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Albert Comes to France 

We are often asked how we came with Albert to France - the questioner expecting to hear stories of derring-do sailing across the English Channel (la Manche).

The pictures are self explanatory.

Albert was craned at  Newbury Marina and popped on a lorry under the expert direction of Bill Fisher. We shared craning with 2 other boats, and although I cannot now remember the cost, I think it was between £100 and £150 each boat. The responsibility for organising the crane was ours, and we advertised for sharers in the Butty, the K. & A. Newsletter. Bill supervised it because he was much better at it than us, and he knew the people.

The transport firm, whose details I have regrettably left in England, were also contacted initially through Newbury Marina. They delivered door to door for £1600 all inclusive - including ferries. The operation was completely hassle free, and, of course, was also entirely our responsibility.

The only mistake I made was not wedging the odd thing on the engine hole swims. The things slid across into the engine well. No damage was done.

Joe Parffitt's firm of marine yard and engineers, to whom we "consigned" Albert, at Laroches Migennes in France (Main Line Railway Stn), just round the corner from the head of the Canal de Bourgogne, very convenient to Joigny and Auxerres , fielded the outfit as it wandered through the town, and put the boat straight into the river, making fast and safe. We arrived a couple of days later, after seeing her off from Newbury - we traveled by train and foot passenger on the ferry - to find Albert moored up, and ready to go. The cost of the craning off and in was £100(equivalent) + French VAT @ 21%.  Joe Parffitt is well know in Kennet and Avon circles, as he is involved in the twinning of that canal with the C. du Nivernais.

The whole operation - although slightly frightening at the time - went incredibly smoothly.

There is nothing, on hindsight - that I would change, except for one small but important point. Instead of taking 2 full bottles of gas over in English bottles, I would have gone across with no gas bottles at all, leaving the 2 empty ones in England. There is absolutely no way they can be swapped over in France - they won't even take them for scrap - and what do you do with 2 spare empty gas bottles on a narrow boat? Virtually all supermarkets and bigger garages sell gas.  You can get a French gas regulator at large Super Markets, or more likely at large hardware (bricolages, or colloquially, "bricos").   

You can get the necessary 230/240 volt electrical connection, at the same time, but these are ordinary caravan cable and fittings, if you have not already  purchased them in UK - they are identical, but far more universal on Continental moorings.   The fittings are available on the internet - caravan mail order, about £1.50 to £3.00 before the credit crunch.

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