near la Grange lock to Belleville.

Usual - by now - early start, 0815!

Stopped off at S.M. at St Satur to get odd comestible. Had got more favourable mooring this time - but right stinker to get in, with wind from left rear quarter, blowing boat ahead, and away from canalside. First time came wrong as had to leave steering to get front fenders down, and she blew/wandered off line.

Came in neatly second time, and moored up properly with well hammered pegs. springs, and all.

Decided, as close as possible to fuel pumps, to get 2nd 2 jerricans not filled last week, filled. Carry back some 40 paces shorter - counted them!

Lunch on fisherman’s short grass fishing station - unlikely to want it at mid-day on Monday.

Canal now getting quite busy - holidays started - many hire boats. Base at Briare seems bigger than last time we were here, and we are within reach of Decize based boats. Also, there must be a Nichols base close!

Held up in the lock waiting for slow hire boat where the little red yacht broke down. L.K. remembered Albert. Just shows - one cannot do anything unobserved.

Weather - cool since morning, became overcast, and even chilly.

Belleville had lots of boats - including a Hotel - moored up to canal side above the lock - there are formal moorings there as well - and heart sank as approaching, thinking actual moorings full. However, all was joy - only one other boat present.

Met friendly tourist girl, hired electricity plug, and settled down just as it started raining.

Belleville

Occupied day happily in boat tasks, strenuously trying to cure propeller clatter, which has re-started. Strongly suspect it is a function of water depth and cross section, acting upon amount of water being permitted to forced to run around the "swim".

Cannot remember doing anything in particular, so presumably whiled away day happily - canal quite busy now.

Belleville.

Intended massive boat clean. Got ladders and other junk off top when it started to rain.

Little else got done, except improvement in afternoon/evening allowed complete clean, top, sides and brass.

Belleville to Briare.

Day started at 0200 (heard the church bells, so know this is accurate) with thunderous metallic clangs throughout boat.

Leaped to feet from bed. No, got slowly out of bed, muttering "what the hell", in a bemused way.

Staggered out of back door, stumbled over battery box covers - removed for checking batteries - job not finished - so covers not replaced.

Cursed.

Noted different view from last night - appeared Albert was playing fast and loose in a physical manner with small Dutch steel cruiser which should have been 50 metres behind.

Albert’s bow was against jetty, stern dangling in mid canal.

Went ashore - pyjamas, bare feet, no glasses - got hold of centre line (rope to ring in centre of top of boat roof, and one of the most useful things that narrow boots all have - or should have - and pulled boat back to jetty and walked her back to original mooring spot.

All 3 mooring ropes were dangling underneath the boat in the water - as was the electricity line. Moored up again - now supervised by Dutch boat owner.

Electricity line missing coupling converting standard caravan fitting to French 3 pin plug. Stolen?? removed and thrown into the water?? Anyway, had spare, so reconnected, but no power. Tried another point - fine. Conclusion, power ;line ripped out when boat drifted, causing problems that blew circuit breaker.

Dutch skipper insisted on calling police, as he had chased away some car borne youths at midnight, who were messing with his boat. The had probably already cast us off, but as there was complete calm, and no current, any results would be very slow.

Personally, would have returned to bed, as we weren’t finished for about 2 hours, and these things are always totally inconclusive, and it does happen to everyone from time to time.

Answer - moor up so that ropes are not easily removed from landside bollards even in rural villages - ours are habitually just loops dropped over.

Leave exits and entries to boat clear.

Don’t go charging off into the night without glasses, torch, and shoes.

If they are those sort of bollards, work out a scheme whereby ropes are difficult to lift off, and there is some sort of back-up - e.g. an inconspicuous padlocked chain to land.

All very dramatic at the time between 0200 to 0400 in a country village, but not long-term.

Back to sleep eventually. Up at 0700, to tidy up, and push off for Briare.

Started too early, so that by 11.30 so hungry had to stop for lunch, ate it, and went to sleep in fitful sun.

Over Pont Canal - discouraged trip boat from entering far end when we half way over (single lane traffic only) with yellow flasher. Albert’s front profile is so small in relation to all other traffic, that people - especially the professionals - are inclined to class us with fishermen’s rowing boats to be ignored, until they (the professionals) come up close. Hence yellow flashing light - that has caused so much ribaldry over the past 2 years - on the top front roof.

Pictures are still Pont Canal - sorry!

Briare, late afternoon to find Port de Commerce full, and had to go down the locks behind the town to the P. de P.

No real space there either, so breasted up to Falcon - a long time resident N.B. in the port.

Port very pretty to look at, well run and welcoming, and facilities well thought out and more than adequate.

However - water quite disgusting - boat floating in a porridge of sludge, dead fish, and dead birds, no trees but cars parked 19 feet from boats, and local youth riding round and round on scooters with no exhausts. Felt uncomfortable, and doubtful if S. could cope with scrabbling over Falcon to get on board - although have to say again, that the staff were very good - as were the trip boat drivers, who included us in their commentaries to their customers, and very free with cheery waves.

Briare to Briare.

Ran over on Brompton first thing to see if occupants in Port de Commerce had gone. Knew the boats - 3 large ones traveling very slowly as a gang since St Mammés.

They had, so back to Albert, hasty un-moor, and lit out quickly, to go back round. (at least a 90 minute trip!)

First snag - trip boat pinched my lock - they have every right so to do, and it is always done with great good will - they are commercial, we are playing.

Another 15 minutes lost - however, felt totally relaxed about it, and Capitaine helped us through first lock. Explained what I was doing - and he reckoned we’d be successful. Paid him for last night!

Nice trip up the remaining locks - they are interesting for a single handers at 30 metres long instead of 40, and at an increasing depth from 1.25 metres to 4.25 for the top one. The significance of the shortened lock is that we can’t really - at 15 metres long - sit at the back of the lock when the water is coming in, and keep out of the disturbed water, and remain snugged up to one wall without doing anything, as is our wont. Also, the paddles are large, so the locks fill and empty quickly resulting in some really quite exciting conditions on entry, and in the locks.

A keeper sees one through the 4.25m deep one with a hook for a tying up rope. Carried out usual practice of tying boat front cleat to bollard half way back on lock wall, and driving into the rope with rudder over, holding her against the wall.

However, rise was very quick - , and we were of necessity too near the turbulence of the incoming water, so that Albert made for far wall sideways. Held her steady with engine slightly against the rope, and she leant nicely against the wall, meeting it absolutely parallel, and stayed there comfortably for the rest of rise. L.K. agreed that the lock was a "little bit strong" but there is nothing he can do - they are all automatic!

Unruffled we made for Port de Commerce flat out, to find it had filled up again. However, Capitaine from P. de Plaisance was firmly re-locating boats to make room for Albert. Arranged about 16 metres, and good challenge to get in accurately in strong wind without loosing it on the far bank, or drifting sideways across wind into the hire base.

Eventually, they all pushed off anyway, and able to stretch moorings a bit.

Then came the rain, and rows of sad hire boats looking for shelter!

Went grocery shopping - forgot the eggs, and when went back for them, forgot the money!

in Briare.

Dull showery grey day.

Boat titivation and quai side gossip most of morning - joined by 2 Dutchmen who put their boats even closer than Albert was yesterday. However, had moved her far enough forward to give us room to move back again to allow "inter-boat" space to be reasonable. These dirty great cruisers have great high sterns and occupants can sit on them, have their drinks and meals, and entertain themselves by watching us living.

Phone call from Paris from S, giving time of arrival, so phoned taxi to meat immediately - although she left with 1 trailable rucksack, she now had 2 - 1 carryable only.

Went on bike as well to meet. Enormous train (15 - 18 carriages?) - only 1 third opposite platform - fortunately right third. What had been a dead Saturday morning station with not a soul about except me suddenly erupted with a lot of passengers getting off - including 10 Australian Crown Blue Line customers who tried to noble our tax! Taxi driver - same as last time - saw them off. He returned and fetched them later - there are no taxi ranks as such - you have to ring and order.

Put Brompton into taxi with luggage and rode in style back to boat.

Lunch, followed by distribution of mail and "loot". Included new master battery switch and best of all - new digital camera with all knobs and whistle imaginable. Super - watch this space for results next week - if we get around to publishing in time.

Afternoon - sleep for exhausted passenger. Trip back was from Portsmouth on P & O overnight ferry to le Havre, SNCF to Paris to Briare. No cabin on ferry, so made up bed with chairs etc in Club Class. Slept plentifully on train, as well, but still a bit bent.

Re-couped energies with afternoon sleep, whilst efforts made to suss the new camera - how does anyone, who has no knowledge of computers even begin to understand how to use these things.

Rained!

Weather cleared to very pleasant evening.

Cycle ride around P. de P. and down to old Canal de Loing and Pont Canal, to see it from side and below. Some Camping Cars - there were 15 in the Commercial Port alone - had got nice sites right overlooking the Loire. Took some photos with old camera - new one not up and running yet.

Had a look at mail - in spite of rigorous weeding - mostly junk. (Except for Income Tax returns)

Late (stupid) bed.