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September 26th

Sunday

Baye to Chatel en Bezoir

A most enjoyable run in fine weather, complete with lunch on the grass in the border of sun and shade between the 3 rise and 2 rise locks.

Were caught out yet again by L.K.'s lunch hour, so they pushed us through top set at 11.30, with the understood promise that we would be put through bottom set before they went for lunch.

However a large peniche trip boat stuck himself in the bottom lock, all his passengers wandered around area in bored heaps, and we had no choice but to stay around for the lunch break!

In fact, no hardship, and a very pleasant picnic ensued

Took yet more pleasure in the countryside - very bucolic, rural, small fields "tranquil" the French call it.

Stopped at the "P. de P." in Chatillon-en-Vazois. We liked this spot before - quiet, uncrowded, free, water and electricity laid on!

Our "old" spot was taken by "Pisgah", a very old and at one time breautiful Dutch Barge that used to ply on the Avon.

The owners brought her over, and did Hotel Boat trips here. Now she must have been passed on, looked a little neglected, but by no means abandoned. In fact someone in a white van came to check her while we were there, and the electricty is plugged in.

Tea and drinks out on the grass admiring the town, moorings, other boats (of which there were very few (except for our friends of yesterday without the children), etc.

 

September 27th

Monday

Chatillon-en-Bazoir to Bernay.

Visits to S.M., bread shop (Boulangerie to the initiated) etc for gas (failed night before last), bread, vegs, etc.

Cleaned some of boat, and risked rain by cleaning brasses.

Set off at 11.30 (¼ before start of L.K.'s break. Noted our friends - all set to start - didn't.

Through town lock, then 5 or 6 kms to second. Well into L.K.'s break, so found nicer spot for lunch picnic, about 200 yards from the lunch spot on our way through in the spring. Then we admired the craftiness of the French peasant farmer, to-day we enjoyed the view and the weather.

Brass cleaningcaught up with us. Rain started with a series of sharp heavy storms, between which we were able to recover, but finally it set in in ernest, and continuously.

Stopped off to admire their efforts at Fleury at one of the old "Needle" weirs. The weir wall is made of hundreds of pieces of aprox 1½ by 1½ lined up vertically across stream. Each piece has a hoop handle at top, and can be pushed down, or pulled up, resulting in infinite variations on weir height, and hence on water level control. An attractive canal history centre, good moorings, wash place,, cafe, has been builty.

Carried on for a little way, found a nice mooring with full water depth and fabulous view, near the place we moored at on the eway up and met the garrulous farmer.

It set in to rain properly and contoinuously.

 

September 28th

Tuesday

Bernay to Cercy la Tours.

Poured with rain all last night - heavily and continuously!

Checked engine first thing and found sheet of water over entire engine room floor.

Set off in drizzle for Pannecot, with intention to get bread.

Crept into rather nice town moorings between storms, and bread buying party set off.

Investigated water in engine room - now doubled - and slight inrease in engine water temperature.

Found a LOT of water in engine room - complete flood. Blamed the weed hatch not being screwed down properly - had it off yesterday to clear suspected weed on prop, and was mildly hassled by L.K. who got excited at sight of boat across canal without engine!

Checked gasket, replaced hatch "properly" and bolted down.

Cleared water out, 3 buckets at 3 l a bucket - too much!

Motored on frightening ourselves over engine water temp which ose veryslowly to just over 80, from where it has been for months at 76 degrees.

Pulled into Cercy la Tours at 4.30 to find village moorings totally empty, and water very low, compared with our visit in the spring, when the current made mooring up facing downstream (the only way one can when facing Decize) very dificult. The set up here is that the river - R Aron - crosses the canal, and for the length of the village both the canal and river share the same bed, with a lock at the top end, and a gard lock at the bottom.

Decided to stay the night. The new road bridge, 400 yards, above the moorings was much more advanced than in the spring, when a temporary Bailey did duty, complete with rattling deck.

Out to supper - someone's birthday outing - tried grill place much advertised to find now a bar only, and they never bothered to taske the adverts down.

Thence to small hotel. Very nice.

However, had a better cheeze board - incl double cream smelly - on ythe boat, so had super "breast of duck" and wine cames back had cheese, tea, etc!

 

September 29th

Wednesday

Cercy la Tour to 1st lock afterthe Tee junction on Canal Lateral a Loire.

Have been wondering for some days if all the rain we have been having has caused the Loire to flood, like the spring's traumatic crossing -

Started the day in heavy rain, but it died out to occasional showers.

Countryside very green - looking well - presumably after thoroughly wet summer.

Stopped at Champsvert - crooked steeple village - for quick look round, and minor shop, and lunch at neat little mooring.

On to-wards Decize with water level in pounds getting lower and lower. Could understand river pound being low - it has to take it's level from the river - but that is no reason for subsequent pounds to be low.

Into bottom, or Decize, pound, found "River Dance", Luxmotor we met in May moored up to St Ledger de Vines. Also found water level away UP. Queried L.K. - answer simple - "River Dance" had been in the dry dock by the waterpoint, and they had been floating her out. Don't and didn't see what that had to do with it, but it was all taken as a matter of course. Even the surrounds of the lock out onto the Loire were flooded.

Straight out onto the Loire current and atitude less fierce than the Thames - so much for worrying! Headed straight up to Decize.

Stopped for 10 minutes at the bottom of the famous 1 km ave of limes and plane trees. Nice mooring, niceciew, but many seats and picnic p-laces, so moved on.

Moored up just under the little bar/cafe from which ewe had frightened ourselves silly watching the flood in the spriong.

Left boat: mission:- bread and train info, and look at Decize.

Found Info office hiding at top end of lime/sycamore avenue

Sent us to train station for trains info! All the way back - on foot - to St Leger de Vine on the other side of the river just above bottom lock we passed through this morning, Lot of fun with slightly frivolous station ticket office in imaculate fr Fr.

Walked back - no taxis - to Decize centre, shopped, and to boat.

Across river, through auto lock that frightened us as we waited before (sods law ensured that last time we had to wait in the current, this time, when it didn't matter, it was set for us.

Through into basin, filled water, met couple on "Squib",. a cat yacht, going to the Med for 2 years - horrible thing to take down the canals- very wide, pulled out, turned into Canal Lateral a la Loire, found bush mooring after 1st lock, and tied up at 1900 - much relieved and happy.

Much discussion on what and how Ruth wasgoing to do. Eventually decided that she would stay with us to Roanne - thus making long trek to stn redundant, and also arrangements via Roy Brooks to get her to the station at Nevers or Moulin.

 

September 30th

Thursday

Tee junction on Canal Lateral a Loire to Garnat sur Engieve.

Rained and rained, and in between a little bit of sun, or short cessation of rain.

Only remembered thing of note was passing and seeing again the dead tree stump with the remains of the storks nest, and the pleasure at professional lock-keepers again.

Moored up to pontoon at Garnat about 1700.

Went over to Roy and Audrey Brooks and had cups of tea, but they were on their way out, and visit did not seem as successful as in the spring. As almost any boat from England stops there they have probably got visitor fatigue.

Cold and clear in evening, but still one shower of rain in night.

 

October 1st

Thursday

Away at 1000, to find "River Dance" just behind us.

Went into 1st lock in front dreading it. In fact no problem, although we still have just as much trouble in lock fronts, and althoiugjh we are better able tpo manage the situation, it is still to be avoided.

Nervous, also, as to whether we would fit.

In actual fact most of these Luxmotors - although looking large, are no longer than us, and hence 2 boats @ 15 metres in a 40 m lock is comfortable.

Stopped after a couple of locks to observe and have lunch.

Finished lunch and canal seemed to explode with boats.

3 or 4 hire boats both ways, then peniche hove into view behind. Too close to drop everything, unmoor and run in front, so waited.

Got away after him to find 2 more boats - 1 yacht, 1 large a.c.c also coming up behind.

1st boat - large new yacht hull overtook us, and caught up the peniche at Dompierre tee junction.

Watched peniche go through - bnit untidy, scruffy looking crew.

Started closing gates behind him, but L.K. asked - rather over forcefully - to leave gates alone - so dis - left him to it.

Kept babbling about had we come up last lock alone, and where had we joined in - basically we had put him out, as we had dropped out of "our group" and joined another during and after lunch.

He sulked a bit, and we all left him to do everything himself, so he graciously permitterd me to close my gate after the boats were in. Then he started mutytering about tieing up in the lock - we always do, now-a-days when sharing, sdince boyth gear and throttle linkage gave ouyt last month - so told him when he got off gate and let me through we would be tieing up. He laughed - happiness!

Charged off behind yachty, but quicklyu came up behind peniche.

YUachty - greatly daring, we thought, overtook him. He was going our speed - a bit slow, as engine still seems a bit warm and is shedding radiator water through cap - we stuck behind.

In due course he waved us on, and we overtook. Exciting manoevre, as there is suction along his side, and styrong suction just beside and in front of his bows, and it was quite difficult breraking away.

He stuck his head out of his wheelhouse - as he was fully laden this was at our level - and cheered us on with a big grin.

Caught our yachty mate up at next lock - made to wait for us, so thanked everybody profusely - , and got quite friendly - new concrete (?) hull being taken by proud young owner to Chalon for winter fit-out.

Caught "River Dance" at Pierrefitte, on village moorings - remember the moorings from the spring - but went on . This length of canal has a problem (as has Digoin) with road N79 - very busy with international lorries.

Moored temporarily at a path up to the village to buy bread and ice-creams.

Realised that it was the only spot where the lorries weren't revving down our necks, so after return from village - completely ruined by main road through it - checked both ways, and decided that although spot wasn't most attractive ever, we wouyld stay put.