2003

 BACK TO CALENDAR 2003

This Weeks "We're Here" Map:

The Map is also "thumbnail", same as the pictures - so click on it for full size whilst still connected.

 

 

 

May 11                                                                               Sunday

St Berain-sur-Dheune to Montchanin                 Canal du Centre

Overcast, variable, cold.

Nice trip - up hill - automatics - happiness.

Lunch on moorings at St Julien, on the spot that we took the photo of Albert on the front page of the web-site. Many of the big trees surrounding it have been cut Down, and the place somewhat sanitised.

The basin is still - as signposted - shallow, as a big cruiser that followed us in, found.

Had aimed to stay on Geoff Renel’s moorings, but they seemed to be full of a covey of Brits, so we tied up - perfectly comfortably, at the VNF yard, on the main canal just down from Geoff’s, .

Just up from us was a Wilderness fibreglass narrow boat - about 23 feet - who like the chap from the aluminium one at St J de L, trails his boat to a suitable sites, then cruises appropriately.

Just when we thought it would be polite to go and do a round of visits, an almighty thunderstorm fell, so we stayed at home, had supper, and went to bed.

 

May 12                                                                         Monday

Montchanin to Genelard                     Canal du Centre

Had stated 9.00 as start time.

Large cruiser issued out of Geoff’s as we headed for lock, so held back and gossiped with Electra who we last saw at Montargis last year.

L.K. arrived on far bank, and signaled he wanted us in with the cruiser - not unreasonable, we have now left the automatics, and it was all manual now to the Lateral.

Had to tie up in lock - always tie up when sharing - but dropped most of the ropes - already soaking and filthy from the constant rain - into the canal, then slapped them on side of boat, so lots of muddy slug trails on the coach sides.

Cruiser had Daff engines, always known to smoke a bit, so found Lady Jane rather gaseous, exhaust on this things is not that much our noses. Swapped over at Blanzy lock, but they stopped there - understandable again, we are painfully slow

Through Montceau les Mines without stopping - old mine buildings beginning to look a bit tatty, but retail park by canal at entrance to Montceau - Leklerk, etc - booming.   Good diesel stop - not as good as Paray la Monial!

Lift Bridges all ready for us.   Never had any problems with these, although they are huge, and carry lots of traffic.

Country flat riverine valley, pleasant enough whilst unexciting.

Genelard pleasant little town/village moorings, with facilities on the noisy - very noisy - side in large basin where canal makes 90 degree bend.

Filled with drinking water, and crossed to other side - no lekistry other side, but quieter.

More rain precluded sitting out socialising.

 

May 13                                                                     Tuesday

Genelard to Paray le Monial                             Canal du Centre

Rained most of the night, on and off, and very damp world in morning.

On bike to village for bread.

Whilst breakfasting Dutch type "Schalk" flying Swiss flag shot passed us going much too fast.

Wandered up to lock some 20 minutes later to find they had been held awaiting us.

They tried to get their revenge by leaving exactly 14.5 metres between their back end, and the lock gate.

L.K. tried to force us un by shutting gates on our stern.

Backed boat half out to furious wagging of fingers and statements that "there was plenty of room".

Refused to go in, and checked space in front of schalk. Seemed to be about a full large boat’s length there, but left it to LKs to sort out.

Eventually - unwillingly, - one of them sent him forward - right into the eyes of the lock, leaving enough space for both ourselves and the Queen Mary.

The dear lady on the schalk assured us - in English - that it wasn’t their fault they had to share with us! Couldn’t see relevance,

Significance of all this is that, once again, the L.K.s are in no way responsible for one’s boat, or anything that might happen to it, whether or not it is as a result of their actions, or inactions. So skippers, beware!

Some excitement had been brewing all day due to possibility of a strike that would include L.K.s from mid-day.

We got through the second last lock before Paray la Monial - our destination for the day - to be informed by it’s traveling L.K.- a pleasant fellow - that boats had been stuck in Paray all day because the Paray L.K.s weren’t working, but if we were very lucky there would be someone along after lunch at 1330 to put us through into Paray pound.

It actually took us to 1330 to get to said lock, to find Swiss friend moored up on lock jetty - in strong wind - leaving 14.5 metres for us, and English boat below lock gilling about off his side entrance, whose gates were open.

L.K. arrived, and whilst we blew extensively all over the place, long confabulations occurred down below to which we were not party.

Eventually English boat came in, came up, and disappeared, Swiss went in, we went in, very genial L.K. assured us there was no strikes, or problems of any sort.

However, we did hear, from a thoroughly unreliable source, that the English Boat had been trying to put himself through. Don’t know where the problem was - the gate and paddle handles were all securely welded onto their shafts.

Moored up in Paray, comfortably, and connected electricity and water.

Don’t know fee for this mooring, as, as on previous occasions, fees are only collected on working days, and to-day is some sort of holiday.

 

May 14                                                                                 Wednesday

Paray le Monial to Digoin                                 Canal du Centre.

Weather overcast and cool., developing into pretty foul rain and wind.

Started with customary visit to supermarket at end of town, just across the road from the canal.

Bought gas, and topped up with 2 cans, 9 gallons, 40 litres of diesel, some vegetables, etc.

Significance of here is that one can carry both diesel and gas on foot, and push a S.M. trolley right to the boat, so not disturbing the flowers now growing well in the tow-it-behind-the-bicycle beer and heavy goods carrying buggy.

Made way up canal to Digoin, arriving at mid-day, and moored up canal side just beyond town moorings, which in turn are beyond (Loire side) P. de P. Marina. Always a pleasant run through rural surroundings - except for the roof tile factory, and even they are neat, clean and tidy. There is a fascinating factory in the scrubby bit of Digoin before the P de P etc with thousands of loo pans shrink wrapped onto pallets, but no signs of kilns or concurrent pottery.

For some reason, the last 3 pounds were all very low, and that through Digoin must have been down about a foot, or even half a metre. Side banks were showing, and boats were either moored cock-eye or with holding off poles in Digoin itself. We were assured that the supply was short - reasonably obvious, but the rest of the canal has plenty of water, and the last few year’s troubles have been cured, so what gives. Made Digoin look even sadder than usual.;

Met Ebenhaezer who was next to us for a while in Roanne, and had a gossip. He was also sitting on the bottom, even though at an official mooring spot.

Trailed round town - slightly seedy. is Digoin - looking for polish and tee-cut for boat’s paintwork, and fan belts for engine, and odds and ends. Singularly unsuccessful, which, as far as we can remember, is about normal.

About 1700 female came along and tried to take money off us for moorings. Pointed out that we were well out of moorings, some 140 metres from electric and water points, but she claimed that we still owed her money. Refused, and said we’d move. She walked off in a huff, and about an hour later, for peace of mind we moved to spot about 150 metres along the canal, dug holes in towing path for mooring chains, and found it much quieter as away from bridge which carries all Europe to Spain, Portugal and SW France’s lorry traffic across it - the RN79.

 

May 15                                                                                 Thursday

Digoin to Boulon                                             Canal Lateral a la Loire

Weather still unsettled, and reasonably unpleasant.

Left Digoin happily after buying bread first thing.

Over marvelous canal aqueduct over River Loire, and down 15 metre lock out onto Canal Lateral a la Loire.

Found water level normal down here, but technically this is a different canal, although there is no physical delineation.

Looked sadly down Canal de Digoin a Roanne as we passed the tee junction - 53 kms to Roanne, and still our first love.

Joined by very pleasant couple on their way to return their hire boat to Dompierre in the little arm we looked at last year, on past Renault engine factory to Boulon, where the canal was widened to about 4 times to provide moorings for peniches.

Now a picnic spot, and last time we came here, free moorings with no facilities.

As we came down the last lock we could see a dirty great Dutch Barge moving in to join another dirty great Dutch Barge, thus filling the moorings completely, with a hire boat squashed between.

Wandered over, anyway, to see what we could find - maybe even canalside would be OK.

Right bevy of people seemed to be charging all round everywhere, but concentrated on mooring up, while remarking that one barge looked somewhat like Anna Trotter’s l'Indifference Profond that was, and t’other Derek and Pauline’s Compaen.

They were, along with Bruce Blaikie’s ex-hire boat Zizz strapped to the bows of l’Indifference Profond, which is now Margaretha J again, push tug fashion.

After suitable greetings - noisy - and mooring of Albert against sheet piles with holes, drinks with Derek and Pauline (and 2 of their sons-in-law on M/C trip) and, of course, a Uno session with Anna - duly joined by Compaely clear bright as day full moon.

 

May 16                                                                                 Friday

Boulon to Gannay                                             Canal Lateral a la Loire

Amidst protests, left 0900 for Gannay - "why don’t we all stay here?"

Decided to re-convene at Gannay with Anna and Bruce - Derek and them are waiting for Pauline’s bank card to arrive at the Brookses, so will be resting here for some days.

Nice run - this canal is fun - green, small farms, no apparent agribusiness ripping hedges out, not too neat and tidy, but thoroughly pleasant, fresh and green.

Passed Roy and Audrey Brooks’ at Garnett sur Engievre, with 3 narrow boats moored outside, but didn’t see them in or around the house, - hooted, so passed on.

Arrived Gannay well before lunch, moored up, and nipped up to the little restaurant overlooking the moorings for omelets and ham salad. Yum.

Had left enough space for Anna and Bruce’s combination, except for a lovely little Canadian motor sailor.

They pulled out as Anna arrived, mid afternoon, but were slow enough to get Anna thoroughly caught in the off shore wind, blowing over to far side of canal. She coped well, and got her in OK after a spell of too-ing and fro-ing.

Drinks on grass, to-gether with large bowl of frittes from restaurant.

 

 

May 17                                                                                 Saturday

Gannay to Decize Basin                                 Canal Lateral a Loire

Rain when we departed, and showery all day, with intermittent spells of weak watery sunshine.

Gannay a good mooring and nice people(!), but felt we ought to make positive efforts to sort modem in mobile telephone out, and think we’ve done everything possible, computer wise.

Saw - as each year over the last 4 years - a pair of storks nesting on top of broken/sawn off tree, just on the Decize side of Lock 13, l’Huilerie. (Their tree fell down, the year before last and some kind soul sawed off the top of a neighbouring tree, and apparently they moved house to it quite happily. We have logged this each year, and we have a lot of fun watching for them as we pass each time. The local LK - a very genial chap - is happy to talk about them, but the "new" site is hidden behind other trees to watchers heading for Decize, so keep looking over your right shoulders.

Just didn’t make last lock on Lateral before 11.45, so had to wait around till 1300 for LK’s lunch break. Asked if we could wait in lock - which was full, but no go, so just drifted around outside wile we had lunch.

Round to automatic lock into Decize basin. Large sign indicated pull tirette cord for 5". Interpreted that to mean 5 inches - strange in metric France, and anyway, who’s measuring. Pulled it and nothing happened. Interpreted sign as possibly pull 45 times, again nothing, but bod appeared from L.K.’s shack (2 bods and a girl, actually) and did things, and it all worked. Sign meant, of course, pull and hold for 5 seconds.

Tied up in CBL pontoons - always previously tied up on VNF pontoon, amongst their sinking amphibious lorry and bits for free.

Want electricity to have prolonged session on computer and try and get e-mail etc - which has been giving grief over the past week - going properly.

Session unsuccessful - we only have half signal on mobile, anyway.

Did quick dash by bike over to big spares factor in St Ledger de Vyne, but closed - Saturday!

Disgracefully expensive here for what we’ve got - €8.00 per night!