log blank 2000


2001

Sunday 13th May
Coulanges to Garnat sur Engrieve.

'nother nice boating day on French Waterways, weather fine and sunny - quite hot and steamy.
Stopped at Pierrelefitte sur Loire - where we stopped several times before, including with Ruth - to get bread. Village now very sad, as there seems to be no sign of the N79 (major lorry route) by-passing it, and all houses on main (and only) street blackened with exhaust, amd with big "for sale" notices.

Lunch after Dompierre turn-off and Peugeot Foundry - French getting so "good" these days able to hold 3 corner conversation - 2 of us and L.K. - about intentions, timings, the weather, state of health, beer, Albert's beauty, etc, etc, etc. The significance of the lunch spot was that for once we remembered right, and tied up under the same oak tree that shed leaves and bugs all over during a thunderstorm last year. However, no storm, yet, this year.

Into Garnat, home of Roy & Audrey Brooks, and N.B. Rosie. Not there, and just as well, as made monumental cock of tying up.
Target was a good long stone jetty opposite houses. Wind suddenly came up very strong straight off jetty. Coolly hopped ashore in approved cool narrow boating fashion with centre line.
Call from S, couldn't hold boat which was nudging jetty with back-end, whilst front end was going out down wind fast.
Dropped centre line into water, and had to leap back onto boat.
S. physically trying to fend off jetty from back end, but had left boat in reverse gear, thus nudging jetty harder.
Tried to recover, drive back to jetty, and tie up normally, but wind now too strong, and boat just sat in middle of canal at 45 degrees to wind, the canal bank, and our dignity, belching black smoke, annoying resident fishermen.
Eventually straightened the thing up, went up canal to wide space, turned round, discussed one or 2 matters, came back and tied up.
Dreadful.

Rain arrived with vengeance - several heavy thunderstorms, but even so it has been incredibly quiet mooring up in the country after Roanne's traffic.


Monday 14 May
Garnat to Gannay.

Rained off and on for a lot of the night.
Tried to get bread in the village - bicycle dash - but being Monday - nil.

Set off at 0930 in steady drizzly rain.
Good practice - rain kept right on, and started getting cold. Current dress is shorts and shirt, but weather really a bit changeable, and ended up in vest, shirt, guernsey and waterproof jacket..
Through 2 locks quite far apart, then reckoned at 11.30 we'd had enough.

Pulled into village "halte nautique" next to a hire base. Passed it several times in the past, but never stayed here. Water and 5 amp electrics available, plus a shabby caravan/tent bar, and a pottery, and village easy cycling. (1 km) (ALL FREE!)

Found l'Indifference Profond moored up. Dan and Anna - Americans - whom we knew quite well from Roanne last winter (1999/2000), as they were mates with Ferdi and Judy. Anna is the girl I went down in history as being caught cheating at Uno. We didn't, but gained much kudos from being thought to be cheats.
They invited us to lunch - super, proper cooked lunch, so we cancelled our 2.00 p.m. "continuation" and settled down.
Weather changed gradually over mid-day to fine but very cold.

We are going slow at present, as the Loire crossing in Decize, a previous frightener of ours, is currently closed due to floods so there is no point in getting there much before the middle or end of the week.
Large cooked lunch meant very soporific afternoon - read books and snoozed, while rain came back, then went away again.


Tuesday 15 May
Garnay to Decize

Drizzle early whilst getting up, but nothing daunted off without jacket for bread. Got away with it - weather steadily improved throughout day.

Returned boat speed to that of end of last year - 1600 rpm on the dial. This reading is really totally irrelevant - dial is dependant on RPM of alternator, and we have a bigger alternator with different drive pulley to that belonging to engine. Timed ourselves between 3 P.K.s (Point Kilometre to you) and calculated that we were doing 7 to 10 kms per hour. So what, I hear you say.

Passed old favourite spot - the stork tree. There is a bridge on one side and a house and garden on the other, but they return every year. photo against the light - sorry!

Couldn't make 4th lock (last one before Decize) before 1200, so floated around in channel and cleaned brass.

To Decize tee junc, spied a narrow boat just beyond junc on public mooring. Dibitu, Ann and Phillip. Chattered a bit whilst going down to Crown Blue Line basin, and arranged to meet later.

Moored up on same tucked away pontoon as last year - no water, no electricity, but safe and free and above all things, quiet.

In between showers, or heavy rain, gossiped. Found Roy and Anneke from Roanne, on Triom, going to shops. Hailed and invited to supper. We owed them. Showed them pics of Roy and Triom, and put on disc for them

Cycled down to inspect Loire (Great Grey Green Greasy Limpopo River - but no fever trees.) found it flowing strongly, (very) but theoretically open. All jolly fine - hire boats have massive engines, massive insurance, and couldn't give a damn anyway, but we get scared.

Decided to think about it, and went up to super market behind hospital.

Meantime arranged major gossip session with Dibitu for to-morrow at 10.00 so that takes care of to-day and to-morrow.

Saw a cruiser with tender wrapped in OK Dinghy sail. Queried, and found they were leading lights - had been for years - in UK OK dinghy world, and class still going strong. Personally thought it had died 30 years ago! Super pics of son sailing very up-market looking boat in world championships. Didn't show them mine of Andrew in a drifter

Wednesday 16 May
In Decize.

Most of morning taken up - between rain showers - gossiping with Ann and Phillip on Dibitu.

Tried up - loading refined web site - great care had been taken to ensure all files, however remote, in lower case letters, and all gaps in file names filled with underline. "Bookmarks" - which aren't and don't - have been abolished. Whole thing for week - log and pics - all in one folder, so no muddle possible (maybe).

Up-loaded like a dream, no hastle at all.

Afternoon snoozed, and then back to Dibitu for assistance in establishing answerphone message on mobile tel in English. Successful!

Down to G.G.G.G.L.River to study flow. Looked much the same - fast, brown, wobbly, muddy, and evil.

Watched little l'Etoile (ex Thorne Bird from Wyre Piddle) shoot across. Left lock like arrow from bow amidst clouds of exhaust smoke and bow wave. Looked absolutely tiny, but really no bother. What was the significance of Mrs l'Etoile leaving boat at lock, and running - on foot, of course - round and through Decize to meet boat at Nivernais bottom lock?

Had gossip with lock keeper. As far as we could understand - fast and accented French - they had forgotten to open 2 of the gates in the barrage above Decize, so water was backing up, and they were going to let it all throfgh to-morrow, resulting in increase flow, and higher levels. Suggested we up sticks, and go immediately.

Deeply suspicious that this was a micky take. Did nothing, stayed put, and hoped - was this part of a National desire to upset the perfidious Albion. Not unknown amongst Thames Lock keepers to frighten gullible tourist boaters, so why not in France?
More rain in the night.

Thursday 17 May
Decize to Vernuil Halte.

Off for bread first thing, and to sus river level. If anything, it had dropped slightly

Set off after breakfast thoroughly prepared for any eventuality - life jackets on, credit cards in pocket, yellow flashing (look-at-me-i'm-here) beacon light flashing, VHF radio lost somewhere in boat, telephone showing no signal etc etc. - through lower of automatic locks guarding Crown Blue Line "pool" and hire base, and out onto The G.G.G.G.L. Rivier.

Speed "over land" increased dramatically to about 2.5 times, but as water smooth, no physical effect.

Took about 10 minutes to get to mouth of "Old Loire", straight across it, and into Nivernais Canal, and up to Bottom Lock, now going at an incredibly slow "perceived speed".

Through, tied up for lunch and administration to rather scruffy mooring at St Leger de Vine. Decize town is largely a tourist/banking mecca, businesses are in St Ledger de Vine, which is, to all intents and purposes, part of the same town. Noticeable that L.K. was waiting for us, although we hadn't communicated - and tied up

To S.M., and Motor Factor - latter for battery isolator switches - but no joy, so spent 6 Ffr on new globe for instrument panel.

Back to boat to try out yet another winter invention - re-fuelling from jerrycans via electric pump and internal piping, rather than standing teetering on stern and pouring it through a funnel into the main tank, spilling a lot of it the while into the canal the while. Worked perfectly - and incredibly quick. Will my arrangement of pipes, hoses, reducers, and jubilee clips last when well lubricated by diesel? or will it all; come to pieces next time round? The idea is to re-fuel from a couple of the jerricans every week (we actually have 4), and fill the empties as convenient from canalside garages and S.M. We'll see!

Up into the Nivernais proper after lunch. Unbeleviably rural, lush pasturelands, beautiful trees, beautiful views, and quietness.

Past Champvert of crooked spire frame (and equally famous disgusting butchers shop) to little grassy rural halte of Vernuil.

Tied up, then biked over to village - should have been 1.5 kms, but misread map - to 10th Century Church with 10th Century murals.

Back to boat as rain returned


Friday 18 May
Vernuil to Pannecot.

Through Cercy la Tour - beautiful run in reasonable weather up this very wide flat valley, with short stop at visitors moorings on the river to get cash, vegs, and water up.

We were a bit shaken to see, on the Lateral, that the small grain corn was already in ear. Saw even more to-day. The season, in spite of the cold weather, is well advanced - spring has passed us by an rain and cold winds.

Still charmed by the lush rural beauty of the Nivernais - cameras going 16 to the dozen!

Lunched on a nice halte no-where in particular, and arrived at Pannecot late tea time.

Proper village moorings in little basin above the canal level barrage - water, moorings, electricity, showers and loos, and priced - most unreasonably - at Ffr50.00. But although the water and electricity worked, we made no use of it, and couldn't even get the boat in to moor up properly, the sides were so shallow. Area is also a caravan park - although, again, no caravans. In fact, no attempt was made to collect money!

Found l'Etale in residence.
After tieing up, took evening drinks, and had mutual gossip with Eric and Leslie. But although fine, unbelievably cold.


Saturday 19 May
Pannecot to Chatillon en Bazois.

Quite deliberately started out 45 minutes after l'Etal - we are not good at sharing lockds, especially going up hill, and even less with another narrow boat who has the same requirement for the rear of a lock as we do!

Very pleasant run again - weather sunny, but coldly windy.

Lunch below some lock or other while the L.K.s had their 1200 to 1330 lunch break, then met first boat of day - a little green hire boat skittering all over the canal.

Shortly after came upon a Dutch Barge - Lindquist, - very uncomfortable moored up and pulled into too shallow bank, with 1 sun-bather on top, but no skipper. Bet they were watching sport on TV!

Plethorer of L.K.s at all locks - Saturday, of course, and students on, but apparently the Loire is again closed - my acid comments about L.K. at Decize and his comments about re-closing the river were and are totally unjustified! Hence we were the last boat across the river, and, of course, last boat up the canal. The L.K.s knew there was no-one behind us, so there was not a lot to do except see us through and gossip!.

Gently into Chatillon en Bazois at tea time. Spoke to L.K. - proper one, not a student - and asked about winter moorings (we hear of more and more boats going to Roanne for hivernage, and this fills us with deep gloom and despondency). The L.K. pointed out what I should have known, you can't winter on the Nivernais - it is closed and drained down!

Moored up next to one of lots of fishermen - but friendly and relaxed - even offered to move if he was in our way! Quite suddenly, at about 1730, the whole lot just wandered of!

The moorings are very pleasant, albeit a bit high, and ancient with rusty bolts sticking up out of the wood jetty, waiting to trip us up. The surroundings are spectacular, right under the walls of a beautiful chateau, and virtually in it's garden.

Evening braaivleis with Eric and Leslie. Chased the sun along the jetty, but it really got too cold, so had pudding in cabin!