Besançon to Novillar. Canal Rhône au Rhine - River Doubs

Not a long run - very pleasant with valley sides clothed in forest sweeping right down to river, and massive cliffs overlooking river - river terribly low.

Found brand new 20m pontoon - unmarked, so quite by chance. Sufficient shade up on bank to put chairs and vegetate.

Place was on a main road (bit noisy, rly near by as well), and revolved around fast food, and camping car stop. Huge car park - empty - burger joint - public loos and showers - and bar/restaurant in garden - all well away from pontoon.

Bought some hot chips to go with drinks - very disappointing - came from packet marked McCains, very expensive, and tasted of cardboard! Can’t win them all.

Fireworks just across and down the river a bit later on after gone to bed. Clearly visible and enjoyable from the boat - French are mighty good at firework displays.

Novillar to reach above Baume les Dames. Canal Rhône au Rhine - River Doubs

Nice country, forest down to river side, with widening valleys and a bit of scrubby paddock and maize, all looking dried out and dusty, weather now supremely hot again.

Heading for Baume les Dames.

For boaters as confused as us over Baume les Dames, which is publicised as almost a boating mecca - caution. It has 2 mooring sites.

On the "ski" reach above the town, above lock 39 Lonot, there is a pontoon for passing boats right in amongst the camping/ski boat site. It is 10 metres long, and is subject to continual bouncing from the ski boats that have little jetties above and below the pontoon, and take off skiing from opposite. Their owners of course, occupy the camp site. There were 2 boats - of the 12 to 13 metre size - moored up to it when we came past - taking half the pontoon each.

On the town reach itself (if you can call it that), on the cut between guard lock 40, and no 40 itself, there was a sort of jetty, with room for 4 or 5 boats opposite the VNF offices and camping car site. The jetty walls are high misaligned fascines of sharp edged stones in wire nets, topped by dusty earth. Plain horrid, but feasible in an emergency. The Camping Car site was bleak, unshaded and dirty!  When we came up there was some 4 weeks of rubbish piled at and around the rubbish bin.

We went on up, past the ski/camping site, through the next lock, and eventually found a tree partially overshadowing the water, so pushed in in the hopes that there would be enough water beneath, and enough shade on top.

There wasn’t - straight onto the rocks, and could see that even if we could have stepped off the boat and down to the river bed, a twisted ankle was waiting for anyone trying to wade ashore.

Tried - first time ever - our anchor. It held, and by dint of much pushing with shafts, throwing wet ropes over branches, trimming other branches, and wriggling around, we were able to get close enough in to have a modicum of shade from searing sun, and still enough water to float in. Couldn’t, of course, get ashore to put chairs out and sit in shade, but once again partial win better than loosing all.

Strong wind got up in late evening, so put extra ropes - but all held.

July 15 Tuesday

Baume les Dames to Clerval.         Canal Rhône au Rhine - River Doubs

Long day, hot, river side very shallow (however, couldn't find bottom 10 metres out from edge, but followed buoys and distance markers carefully -) country side opening out a bit, but still forested hill sides on both banks with cleared areas, paddocks, scrub, and a bit of maize. Parts of hillsides high broken cliffs!

Small town between river cliffs, busy building new road bridge to replace existing, which in turn has piers for previous bridge beside it. Just behind moorings, Proxi marche, - almost empty, boulangerie closed, but very good one on opposite side of river to moorings. Also good pharmacy.

Took top mooring, on assumption that if one can avoid a neighbour on one side one is that much better off, and backed in across mild current. Started propeller ploughing bottom 2 metres from main pontoon, but enough of finger to secure Albert. Largish boat further down took a bow line across the water to hold us steady.

Visited doctor for ankle ulcer. Walk into waiting room, unannounced - no receptionist, but air conditioned! Dr comes through after less than 5 minutes - invite - cheerfully - into surgery - fluent English - careful check of problem, and medical history.

Considerable trouble taken to prescribe, and ensure we know what to do with various dressings. €20.00.

Fan on again, all night. This is the joy of shore electricity - we cannot carry the fan running for any reasonable length of time without running the engine.

Clerval to L’Isle-sur-le-Doubs.             Canal Rhône au Rhine - River Doubs

Still hot - lovely scenery, valley opening out, with agriculture in valley bottom., but still too hot to appreciate it properly.

Just below Clerval lock, big high jetty - rings and all - with a big "Super-U" supermarket over the road.

Big shop, bringing trolley back to the boat, then 3 cans of diesel, likewise bringing back to boat in trolley. Light work, but completely drenched with sweat by the time we finished.

Up through the lock to the town moorings - at least the breeze - if any - could move around us - we were - just - above land level, whereas at the S.M. jetty we were 10 feet down.

Town moorings brand new, completely shadeless, and no facilities, in spite of tourist brochure. However, until large Belgian Dutch Barge arrived and sat on our back side, perfectly comfortable.

Cycle ride around town - historically had iron foundry making wood screws powered by water over weir. In spite of tourist blurb saying it still exists nothing now appears to remain except parks, photos, and foundations - but still very nice!

It was here that impression felt of walking on gravel in bare feet was found to be justified by the fact that I was walking on gravel in bare feet through large holes in soles of boating shoes.

Showed - as joke to indicate supreme poverty amongst Brit boaters to passing German we had got to know, and he came up with 2 slabs of materiel labeled "self sole", or something similar. Set too with kitchen scissors, and Evo-Stick, and shoes as good as new, and gravel held at bay.

Hot night - but no electricity, so had to live with it - or rather without the fan.

July 17 Thursday

L'Isle-sue-le-Doubs to Montbeliard Canal Rhône au Rhine - River Doubs

Morning enlivened by inability of large Belgian Dutch barge’s inability to get off the jetty. Finished by banging us, quite heavily, at the back end, and leaving some of his disgusting blue paint. We had got gossiping with him last evening, and he seemed quite pleasant, but was Swiss, and it seems few of the Swiss on the waterways know the form! Much too fast, and disregard other users.  Is this anything to do with the fact that they won the America's Cup?   Have asked a couple, and they appear to knoe nothing about it!

Valley opening out, and a lot of the way now in canal, with locks - although "automatic-electric, user operated" switched off and controlled by LKs. We suspect that, with the system being new, these are broken down installations. This, of course, does not make it any the less enervating, waiting outside an automatic lock, complete with lights, wondering if it has just failed, has been dead for 2 or 3 hours, or is supposed to be manned, but the LK is asleep in his/her car.

Into Montbeliard P. de P. (Nichol’s) about tea time.

Took a long time to select suitable mooring site - close to shore shade for us - none for boat of course.

Tried out new 50 metre cable for shore electrics. Charger only half worked, and it's cooling fan not at all.

Moved boat closer to power point and tried old short cables, but same result.

Eventually found that it was charging, but ammeter giving doubtful reading! Put ex computer cooling fan over air intake, coupled it all up, and without knowing what it was all about seemed to get reasonable charge in to both domestic and engine batteries, and charger retained reasonable temperature. Read directions - finally - and found that charger is not affected by voltage drop, so long cable was not the culprit, anyway.

Whole episode in torrid heat very boring. We only actually need the charger when moored up for long periods because our fridge is 12 volt, and runs off the batteries, and in current weather is running practically 24 hours a day - normally maybe 25% to 60% of the time.

July 18 Friday

In Montbeliard.

Took courage in both - all 4 - hands, set off on bikes through busy streets of Montbeliard and Sochau to Peugeot factory and museum.

Monbteliard is a "Four Flower Town". That is, it's municipal gardens are officially highly rated.   They were superb, even the grass green and lush.   The flower beds were beautiful and very imaginative.

Enjoyed museum, although like all museums - tiring!

Saw everything produced by Peugeot since century before last - saws, saw sharpening kit, hand tools, kitchen coffee grinders, sewing machines, and of course, lots of cars, including models - grey 203 and blue 403 station wagon that we had when first married!

Back to sweat it out in P. de Pl.

July 19 Saturday

Montbeliard to Summit Pound - Montreux Jeune - Canal Rhône a Rhine.

Still dreadfully hot, but an interesting run.

From Montbeliard we have been coming into more open country, and at the Belfort Embrachement turn off we finally left the forest or wooded areas altogether and emerged onto the "upland plateau", passing through the last few locks and kms up to the summit pound.

Dry, hot, parched and dusty. Numerous factories - still with peniche moorings by them. These are marked in EDB as "moorings" and in the literal sense so they are. But pretty dreary, and no outlook or facilities at all. There were 3 old live-aboard peniches permanently moored up, looking very forlorn - one had mud high water mark at an angle round it where it had sunk, and been raised.

Finally through last lock -

Water point at top lock had been closed and dismantled - found the base works! Slightly embarassed - we had not filled up at Montbeliard deliberately, we had plenty there. and had to pay to fill up (This chargeing for water is a slightly mean and childish habit of Nichol’s Hire Cruisers when they take over and run a Port de Plaisance).

This means there is no drinking water available between Montbeliard and Dannemarie/Woldersdorf.

However - bliss right ahead.

Pound is full up to top level.   Sides are sheet piling with holes.   Canal at least 25 metres wide, with trees on both sides high and thick, giving full shade almost right across.   What more could an overheated boater want?

Moored up - comfortably - there was kms of room, and endless choice of "spots", and put out chairs and set about cooling off and recovering!