper filled the lock, opened the gate for us then drove off in his VNF van to work the next lock for the two cruisers. 2.7 kms to Chaumigny 29 (2.0m). The lock emptied as we got closer and the left hand gate opened, so we went in. The keeper took the ropes for us and worked the lock. He asked if we’d open the gate as he was off to work the next lock for the others. 3 kms to Isenay 28 (2.3m) Another VNF van drove down the towpath/cycle piste, not our keeper - must be the chef keeping an eye on things.

A new wooden fence had been erected either side of a spill weir where excess water from the canal ran over a lowered section of towpath and into a channel to the river. The fence was another health and safety item for the cyclists, although why the authorities thought they would fall in the canal there is anyone’s guess. Mike took a photo of the little château du Temblay on the hill before the first Nivernais lift bridge. This one is left permanently open to boat traffic.

The lock was empty but the gates were closed. I got off on the stone edge before the bridge over the tail end of the lock and walked up the stone steps to open and close the gate and take the ropes. I lowered the bottom end paddle and wound half a top end paddle. Our keeper returned and carried on filling the lock. He said we could stay in the chamber for lunch and he would see us at one o’clock. I asked if we could run up to the next lock and he said no it was full – could we work it ourselves? No, interdit, not allowed – and if the Chef saw us then the keeper would be in trouble (well, we knew that anyway, but it was worthwhile asking!). OK. At one o’clock we carried on up the 2 kms pound to lock 27 Moulin d’Isenay (1.96m) the last lock for our keeper. Passed through the remains of the stone base of an old lift bridge, now long gone. Into the lock and I got off to close the bottom end gate and take ropes again. Our steerer of Aster asked where we would winter and I told him we were hoping to moor at Chatillon. We said thanks and bid him au’voir as we set off on the 4 kms pound to the last lock at Sauzay 26 (2.45m) where we would have a new keeper to work the lock. Spotted the Charollais cows in a field adjoining the canal were licking big salt blocks, hadn’t seen any of those in years. I got off at the bottom of 26 and did the usual with the ropes. The new bloke was very cheery, another large chap. He’d been burning some garden rubbish and the smoke was blowing across the lock chamber. The house looked empty but the garden was well looked after, so perhaps the keepers here do gardening while waiting for boats. Told him we’d stay in Panneçot for the weekend to watch the F1 from Japan. He said our friends were there waiting for us. 1.5 kms to go. Through the flood lock (the pound is fed by the river l’Aron) and round the corner to the mooring above the river weir. The Big Boat and French cruiser were moored on the wooden edged quay. M came out to tell us it was shallow on the left side, he’d touched bottom. There wasn’t enough space for our 18m on the quay so we took the right hand side of the square basin and threw ropes round bollards. There were reeds along the edge so we couldn’t get right next to the grassy bank and Mike put our short plank out. He checked that we could receive satellite TV and discovered we could get digital French TV for the first time in ages. Signs on the electricity boxes said 8€ a night, but we’d been told that no one collects the money out of season. Mike lit the Refleks central heating as the temperature was dropping.

Thursday 1st October 2009 Cercy-la-Tour. C. du Nivernais.

2009-10-10T15:12:00.000+02:00

Warm and sunny, with a few white clouds in the afternoon. Did some shopping by car in Decize, then trundled back home along the scenic route through the villages of Champvert and Verneuil. A French owned new cruiser was still moored at the upstream end of the pontoon, they were on their way to their winter mooring on the summit at Braye. Also they were setting off next morning at ten, like us! As long as there is no fog, they said - Mike asked if they’d got radar, no! A loud claxon? No!

Wednesday 30th September 2009 Cercy-la-Tour. C. du Nivernais.

2009-10-10T14:52:00.000+02:00

Still warm and sunny. Decided on the spur of the moment that we’d have a ride out in the car. I made a picnic lunch and a flask of coffee. We headed off to the Morvan. East to Château-Chinon then north through Planchez to the Lac des Settons where we paused for lunch on the shores of a deserted reservoir which was decked out for summer traffic but no one was there. Mike took a photo of the fishing regulations which were translated (very, very badly) into English and German.

Drove south again through the forest on tiny, winding, bumpy roads through Gien-sur-Cure on the hill down to Anost, where there was supposed to be a reserve for sanglier (wild boar). We went through the town but saw no signs for the reservation and no signs of any piggies either. Gave up and tried to find the road through to Bussy via Sanceray and ended up on a farm track which lead us back into Anost where we found the “main” road to Bussy. South to Corcelles and on to the D978, turned off and ran south down the gorges de la Canche, (river invisible below the road through banks of trees) to St Prix then Glun-en-Glenne on the hilltop. Took the D500 past the source of the river Yonne and wound our way south west through small villages; Dragne, les Bourbas, Sanglier, Le Niret and La Queudre, to the small spa town of St Honoré-les-Bains, which although it had a thriving modern Casino seemed to have seen far grander days. West into Vandenesse, then southwest back on the flat following the valley of l’Aron and the canal du Nivernais back to Cercy-la-Tour.

Tuesday 29th September 2009 Cercy-la-Tour. C. du Nivernais

2009-10-10T14:48:00.000+02:00

Warm and sunny. The chores and a few repairs ready for winter took priority.

Monday 28th September 2009 Decize R.Loire – Cercy-la-Tour. C. du Nivernais

2009-10-10T14:44:00.000+02:00

Warm and sunny. We finished wiping the boat down - it was running with condensation - then set off just as a downhill cruiser cleared the canal. It was very noisy along the first stretch of canal through St Léger-des-Vignes as there were roadworks and a loud jackhammer digging up the tarmac. Took a photo of the old tug, Ampére, which was out on the bank. The first lock, 35 Loire (1.51m), was ready for us and a young man worked the manual lock for us – even taking ropes! (We used fore and aft ropes on these keeper manually operated locks) Above the lock on the left bank Aster (a restored wooden boat of the type used on the canal) was moored by the dry dock and there were six DBs moored (mostly dead boats) and a couple of cruisers. The same young man worked lock 34 Vauxelle (2.4m) for us. A perfect locking, I told him as we left. I asked if there had been many narrowboats this year and he said yes, mainly in September. He’d been opening just one gate for us but as we left he opened two as there was downhill traffic. Along a factory fence there were a dozen large plane trees whose branches, in full healthy green leaf, were being pollarded already. It suddenly dawned on me that they were having all the branches taken off complete with leaves to save the mess of sweeping up the Autumn leaves! Crafty! We passed two downhill boats, one French cruiser and one hire boat, by the first road bridge. Just beyond the basin, called Port de La Copine (the Girlfriend’s Port), a new metalled path appeared on the left - now there were cycle paths on both sides. The only traffic we saw was one lady power walker and, later, a couple of elderly cyclists. A few minutes later and we were out of Decize and houses gave way to rolling fields, low distant hills and grazing Charollais cattle as the Nivernais canal followed the valley of the tiny river l’Aron. Lock 33, Champvert (2.27m) was empty with both gates open. Then a man in a red car on the towpath stopped to tell us he was off to lunch and he’d see us at one o’clock. The lock keeper! Mike asked if we could wait in the lock, yes no problem. We’d just passed a mooring quay with bollards. We threw ropes around bollards on the lockside and had lunch. A Locaboat had moored at the quay. When our keeper returned he said the Locaboat would be coming up in about an hour and we could wait for them at the next lock and he would work the two of us through together as we were both going to Cercy. Another wait. OK. It was 3.3 kms to the next so up went the sunshade as it was starting to get hot. Fly swatters came out too as there were many stable flies about (they look like houseflies but they bite) due to the number of horses and cattle in the adjacent fields. Halfway to the lock the red car flew past us heading for the lock. The keeper must have changed his mind. Seen any sign of the hire boat? he asked as we went into lock 32 Roche (3.07m). Nope and the last straight was a long one, we could see as far back as the stone remains of a former swing bridge.

Mike said they must be enjoying the wine, he said no - the cheese! He worked the lock for us. I asked if there were many boats at Cercy, he said he would ring his colleague, the lady who is keeper for the next three locks. He seemed surprised that we spoke French. Only one boat on the pontoon. Great. He asked when we would continue. Wednesday at ten, provided it’s not raining. He told us the TV had said cold at night but warm sunny days all this week. Good. 7.7 kms to the next lock and we weren’t going through that until Wednesday. The tarmac on our right became a grassy path, then there were sheep grazing and a fence across the path! The canal banks were higher and the edges sloping stone as we got nearer to the river section. Mallow and scabious flowered in the grass. Through the flood lock and on to the Aron; round a left bend and we tied on the end of a long pontoon. There was one hireboat moored about 20m in front of us and a gap of about the same upstream of it.

Sunday 27th September 2009 Decize R.Loire

2009-10-10T14:30:00.000+02:00

Warm and sunny. The park alongside the boat had been taped for a running race this morning. We carried on with the new double glazing and did the port side window. Mike watched the F1 from Singapore.

Saturday 26th September 2009 Decize R.Loire

2009-09-27T15:16:00.000+02:00

Warm and sunny. Mike bought some bread and called in the DIY Weldom to see if they had small sheet of galvanised sheet metal to repair the Torgem’s ash pan, which had a small hole, ready for Winter. He also called in the pharmacy to find something to ease the pain in his knee and bought some glucosamine tablets on the advice of the pharmacist. While he was out the pompiers arrived and set up a pump, right in front of our bows – the fishermen’s quay was empty but their pipe was too short – making a hell of a racket! (When he returned Mike took some photos - it was a training exercise for the guys to set up and run the pump) I made a quiche while Mike was busy cutting and drilling the aluminium strips for the secondary glazing in the bedroom. He stopped to watch the F1 qualis in Singapore.

A tjalk got stuck on the corner; we reckoned he was taking the wrong turn and thought he was going on to the canal. He tried forcing forward, then using the bow thruster to move right; that didn’t work. The skipper took a rope to the bank using his tender; that didn’t work. Mike said he would give him a “snatch” if he was still stuck when the qualis finished but he switched off before it finished and went out to start our engine just as the tjalk had managed to get off the bottom and went very slowly up to the canal. Not long after that yet another hireboat attempted to shoot the weir. Mike was standing on the stern and hooted and waved – eventually they backed off and circled around looking for the entrance to the canal. Half an hour later they came and moored in front of The Big Boat, another American crew.

Friday 25th September 2009 Gannay. C. Lat à La Loire to Decize R.Loire

2009-09-27T15:06:00.000+02:00

Dull, damp overcast morning; sun out 2.30 p.m. after we tied up. Left Gannay at 10.20 a.m. after D had been to book our locking with the lock keeper. Into lock 12 Vanneaux (3.20m) following The Big Boat. A young dark-haired chap with glasses worked the lock for us and we were soon running down on to the 5.7 kms pound. The air was damp, not exactly drizzle but enough to make me put my windproof, waterproof jacket on. A boat was coming up in lock 13 L’Huilerie (3.5m). We passed a British cruiser with a smoky engine and an enthusiastic young man in a peaked cap worked the lock for us then drove off down the towpath. 2.7 kms to lock 14 La Mothe (3.45m) where there was a smart lock house - but no longer a resident lock keeper - I had asked our young keeper who had driven down from his lock to work this one for us. Dommage, (a pity) we both agreed. He asked what time we would be at the next lock. Mike looked at the time, 12.06 p.m. and said 1.05 p.m. (It was 5 kms so it would take us just an hour). Impeccable, came the reply. He drove back up the towpath in his VNF van and returned a few minutes later in his car (a vehicle as battered and ancient as ours) with his missus - off to have their lunch no doubt. I made some sandwiches and we ate lunch on the move. Cottage gardens adjoining the canal had neat vegetable plots and fenced areas with ducks, geese and goats. One had an amazing pumpkin patch with some enormous specimens almost ready for Hallow’een, a festival French kids have heartily taken to, mainly from watching American TV. Rural France at its best. After all that quizzing about what time we would be at the lock, lock 15 Saulx (2.5m) wasn’t ready when The Big Boat arrived. They were still stooging in the middle while a middle aged VNF man in VNF long shorts and cap refilled the lock. Another VNF van arrived to join the two already parked by the house and our keeper had an assistant to open and close the top end gates. He asked D where we were going and she told him they were stopping on the quay in Decize to shop at the Intermarché while we were carrying on down the two locks on to the river. He said à tout à l’heure (see you shortly) as we left, which made us wonder what they had done to the automatic locks which lead down on to the Loire. Just a short distance and we were at the junction. The Big Boat tied up by RQ on the quay. (D told me later that M had stuck one of his mooring pins down a hole he presumed someone else’s pin had made, only to find it was a wasps’ nest!) A large 15m LeBoat was sitting at the junction waiting for the lock, 16 bis St Maurice (2.52m), to fill after they’d pulled the rope. The irritating zut-zut of a bow thruster kept the boat exactly in line with the chamber while it filled, very slowly. No sign of our keeper. When the lock gates opened we followed the hire boat in. It was slow to fill and even slower to empty. The keeper from the last lock turned up just in time to watch us leave. The hireboat turned sharp left back to the base it belonged to, as did the one which had just come up off the river.

Lock 16 ter Decize was full but the gates had closed. I pulled the hanging rope and the gates reopened. Once in the chamber I heaved the rod to activate the automatic sequence. Our lock keeper had followed us down to the lock and arrived as it was almost empty. (Still no idea why he followed us, except that he’s programmed to keep an eagle eye on hire boats and can’t tell the difference!) We said au’voir and ran downstream on the Loire following the buoyed channel to the road bridge. There was one LeBoat moored on the quay by the road bridge. A very noisy mooring; we continued down to the junction with the old river Loire. The quay on the Loire was occupied by a group of fishermen who had numerous rods and lines set up. We turned the corner and went upstream on the old Loire, keeping close to the right hand bank as we could see clumps of reeds in the middle. Winded and moored next to a quay which used to have all facilities but now had only bollards to moor to and the remains of an electricity post. It was surprisingly 2m deep by the quay. I gave Mike a hand to get the bike off the roof which we did without using a plank as the quay came halfway up the cabin side.

Later in the afternoon a hireboat went the wrong way and was heading for the weir on the Loire but managed to extricate himself - we thought we might be calling for the pompiers (fire brigade)! The Big Boat tied up behind us and Mike went off to collect the car from Gannay

Thursday 24th September 2009 Gannay. C. Lat à La Loire

2009-09-27T14:57:00.001+02:00

Warm and sunny. Set off in the car to get some Perspex for the bedroom windows. First we went to Weldom in Decize. They had no plastic in the right size, just big sheets, but we bought some aluminium strips and draught excluder from them. Drove on to Nevers and went in a Bricomarché. They only had huge sheets, they were patterned and expensive. We drove over to Bourges, a bigger place than Nevers, and went searching for a large DIY shop. We eventually found LeroyMerlin; they had a big sheet of Perspex, but couldn’t cut it (and it wouldn't fit in the car), so we opted for two one metre square pieces (to cut to the correct size ourselves) for 27€ each. We bought plugs and sockets for mains cables, a new switch for one of our angle poise lamps, six packets of brass screws, blades for cutting the Perspex and I treated me to a new orchid, a deep purple Cambria for 9.90€. Home, hot and shattered at 4.30 p.m. Two péniches and two cruisers had gone past while we were out.

Wednesday 23rd September 2009 Gannay. C. Lat à La Loire

2009-09-27T14:53:00.000+02:00

Warm and sunny. We went shopping at Carrefour in Moulins, 28 kms from Gannay and also started a search for perspex sheets. The only ones they had were 50cms wide and we needed 63cm. Mike asked but they had none wider. They had a great selection of artists’ materials, even clay! We got the groceries in Carrefour. Didn’t like the store layout, had to search for stuff. Went to find the Bricomarché in the north of the town and were hampered by the one way system. Found the place, it was closed for lunch, made our way through the suburbs and eventually found the road back to Gannay.

Tuesday 22nd September 2009 Gannay. C. Lat à La Loire

2009-09-27T14:51:00.000+02:00

Warm and sunny after early morning mist. Mike measured up the sizes for some acrylic sheet to make double glazing for the bedroom (as we’re now back in the land of snow and ice we may get ice overnight on the inside of the window frames!) and I checked the location of Carrefour in Moulins then looked for a bricolage. Only found Bricomarchés, but they should sell the stuff we need. Decided we’d go shopping next day and did some painting. Helped put masking tape on the engine room roof and Mike did the green bands and also painted the tiller. Several hire boats arrived, filled the last bit of the quay and started mooring on the opposite bank.

Monday 21st September 2009 Garnat to Gannay. C. Lat à La Loire

2009-09-27T14:48:00.000+02:00

Grey clouds at first which cleared to give a lovely sunny day, warm. A converted péniche went past heading downhill around 9.30 a.m. Then a Canalous hireboat arrived dragging a huge wash until we all stood staring at it and Mike told the steerer off about it – then he moored along the quay on the other side of us and asked if there was a supermarket. We set off at 10.05 a.m. just as the woman off the hireboat rode over the road bridge and asked if she was going the right way to the supermarket. Yes, there was one 1km down that road or 7km at Bourbon-Lancy. Followed The Big Boat along the 4 kms to the first lock. A meadow full of Charollais cows had an attendant flock of upwards of twenty egrets. Lock 10 Rosière (2.4m) wasn’t ready when we got there and the keeper (an older man) closed the bottom end gates and started the lock filling when The Big Boat stopped and hovered in the middle of the cut above the lock. There were three vans and a car on the lockside with two VNF workmen wandering around. Once in the lock Mike wound the top end gate shut and when the lock was empty D opened the bottom end gate then got back on down the ladder. The two workmen sat watching. Heaven knows what job they were doing, we saw no evidence of any maintenance work in progress – perhaps they hadn’t started yet! By the first bridge a shortened commercial was moored. Although it was now 30m long it still had its original plate on the back which said it was 55m long and carried 678 tonnes. An old cruiser was moored next to a VNF house at the next bridge, all looked locked up and one away. Maybe a holiday house now?

A young VNF man worked lock 11, Gailloux (3.38m) and lifted a feed paddle as we left - the pound below was overfull and the one above had been 6” to 8” down. It was 12.10 p.m. he’d worked 10 minutes into his lunch break. A short line of plane trees on the left hand made a change from the usual oaks on this canal. 3.2 kms to Gannay. The Big Boat moored at the end of a line of moored boats before the layby and lock at Gannay. We carried on to see what was available closer to the lock. There were eight or nine large replica Dutch barges, mostly left for the winter and a couple of cruisers. There was enough space for us on the quay in the layby where, according to our notes there was free water and electricity for three days. We moored between a pair of breasted up DBs and a Canalous hireboat. Shortly after The Big Boat came and moored beyond the hireboat. We had some lunch then I gave Mike a hand to get the fizzer off the roof and he collected the car from Garnat.

Sunday 20th September 2009 Garnat-sur-Engrièvre. C. Lat à La Loire.

2009-09-27T14:40:00.001+02:00

Heavy rain in the morning, lighter in the afternoon.
We had the day off.

Saturday 19th September 2009 Dompierre to Garnat-sur-Engrièvre.

2009-09-27T14:35:00.000+02:00

White clouds, turning grey later and sunny spells. Heavy rain showers in the evening. M and D took a walk into Dompierre and brought us a loaf back. We set off just after ten following The Big Boat back down the branch back to the main line. I made some tea and toast. Besbre lock was emptying as we turned left at the junction heading downhill.

Mike took photos of the working foundry on our left; on the right the Abbaye de Sept Fonts was hidden from view by trees and high walls. Round a couple of bends and there was a long straight section leading to lock 7 Bessais. The resident keeper was a middle aged man who spent all the time we were in the lock on the phone. We emerged 2.5m lower than we started. 4.9 kms to the next. A lovely quiet and peaceful spot with cows grazing in the fields and oak trees lining both banks beyond the towpaths. I read in my French Canals book of 1963 that commercial boats were towed by diesel tractors on the towpath which would account for wide towpaths on both sides. A hireboat was coming up in the lock so we stooged around to wait until it cleared then we dropped down another 2.4m in Beaulon lock, no 8. Below the lock on the left there was a layby where a British cruiser, British replica DB and two Dutch DBs were moored. The crew of British DB came out to wave as we went past (They were last seen down at Meilhan we hadn’t expected to see them here, they were supposed to be wintering on the Midi) We carried on 2 kms to lock 9, Clos du May. It was lunchtime, so we threw a rope around a bollard on the left and had our lunch. At 1.15 p.m. we were on our way again. The keeper was a thin faced man in his thirties with sandy hair. He was ably assisted by his young son, aged about ten, who raced along the lock sides to open and close gates for Papa. Down another 2.5m. Yet another keeper who was on the phone. Fifteen minutes later we tied up at Garnat on a floating pontoon.

Friday 18th September 2009 Diou to Dompierre-sur-Loire. C. Lat à La Loire.

2009-09-27T14:27:00.001+02:00

Lots of grey clouds with sunny spells between. The air felt damp when we set off at ten. Mike had already been on the bread run (artisan boulanger prices 1,19€). The boats that had moored at Diou overnight left early. Three peaceful kilometres to the lock. The towpath was grassy, no tarmac therefore no cyclists, just an occasional fisherman. The banks were lined with acacias and alders; bright yellow trumpets of toadflax flowered in the grass. The canal crossed the tiny river Roudon on an aqueduct, then an embankment to cross the river Besbre immediately before the lock of the same name. The Big Boat waited on the aqueduct for the lock to fill. The young lad who was the keeper of the previous day at lock 5 Putay was now on duty at lock 6 (the lock house was shuttered). We took the left side of the chamber so Mike could close the gate on that side for him; there was no bollard on that side for our centre rope so we shoved over to the right and descended 3.2m. I noticed that the sign on the lock cabin had an error, it said lock 6 Bébre when it should have should be Besbre, same as the river! Seems they used to get it wrong a century or more ago - but strange they’ve never put it right! Below the lock the Irish cruiser we’d last seen in Paray was hovering waiting for the lock. We followed The Big Boat sharp left into the Dompierre branch, then the cruiser went into the lock we’d just vacated. The canal arm was quiet. An old railway track ended by the first bridge and two ore carrying railway wagons were sat underneath the road bridge. The sides of the canal had sloping stone walls and high sandy banks topped with poplar trees. One section was narrow, too narrow to pass two péniche-sized vessels.

Winded in the basin at the end of the canal by the Locaboat hire base and moored behind The Big Boat next to the towpath and a Gedimat builder’s supply yard filled with wooden planks, septic tanks and huge coils of plastic tubing. The towpath was well used by vehicles judging by the tracks, but the edges were lined with wild flowers and alive with butterflies.

Thursday 17th September 2009 Pierrefitte to Diou. C. Latéral à La Loire.

2009-09-17T17:28:00.000+02:00

Grey clouds and sunny spells later. Mike went to get some bread from the Proxi in the village, they’d only got a couple of baguettes left which sounded like it was yesterday’s bread, 90c, expensive too. A French couple on a Locaboat, which had moored overnight back by the café, came into the layby to refill their water tank. Not easy with a press-button tap (unless you know how and they didn’t – they wasted more than they put in the tank). We said au’voir to the guy off RQ, wishing him a safe journey up to Roanne. A small Luxemotor flying a Swiss flag, went uphill as we set off at ten, following The Big Boat to the lock. We half expected the hireboat to come roaring after us and overtake before we arrived at lock 4 Theil, which was ready as a boat had just come up, but they came down to the lock on their bikes instead (and followed us down to Diou). The resident keeper, a middle aged man, said bonjour then spent the rest of the time on his phone. D had stepped off to wind the gates for him. We dropped down 2.5m and D got back on down the ladder.

Followed The Big Boat 2 kms to the next. I made a cuppa en route to lock 5 Putay. A young lad aged about eighteen was on duty. It looked like the lock house was unoccupied. The kid was very polite and asked for my rope – I said it was OK I could do it myself, thanks. Mike shoved our stern end over to the other side of the lock and stepped off to wind the far side gate shut. We descended another 2.5m and set off on the 6.5 kms pound. We hadn’t gone far when we passed an uphill péniche, empty (but ballasted and listing quite badly to starboard). It looked like a commercial but the man on it didn’t look like a battelier more like a wealthy holidaymaker. The boat didn’t slow down as it passed us and we did a long dip down on its passing bow wave then up again as it passed us. Black smoke poured from the long suffering labouring engine. Convinced now that it wasn’t a working boat. Strange that the keepers didn’t tell us it was coming, probably because it wasn’t a commercial. The pound seemed overfull with tree branches under water. The sun came out as we tied up on the empty quay at Diou.

The Locaboaters had locked their bikes on the quay and gone for lunch in the village. It was 11.20 a.m. Packed up and I started to scrub the starboard gunnel with a deck brush when a couple who were camping in a dark green Mercedes van came to chat. Mike in the mean time had put the dish up and tuned in French TV; then he left to walk the 5 kms back to Pierrefitte to recover the car. M and D returned from their walk around the village and joined in the conversation with the Brits. They went off to get some lunch and I finished my scrubbing. It took Mike an hour and ten minutes to walk back to the quay at Pierrefitte and six minutes back in the car. He said all the boats were still on the quay plus another British replica Dutch Barge. The latter went past us, heading downhill, around 2.30 p.m.

Wednesday 16th September 2009 Pierrefitte. C. Latéral à La Loire.

2009-09-17T17:20:00.000+02:00

Grey, chilly and raining when we got up. Mike had already said we weren’t going to go in the wet and checked that M and D were OK with that. They said the météo looked worse for tomorrow so Mike said we’d be staying another day then! The bedroom window had leaked on Mike’s head overnight so he took the curtains down and checked inside and out to try and find where the water was coming in. We found the leak when he poured water over the frame from outside. It was coming through the wooden frame by where there is a weld in the steel which dips in a bit making a minute gap behind the frame – the sealer must have shrunk in the summer heat. Another job. Later it was starting to turn a bit chilly so Mike lit our oil-fired central heating (Refleks) which was stubborn as we hadn’t used it in such a long time; he had to take the carburettor off and clean it out before it would light.

Tuesday 15th September 2009 Pierrefitte. C. Latéral à La Loire.

2009-09-17T17:18:00.000+02:00

Lots of grey clouds, colder with sunny spells. Did a few chores then went for a drive over to Dompierre-sur-Besbre to get some bread and a few odds and ends. The town centre Marché-U was undergoing building works with half its tiny car park blocked off so we drove to the edge of the town to the Atac supermarket (small branch of Auchan) and got all we needed except mushrooms (their veg were not very good). I treated myself to a new puzzle book ready for our holidays. Back for lunch. A large green tjalk (British flag) had moored in front of us but only stayed for lunch. Did some cupboard sorting in the afternoon and then polished my copper kettle. D was refilling their water tank and volunteered to press the stupid button on the tap to refill ours, we only needed 200 litres so that didn’t take very long.

Monday 14th September 2009 Coulanges to Pierrefitte. C. Latéral à La Loire.

2009-09-17T17:16:00.000+02:00

Grey clouds, lots of them, brief sunny spells and a chilly wind. Set off at 10.30 a.m. following The Big Boat to the lock. A Canalous hire boat, which had moored overnight behind us, set off as we did and overtook us. Grim determination on the face of the elderly French bloke who was steering; he stared straight ahead and didn’t speak. An uphill yacht went past, so the lock should be set. Mike called The Big Boat on VHF and M said he would let the hire boat in the lock first and carry on down with it. No room for us so we hovered by the bridge above the lock. I got off and walked down to give the keeper (and D) a hand with the manually operated lock, 3 Oddes. They told Mike on VHF that the hireboat had got in a terrible state getting into the lock, missed the bollards and nearly did a 360° turn. Gave D a hand to open the bottom end gate; she got on below the lock and I helped the resident keeper (a young man with a scar on his top lip) turn the lock round; he worked the towpath side, I worked the left hand side. I’d just said we could get in through one gate when we spotted a small steel cruiser that had caught us up, with a South African flag on the stern and an older couple on board. The skipper got off and lent a hand with the bottom end gate. The boat descended 2.4m and I crossed over to get on down the steps on the towpath side before the gates opened as the wind was blowing the boat across to that side. 3.9 kms to the next lock but we weren’t going that far. As we entered the strung out village of Pierrefitte there was an old Luxemotor moored by KP18 which looked permanent. M said the bollards were no good now as they were beyond the tarmac cycle path. We said there’s a new mooring in the layby a bit further on, so The Big Boat cast off again. An uphill LeBoat (an old Connoisseur cruiser) was almost up the bank as we went past it and the steerer was struggling and oversteering.

RQ was still moored in the layby. The Big Boat moored in front of him and we moored in front of The Big Boat. I made some lunch. A large blue Burgundy Cruisers steel boat moored at the far end of the layby, but only paused for lunch. M and D went into the village for bread but there was no boulangerie and the Proxi market had none. After lunch Mike took a stroll 4kms back to Coulanges to get the car.

Sunday 13th September 2009 Coulanges. C. Latéral à La Loire.

2009-09-17T17:11:00.000+02:00

Warm and sunny. A day off. Mike painted black lines on the diamonds and scumbling on the engine room roof. Passing French cyclists (who’d paused to use the loo) came to watch and comment, the lines went wobbly.

Saturday 12th September 2009 Molinet to Coulanges. C. Latéral à La Loire.

2009-09-17T17:09:00.000+02:00

Warm with lots of clouds and sunny spells. Two empty péniches went past heading downhill, Raaf at 7.30 a.m. and Mazel from Rotterdam at 9.45 a.m. We left at ten, following The Big Boat down the rest of the 8.5 kms pound. The new tarmac layer finished about 200m beyond the layby but was still a reasonable tarmac surface for the cyclists and roller bladers. By the first aqueduct we spotted a set of wooden stop planks housed in the usual open fronted shed with a corrugated tin roof. That was unusual as the VNF now seem to favour metal tanks which can be placed in the stop plank slots and filled with water to sink. I made some tea and toast en route to the only lock of the day, 2 Thalenne. We’d all forgotten it was the start of the manually operated locks. D closed a top end gate for the young man who was in charge of the lock. A group of people were on the lockside chatting with him and watching the boats lock through. He asked D if she’d told the last keeper that we were staying above his lock for the weekend, she said no, which was true - it was Mike! An old dog, mostly yellow Labrador, wandered round the lock checking each crew member for biscuits. Too late pooch we’d eaten all the toast. We dropped down another 2.51m. The lock house and garden were very well kept and there were banana palms either side the bridge below the lock. A short wooden staging had been placed by the towpath for crews to get on and off. We noted that the keeper left the gates open and also lifted a feed paddle. A Danish yacht making rolling waves passed us heading uphill just before we tied up on the battered old quay (half the wooden fendering was missing and loads of bolts were sticking out of the concrete wall) at Coulanges.

It was 11.30 a.m. Again the electricity supply had gone, but there were the ends of orange plastic tubes sticking up either side of the tarmac path which would indicate that they intend to add new water and electric posts sometime in the future. Mike banged a mooring pin through the back of a section of old wooden fendering and disturbed a nest of the tiniest ants we’d ever seen. M and D went for a walk round the village. We had some lunch then Mike watched the F1 qualis from Monza in Italy.

Friday 11th September 2009 Paray-le-Monial to Molinet. C. du Centre.

2009-09-17T17:00:00.000+02:00

Grey clouds with a few warm sunny spells. I tried calling the lock keeper at 9.30 a.m. The phone number didn’t work, Mike must have written it down wrongly. Stooged down to the lock following The Big Boat. Only the Irish cruiser remained on the mooring. Two motorbike cops slowed down to have a good gawp at the boat and the traffic on the road alongside the canal piled up behind them. The lock keeper (the old chap who set lock 23 for us on Wednesday) waved as we got there and drove down to the second lock in his car with the flashing light. There were fruit trees all along the bank so as the wind and drag from the lock filling moved the boats M and D (who were on the inside) collected a few pears, apples and plums. The keeper was back within a few minutes and we went into lock 24 Quarrès and dropped down 2.56m. The lock house was lived in, but no one was home. 600m to lock 25, Mont, where the old lock keeper lived. He was pottering in his extensive vegetable garden while we descended another 2.73m. Mike took a photo of an ancient pump on the lock side.

The keeper zipped off down the towpath, yellow light flashing, to set the next lock. I made some tea and toast. Passed by a working factory making tiles and blocks of ceramic material. Its loading/unloading quay was empty and unused. A little further on a small VNF tug with a pan and digger were sat next to a section of bank (left hand side, non towpath) where the bank was looking very thin and close to eroding through. A Swiss cruiser went past heading uphill. The Big Boat was waiting for us in lock 26, Bressons. Another fine, lived-in lock house. A Locaboat was moored below the lock and two men were chatting with M and D, asking questions about locking through these semi-automatic locks. Down another 1.98m. Water cascading over the top end gates made the bottom end gates slow to open. The hireboat was moored opposite the lock activating sensor for uphill boats. The lock light remained on red, they untied, then got a green light. 7.5 kms to Digoin. Just before the first bridge the bank was covered with purple Autumn crocuses. Mike stood on the roof to take a photo of the once navigable feeder from the little river Arroux, just as two German cyclists stopped to take photos of our boat! At the beginning of the outskirts of the town we passed the Recla works on the left bank, where they still build large, chunky plastic cruisers. An old péniche called C.E.C.E.L.I.A (once a trip boat for school children, we thought) sat forlorn, on the bottom and listing slightly. On the bank was what was once a very fine motor yacht, now very dirty and in need of much TLC, several old moulds for fibreglass cruiser shells and an old fibreglass Dawncraft cruiser was moored further towards the road bridge. There was a gipsy camp on the right bank set back from the road. Beyond the bridge was a small park area with an outdoor babyfoot game (table football – once a beloved game of French youth, now superseded by Xboxes and Nintendo). Another ceramics factory on the left bank; piles of plastic wrapped toilet bowls lined the bank.

We sailed past the moored Dutch Barges and cruisers in the port of Digoin; a smart blue narrowboat was moored among the cruisers. A péniche was on the dry dock being shortened. The pontoon moorings were filled with hireboats and cruisers. We moored beyond the road bridge at 12.30 p.m. The Capitanerie shed was closed until 4.00 p.m. but the tariffs were on the door. Mike took a photo. 230€ a month for us as we were over 15m; The Big Boat being 15m would only pay 120€. Neither crew found Digoin very appealing and their prices were a bit steep. A fat narrowboat went past with more dumb Yanks aboard - wouldn’t speak until spoken to in French, then by their accents we knew they were Americans. Why are the Americans so reticent this past couple of years to talk to people? We had some lunch. M said he’d had a phonecall about our winter mooring, carry on as they were pretty sure now that the VNF wouldn’t be draining the pound this year. D’s Mum phoned to say that the solar panels had arrived at her house. A Locaboat went past heading for the lock, we set off following him about fifteen minutes later at 2.15 p.m. As we passed under the next road bridge we were on to a new canal, the Latéral à La Loire. Paused just before the aqueduct over the Loire as the Digoin trip boat was coming up in the lock. Quite a few gongoozlers were walking the paths either side of the aqueduct and had gathered around the lock, 1 Digoin, which was electric and keeper operated. The Big Boat followed us into the chamber and we dropped down a further 3.90m. I transferred our rope from the centre roof stud to the bow as there were no bollards in the right place. Below the lock we spotted a tarmac laying machine being taken away by low loader; it had been making a new surface for the cycle path which now had a two or three inch drop off at either edge. We motored on beyond the junction with the Canal de Roanne (a continuation of the Latéral à La Loire) and moored side by side on the 20m long quay at Molinet, which is actually the hamlet of La Fontaine-St-Martin. On our old chart we’d marked that it had a toilet, shower, water, electricity and bin; the facilities were now very time worn and the electricity supply had gone. We went on The Big Boat for a natter and a cold beer. Later a small Dutch Barge came past very close (didn’t ask to moor alongside The Big Boat, but we thought that was where they were heading) and tied up on the sloping grassy bank behind us – until a hire boat went past and pulled its mooring pins out then it moved around the corner on to the straight main canal.

Thursday 10th September 2009 Paray-le-Monial. C. du Centre.

2009-09-17T16:50:00.000+02:00

Sunny with a few clouds, chilly first thing warm later. M and D went to the Mairie to ask about winter moorings. No, not possible as the VNF might want to drain the pound and they didn’t want the hassle of moving boats – not even if we’re staying on board. (The VNF have got it all stitched up, only places to moor on the C. du Centre are Montceau and Digoin, neither place appeals to either crew). While they were investigating at the Mairie we went by car to Perrecy-les-Forges, 18 kms back toward Montceau, to collect the insurance certificate for our moped. Back in Paray, we did some shopping at Leclerc, not my favourite hyper but no choice other than Intermarché or Aldi. Back home before midday. M and D were off with their trolley to Leclerc when we got back. They went as far as the bridge and came back. Mike took them in the car as it’s not easy to get to Leclerc from the canal as it’s close to the main N70 to the north of town, up the hill. He needed to get a container of diesel for the boat’s tank anyway. Mike consulted with The Big Boat; decision – move on next day as it’s very noisy at Paray. Irish lady on a cruiser moored behind us told us that around 2.00 a.m. some kids had tried to steel their bikes, then interfered with the ropes on their boat and the ropes on an American Dutch Barge that had moored in front of The Big Boat; then the alarm went off in Aldi. Mike heard the noise, I didn’t. We moved further back up the canal to where there was a gap in the trees to get satellite TV later. Mum and Dad phoned to say the control units for the solar panels had arrived.

Wednesday 9th September 2009 Génelard to Paray-le-Monial. C. du Centre.

2009-09-17T16:45:00.000+02:00

Warm and sunny, clouding over later. We left Génelard at 10.10 a.m. following The Big Boat to the next lock. An old Bermuda, which had moored in front of us overnight, had just set off to go uphill so we had a few minutes wait before our girl in a VNF car came to set the lock for us. Lock 17 Montet dropped us down another 2.5m and we set off on the 4 kms pound to the next, lock 18 Thiellay. Just as we went through Palinges we spotted a Locaboat behind catching us up fast, so we increased speed for the last 500m to make sure he didn’t try to overtake us and get in the lock behind The Big Boat. I pulled the cord and we descended another 2.51m. The lock house was empty and shuttered. 1.5 kms to the next. The Loca hovered above the lock waiting for the keeper to return and reset the lock. We passed a field of maize being harvested with a convoy of tractors and trailers taking the minced green stuff away. Another VNF car sped past heading uphill; an older lady with specs was driving. Lock 19 Digoine was ready for us and I pulled the cord again (four poles to choose from again) to start the slow drop of 2.84m. The lock house was lived in, probably by the lady keeper who returned in her car before the lock was empty. A man drove the car down to the next and came back again before we halfway down the 3.5 kms pound to lock 20. The lady with glasses arrived not long after and watched while we went through lock 20 La Gravoine, emerging 2.49m lower down. 2.7 kms through rolling farmland with Charollais cows took us to lock 21 Haillers. Down another 2.58m then 1.6 kms to lock 22, Volsevres. Down 2.53m and we said au’voir to our lady minder as it was her last lock. She reset the lock for the Loca who was not far behind us. It was 1.05 p.m. as we started the long pound, 5.2 kms, and we ate lunch as we went along. Our last lock was 23 L’Hyron, where we were watched over by on older man in a VNF car with two antennas and a flashing light on top. He asked if we were stopping and for how long. He gave Mike his phone number to call to continue down the locks when we said we didn’t know how long we’d be stopping (might be for the winter, who knows?) He sped off in the van before the lock was empty. Down another 2.73m and on to the pound leading to Paray-le-Monial, a famous place of pilgrimage to the basilica which dominates the town. Passing a park full of flowers and a splendid assortment of grasses we entered the outskirts. The layby was almost filled with Dutch Barges. On through the town to moor next to the cycle path/towpath beyond a British flagged tjalk and a couple of cruisers. The town fathers in their wisdom had erected a wooden pole fence all along the towpath to stop cyclists falling in. It made mooring rather awkward. Volunteers came off the other boats to grab ropes for us. M and D said they were going shopping at Aldi, then Leclerc. I gave Mike a hand to unload the fizzer off the roof which we did without resorting to using a plank as the towpath edge was higher than the gunnels. He went to get the car. The post office at Perrecy-les-Forges was closed, only open mornings during holidays, so he couldn’t collect the insurance certificate sent by our insurance man in Nevers. No French digital TV and French analogue TV was ropey.

Tuesday 8th September 2009 Génelard. C. du Centre

2009-09-08T23:20:00.003+02:00

Warm and sunny. A day off to do painting, plus we ordered some solar panels and a controller -
via the Internet – installation would be a Winter project.

Monday 7th September 2009 Blanzy to Génelard. C. du Centre.

2009-09-08T23:19:00.001+02:00

Hot and sunny. Mike dried the engine room roof then he took a walk to find a bakery. He had to walk all the way up the hill past La Poste to find one that was open, two were on holiday and one had closed down completely. He put some blue paint on, the last of the diamonds. We untied at 10.35 a.m. A VNF man in a white car arrived to ask if we were leaving as we were untying. Lock 8, Mireaux was ready, its lock house lived in. Dropped down 2.4m. The gates were very slow to open, we thought that someone was going to have to climb a ladder! 1.8 kms to lock 9. Through the outskirts of Montceau-les-Mines, the road was lined with little semi-detached houses built on the side of a slope with first floor doors at road level and ground level below that. On past the Leclerc hypermarket which was having an extension built. The canal was close to the railway again and trains passing on our left were very loud. The VNF offices were on the lockside at 9, Montceau, and the lady keeper came out to ask if we were stopping. She worked the lock from the office. Down another 2.86m. I made a cuppa as we started a longish pound, 3.5 kms to the next lock. The port had short finger moorings and there were a few boats moored there, plenty of space.

There were three lift bridges all of which had been renewed; the first was a vertical lift the next two were drawbridges worked by hydraulic arms under the deck. There was a man in a cabin by the middle one so we suspect he worked all three bridges. The road on the right bank through town was very busy. The layby and basin by the old, (now derelict, windows smashed) steelworks were empty. Just before we arrived at the next lock there was a pontoon with a caravan on it being used as a houseboat.

A row of duvets hung from the upstairs windows of four houses above Chavannes lock 10. Nice to be back in proper rural France, all we need now are chickens in the street! The lock had been refurbished with concrete sides, new bollards and four poles for the automatic activation strings! Sublime to the ridiculous! A woman came out from the lock house where a yellow light was flashing on the VNF office at the end of the building and watched us work through the shallow (2.29m) lock. A large French flagged cruiser was waiting below the lock to go up. 400m to lock 11, Vernois, and down another 2.63m. The lock had four poles around it but the tops were missing. The lock house was empty. I made lunch at the start of the winding 4.3 kms pound. A lady keeper (minder) in a van was waiting for us at lock 12, Four, which also had four new posts - it was my turn to pull the cord. We descended 2.85m. On the 1.9 kms pound we had loads of little blue butterflies settling on the boat, we passed a field full of maize then back to meadows filled with white charollais cows. An old empty péniche with a centre cabin called Romulus was moored just before lock 13, Anzy. An old boatman lived in the lock cottage as there was a boat mast on the lockside. Our lady minder was there to see us through the lock, which had four new posts – Mike’s turn. 1.7 kms to lock 14, Ciry., through the village of Ciry-leNoble with banana palms and chickens in the gardens. Lock 14 was worked for us by an old man with a crane type controller. There were contractors (NOT VNF staff) doing the work of making the locks automatic, one was burning holes in metal plates by the bottom right hand gate. Down another 2.81m. 3.3 kms to the next. A pair of sandpipers flew off down the canal in front of the boat. An old wooden planked cruiser called Mami was moored by some houses 500m down from the lock. It would take a great deal of hard work to get it repaired. The old chap sped off down the road in a VNF car and was at lock 15, Civry, to work it for us, again using a crane controller. Down another 2.41m. 2.6 kms of winding canal, with the ever present road on the right bank, to the next lock (our last) 15, Génelard. There was a place advertising bouncy castles for hire at the start of the village, then the canal went through a deep cutting on an S bend with 45°stone walls that had dozens of flights of narrow stone steps from the narrow path at the base to the bank at the top of the wall. The old bloke worked the lock for us again. Told him we would be stopping a few days, maybe longer. Another, younger, VNF bloke appeared and said if we were staying a few days to moor on the right as there would be a fishing contest on Saturday on the left bank. OK. We dropped down 2.53m. As we would be going again well before Saturday we moored on the left.

Sunday 6th September 2009 Blanzy. C. du Centre.

2009-09-06T18:12:00.001+02:00

Cold overnight but a cooler sunny day. Mike dried the cabin roof to add more white paint to the diamonds and took photos of the moorings. He took a photo of the boats from the bridge then gave the diamonds a second coat of white paint. Lunch. Two boats arrived. A very large British cruiser, which moored in front of us and a Swiss crewed boat flying a French flag moored behind The Big Boat. Mooring full!

Saturday 5th September 2009 Montchanin to Blanzy. C. du Centre.

2009-09-06T18:11:00.000+02:00

Cold overnight, foggy first thing, sun out about ten. Mike put a coat of white paint on the diamonds on the engine room roof before we set off at 10.30 a.m. The two German boats that had moored overnight behind us went without uttering one word to us (but they managed to get electric off the VNF). A VNF man on an electric scooter came down to lock 1 Océan and set it for us. The Big Boat went in first and D pulled the cord and we dropped down 2.53m. The lock house was empty, windows bricked up and going to ruin. The keeper waited while the lock emptied them followed us down to the next. 1.1 kms to lock 2 Brenots, 2.58m deep. For automatic locks they were very slow to empty. A house beside the lock looked occupied but wasn’t the lock house that had gone. 500m to lock 3 Favée, down 2.90m. The unoccupied lock house had recently had new shutters. No sign of the man on a scooter. 1.5 kms to the next so I made a cuppa. Lock 4, Parizenot, was shallow at only 2.09m. There was a smart lock house alongside and a lady keeper in a flatbed VNF van had appeared. I made some toast while Mike held the string as there was a longish pound of 2.4 kms to the next. Lock 5, Planche-Calard, was 2.51m deep and had a bricked up lock house. D said the woman had told her that we must both leave the lock within one minute or the gates will close. Mike said the gates don’t close behind us on these locks as they leave them all empty, set for uphill traffic! She’d told M and D that a boat had been caught in the gates last week and that was why they were accompanying boats. Load of rubbish! It’s more likely another VNF job creation scheme. An uphill small German cruiser passed us as we left lock 5. 500m to lock 6, Brûlard, 2.62m deep. The lock seemed to empty a bit quicker. 1 km to the next. No sign of the lady keeper in a van until we were in the last lock of the day, 7 La Roche. We dropped down 2.62m and she said au’voir and switched the lock off as we set off on the 2.7 kms pound. We stopped at 1.00 p.m. on the new quay at Blanzy, equipped with water and electricity. It even had a car park layby right next to the quay. However, all was not 100% rosy as the boat was on the bottom. The nice new concrete quay with timbered edging had been built on top of an old sloping stone quay. Mike put tyres down to sink under the bottom of the boat and then pulled the ropes up tight so we didn’t scrape on the stones. Had some lunch then Mike went back to Montchanin to get the car. A cruiser moored in front of us on the last available bollard, but didn’t stay long. I got a wasp sting on my arm while closing the front deck covers. That hurt! There was a firework display from a nearby park and we had an excellent view from the end of the quay next The Big Boat.

Friday 4th September 2009 Montchanin. C. du Centre.

2009-09-06T18:08:00.002+02:00

Rain in the morning, sunny afternoon. Spent most of the day catching up on correspondence, etc.

Thursday 3rd September 2009 Montchanin. C. du Centre.

2009-09-06T18:07:00.000+02:00

Grey clouds with a few sunny spells. A small British yacht had moored overnight behind us. The VNF had been busy since 8.00 a.m. Mike decided to walk back down the towpath to fetch the car from St Julien as it was only 7 kms. I got on with the chores and made a quiche. I was getting lunch ready when he returned. After lunch Mike refilled the water tank from the tap in the VNF workshop. He asked the guy in the office if he knew which pounds would be emptied this winter, yes but not when, depends on the weather. He said Genelard would be OK as there was no work scheduled for that pound. Later we went in the car to take photos of the boat from the far side by Geoff’s and a walk along the path between the canal and the reservoir to take a photo of a strange plastic object hanging in one of the trees that Mike had seen on his walk back to the car. I had no idea what it was other than some sort of trap, a collecting device for something maybe seeds or bugs. The yacht went to be replaced by two cruisers.

Wednesday 2nd September 2009 St Julien-s-D. to Montchanin. C. du Centre.

2009-09-06T18:02:00.001+02:00

Grey clouds all day, much colder but no rain. Sun out again late evening. All the other boats left before we did at 10.30 a.m. There were no lock lights on at lock 8, Abbaye, so we hovered in the middle. Within a few minutes the VNF man in a car returned (Mike had already confirmed with him that we would set off at 10.30 a.m.) and switched the automatics on. Into the chamber up to the front to pull the blue cord then backed off to the tail end and the lock filled. 5.13m. All the locks to the top had no houses, just old concrete lock cabins alongside the chambers. A short twisty pound took us to lock 7, Rocher, a shallow one at 2.5m. Mike went in too close to the lock wall and the censor (in the middle on a beam across the chamber just before the tail end gates) didn’t “see” the boat. Backed out and came in again, this time it worked. I made a cuppa on our way to lock 6, Motte. Another 5.19m rise.

Took photos of the museum and the boulangerie that isn’t, plus the boats on dry land and a building with a beautiful arched gateway. The VNF man returned to ask if we were continuing (there was a quay above the lock); yes, all the way to Montchanin. The old houses along the road on our right had colourful Burgundy tiled roofs. Lock 5, Forge, played up and refused to work. I climbed the ladder and used the intercom. Typical, an elderly couple had stopped their car alongside the lock to watch. The VNF man turned up, asked if I’d tugged the string (of course) but he tried it anyway – it didn’t work - so he went in the cabin and restarted it for us. He had another phone call and sped off downhill in his car. The road alongside the canal at lock 4, Ravin, was very noisy. It was midday. The flow pushed us hard to the left although our notes said it filled on the left, it didn’t. A very short pound lead to lock 3, Fourneau. Up another 5.18m and the water pinned the boat to the left hand wall. Another short pound to lock 2, Charmois where the boat rose 5.18m glued to the right hand wall.

We could see a boat (a pénichette) had just entered the top lock, a shallow one (2.31m) called Méditerranée. The boat rose gently in the lock as it had no gate paddles, only grounds. Mike paused above the top lock to take photos of the paintings on the lock cabin before we set off on the 4kms long summit pound. It was 12.45 p.m. The TGV line crossed the canal immediately above the top lock. Back to a “proper” canal as we entered the summit cutting, no road alongside just a two tiered towpath, no tarmac all green and grassy, without the bikes, cars and skaters. Peaceful for at least the first 2 kms. Under an old rusty girder bridge that looked like an old railway bridge, then the ultra busy N80 trunk road and the top tier of towpath came down to join the one just above water level as the cutting finished then the road reappeared on the right hand side. Peace over. Lorries and campervans passing by honked their horns and the drivers waved. We waved back. There were no boats moored now along the non towpath side by the reservoir where we had once moored under the trees. Through the next bridge we could see the stern end of our friend’s boat moored on the quay by the VNF workshops. M and D came out to welcome us and invite us over for lunch as we tied up. It was 1.30 p.m. We finished tying up, put all the gear away and joined them on their stern deck for lunch and a beer. We talked about moorings. Decided not to give up 100% on mooring on the Nivernais, but to check out the moorings between Montchanin and there.

Tuesday 1st September 2009 St Julien-sur-Dheune. KP42 C. du Centre.

2009-09-06T17:50:00.000+02:00

Thunderstorms all day with rain, often torrential, which stopped mid-evening. Glad we decided not to move. The painting got put on hold too. We went by car to Chalon Sud, again, did some shopping at Carrefour and Castorama. Set up the laptop in the car while Mike was in Casto to access 3G and edit my draft blogs, post them and add a few photos. Back home for a very late lunch. I put the groceries away and Mike went up to La Poste in the car. The post office was closed until Thursday and only opens mornings. During the afternoon the moorings filled up. Getting very busy again all of a sudden. A VNF man in a car called to ask when we were leaving. Maybe tomorrow, after we’ve done some more painting, if it’s not raining. If it’s raining we’ll not move.

31st August 2009 Monday St Julien-sur-Dheune C. du Centre.

2009-09-01T13:30:00.001+02:00

4.3°C Cold night but getting much hotter later and sunny all day. The DB left around ten heading downhill. I gave Mike a hand to do the scumbling; I put the brown paint on and he did the scraping with the rubber “comb”. It looked quite good if a bit darker than we really wanted, more like oak planks than pine. I set to work on the bedroom ceiling. First I had to remove all the stored stuff off the shelves and cover everything else with plastic sheeting. I scraped the loose paint off and gave the bare bits of wood a coat of paint then made some lunch. After lunch Mike did the monthly check on the batteries and I painted the ceiling. We both sprawled out for a siesta in the heat. Around 5.00 p.m. I started putting all the stuff back in the bedroom as the six hour drying time for the paint had been more or less halved by the heat. Two boats arrived heading uphill, a third one carried straight on. Mike had a chat with the Australian crew on one of the cruisers. They lived on board and hadn’t been here before. The VNF had accompanied them up all the locks and made them wait over lunchtime until 2.00 p.m. – another boat overtook them and went on up the locks! They’d got engine problems and were off to Montchanin. Amazing, we’d decided to leave next day and there was more traffic in one day than we’d seen since we’d been there. Change of plan, shopping tomorrow and head uphill on Wednesday.

30th August 2009 Sunday St Julien-sur-Dheune C. du Centre.

2009-09-01T13:28:00.003+02:00

3.3°C overnight (Getting cold!! Soon be freezing!!) Warm and sunny day. Mike was up first and went to find the depot de pain, via the boulangerie which was closed - notice said bread and papers by the top lock. He went to the Vival superette first, notice said no bread or papers. Up by the top lock he went in the café-bar and they pointed him in the direction of a small gift shop on the opposite side of the lock and they DID have bread and papers. He got the last loaf – at 10.15 a.m. I put the brass bits back on the front doors and then sorted the paint locker, listing what tins we had in stock. Mike ran the gennie to watch the F1 from Spa Belgium. A large Dutch Barge arrived and moored on the quay.

29th August 2009 Saturday St Julien-sur-Dheune C. du Centre.

2009-09-01T13:27:00.001+02:00

5.8°C overnight (Getting quite chilly) Warm and sunny day, nice cool breeze. Mike went by car to buy some bread. The boulangerie in St Julien was closed for holidays and he had to go into Montchanin to buy a loaf. I got stuff ready to start work. I cleaned the front doors down ready to paint the inside. Mike sanded the engine room roof and gave it a coat of cream paint. We both finished in time for lunch. Mike watched the F1 qualis from Spa Belgium. I cleaned the old varnish off the brass fittings for the front door and revarnished them.

28th August 2009 Friday St Julien-sur-Dheune C. du Centre.

2009-09-01T13:26:00.001+02:00

Warm and sunny. Had a lazy morning. The Locaboat left at lock opening time, 9.00 a.m. Did a few chores then made lunch. After lunch we went by car to Chalon via the scenic route through Villeneuve on the D48 and the Bourgogne vineyards to Casto. We took the laptop with us to get 3G and do the blog. Parked on Casto’s car park and set up. The stupid inverter wouldn’t work so I used my fifteen minutes of battery time (by the time I’d connected up, etc) to upload a couple of photos and posted three of the draft blogs. Mike went in Casto and bought a tin of brown paint, 20,50€, two 20mm brushes at 2.60€ each and a pack of sanding pads for the delta sander for 7€ - 32,70€! Ouch! We went back home via the scenic route

27th August 2009 Thursday St Leger to St Julien-sur-D C. du Centre

2009-09-01T13:24:00.002+02:00

A large white cruiser was waiting below the lock for it to open at 9.00 a.m. I was wiping the condensation off the boat roof when a white haired man came to ask how long we were staying. I explained that we were just about to set off. He told me that there was a fishing contest to be held all along the bank where we were moored, right up to the lock, on Sunday. I asked if he was a fisherman and he said yes, president of the angling society. We chatted about fishing and painting (I said Mike had to be in the right frame of mind to do it and he said he was the same – he should be painting his house shutters) and he went off in his car. We set off at 10.10 a.m. just as a tractor went past towing a trailer full of young cows and took them into the next field. The house next to lock 19 was lived in but there was no one about as we rose 2.53m. The D974 was very noisy from the traffic passing close to the lock. On to the 1.8 kms pound leading to lock 18. I made a cuppa as Mike had already knocked half of the last one over the cabin roof. Lock 18’s house was lived in but the garden was overgrown and unkempt. We rose another 2.69m and set off on the 1.7 kms length to lock 17. Part way along the pound there was an old high piled loading quay which had been nicely kept as a mooring with well cut grass, bollards, bins and picnic tables. We passed the first houses in Bérain-sur-Dheune and spotted an old well, then a bar for sale alongside the canal. Lock 17 had walls covered with weeds and a cherry tree by the old lock cabin. A VNF man was mowing grass along the left bank. He waved. Apples were falling off a tree a bit further along the left bank and lying on the ground going to waste. Up another 2.59m in lock 17. The houses of St Bérain stretched along the canal halfway to the next lock, their long gardens separated them from the canal. Now the locks start to get closer together, 1 km to the next. A VNF car went past. Lock 16 was ready. Alongside it was a very smart house with swimming pool sheltered by a bank of trees and an immaculate garden. 300m to lock 15. Camper vans were going up and down the road. I couldn’t pull the rope in lock 15 so Mike did it. The lock house was deserted, the garden a wilderness. Two cherry trees remained by the old cabin on the lockside. 1.4 kms to the next. A once posh house stood on the right bank beyond the road. Judging from the bank of postboxes outside it had been converted to apartments. Next to it was a ruined factory with no roof and a tall chimney. A family was fishing from the corner of the first bridge on the remaining bit of old towpath, having a day out with their chairs, sunshades and picnic tables spread out on the bank. Lock 14 had a very posh lock house and garden.

Elaborate metal walkways had been put over the lock gate opening gear (Mike had been saying how dangerous they were with exposed hydraulic cylinders on gimbals) so we surmised that the people living in the house were not VNF employees. A man in a VNF car parked between two cars on the lockside while we came up in lock 14. He said nothing and drove off uphill before the gates opened to let us out. 900m to lock 13, 2.62m lift. Deserted, no house, no garden, but the grass had been mowed in a 2m wide band on either bank. 600m to lock 12, 2.5m rise. The chamber had been refurbished in concrete and the old ground paddles were still in situ by the tail end gates. The old automatic system (and before that) used to keep all the gates closed so that if the lock was empty it would weir over the top end gates and fill the lock, then weir through the paddle cylinders (which had open tops). A simple and efficient system which didn’t waste much water. Now the automatic locks empty after every uphill boat so that they always sit with gates open and green lights on, wasting a lockful for every lockful used, i.e. using twice as much water as necessary. The top end gates had gate paddles, two automatic ones opened on the left - the opposite side to the lock operating post, which flushed the boat to the left hand side of the chamber quite forcefully (the water from ground paddles just pushes the boat over gently to one wall or the other). Lock 12 was lived in by VNF staff, grass neat and tidy but no flowers. 12.30 p.m. as we set off on 1.5 kms long pound to lock 11 (the first with a name) Villeneuve, which had no house or garden just an old tin lock cabin. Gate paddles again swilled the boat to the left hand side as we rose 2.69m. 555m to lock 10 Chez le Roi, the first of the next series of deep locks, 5.13m. Our VNF man in a car was there and pulled the cord for us as we went up to it. Backed off down the chamber and put a rope on the floater on the right hand wall – but not for long as the incoming water came in on the right and flushed the boat left – so I took the rope off again. 445m to lock 9 Moulin de St Julien. The VNF man was there by the lock cabin. As we went up to the cord by the top end gates he indicated that he would set the lock for us from the cabin. We backed off and put a rope on the bollard. Our scribblings in our old guide said this one filled on the left and kept the boat on the right hand wall. Well, almost. I kept the rope very slack and we came up mostly in the middle. Chatted with the keeper who understood why we didn’t try to hold the rope in tight and just went with the water as the deep locks filled. He had a Spanish accent. He asked if we were staying at St Julien. We said yes, maybe for the weekend if there was space. He told us there was one boat there for lunch who would be moving off soon.

We arrived at 1.30 p.m. and tied on the piling at the downhill end of the layby. A German cruiser was moored on the quay with bollards at the other end of the layby. As we were tying up they set off downhill. The church clock chimed, then we remembered what a loud bell it had. We’d also remarked that the animals here were noisy too – what the cows? We’d had a text from our friends who were at Fragnes and would catch us up slowly. It was 3.30 p.m. when Mike went back to get the car from St Léger via the scenic route. The mooring at St Julien was OK but had no water or electricity. A notice said water was available from the square by the Mairie (next to the road bridge). OK if you wanted a few bottles of drinking water, otherwise you would need a very long hosepipe! I put the laptop on and did the log. It was 2G and slow. A Locaboat arrived and moored at the far end of the quay on the bollards.

26th August 2009 Wednesday St Leger-s-D

2009-09-01T13:20:00.001+02:00

Cloudy morning after more overnight rain. Sun out around midday. Had a day off doing odd jobs on the boat.

25th August 2009 St Leger-sur-Dheune. C du Centre.

2009-09-01T13:17:00.001+02:00

Noisy night due to traffic on the busy road opposite. We went shopping at Chalon Sud, 25 kms away just over the hills. Bought some new pillows, two for a bargain price of 5€ (for cushions, 60cm square French pillows) and Mike bought new earplugs – might get a better night’s sleep. Back home, slowly across the hills stuck behind slow cars, for a late lunch. Problems. Had a call from friends to say that the VNF were closing the canal and draining it this winter to do some work on the lock gates where we had intended to moor. They didn’t say exactly when and for how long. Mike suggested no change of plan until we know something for definite. 2G was not fast enough to edit the draft blogs I’d done or upload photos. Gave up, at least the rain had stopped.

24th August 2009 Monday. Santenay to St Ledger-sur-Dheuen. C. du Centre.

2009-08-24T17:37:00.003+02:00

After a few days rest, keeping out of the sun, and collecting our post from Chagny, we finally set of again. One downhill boat had already passed us. Two boats were left on the quay, a large cruiser going the same way as us (uphill) and a blue boat pointing downhill. To turn round we went towards Chagny as far as the big bend at Remigny and winded where the silted up winding hole had been blocked off with a string of buoys. It was 10.25 a.m. when we started heading uphill again. Twenty minutes later we passed the mooring at Santenay, the blue boat was still there. We gave way to a boat coming towards a bridge, another new Brit flagged boat. This one had an elderly skipper with his nose firmly in the air and not acknowledging our presence at all. He went through the herbage on our left hand side through lack of steering skill! His wife was on the bow with a pole. The start of the close association with the road started at Chassey-le-Camp. 11.00 a.m. Two skaters passed by on the towpath. A wave came down the canal a few minutes later followed by a downhill Dutch cruiser. Lock 23 was empty with double green lights. In and up 2.80m, deserted no signs of life. 500m to the next, lock 22. I finished de-icing the ‘fridge and putting all the food back in it. Into 22 and Mike pulled the cord to start the lock cycle. A VNF flatbed was parked by the lock. Lunchtime. A longer pound to the next 1.3 kms through the village of Dennevy. There were three "dead" old cruisers moored on the left bank before the bend and road bridge, all looked in need of some tlc. Beyond the bridge there was an old commercial quay, higher than our cabin roof, with rings and a picnic table. Lock 21 was ready so we went in and up. Another longish pound, 1.2 kms to lock 20. As the lock was almost full the resident VNF man came out to ask if we were stopping, etc, etc, and said to phone when we wanted to continue – the phone number was at the Capitanerie. Went beyond the moored Locaboats on stern-to-bank moorings and Mike dropped me off to get the number. No signs of any phone number on the windows and the place was closed for lunch. I got back on again as the man in a van (whose phone number we needed - possibly) went off up the towpath. A couple of cruisers were moored by the Capitanerie and two houseboats, a converted péniche and a small Dutch Barge were moored outside the old basin which was empty. Mike said someone had said they’d filled the basin in. There were bollards and electricity posts all around it. We carried on beyond the houses and past a Dutch Barge with a Locaboat moored alongside it and a cruiser behind it. A little further on there was piled edge (the Dutch Barge was moored next to a very bad sloping edge but had a cable from the farmhouse). It was deep enough for us and we had a nice view across open fields to the distant low hills. The only drawback was the busy road on the far (right hand) bank. Five minutes after Mike left on the moped to collect the car there was a light shower of rain.

19th August 2009 Wednesday. Fontaines to Santenay. C. du Centre

2009-08-24T17:22:00.003+02:00

The girl trainee arrived (in her own VNF car) to ask if we were moving; yes; going that way (pointing uphill) yes. The towpath was already very busy with cyclists as we set off at 9.20 a.m. The first lock, no 31, was ready when we arrived with gates open and green light on. I pulled twice on the slimy cord thinking nothing was happening, found it was just slow for the gates to close. I found the very loud creaking of the gates as the lock filled very un-nerving on the shallow (2.5m) lock (bottom end lock gates have been known to "blow" when they don't have proper maintenance, in other words reverse direction and let all the water out plus anything else in the lock like boats!). The lock house was empty and there were new wooden posts around the lockside waiting to have chains added to keep the cyclists off the locksides. Lock 30 was full! With a LeBoat hireboat in it, slowly getting ropes in, etc. The lock emptied and we went up. Found the lock working was very slow for automatic locks. No house at 30 and more new wooden posts. As the shallow lock (2.64m) finished filling the girl in the car returned and asked if we’d share the next lock with the hire boat in front of us. OK. The next lock, 29 (2.39m the shallowest of the flight) was having a new hydraulic cylinder fitted to the bottom left hand gate. The fitter called us in through the one open gate and we asked the hire boat to move up a bit so we could get behind it on the right hand side of the chamber. The gate was fixed, so the repair man worked the lock using a yellow crane-style controller device. Two boats were waiting above the lock to come down, a narrowboat and a British cruiser. Lock 28 was the first of the deep (5.20m) ones and the hireboat crew went slowly up to it and started to wave us past. No way! Lighter boat at the front always. There was panic in the air as the crew (who turned out to be a British couple) tried to fathom out what to do with their ropes. Mike went up front to tell them what to do, fore and aft ropes around the single floater to keep the boat centred around the bollard as it rises. Told them that the water comes in via the floor of the lock chamber, so it would glue the boat to the wall anyway. Deaf ears, still in panic. They went very slowly up to lock 27 and were still having fights with the ropes again when a new lock keeper arrived to take charge. Lock 26 was a shallow one (2.56m). There was graffiti on the lock cabin wall which translated as “commercial boats decline, VNF have no worries”. Yes, we see the point. Two more boats were waiting above, a British cruiser and a Belgian steel cruiser. Lock 25 (5.20m) shoved us over to the left again. I just let the rope out and let it push the boat against the left wall. No lock house. The keeper returned to ask if we were stopping at Chagny. The hireboat was and I told him we’d stay on the long pond. One more to do, lock 24 another 5.20m deep one. Two more boats were waiting above, another Brit flagged steel cruiser and an ex-hire Connoisseur, French registered. We left the top at 12.05 p.m. The hireboat stopped on the new mooring right hand side at the beginning of the long straight cutting into Chagny. At the far end there was a small French cruiser moored, a small Luxe in need of some tlc and a converted péniche. Two permanent moorers on the right bank of the basin, an ex-Rive-de-France and a catamaran. A small tug was moored on the left by the new resto and a Dutch yacht was moored at the left end of the VNF quay. We moored in front of them, bow into the corner. Mike asked how much they charged for the mooring. The Dutch couple replied it was free with water but no electricity. It was 12.30 p.m. We had somelunch then Mike went for a walk up to the post office. Our post hadn't arrived yet. We set off again at 1.50 p.m. pausing on the aqueduct over the railway while Mike took a photo. The hireboat we'd locked with had just gone past. Round the bend, missing a fisherman’s two lines and we passed the hireboat at the Snailly base taking on water. Told them we weren’t staying in Chagny as it was too hot and there was no shade. There were five ex-hire Locaboats moored there and a converted péniche. Found no shade and only a couple of places to tie up, so at 3.10 we winded at the last mooring near Corchanut and went back to moor, still facing downhill, opposite the village of Santenay, which was on the far bank of the river Dheune. It was excessively hot. Once we’d tied up we retreated inside and crashed out for an hour before unloading the bike off the roof using the big plank. Mike went to get the car from Fontaines and I started preparing a salad for dinner.

18th August 2009 Tuesday. Fontaines. C. du Centre.

2009-08-24T17:18:00.002+02:00

Mike had a few jobs left to do on the car; renew the wire that burned out the day before on the max/min thermometer, rotate the steering wheel one spline and finish bleeding the radiator. Our VNF Jockey had a young lady trainee with him and he stopped several times to see how we were getting on. After lunch we went out in the car to get a few odds and ends from the big hypermarket at Chalon Sud. Mike needed some two stoke oil for the moped and I wanted some new place mats (they had none) plus we bought a new motorcycle cover. It was hot, like walking into an oven coming out of the supermarket. Nice not to have a leak by my feet in the car!

17th August 2009 Monday. Fontaines. C.du Centre.

2009-08-24T17:14:00.002+02:00

Mike went to work on the car and I gave him a hand. During the morning he changed the radiator for the “new” one and then we put the dashboard back in place. It was as much of a struggle to get it back as it was to get it out. Oh the joys of owning a very old Citreon car! After lunch we put the rest of the car back together. A very small Czech yacht (crewed by two young men and a young woman) moored between us and the replica Dutch barge.

16th August 2009 Sunday. Fragnes to Fontaines. C. du Centre

2009-08-24T16:53:00.003+02:00

A Polish couple we'd met the day before came along on their bikes and stopped to chat and exchange e-mail addresses. They said next year they would go up to St Mammes then the Yonne and Nivernais. No lights came on the lock at nine and the man in the van arrived about five past and helped a Finnish yacht through lock 34. The lock emptied and sat with gates open and a green light on. It was 9.30 a.m. when we went into the lock. Mike went right to the front gates while I pulled the blue cord, nothing happened until the keeper arrived and did something in the shed and then left us to it. The lock house had a beautiful garden and a lovely Pink Siris tree, with pink fluffy fan-shaped flowers, right outside the house. The chamber of the shallow (2.23m) first lock filled, gates opened and we motored along the 1.5 km pond to lock 33. There were lovely misty views across to the distant hills on our left. The towpath cycle piste was in full use with walkers, cyclists, roller-bladers and dog walkers. The lock was ready with gates open and a green light. Stooged up to the top end and I yanked on the string and the gates shut behind us, Mike backed off to sit the boat by the bottom end gates and nothing happened. Back up to the front of the chamber and I climbed the very narrow ladder, impeded somewhat by my longish skirt (I was aware of almost treading on the edge) and the control ropes at the back of the rungs. I pressed the button on the intercom and told the tinny female voice that lock 33 was "en panne" out of order. Heaven knows what she said in reply the audio was so distorted, I hoped she said she’d tell the itinerant and he’d be on his way soon – I said merci, au’voir. He must have got the message as the usual chatty young guy arrived within minutes. He went in the old lock cabin and reset the lock which started filling. I saw water coming over the top end gate and asked if there was a downhill boat. No, he said it was the yacht in front of us going uphill. I told him that it had stayed overnight in the lock chamber. He replied that they’d told him they’d stayed in the port! In their defence I said if they’d come up the Rhône and Saône then that would be their first automatic lock and they might not have noticed that fact and were waiting for a lock keeper to appear! He said he would pull the cord for us on the next as it was the first of the deep ones at 5.12m. 1.9 kms to lock 32. A small plane kept taking off from a local field and dropping parachutists. True to his word the keeper was at the lock and pulled the cord for us, then left. We started off on the right hand side of the chamber with a rope on a floater, but the water pushed us over to the left, so I took the rope off. When the lock was half full the water pattern changed and we went gently back across to the right. At 11.10 a.m. we moored next to the piling by the bridge at Fontaines. The water was deep so we were OK when the lock filled behind us and when the hireboats went past making big waves. The man in the VNF van came to see how long we were stopping. Told him about our car problems (we'd got a leaking heater radiator) and said we’d probably stay a couple of days. He gave us his phone number to call him to set the locks for us. Mike walked the 4.6 kms back to Fragnes to fetch the car as he said it wasn’t worth getting the bike off the roof. He returned just as I finished making lunch. After lunch he started work on the car. I went to lend moral support and fetched tools he’d forgotten, etc. Changing the heater radiator wasn't difficult but it involved a lot of stripping down - the dashboard, the steering column, and the windscreen wiper plus its motor. Then the stupid dashboard wouldn’t come off - Mike ended up banging the end of a plastic peg under the bonnet and that did the trick. A bunch of teenage lads arrived, four in a car and one on his bike. They put all their stuff on the picnic bench and went swimming in the canal – well, jumping off the road bridge actually. They weren’t rude or intimidating at all, but still made me nervous of leaving the boat open and unattended while they were running back and forth (memories of the UK still linger!). They left at six and we packed up just after that. Mike found a wasp spider and took photos of it. He showed it to the skipper of the replica Dutch barge moored in front of us (who’d been watching him crawling on the tarmac to photograph it) and he asked him if he collected spiders!

15th August 2009 Saturday. Fragnes. C. du Centre

2009-08-24T16:44:00.003+02:00

I cooked some Pangas for dinner, excellent white fish fillets at 5,90€/kg. Mike had looked it up on the ’net and found it was called river cobbler or white catfish and was farmed on the Mekong river, reputedly the most polluted river in the world! The article condemned France for importing it in great quantities when it was said to be full of toxins, poisons, etc. Hmm. I don't think we'll be having any more of that even thought it tasted OK! We caught up on all our domestic chores and got ready to move on up the canal.

13th August 2009 Thursday. Fragnes. C. du Centre

2009-08-24T16:20:00.005+02:00

We moved the boat over on to the pay moorings in Fragnes and had trouble getting close to the grassy bank so we moved a little further towards the lock, but the bottom was very close – then the deep lock, 34bis, started filling and the water level dropped. Mike organised the two tyres (that we sometimes use as fenders) to lay horizontal in the water to keep us away from the wooden edging but the boat still went on the bottom and listed whenever the deep lock filled. We watched what the boat would do and adjusted the ropes, etc, accordingly and then added heat reflectors to the windows on the sunny side and shut the blinds before we went into Chalon by car to do some shopping.

12th August 2009 Wednesday Chalon to Fragnes C. du Centre

2009-08-12T17:21:00.005+02:00

Even hotter. A beautiful morning. Parted company from our friends as we both set off upriver, the peniche having to wriggle away from the wall in the river mud. Said goodbye to the river with all its commercial traffic and followed a peniche houseboat up to the first lock on the Canal du Centre, lock 34bis, 10.76m deep as it replaced a flight of locks through the centre of town. The boat in front went up (he filled the 38m long lock on his own) and we waited while the lock emptied, by which time a small tjalk (Dutch barge) had caught up and joined us in the next locking. The moorings at Fragnes, pay and non-pay, on the right hand bank were half full at 11.30 a.m. As we had plenty of electricity and didn't need the facilities on offer, we motored on to moor on the left bank 100m below the next lock, no 34, where there was a good depth of water under the boat (important when there is fast passing traffic). Had some lunch then Mike set off on his trusty moped to collect the car from St Jean. He had coffee with the friends we'd left moored there, bought a new French courtesy flag from H2O for 3,20 euros and spotted our friends with their peniche just coming to moor by the bridge, so he lent them a hand to tie up before setting off back to Fragnes with the car and the bike in the boot. By this time the pay moorings on the far bank at Fragnes had filled up. Holiday time! Hey-ho.

11th August 2009 Tuesday KP181Saone to Chalon-sur-Saone

2009-08-12T17:08:00.006+02:00

Hot and getting hotter. Well, we're heading South again. Dropped down the lock at Ecuelles with a fast German cruiser and a small French ex hireboat. 32kms of lovely winding river down to the town of Chalon-sur-Saone where we were meeting old friends. Traffic was quite busy with lots of passing pleasure boats and commercials. The speedboat fraternity, water skiers and waterscooters were in evidence again as we approached the birthplace of the father of photography, Nicephore Niepce (1765-1833). Our friends had already arrived, loaded with grain for Paris which didn't have to be there until 3rd Sept so they had time to relax a little. We had an extremely pleasant evening talking about the old boating days in the UK and antics of the novice pleasure boaters on French waterways and how easily they can foul up automatic locks.

10th August 2009 Back to Chazelles KP181

2009-08-10T18:20:00.000+02:00

After a few days off at St Jean-de-Losne moored under the trees, we set off in the rain and headed back downriver on the Saone. Dropped down the lock at Seurre with a Snailly hireboat behind us. A speedboat with a skier hanging on a pole attached to the side of the boat shot out in front of us from the old river. The mooring at KP181 was vacant - no fishermen either - so we tied up. Thunderstorms were promised by the meteo (weather forecast) but none arrived.

5th August 2009 St Jean-de-Losne

2009-08-05T21:15:00.003+02:00

Wednesday. We've been moored under the trees at St Jean-de-Losne on the banks of the river Saone since the beginning of the month, catching up with a few jobs, talking with old friends and meeting new ones. It's still very hot and sunny, but thunderstorms are on the way for Friday. Traffic on the river is quite busy and small speedboats are a nuisance making far too much wash past moored boats (there is also a police boat which occasionally puts in an appearance which makes more wash than the speedboats - typical!)

31st July 2009 Chazelles to St Jean-de-Losne

2009-07-31T16:42:00.002+02:00

The sun only shone only intermittantly through rafts of grey clouds and the wind was chilly from the Northeast. Leaving our wild mooring near Chazelles we carried up the river Saone. Lots of boats were moored at Seurre, both in the big offline basin and on the short finger pontoons at ninety degrees to the river. Up Seurre, the last of the big locks, with several small cruisers and on to a 10 kms stretch of canal. Several black kites searched our wake for fish and the first cormorant we'd seen for ages struggled to take off from the canal alongside us. The river up as far as St Jean-de-Losne had been straightened for large capacity barges to access the silos and quays there. We picked up diesel to top up our central heating fuel tank at 67c a litre from the fuel barge in St Jean-de-Losne, then searched for a mooring. Gaps on the stepped quay weren't long enough for us so we tied on a pontoon by a campsite which we found was available free of charge for 72 hours. Mike went off on the moped to collect the car from Fragnes.

30th July 2009 Fragnes to Chazelles

2009-07-31T16:18:00.003+02:00

Set off from Fragnes and dropped down the deep lock, 34bis, with two cruisers back on to the Saone. Upriver to Verdun-sur-Doubs, passing lots of traffic - mainly hireboats and cruisers, hotel boats and one or two commercials. In Verdun mooring space was not freely available for our 18m long boat where everything is designed for 6 - 8m holiday boats and what little there was - a short length of quay wall - was occupied, (yes, you've guessed it!) by 6 - 8m long boats. We looked a little way up the Doubs river, but wild moorings are not easy with high banks and thick vegetation. Back through Verdun and out on to the Saone again, passing a moored barge with no wheelhouse but its owners had added a Scania lorry to act as motive power - it still had steering wheel and wing mirrors! (see photo) We went up Ecuelles lock with a catamaran and a yacht behind a large pusher tug called Europa (20m long) pushing an empty pan called Gaillon (82.4m x 11.4m, 2,710 tonnes) with loads of room as the lock is 185m x 12m. Fishing is very popular on the Saone and many fishermen set up camp and fish for weeks from the same spot, so an unoccupied fishing place made an ideal mooring for one night's stop. Once the traffic stopped it was a very calm and peaceful place.

Today is the start of our online diary.

2009-07-29T16:49:00.005+02:00

29th July 2009

Weather hot and sunny, day off moored at Fragnes below lock 34 on the Canal du Centre near Chalon-sur-Saone. The photo shows lock 34bis, which replaced three locks on the original line through Chalon and, as a consequence has a fall of 10.6m. (We're now moored 4.5 kms above this lock)

After reading Wandering Snail's blog, Mike and I decided we ought to do likewise. We've written diaries - boat logs - since we started boating in the UK back in 1969. Now we've a decent Internet connection on board, it's time to let all our friends and family have immediate access to where we are and what we're up to! And add a few photos too.