Wednesday 4th November 2009

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

-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

-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

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

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

-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

-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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.