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Spent day looking out at the rain, and what used to be called euphemistically "interior economy"

In other words I cleaned everything I could see or think of inside the boat - loo, kitchen, etc. A jolly day.

Embarrassed by presence in moorings of large plastic craft whose crew watched me nod off at the tiller and ram France yesterday. Seemed to catch their eye whenever visibility was good enough to see them.

Love these canals - Centre, lateral à la Loire, Loing, right through to Briare and on. Lots to see and enjoy, and relatively simple boating, with - usually - 1 L.K. to 2 locks. They are, as far as the boater is concerned, all 1 canal, of course from the Saône to the Seine.

Only 1 other boat on Beaulon mooring - the large green Dutch Schalk that has been leap-frogging with me all the way up from Chagny.

He had left me the corner slot - the best slot - I suspect because he only had short hoses and electricity cables. This was the exact spot where I spent 3 weeks last year trying to re-cover Albert from his/her 18 months desertion in St Jean de Losne. Spent happy 10 minutes seeing if there was any trace of my painting efforts. Fortunately, none, but somebody had spilt what looked like their dirty white spirit onto the concrete.

Thorough wash, and polish. Unfortunately, the paintwork is really beyond recovery, the green "faded" almost to a rather attractive, but unmatchable very black green, but showing all the patches as a completely different shade, although from the same tin. The blue has bleached to a lifeless nondescript grubby mid blue, but the cream roof is fine. The red line around the cream panel is a medium brown, or non-existent.

Fun going back to the village, which I got to know quite well last year. All "commerces" plus a cash machine, this year. Nice level road - 10 minutes, max.

Still fun seeing the familiar places, lunch on Gannay moorings. Now lots of signs saying one has to pay for overnight mooring, go to office at hire base.

Never quite sure of this business of running around to find the receiver of custom, on these occasions. All too often there is no one there, and several trips have to be made, or receiver is busy doing something else, and if he can be persuaded to take one's money he is too busy to write a receipt..........................

Couldn't find - or missed - stork tree, but unlikely to be occupied at this time of year. Am assured that they were there this spring.

Had map book tucked up under the cover, so could get glimpse of it at risk of ramming France again.

At rather dreary moment about 4.00 p.m. when would have done almost anything for a cup of tea, reckoned at least 7 kms, 1 lock, and/or an hour to go.

Round corner - slightly dozily - and there was the Decize junction, with 2 boats just coming up in the side lock.

Happiness was a mistake in mapreading that counted for me. Was so cold and wet drove rudely straight across their bows and made them wait while did the necessary swiveling and turning to get to and pull the tirette so the lock wouldn't do it's automatical thing and go and close on me. The tirette on this lock is placed on the corner to suit south going boats - north goers have to go past the junction, and do a "U" turn.

Started in to prepare Albert for a long wet winter! At same time, much interior economy.

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