Slept over on boat.

Not totally the answer - shower drainage and sanitaries always a problem, on these occasions, and the boat, being supported in only 2 places changes shape and attitude fractionally. so loo door won't lock and we fall over walking around inside the boat, but cycle path to Vieux Pechoir, where we were invited - and intended - to clean up and sleep each night rather defeated us after a day's working on the boat.

Put fridge out (and fed extremely well), so only 12 volt consumer were lights and shower and water pump. Interesting to see just how well batteries lasted without fridge drawing. After 4 days they were not even half down.

By bed time, hull clean, weed free, and rust patch free, ready for treatment.

Getting on well - asked J.P. if he was craning back any boats over week-end, include us.

Heard we could go back into water after lunch.

Much tidying up - not that we had been out of the water long enough for us to create our normal gypsy encampment-like scene.

Into Migennes for cash.

Much drama - mistake in entering "hole-in-the-wall" ensured that too little money taken on one card and then other 3 cards wouldn’t work - "refer to bank" - including Barclaycard Golds!

In fact, was trying Post Office, and strong possibility that youths outside had messed the machine up. Later returned to Credit Agricole, and drew second lot from card that worked - second debit on the one day - and second card worked.

However, neither Barclaycard Gold worked - and looking back on cock-ups on their web site and help line during last 6 weeks, looks as they are gone baby.

All sorted eventually, and craned back into water about 1600, with instructions from J.P. to push off up to the "port" in Migennes - he had no mooring for us!

No hassle - wall at yard is far too high for a N.B. and we are personally too unstable on our feet for breasting up on the outside to be safe, and anyway, had an invitation from Juliet to la Vieux Pêchoir.

Off we went down river, bleating into VHF to L.K. - it worked, and by 1700 comfortably tied up at la Vieux Pêchoir with both gang planks, mown path through long grass, filled water tank, electricity, and a jolly and hospitable welcome from owner.

La Vieux Pêchoir is the lock keeper's cottage for the old original river lock, when there was a barrage acros the Yonne here.   Barrage and lock long since replaced by more modern structure a bit upstream.

This was a scary week - we were expecting to be kept waiting before both cranings endlessly - this is J.P.'s reputation. In fact, almost too fast to breath!  

Only drama is the new one of the mains powered battery charger burning out. This we use when a mooring has 230 volts available (most formal moorings, in fact, have this facility) so we can use 12 volt things - cabin lights, shower pumps, fridge - flat out whilst keeping full batteries, and at the same time the 230 volt kit - toaster, kettle, computer - come straight from the mains.

Ordered one from Evans at Sens - J.P. not interested - but no delivery before 10 days. We can manage fine with engine charger - that is the way we are designed - if we navigate for 3 hours and upwards per day.  Otherwise we have to run the engine "light" on the moorings for 2 spells of 45 to 60 minutes a day. Not usually very popular, and not really very good for the engine.

2 very tired, but very chuffed boaters to slept in a boat properly afloat again.