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2008

BACK TO CALENDAR 2008


3.5 7 to 13 Sep 2008

To the Map on the Contents Page Just click on the words, but you will have to find your own way back till I have worked out a fix.


7 Sep 2008 Sunday Montchanin to St Julien-sur-Dheune Canal du Centre
Woke up to fine sunny day - strong chilly wind - but anything better than yesterday's rain.

Couldn't make up mind whether to go on or stay. Mooring outside VNF yard comfortable, reasonably quiet, good strong mooring with plenty of depth, but no facilities - not that latter are all that necessary.

Went up to town for bread. Had plenty on the boat, but ordinary French bread not up to much - usually - after night in cupboard. Boulangeries closed to-morrow - Monday - so action to-day necessary. Action completed!

Rang VNF to book departure. Necessary procedure, flight down from here - the summit pound - a series of automatic "chains" that are meant to be closely controlled and supervised.
Entered 1 1st lock - red light, but open and deserted. Eventually L.K arrived, made it work and disappeared.
Into no 2 - total failure. Reported, and L.K eventually arrived and explained these locks very slow - be patient. Pointed out that 20 mins waiting was not "slow" - it was failure!
3 and 4 fine, but no 5 also failed. L.K arrived very surreptitiously, crept into little cabin where all the works are, fiddled for 10 mins - was right outside cabin door, but couldn't see in as L.K shut the door behind him, so he was working in total darkness - then he crept off to his car again and disappeared. Lock started working - hurray!

Rather disappointing - this is a grand flight with lots to see and enjoy, especially when going downhill, with views out over the canal ahead, and it is sad having to spend too much time concentrating on the technicalities of boating.

Pulled into the little mooring at St Julien-sur-Dheune with the intention of duplicating the photo on the front of the original log of Albert as "now and then" couple. Have been wanting to do this for years, but have had to share with other boats in the foreground. This time no exception.

Tried to tidy up the fenders round the bow quarters - they do a grand job as fenders, but are very untidy, and don't look good, all partially tied with baling wire, and partially with hard 6 mm woven line. Removed both, and tied with 5 mm brico line - will it do? We'll see. Looks a bit better, and will look better still when line looses brilliant whiteness.

8 Sep 2008 Monday St-Julien-sur-Dheune to St-Bérain Canal du Centre
Pleasant weather - changeable, not warm, however.
Away about 0930, and took it very easy to little halte we often used in the past - actually a picnic site with a bit of high wall into nice deep canal.
Moored up first on piling above mooring, then moved down to low wall end with bollards when cruiser left at lunch time.
Quiet afternoon enjoying sun and computer-fiddling at picnic table. Local lady - large and well covered - joined me at the picnic table.
Struck up conversation - naturally, as one does, then in a conversational pause smelt very strong scent smell and saw dear lady was liberally anointing herself, and conversation turned on why was I on my own, she was a divorcee - neither of us was too old to start again etc etc etc........................
Felt this was a good moment to fold computer and disappear inside Albert.: Quiet evening and night, although the road runs alongside the canal on the far side all the way from - virtually - Chalons to Digoin. Little traffic after dark, and as this is not a built up area, no cowboys on scooters demanding "look at me".

9 Sep 2008 Tuesday St-Bérain to Santanay Canal du Centre

Another very quiet and slow day in changeable weather.

Stopped of in St-Léger-sur-Dheune at Locaboats base for water - €3.00, but v friendly and quite happy with the €2.50 change I had in pocket. Arranged that if I wanted to spend the night - €5.00 in all, complete. Very reasonable. The base had just one boat in - must be doing OK. Well done them - that's what makes boating here available and affordable to us.

Did small S.M. shop, and got bread. Pretty sure I was had and given yesterday's bread - it was tough - horrid - Banette, too.

On to Santanay - little halte with bollards on side of valley above Santanay. All vineyards hereabouts, now, some are turning, but on the whole not yet. Most enjoyable run - extraordinary how distances between events seem to shrink the more often one completes them.

Thought I would keep moorings to myself, but over course of evening was joined by 4 other boats.

Clearly a lot of other people have worked on same premise as me - keep away from waterways in July and August, come back in September and they will be quiet. Not this year - they are really quite busy, and careful planning is required to ensure a mooring at end of day.

10 Sep 2008 Wednesday Santanay to Fragnes Canal du Centre

Down into Santanay for bread. Bit peeved - took camera, but had it fixed in my mind to get bread, return to boat, and get on, so did not go into town - which, in spite of efforts by City Fathers to sanatise the place a couple of years ago, is nice.

Motored gently on through Chagny - also empty, where have all the boats gone - to first lock. Found the half peniche that passed yesterday (a peniche, cut hole converted into houseboat/cruiser) waiting for first lock on the down chain to Fragnes. Crept into the side and had lunch - did not really want to share.

Off about 1430, and into Fragnes about tea time.

However, on way went through a period of acute lack of decision as passed several good canalside mooring spots at and around the big yard where a lot of fallen timber was brought to and stored under sprinklers after the tremendous storm at the beginning of the decade. A small amount remains, the surrounds have been tidied up, and it appears as though several light industries have started up along the road. There is a long length of canal where the water is deep right up to the sheet piles holding the bank, and by choosing a spot judiciously relative to the road and intervening buildings one can be shielded from the traffic noise.
The towing path all along from Challons certainly up to Montchanin has been tarred and tidied up, and when I passed was very busy with cyclists and a few roller bladers. Noticeable that lot of the bikes were big heavy sit up and bag, as opposed to fast a furious racers. Were they hired, or is the old fashioned tough hardy maid of all work coming back into fashion. Love to see again those splendid Raleighs with a fan of strings from hub to mud guard to keep ladies skirts out of the wheels.
Mass of boats on the Fragny moorings, which have been extended to include lengths of grass bank - low and neat - at either end of the concrete/wood jetty. Went through that sad process of driving gently past moored boats willing one to get up and go, or 2 or 3 to squash up, whilst watched by totally expressionless skippers from said moored up boats.

Quite ridiculous - didn't really want to stop on the formal moorings at €6.00 a day for 3 to 6 days. Unnecessary, anyway, unless weather improves to state that encourages clothes wash.
Went through to spot just round corner to length with piled bank, where I know water is deep enough for Albert to float comfortably whilst moored safely. Exact spot used in spring, but then the bank was pure slimy mud, and unwittingly walked in it and carried it into the boat. Now nicely grassed and mown - neat and tidy. Mooreup in shade of tree from other side with 4 brackets. Fairly careful with latter - 2 came adrift at Montchanin in a moment of acute crisis when being passed by a loaded peniche.
Settled down, and quickly received visit from Brian (called him George - ouch) from Seabird. Went back and met moorers - lots of them on their way via Saône to St J. de L. or up to Decize/Roanne area for their winter moorings. Lot of hire boats - Locaboats - wonder if the have done an end of season offer - their base at St-Leger-de-Dheune was completely empty when I came through

11 Sep 2008 Thursday Near Fragnes Canal du Centre
Settled down to await meeting with visiting Australians - left Fontenoy-le-Chateau on Monday.

Into Chalon along towing path - looking for veg and salad at Leclerk, and hole-in-the-wall.
Closer than I realised - found outdoor market and post office on the way, Super spuds, but lettuces hard to find, and no little boxes of cherry or plum tomatoes. Yes, I know it is an expensive way of buying tomatoes, but seem to keep them under control, and no waste.
Went to Leclerk for interest. Absolutely huge - if you don't get lost in car park and surrounds, you will certainly get lost inside. Horrid.

All closer than thought - yes - but knee still sore after!

12 Sep 2008 Friday Near Fragnes Canal du Centre
Really intimidating thunderstorm and heavy wind and rain last night. Finished up with all windows and doors tight shut - the wind was blowing from all directions at once.
Much hassled to-day. Could not raise internet banking with Lloyds. Always assume on these occasions it is me at fault, but every other web site came up happily - only Lloyds Internet Banking "unobtainable". It was fine, yesterday - rang them, but usual arrogant message - "we are very busy at the moment, you will have to wait 2 to 5 minutes...................etc etc etc. Perhaps they had a staff party on an Xcel holiday, and are all stuck in Cyprus, or were relying on Eurostar to get home.

Haircut! by courtesy of Maggie on Seabird.

13 Sep 2008 Saturday In Fragnes Canal du Centre

Rain in night - cold!

Decided that the day would be most profitably spent swallowing ire at paying €6.00 for a mooring and do a proper external battery charge. 10 days since last time, and running the engine twice a day on moorings does not seem to a good substitute a for full days running on passage.
Turned boat in canal, went back to Fragnes Halte, found a vacant spot - lucky, all the hire boats had left, but no one else moving, all cold, wet, battened down sheltering from rain.
Filled water, and coupled electricity, and - first time since summer - coupled up little cabin oilfilled radiator.
Incredible how this halte has grown - first knew it as just a gravel and grass bank, bollards and facilities - free just below the primary school.
Still below the school, but properly constructed professional stone and wood jetty, extended along neat grass banks both side of jetty, electric and water points and bollards and trees plentiful all the way along. High class cafe, and very good Banette boulangerie behind.

Still no contact with bank a/c on internet - w/e always bad - reckon Orange.fr switch off half mobile phone masts and go home.