2006

BACK TO CALENDAR 2006

 

2.5 24 July to 30 July 2006

 

No pictures taken this week on the Bourgogne yet, 2 Yonne picture put in for fun.

 

24 July, Monday, Le Vieux Péchoir R.Yonne

25 July, Tuesday, Le Vieux Péchoir R.Yonne  

The 4 days spent with Juliet at the Péchoir were the climax of this year's dual project of "sorting" Albert after his/her 18 months neglect last year in the reeds at St Jean de Losne, and secondly seeing if single handed boating in Albert in France was my thing.   As far as "sorting" was concerned, I have done my best, and the boat is not too bad at all.   But there is, and always will be, an awful lot of work to be done - when, with boats, is there not?

As far as single handed boating is concerned, at present I feel that, though I may not be all that good at it, it was, and is, good fun, and long may I continue able to do it.  The heat was, to some extent, a snag, but even that I seemed to get used to.

 

26 July, Wednesday, Le Vieux Péchoir R.Yonne to Migennes C.de Bourgogne

Set out after lunch, leisurely unmooring, taking down my unbelievably Heath Robinson contraption for carrying electricity to the boat, and getting away.

As usual, puzzled L.K. at Epineau - where had I come from?  Then into the basin that is the very start (or the very end) of the Canal de Bourgogne with 2 hire boats below Migennes lock.

Also as usual, L.K. seeing Albert from in front thought he/she is tiny, so will fit in with 2 other boats, so once again we have the waving into followed by the waving out again.   Why will they never believe that just possibly, sometime, the boat owner knows what he is on about?

Another hire boat arrived while I waited, so I was spared the normal argument trying to push us up to the front! by persuading  them to go in first.

Moored up on public moorings, to be told by my neighbour, after 2 hours, at 10 minutes to 7 o'clock, that he had been burgled the previous night.

Too late to move - locks close at 1900, but battened Albert down from inside, put various Joshua Slocum type devices on the fore and after decks,  hid  all my cameras, computers, telephones, etc., in various remote parts of the boat, set the fans running all night, and retired to bed.  

Very hot and humid - couldn't move without breaking into a sweat.

Middle of the night heavy rain storm, and as I had left the bimini up, thought there might be strong winds with the rain, so set out to take it down.

Forgot cardinal rules nos 1 and 2.   First put glasses on, then put shoes on.   Not a successful project.   Rain had stopped by the time I finished.

 

 

27 July, Thursday, Migennes to Brienon sur Armancon, C.de Bourgogne 

Spent whole of first half of morning trying to remember and find precious things hidden away last night.

Then Juliet arrived, and took me on one last shopping expedition to the enormous Super Markets above Migennes - most successful, finally getting amongst other things, some Thetford Green which is totally vital to my loo holding tank/pump-out system.   I was down to quarter of a bottle, and not only is it not very easy to get, it is extremely difficult to explain what it is one actually wants. 

After lunch set off up the Bourgogne.   Slightly dull this first bit - all along the railway line, through scrub and bush.

Got long and involved lecture from 2nd L.K. on the proper way to go through a lock.   Even if only the one boat, he should not sit right at the back, but should do as the L.K. tells him and go up to the front so he can be bashed by the turbulence!

In all fairness - although this was singularly stupid instruction, and no I did NOT go up to the front - they must get so many eager-beaver hire boats with crews straight off the motor-ways that an assumption of total ignorance on the part of crews is not unreasonable.   It's awfully boring, though, and one is slightly dubious as to the guy's motives on occasions such as this.

Went on through to Brienon village, and, after a lot of toing and froing, moored up on the public moorings.   The perspective view up the canal was very strange, and they looked, until I was right on them, as though they were full.   In fact, masses of room.   The hire base at the end makes them look very slightly odd..

 

28 July, Friday, Brienon sur Armancon, C.de Bourgogne 

.Didn't feel like doing very much, so did just that.   Certain feeling of anti-climax, having successfully finished main project.

 

29 July, Saturday and 30 July, Sunday, Brienon sur Armancon, C.de Bourgogne

Pulled self to-gether, lots of boat cleaning, inside and out, and general tidying up.

Also lots of sitting in the shade reading.

Started on writing up log back-log.