2000
BACK
TO CALENDAR 2000
- June 6
Tuesday
Chateau-Landon to Nemours.
Lock full and waiting for us.
Filled drinking water in lock, having arrived 20
minutes before stated time to forestall any lock turning around!
None, anyway.
Decided "if you cannot beat them, join them",
and gave each lock-keeper a "pour-boire" of 2 beers.
I hate this - see comments in last year’s log, but
for peace of mind we reckoned we’d give it a go.
Very much afraid it is the form - especially as we
cannot and do not really do our fair share of the work by reason of our width
permitting us to slide out of locks with only 1 gate open. (It should be my duty
to open 2nd gate - both for us and for next boat in.
All L.K. received 2 beers - usually tucked below a
bollard, rather than handed directly, - with pleasure and grins.
Hence run, in fine warm to hot weather - pleasurable
and unexciting.
June 7
Wednesday
Nemours to last lock - St Mammes.
Very slow through - every lock against us, and strong
feeling still persisting that L.K.s are neither of the calibre from further
back, nor the motivation.
Undisturbed night, in spite of ostensibly -
(just come back to this, and have not the faintest idea of what I was on about!)
Got into mooring above and before last lock into
rivers, +/- 1700 to find only a quarter available - 2 other boats already on it.
Tied up in overlapping - stern sticking out - mode, and did a think. Nice jetty,
nice area, no facilities, book promised "proper moorings with facilities
below lock in end of river (lock was canal debouching into river).
Suddenly we have stopped trusting our books - certainly
in this area - they are like the L.K.s - totally unreliable.
Left S holding boat by the centre line only, sitting on
the bank, and shot off on bike.
Went right through to confluence with the Seine - +/- 2
kms - and not a sniff of appropriate moorings. Just mile upon mile of moored up
peniches, with the odd private boat tied up to them on their outsides. It was a
remarkable sight, and rather sad - they should be working.
Back to Albert, decided to turn her so that
stern - bicycle and easy step ashore end - would be on the jetty, and bows could
be ungetatable dangling in the breeze.
Did turning act up the canal a little, and reversed in
to the jetty, to the extreme concern of current occupiers of moorings - they
were worried, as we do look a bit like a manned torpedo to some of these great
fat "pleasure" craft, and they are not to know our boat handling
abilities (we don’t, either, it is principally a matter of giving it a go,
luck, and hope the wind and current aren’t against us and boat isn’t feeling
bloody minded.).
Tied up nicely, with springs all proper, then lit off
on bikes to show S. the sights.
Went into St Mammies, explored the quai front - all
brand new lay-out. This used to be a major hub of the peniche trade - it still
is busy with a lot going up to Paris up the Seine, both in peniches, and the
enormous dumb barge pusher tugs.
However, for every working peniche there must be 2
dozen tied up, and countless others scrapped.
St Mammes is redesigning it’s Seine front with a P.
de P., finger moorings, marina, and a double row of beautifully turned out
peniches moored side on down the front. They are so beautiful, even the mooring
dolphins are covered in pots of flowers.
Ended up in bar/cafe for a couple of beers, where the 2
waiters - both gentlemen of mature years - wore filthy barge working clothes and
caps, stank of garlic and beer, sat with the customers when not busy, had not
seen a razor or even soap for a fortnight, and were hilariously disgusting.
Wove back to boat - still enjoying port/dock
atmosphere, to find water in our bit of canal down about 3 feet, and Albert
virtually disappearing beneath jetty.
Neighbour worried - 2 props, one within 2 inches of
bottom.
Had been joined in our absence by fully loaded peniche
lying out in centre of canal, (it was now 20.30, and locks close at 1900 for
keeps - being fully loaded the peniche did not drift - we hoped)
He couldn’t get off his boat, and was very worried
about water level - peniches, although very large, are comparatively lightly
built, and if dumped on the bottom the hull will follow it’s contour.
All in turn tried to ring the "Service de la
Navigation" emergency number., They did not answer.
Somebody rang the "Pompiers" - fire brigade -
who finally got hold of someone at VNF. Fairly major cock-up by now. L.K. had
gone home and left paddles open, so draining the pound.
VNF came running - about 8 of them - and held a
committee meeting. Soon there was a surge of water, and up we all went again,
fiddling with ropes and fenders to stop ourselves being trapped below the jetty
on the way up.
Very exciting!
Had supper, and went to bed - with peniche still
lowering outside bedroom window - at about midnight.
Life on the waterways is "tres tranqil".
June 8
Thursday
St. Mammes back to Nemours
Life is quite extraordinarily complicated at the
moment. S. has to go and finalise house sale, sign contracts, clear out Hopgood
Close, etc, etc, next week.
Also in the next few days we are expecting the delivery
and installation of a new engine cooling water circulation pump (the one driven
by the "fan belt").
So we are - like the army - hurrying up and waiting
quietly".
We have to find a congenial spot for boat and self (it
doesn’t take 2 people to sell a house) to park up for a week
The criterion for a week’s parking are electricity,
water, good mooring, availability of "commerces" (shops) and
reasonable accessibility for engineer to do necessary to engine.
Decided on Cepoy (Cepois), - 1 and a half days travel -
where the 2 live aboard peniches were parked over the mooring.
We are reasonably sure that there was water and
electricity there, it’s free, and quite civilised.
Therefore, decided to set off back up the canal.
Very hot/windy day, and nearly frazzled on back deck.
Couldn’t raise sun brolley due to wind!
Arrived at Nemour at tea time, thoroughly de-hydrated.
Went through town lock after idiot L.K. let us into
lock (on blind corner) while there was still a boat in it waiting to come out.
Quick full power reverse, and all tidied up.
Moored up just beyond town centre on a bank - slippery
- but in full shade, ignoring official high blank wall mooring in full sun 50
metres on.
Went off solo on bike to find S.M. after extremely
conflicting directions from L.K. and L.K.’s assistant (equally old and thick).
Now rush hour, and road main road through town road to
motorway.
Exciting cycling, but really not a problem - especially
as we are no longer trying to teach or lead the locals to ride and drive on the
proper side of the road.
Duly found Stoc up a long steep hill, returned to boat,
moored up properly, (4 pins and gang plank) had tea, and lit off again in full
force, 2 bikes, 1 trailer, 1 rucksack, and 2 elderly doppies to said S.M.
Successful shop - trailer proving a little small -
cases of beer just don’t fit conveniently - especially when useful beer space
taken up with loo paper and pullet roti.
Although in town opposite local Boule or Petonque club,
moorings quiet and comfortable, as was night.
June 9
Friday
Nemours to Pont du Dordives.
Woken by peniche (full sized 39 metres by 5.05 metres
of it) outside bedroom porthole.
We had moored slightly closer to bridge on corner than
was totally fair.
However, he made it without huffing and puffing, and
where we were moored - whilst shallow sloping canal bed meant we were tied up 2
feet out from bank - was a great Deal better than the concrete quai further
along with a freeboard of about 4 feet, and right out in the sun.
Tooth ache in night indicated that "something had
to be done".
So instead of "parting" at 1000 as arranged,
mounted trusty bicycles and went off on dentist hunt, starting by asking
directions at a chimney shop.
Found dentist OK, but full, so got fresh directions
that seemed to consist of largely going to CarreFour.
As we hadn’t seen a CarreFour, were much puzzled and
got lost frequently - you can’t usually miss Carre fours, and kept searching
for it.
Eventually found another dentist - entered to mausoleum
like establishment - it seems professional people like to set up in the big old
house with huge rooms - nice and cool and grand.
Slightly forbidding female listened to story - then
joined by youngish bloke.
Next thing into dentist’s chair - poke - poke - ow -
ow - ow - X-ray.
Apparently gum or bone infection - tooth-ache figment
of imagination - tooth dead, anyway!
Prescription for anti-biotics, followed by
demonstration of Brompton Bikes in hallway.
Asked for bill - none! Bikes far more interesting than
dentistry.
Returned to boat and set off at 11.20!
Uneventful trip up canal to preferred mooring site at
Chateau Landon. Found it occupied by Dutchman, so continued to an "amarrage
agreeable". It wasn’t very - bit bleak, and grassless. Adequate, however,
so stayed on.
Something was still niggling us about recommendations
to go to the dentist via CarreFour, so looked it up in the dictionary.
The word actually means cross-roads.
June
10
Saturday
Pont du Dordives through Montargis to pound below
electric Flight.
We had some idea of parking up at Cepoy for the next 10
days whilst S. went to UK, and we got the boat fixed.
In the event - although convenient for trains, taxis,
etc, moorings pretty ordinary, so "continued" on through Montargis
looking for appropriate stopping off place.
No joy - this length of the canal - from Mountbouy to
St Mammes is still, in spite of steeply dropping usage (say 10 - 15 peniches,
loaded and empty, per week), trying to convince itself that it is a commercial
waterway. Hence everything is more orientated to motorway cafe and stops than Albert
friendly mooring spots.
Into Montargis deep lock.
Got landed up front - refused to go - but lock keeper
promised he would raise us slowly and carefully (5+ metres rise), and when we
discovered that water entry was through an underground chamber running the whole
length of the lock, we agreed.
We was had.
He let the water in so fast that we were completely
locked by the side pressure against the wall, which was rough cast concrete.
Tore off the front string of fenders, managed to rescue
them from the water (they don’t float), but paint removed from entire length
of boat on the rubbing strake (2 weeks life!).
The pressure of the water forced the boat so hard
against the wall, that the fenders - even the ones that weren’t torn off, were
flattened. We couldn’t even lever her out with the pole, and there was no
question of pushing her!
Whole operation was one of those dangerous shambles,
with masses of children running around (Sat evening), some idiot from the dept
of Tourisme asking damn fool questions of skippers and distracting them from
paying attention and concentrating, and a young L.K. whose aim in life was to
show off to the populace whilst looking "cool" and competent.
Whilst there we heard - from a Dutchman - that
to-morrow (Sunday) all locks would be closed.
Didn’t believe it, and went on after tying up fenders
with a hundred yards of blue string.
Confirmed at next lock - yes indeed to-morrow the locks
would be closed!
Some consternation - was this a DIY holiday, a strike,
or official? The books list the few days in the year when locks are closed, and
to-morrow was definitely not one of them.
Next lock, L.K. put us in front again with same story
as before.
Caused consternation all round by categorically
refusing! Guess who was L.K.’s favourite boat.
Eventually "we all agreed" to our reversing
out and putting other boat in first
We were aiming for a couple of "picnic" sites
marked on our map, that we felt might prove appropriate, quiet and comfortable
moorings in the next pound.
In the event, they were not all that wonderful, being
too shallow to get right in, and moor properly.
They were, however, quiet!
Tied up - wondering what would have happened if we hadn’t
bought bread, and filled up with water!
June 11
Sunday
At Pound below electric flight.
Decided to make best of it - obviously system stopped -
not a sign of action or movement, although L.K. at lock kept wandering around in
his official badged overalls
Set too to install fenders in bows - the ones that were
held on with Fireball shrouds - permanent. These are the rubber section and
aluminium we bought - at enormous expense - in UK.
Able - as there was no traffic - to moor the boat so
she stayed still and rigid, and drilled and drilled and drilled, until boat more
like 2 postage stamps than a floating home.
Bolted fenders on properly amidst sweat, tears, blood,
etc. Upside down job leaning over the concrete side revetments.
Apart from being driller’s mate, S did the washing.
Decided to use now redundant fender backing planks as
vertical hanging fenders in their own right, so botched up a couple, tying 2
planks to-gether, and hanging from blue rope!
June 12
Monday
Pound below electric flight to above Mountbouy deep
lock.
Obvious from the beginning that to-day was going to be
busy.
We’ve heard before of the Monday bottle necks that
follow Sunday shut downs.
There was one, led off by 2 loaded peniches travelling
at 2 kms per hour going through and up.
Shared electrics with English boat - large motor
cruiser going to the Med in a hurry - and little French fellow, running around
like one of those water-boatmen bugs.
Put cruiser in first (!) and all joy up the first 4
locks.
Last one broke down with 3 of us sitting in it, and 2
more behind.
Son of L.K. went to fetch him in smart car. He arrived
on bicycle - very cheerful, out of breath, and almost apologetic.
The English boat had a wife with a temp of 102, and
only a fortnight to go from Dartmouth to the Med!
Reccomended he asked Roy Brooks to take it on down - he
only had 5 days left when he left us, with another 3 weeks of boating in front
of him..
Lunch at Mountbouy, waiting for peniches to get away.
Into Mountbouy lock, and realised it was the twin of
the one at Montargis that did us in.
Put planks over, and found that they worked just
beautifully! Even so, the pressure and grinding was sufficient to wear out the
bits of rope tying them to-gether to one strand only.
Most satisfactory - had only made them as afterthought
to avoid the thought of having bought timber which wasn’t required.
Moored up under trees in deep water 200 metres above
lock - "ammarage agreeable". This is the first of the 3 we’ve tried
that is - very. Bit of grass snipping, and very comfortable.
Ordered taxi for to-morrow 0715 from number given us by
the epicerie.
Celebration of epecerie’s one year in business - came
in for sparkling white and good wishes all round.
Cunning wheeze - whilst standing around drinking we
probably bought the wine’s worth in extra bits and pieces.
Not so cunning taxi order - he arrived half past 7 this
evening - thought they used 24 hour clock for this sort of thing.
Embarrassing! Had to cope whilst S. was photographing
church.
