2004

BACK TO CALENDAR 2004

1.9   7th to 13th June, 2004

This Weeks "We-think-we-are-here-map". (Our estimated position at the END of the week.

 

 

The Map is a "thumbnail", click on it for full size whilst still connected to the web-site

 

NB.   Dates for last week on the calendar page, and at the top of the log page were nonsense.    They did actually refer to the right page, but were wrongly entered!   Sorry!  It has all been corrected now.

 

Monday 7 June 2004          In Chatillon-en-Bazois    Canal du Nivernais

Decided to "stick around", enjoy the sun and do "Interior Administration".

Moved boat to other side of basin, felt a bit mean deserting Chris Matthews - but there was more shade and it was quieter over there - and settled in.

Nobody in except cruiser lying in "our spot" since last year getting a re-build, and Isjlmeer - Willie and Elsa from Roanne. 

Day off!

Hot, clear, dry, cool in the breeze and the shade.  

Basin filled up - hire and privates - dribbling in all day.

Great White Whale next to us had a yappy dog - it yapped often.

N.B. Adagio, from Montchanin, Tony and Mary Miller arrived to find basin full, so into cut just above basin.   Drinks and gossip.

 

Tuesday 8 June 2004       In Chatillon-en-Bazois     Canal du Nivernais

Same weather - still didn't feel like moving.

Decided to improve shining hour with work on boat, but weather too nice, so a lot of sitting in shade reading or just dozing ensued.

Had a go at shower water supply.   Recently showers have alternated between furious squirt of very hot water, and feeble dribble of cold in 90 second cycles.   Blamed pump, and intended to dismantel and have a go at pressure control switch.   However, before starting on off chance pumped up air bell accumulator (empty pot thing connected into water supply that is supposed to keep pressure constant by containing air under pressure) and bingo, it all worked better than for months.   Half an hour for a perceived 4 hour job.   Showers almost back to normal.

Re-installed Ventian blinds on windows so that they both work and look inconspicuous.   Ugly things, Venetian blinds.

Massive internal boat clean.

Rigged all brollies for shade, including old "Anchor Shade"

Tea by Adagio.

 

Wednesday 9 June 2004      Chatillon to Bazolles         Canal du Nivernais

Lovely run up to Bazolles - a village about 2 to 3 kms from the summit at Baye.

Real Nivernais country - green paddocks, white cattle, hedges, not fences around small fields, massive trees by the canal, lots of woods, copses and forest, park like country, buttercups, hay, etc etc etc.

Hot and sunny - biminy a real success story.   (It looks dreadful on a Narrow Boat, though!)

Lunch just above first double lock,

Moored up below Bazolles.

There is deep water, vertical sides and shade on the West - or sunny side - of the canal from the triple lock to about three quarters of a km below the Bazolles bridge.  Towards the end there is a park-like stretch with big trees, and short grass, with the trees close enough for mooring to.  Very comfortable.

VNF are doing a lot of canal edge sheet piling - revetts - up here - miles of it.    Most impressive.

Adagio came by, although they were due to spend another day in Chatillon looking for a battery.   We had considered going down the Sardy flight "a la narrow-boat" when we were gossiping in Chatillon.

Confirmed 10 a.m. start from Baye - the traffic light controlled tunnel through the hill on the Yonne/Aron water shed.

Lock Keepers informed of plan!

 

Thursday 10 June 2004       Bazolles to Sardy     Canal du Nivernais

Set off smart 0845 - LKs start at 0900.

Into lock past Christine and Pete's cottage.    Lusty bellow from bedroom window.    Super to see them -  came down to us at the lock!

Much gossip, meanwhile gently unostentatiously put boat through lock ourselves.

Explained about RV for going down flight, so they asked us to dinner - fetch and carry - from Sardy.

Jean Claude LK - arrived apologetic - he'd been to get his car MOT'd! - and off we went through his 2 locks.

Through onto Lake side wall to RV at exactly 10.00  to find Adagio safe and sound on wall mooring RV, but lifeless.

Went on, made enquiries of other boaters, consensus was that they were still asleep.

Went back, they appeared, and off we went past green light through tunnel.

Arrived in basin at top of flight, to find 1 boat already in lock awaiting us, 1 LK - long hair hippy type - present.  Expressed concern about thought of 3 boats in lock.

LK agreeable that we should wait for Adagio, then let slip that there were no more LKs, and he would be between 1 and 5 hours in coming back to collect us!

Suggested ringing Chef de Navigation.   Not a popular idea, so waited until after he had gone to do so.   Assured that there would be someone with us shortly.    There was - same guy - 11.55, so did not get away until 1300!   Fine cock-up all round. Meantime a third boat had arrived!   

Had lunch whilst awaiting action.

Ran down flight very nippily - 2 narrow boats side by side, 3rd boat decided to wait till to-morrow.  Close set locks in forest clearing - apart from the "Hippy" lock (painted pink throughout, full sized baby doll poised over the chimney pot,  see.

Pulled into Sardy tea time, had shower, and were picked up by Christine and Pete for dinner - this is "boating" par excellence.    Lovely dinner and gossip.

 

 

Friday 11 June 2004             Sardy to Chitry les Mines     Canal du NivernaisLots of rain in night, woke up to grey misty drizzle.Off  at 0930,  then found had left favourite hat  at Christine's.Just "continuing" when  Discovery 4X4 approached along towing path, had altercation with BM LK who wouldn't pass but wanted all of track for his horrid little van, and Christine appeared and delivered hat.   Able to replace knotted handkerchief (used) donned prior to hat arrival.

We're now out of the forest into the upper end of the Yonne Valley still with that lovely Nivernais combination we keep bleating about - small fields, paddocks and grassy meadows, large scattered trees and plenty of them, copses, woods, and forest in the back ground, Charolais cattle in buttercups (actually the buttercups are nearly over), and the occasional field of small grain cereals.

Half way through morning found lock being held for us with cruiser (Burgundy) in locks. Thence it was the 3 of us for some 4 to 5 locks - they were desperately slow hardly causing a ripple of a bow wave until they pulled into their own hire base.    Hate 3 boats in locks - feel chances of problems go up geometrically - 2 boats 4 times as much as 1, but 3 boats 9 times!   Probably oversensitive on this issue - but got jammed alongside a loose hire boat in a rising lock on the Centre once, and several times have had to fend off hire boat bows from impinging on our stern space, where our tiller swan's neck is particularly but not obviously vulnerable.   (Stupid design - but it looks nice!)

Into Chitry les Mines.  Took spot right at entrance, but private cruiser fellow asked if he could have that position as he needed electricity.   Delighted, we had his - right inside the harbour and potentially quieter.

More boats arrived, including 7 Rive de France full of Czech.  (Czechoslovakians, but they are not that now - people from the Czech Republic).

Set up Anchor Shade on grass by boat, and relaxed.   Harbour got fuller and cafe got busier (amazed - last twice we have been here completely lifeless) and constant - seemed constant - stream of cars passed us sitting under out brolleys (us, not the cars).

Ted Johnston appeared  and warned us - a little officiously - about not getting stuck behind a large boat that was leaving in the morning.   

 

Saturday 12 June 2004         Chitry les Mines  to Villiers sur Yonne      Canal du Nivernais

Fine and warm to hot.   Biminy well in use.

Got a bit entangled in lift bridges.   Fine when it was the 2 narrow boats only, but found Australian cruiser held in lock awaiting us.   He had left Chitry les Mines at least 45 minutes before us, but was very slow going through locks - lots of shunting and knitting.

From then on, 3 boats in locks, with 2 narrow boats in back.   Reckon cruiser felt we were slowing him diown - but as we had caught him up in the first place - a little doubtful.

Lunch in Monceaux le Comte - little mooring beside pile of enormous logs dating from the "tempête" of 3 years ago under irrigation.   Water, deep sides, village with Boulangeries and alimentation.   Much recomended, but could be fidgity from passing boats. Water standpipe.  We had lunch with Eric and Lesley of l'Etal sometime in the dim past.

After visiting village quite forgot we were stopping for an hour only altogether, so were caught with half eatrn sandwiches when Adagio pulled out, and arrived at lock to dcouls from Australians.

Past Tannay/Cuzy, the CBL base.   Moaned last year that moorings on opposite side of canal to hire base had been "discontinued".   Looked as though they have been re-established with new electricity and water points, and grass cut.   Good!

The dreadful tatty Locaboat small Penichette with the tragic history that lay here for about 4 years has finally gone.

Felt we had done enough - stopped at Villiers-sur-Yonne.  Since last stop here trees have grown up, the play area between the hedge and the river has been developed, and a water and electricity point - subsequently well vandalised - have been installed.

Comfortable and quiet night.

 

Sunday 13 June 2004             Villiers sur Yonne to Chevroches           Canal du Nivernais

Dry and clear, but strong cold wind.

Limited day - day off considered necessary, so went only as far as Chevroches - 2 locks and 5 kms - when we all came too in mid morning, after crooning over the lovely old brass theodolite Tony found at the local vide grenier.   Must confess to considerable jealousy.

We are now at the stage of the season when formal moorings - especially at beauty spots - fill up quite fast and we were a little nervous that a combination of this, and the fact that it was the week-end, combined with a fair number of boats going the other way to us, would mean Chevroches would be full - expecially as it is a hotel boat mooring.

However - it was empty, and we were able to choose our position and plug in electricity in comfort.   

With this year's new batteries, we are quite happy to do without moorings electricity supply - as indeed we should be - but a series of slow quiet days, early stops, and day offs, can mean we get a bit low - not quite putting back what we use in the evenings - although we've never been below half  yet - I think.

Chevroches has always been a favourite of ours - incredible diversity of country side from the forest to the cereal fields - badly lodged this year - in the ancient river bed.  On top of that, the village is charming - and was well photographed by us last year, and the year before.

As herself was now well into her shingles kick, morning and afternoon taken quietly, with a cycle ride in the evening.

The evening's cycle ride revealed the shock-horror that we were being advanced upon by the 7 Rive de France boats full of a new set of Czechs, doing the return 7 day trip from Chitry to Saint-Florentin.

No drama - considering the screaming and yelling we would have got from 7 boat loads of Brits or Germans on an organised tour, they were extraordinarily quiet and undemanding.   As at Chitry, just tied themselves up and got on with doing their thing.   Theyt did, however, more than fill the mooring, and we would not have been comfortable if we had not got there first.

Pleasant quiet night - although cold wind now strong.