The Return to Sens and Migennes

Canalling In France (September / October 2011)

The Return to Sens and Montargis

Saturday 24 September (A Bad day for Fishermen)

We leave the boatyard at 8.40 with a little help from Mark, and head for the downstream lock, intending to make Villeneuve-s-Y today.  Simon says it’s only 15 mins to the lock so we don’t allow too much.  But it is slightly misty this morning so we will go slowly. Five-to-Nine and lock is in sight, but even before 9.00 the lock-keeper arrives and starts to open the gates, so very slowly we head into the lock lane.  This is a good start to the day.

Well, it was.  Around the bend from the lock moorings, out of sight, some idiot fisherman has four separate lines out not only in front of the lock, but stretching out right over the lock lanes into midstream before the weir.  As we see him Linda feels his invisible lines catch the front of the boat.  He screams “Arrete”.  What does he think we can do?  Already the boat is in as much reverse as possible, without pulling out into the weir stream.  Why didn’t you stop, he screams, as one of his lines snaps and flies back, which if it caught one of us in the face could have done serious damage.

Glyn screams back in his best French, what do you think you’re doing fishing over the lock lane right in front of the lock.  He recognises we are “Anglais” and comes out with a stream of abusive expletives about the English and why don’t we stay in England, some of which, unfortunately, we understand, and some, thankfully, we don’t.  He is very angry.  We sympathise that he has lost some lines, but what an idiot.  Stay in mid-channel, he says.  Does he think boats are going to head for the weir?  It’s all not worth arguing with him.  We finally release, disentangle or in one case cut his other lines.  He is still very angry and remonstrates with the lock-keeper who has begun to wonder why we are not entering the lock.  When the fisherman gets to him we can see he too is asking why he was fishing there.  We get into the lock, and the lock-keeper kindly makes the effort to walk over to us and apologise. 

Not a good start to the day, and we are both now agitated.  We always slow down and take care with fishermen, and we certainly don’t aim to antagonise the French. 

The next two locks pass without incident, and we travel past Joigny with its Saturday market looking beautiful as ever. 

In the third lock we check that the fourth remains open to 12.30.  Yes, confirms the lock-keeper.  He is young man, not looking very happy but also very contemplative.  It is beautiful day.  Perhaps he wanted to be with his wife, girlfriend or partner.   As we leave the lock he announces that he is doing the next and so “Depechez-vous”, and then in English “Hurry up”.   We had been cruising gently at about 8kms up to now (and 6kms in the cut) but looking at the time and his sorry state we decide to oblige and cruise at 13kms (even though the river limit is 12kms).  We get to the next lock at just after 12 noon, and get out at about 12.20.  Unfortunately another boat is waiting to go up.  He could refuse it, but in fact he doesn’t.  Nice guy, just having an unhappy day.

Having raced that lock we have nowhere to moor for lunch, cannot possibly make the next lock by 12.30, and for 13.30 we will have we to go very slowly indeed.  So to the opposite extreme.  But this is actually very delightful.  The scenery is gorgeous.  The sun and warmth are beautiful.  And we toddle along at about 4kms.  It is marvellous, though sadly we are passing Villevaliers and were recommended a restaurant here.  The mooring is not good but it would have been worth it for the restaurant.  Unfortunately it was closed evenings on our way up, and now closed Saturday (or at least this Saturday) on our way down.  But it is a beautiful place as well.

We take the last lock for the day with a very bright-eyed equally young man as the eclusier, who couldn’t do anything more to please you, and chats about where we are going.  He is doing the lock after Villeneuve, but as we are staying the night he says I’ll see you in the morning.

We are mooring up at about 2.30pm.  Not a bad day, even with the first incident.  As we moor a couple of boats come racing out of the lock ahead and bounce our ropes.  One of Linda’s flies off just as she is pulling us in, and she goes flying backwards, knocking her head quite badly.   She has to lie down and clear the blood.  She says she is alright but it’s a nasty gash.  She insists on only cleaning it and resting.  Glyn sees her as well as possible, walks the dogs and does the essential shopping.  He finds a doctors but they say are closed and their notice only says “Dial 15” for an ambulance, and Linda wont’ want that.

We just sit to finally rest at about 4pm, with Linda still a little dazed, when there are loud bangs on the back of the boat.  It’s the local fishing club.  They are having a “concours de peche”, and they want more of the quay.  Can we reverse about 20 metres to make more space for them?  (We think, God, there are only 50 metres for boats and 400 metres without boats.  If it hadn’t been for the morning, we wouldn’t have thought that: it’s not an unreasonable request, but Linda is hardly fit to re-handle the ropes.  Very gently we do it, relying on the engine rather than towing.  Not our best day with fishermen.

By 7.30pm, and after eating a little, Linda says she feels a bit better, and wants to come for the dogs’ last walk.  We walk through the park, and then get to the High Street via the very beautiful Mairie.  The High Street has two gated arches at each end, with about 400 metres in between.  Every sort of shop you want and at least six ladies’ hairdressers.  But it is very attractively set out, with many older and as well as newer premises mixing well together, as well as functional. And just five minutes from the quay. We get to the back to the boat for another beautiful sunset.

Sunday 25 September (Sunny Summer Sunday Afternoon in the Parks)

Next morning we have arranged with the young lock-keeper to be there at 9am, and it is only 5 minutes.  The fishermen and women (in France a good third are women who enjoy this sport as much as the men) are all getting in place when the dogs are taken out at 7.30, and well established by 8.30.  We wish them good fishing and advise we are going to turn the boat.  Absolutely no problem, they say, but we also manage a perfect turn not disturbing their lines in any way.  The lock-keeper has it all open and prepared, and off we go.

Three locks and just 16 kms to Sens, which we take very gently and enjoy the beautiful countryside.  Although we are now approaching a more industrial and commercial stretch of the Yonne, we see only one such barge today.  We arrive in Sens at just after 12 noon, and have an easy mooring, again right in the Centre of town.  We have lunch and a rest, and discuss the rest of the day.  We decide the girls need some good walks.  When here previously the TI recommended two parks.  We tried one which was very good.  We decided to try the other this time.

So at 1.45 we set out.  It required a walk along the quay and then through various twisting back streets.  These gave an insight into Sens however, with its greatly varied mix of housing, though overall quite good.

The park was very different from that on the north side of town.  Probably larger, this was much more a botanical garden, but also with many walks and also lots of play spaces for children and youth.  Overall it was excellent, with only one marring aspect.  Dogs were not allowed off leads. Nevertheless we covered much of the park and it was a delight.   And we did find a quiet corner where we could go French and disobey the rules for 10 minutes.  We got back to the boat at 4pm, all four of us very hot and dog tired.  The park was full of families, and also couples of all ages.  It was very warm and sunny and it was great afternoon.  There was plenty of shade in the park, but not on streets going there and back.  But this park is a major asset to the city.

A Quiet Corner in the Botanical Gardens at Sens:  Dogs May Not Roam Here!

After a rest and read we also decided we take the dogs to the other park in the evening.  Less formally set out, but plenty of wild areas around a major lake where the dogs could just run free.  A perfect alternative to the botanical gardens.  We set off at 6.30 for this walk (a little cooler) but went via the main street which we had not fully seen before.  This is a fantastic pedestrianised area, with almost every shop you want.  We crossed the main square outside the cathedral, bustling with people and cafes, all enjoying the late summer evening.

When we reached the tree’d promenade which surrounds the town centre, which also adds much to its beauty, a full scale circus was in process.  It was busy then, but even busier when we returned at 8pm, with joyous families all pouring out. 

We were well tired, but this had been a glorious day in a wonderful city on a beautiful summer’s day, even if a little too hot, and technically in autumn.  The girls enjoyed their walks, and finally Topsy was learning not to pull.  But they wanted their beds when we got back.  Which we did too, after a good supper and some excellent grapefruit rosé.

Monday 26 September (Two Sides of Sens before the Leisure and Commercial Waterways)

Up early Monday morning before setting off on the more industrial waterway north to the Seine.  Glyn took the dogs for an early morning walk around the circular promenade.  What was sad even in this beautiful town was to see three homeless sleepers on park benches with all their belongings in plastic bags.  It brings you up sharp after the enjoyable day yesterday.  Linda headed to the market and the boulangerie, which gave just the other side of this bustling, prosperous city.

The journey north took us once again past Pont-sur-Yonne and the Deviation de Courlon (Courlon cut in English).  We expected to see more commercial boats north of Sens, working the quarries and silos, and we did meet a few, but it was surprisingly quiet overall. The one we did get locked with was our good old friend the Albatross again, but luckily he went ahead of us rather than hovering over our keel!

Oh! No! That Albatross Again!

Mooring up at Mizy, which once more was our overnight stop before hitting the Seine, was again difficult.  This is sad as this is a beautiful area, and there are plenty of erstwhile moorings which have been allowed to decline.  But again we managed successfully to find a suitable haven, shaken only a little as two or three grain and gravel barges pass by.

It was great for walking the dogs, and as lovely quiet and warm evening.    

Tuesday 27 September (Bouncing with the Big Boys)

We set off promptly at 9am for the three locks and 14kms to reach the Seine.  The river was surprisingly quiet.  We kept our speed at 1400 revs (about 8 kms/hr) as we saw no need either to rush or burn fuel for the sake of it.  The locks with sloping sides were well mastered, with no problems now.

As we moved from the Yonne into the Seine we passed two boats making good speed at the junction, one entering the Yonne, and the other continuing up the Petite Seine.  It was interesting about how the different washes bounced us in slightly different directions, but only gently.

The 4 kms down to the lock at Varennes went very gently with no other boats in sights, until we reached the lock.  There an amazingly large tug and barge-pushing tug together almost filled this extremely wide and long lock all on their own.  Realising the mass which would come out towards us we steered into one of the side bays inside where the 1000 toners moor, waiting for the lock.

Weren’t we glad that did that!  The French tug and barge cruised out slowly and gracefully, with a salute from the captain and no distress to us at all.  But, just are we preparing to come into the main stream to enter the lock a 700 tonner from a nameless different nationality just came from nowhere racing past to take his priority place in the lock.  He did toss us.  But luckily we could just hold back in our haven while this road hog roared on.  We checked on the VHF with the lock master, who confirmed we could now enter.  We have to say the organisation and the communications at Varennes are absolutely perfect.  They looked after us and talked us through with great charm and care.

We let the road hog speed out of the lock and when he had gone we once again set off keeping to the right bank channel at a modest 8kms, aided by an additional 2kms from the flow of the river.  It was again quiet in this sometimes pretty, sometimes industrial and boring stretch of water. 

But not for long!  As we approached the EDF Montereau power station the number of boats sailing upstream began to increase.  And these were very big boys, again hitting the 1000 ton mark.  Coming upstream ourselves on a Sunday we had seen almost no boats.  Downstream on a working day we could now see how the Seine is used.   We lost count but estimated over 30 industrial barges passing us in just over an hour.  Their wash bounced us about a bit.  But keeping a reasonable distance this was quite manageable.  In just one case, where a 1000 tonner was no doubt pushing the 20kms speed limit, we had a lively sea-like motion, but overall it was a relatively easy passage with good experience, even if a little heavy on the tiller arm.

Just Passing a Few Boats on the Seine!

We had joked coming into the Seine 10 days earlier that it was difficult to realise that we had actually arrived in the main river.  Now we had to find the exit, and this was even more difficult.  Maybe the Loing river and canal are not regarded as a major waterway off the Seine, but it is a significant waterway and there were no markings whatsoever.  We didn’t miss it, but it took some looking out for.  And then there we were, once again in quieter waters, with the beautiful “Teresa” to welcome us home.

The Blessed "Teresa" welcomes us back to the Loing!

There were two automatic upstream locks to get us onto the canal, both quite deep and we knew that getting mooring ropes from the bottom of the lock would not be easy.  The first had a lockkeeper, but unlike at Varennes it was more difficult to get signal to him that we needed assistance.  Only when a second boat arrived (the Garance, also based at Briare) and he had to re-open the gates, did he get out to take our ropes from deep in the lock.

The second lock was automatic and not manned.  The Garance came in behind us and started the automatic filling before there was any chance of our getting our rope on.  With no room for movement with the two boats in the lock, and with the water coming swirling in, this was not fun.  We avoided collisions but learned a lesson that in future we are never to be two boats in a lock without our mooring ropes on, even if it takes 10 minutes to get them attached.

 The rest of the journey should be simple.  Just two more locks before a gentle moor up for the night at Episy.  We did these with the Garance, who then continued onwards.  What surprised us was how many industrial barges were active at or moored at Episy.  In total we saw another seven that evening.  A very busy day.

So we naughtily opted for an evening meal out at the Cafe du Canal, all of just 60m away, across the lock. Only our second meal out (so far) on this trip, so we felt well deserved.  And we well rewarded.  It was a quite varied menu, and the food well presented.  A relaxing evening before the final walk with the girls, after a very full day.

Wednesday 28 September (All Quiet at Nemours)

A gentle rise the next morning, and a lovely stroll with the girls.  The late Indian summer continues, so we have beautifully warm and sunny weather. The journey today to Nargis (30 kms and 10 locks) may sound a lot but it is easy going.  We are travelling on our own now, with friendly, organised lock-keepers, who move us on with great efficiency.  The sun is shining.  The river approach to Nemours in the brilliant sunshine makes it look a lovely city.  We must make a longer visit here sometime.  But we have a distance to make today so carry on for lunch at Beaumoulin, which is a delightful where we can relax and the dogs can run.

In the afternoon we pass through Souppes, which is perhaps the end of the industrial part of the Loing, and attached to the Port of Paris.  By and large this as far as the big barges come, though some do go to Montargis.  But from now on we are in leisure boat country, except for the odd hotel barge.

We arrive at Nargis before 4pm, still in beautiful sunshine.  The dogs can run around as we moor up.  The only small downside here is that we have to moor to a sloping quay, so have to get our zigzag fenders under the boat to protect the bottom from the masonry and also to stop the boat sliding up into a steady list.  Fiddly, but it takes only 10 minutes. 

It is lovely evening at Nargis.  We walk into the village for some bread and one or two other essentials.  We enjoy the scenery to our own delight.  Topsy stays out on the green beyond the tow path, enjoying her freedom in the sun.  France is beautiful.

Thursday 29 September (Foret de Domaine de Châlette)

Today we will ease ourselves the final 10 kms of the Loing and just 5 kms of the Canal de Briare, to get ourselves back to Montargis.  It is easy locking.  We delay an hour between Cepoy and Châlette-sur-Loing to take the dogs for walk through the woods and do some weekly cleaning.  On the northward journey Châlette had just appeared to be the industrial edge of Montargis, but this spot shows it also has some beautiful countryside around it, and the woodland of the Foret Domaniale is well managed.  We are surprised how many are using it on a Thursday morning, including serious nature study from the local school.

And so we arrive in Montargis, again beautiful in the autumn sun.  The harbour master has to be contacted to find a mooring, which alas thus requires mooring twice, and a half-kilometre reverse which merely served to show our wonderful steering skills.

Although in the centre of town there are easy countryside walks along the canal which the dogs enjoy greatly.  They are certainly not going to demean themselves in the intriguing specially-provided “doggie garden” which looks more like a one-person prison exercise yard.  But we are surprised how many do use it.

Friday 30 September (Optimistic Police and Ravishing Dominicaines)

Today is a day just staying in Montargis.  We need to shop and clean the boat.  Tonight Cecile (who dances with the Folk Abeille with links with Linda’s Malmesbury Morris side) is joining us for a meal.  And tomorrow Pete and Jan are joining us from England for the gentle cruise down to Briare. 

First job after dog walking and breakfast is to get all dog hairs out of the carpets.  However before we start the local police arrive to collect our mooring fee.  The “town police” often do this in France, so it’s nothing wrong that we have done.

The local Bobbies are a very friendly pair and we quickly fall into discussing the Rugby World Cup.  They are convinced it will be a France-Australia final, and that France has every chance of winning.  We discuss the merits of the various teams, and finally they admit that Wales have possibly some chance (but not much).

Before finishing the cleaning and going shopping we chat to our Belgian neighbours, and get from then the advantages of mooring in Montargis.

Shopping in town is quite good.  There is no major supermarket in the town centre, but the small one that does exist is almost adequate.  Luckily fruit and vegetable shops and others make up for the weakness in the supermarket.

Before going off shopping Greg and Cecilia arrive in the Vrouwe Catharina.   We wondered if they had passed us as they were only a day behind us leaving Migennes and meant to be on a faster turnaround to get to the Briare.  They made the Seine with their reconditioned engine, and after an overnight here and some re-provisioning they will have a faster but gentle cruise down to Briare.

Cecile arrives for the evening.  She has a bit of a shocker of a cold, but makes light of it.  We go for a meal at “Les Dominicaines”.  We chose a “mystere” menu with courses chosen by the chef and accompanying wines by the sommelier.  We sit out in the open air and it is a beautifully warm evening.  The meal is very good indeed.  We discuss a thousand things.  Old friends, the way of life, the merits of Mr Hollande, Mme Aubry and Mr Sarkozy.  It’s odd, but possibly for understandable reasons we rarely discuss politics with French friends.

We go back to the boat for a coffee, and then part at midnight until next year, probably in England.  Tomorrow Cecile is off down to the Cher for a folk dancing festival.  We will wait in Montargis for the arrival of Pete and Jan.

Putting A Toe in the Burgundy Canal

Thursday 15 September (A Quiet Day Inspecting the Bow Thruster)

Today is an easy day.  We stay in the boat yard, and this afternoon they will lift the bow to inspect the bow thruster tube.  In the morning we take the dogs for a very long walk (over to Cheny and back) and the do our “ re provisioning”.  We have no car to get to the big supermarket but the Atac nearby is pretty good, and we get all we need.   By now the dogs are enjoying clambering over barges, gangplanks and ladders.  The think it is fun, and then can around freely in the scrubland next to the boatyard.

At 2pm we move around to the quay and they lift the front out.  “Hanging around” takes on a whole new meaning.  But it is indeed strange to be on the stern of the boat with the front end lifted high out of the water.  A friend from Poole warns us that our exhaust is pretty near the water line, but there is no traffic and we ship no water.  Meanwhile Simon and Roger get out dinghy and have a good look in the tube.

Well, one of the blades of the propeller has shorn off.  In fact the propeller is fitted too tightly and the blades are chafing the thruster tube, which is almost certainly the cause of our shear pins breaking so often.  However even with those conditions the thruster should propel. They inspect the pin, and the last fit was not done properly.  They refit and the propeller turns, albeit with only two blades.  We can use it now but the propeller does need replacing and not to be fitted so tightly.  That work can be done next week.  So a quiet night tonight, with just ourselves on the quay.

Friday 16 September (A Good Service and Short trip into the Burgundy)

Friday morning Mark, who works for Simon, does our 950 hours service.  He is pretty good, and gets the filters changed quicker than Glyn can.  He is pleased though that we have all the tools on the boat to do the job, and doesn't have to keep running back to the workshop.  He is also pleased that everything is reasonably easy to get at, and even more so that we have the rear deck canopy, when some slight drizzle starts to descend.

That and a couple of other minor works are all completed by lunchtime.  We walk the dogs again, and at 2pm we begin a minor unhurried trip up the Canal de Bourgogne.

We are warned that the rise to Tonnerre is hard work, and that some of the lock-keepers are not always fully helpful.  However today we are going only to Brienon – 3 locks and 10kms.  We do it easily in 2 hours.  All three lock-keepers, including two young women, are extremely helpful and friendly.  Why do we almost always get the friendly ones?  And the first two locks are all ready and open for us when we arrive, while at the third we only have to wait a moment while a downstream boat comes out.  The first lock is deep at 5.2m, but all in a day’s work now.

However as we emerge from the last lock to go just 200m to our mooring we are confronted with a very large industrial barge seemingly coming towards us and crossing the channel.  On closer inspection it is reversing through a very narrow bridge with a 90^o turn immediately afterwards.  It is struggling to do this in reverse, and it is not funny but reassuring to see that even professionals have the same problems we do.  It achieves the objective however and slowly reverses on up past the sugar refinery.

Challenge at Brienon - Will This Bridge be Blocked Forever?

Brienon is a small but lovely little town, with a Leclerc express right opposite the mooring, and a good boulanger.  It is relatively spread out given its small size, but well set out and clearly looked after.  It is a good town and a good mooring.  Coincidentally it is twinned with Konz near Trier in the Rheinpfalz (Germany) a town we know a little from our stay in April.  Interesting connections, but there is no significant wine growing here to match that in Konz in the Mosel.

Saturday 17 September (Brienon to St Florentin)

We are now in a really relaxed “we are retired and on (permanent) holiday” mood.  We get up late, but even the dogs are tolerant of this.  A lazy run to the bakers, whose nut bread is excellent, and a lazy morning reading and writing and doing nothing in particular.

After lunch we take the 3 locks and 9 kms to the next town St. Florentin.  The canal here, as it was from Migennes to Brienon, is straighter than the straightest Roman road.  The lock-keepers are again excellent.  It is the same lock-keeper for the first two locks who is amazingly attentive and needlessly apologetic, and who cycles at a tremendous rate to be at the second lock in order to have it ready for us.  Husband and wife at the third lock are equally attentive, friendly and efficient.

We are moored up by 4pm alongside the quay by a lovely little port, with the town and church of St Florentin towering above us.  We walk the dogs, say hi to the fishermen, and then nosey up to town.  Even at 5pm the Tourist Office is open and willing to give all sorts of helpful advice.  We must visit the church they say, and there is a big market on Monday morning.  We do in fact visit the church, which is also very much worth it.  We have got to the point where one church or cathedral is just like another, but this is something different, with amazing stained glass windows from the Troyes school, with fascinating colours, even if some of the stories they tell are bizarre and a little depressing.

The Church at St Florentin on the Approach by canal

Sunday 18 September (Loafing around St Florentin)

Now we are entering into the spirit of things! We stay put today, just a few chores around the boat, lots of walks for the dogs, lots of fishermen and gongoozlers to chat to, and not much else.  Washing goes out on our newly organised whirligig, which holds well, and the stiff breeze and occasional sun dries and freshens it very well. That’s it for today.  We walk around the port a few times, and it is a delightful place.  We meet a couple from Kent who are leaving their boat here for the winter, and then off today to the climes of England.  Some Aussies (turns out they are noisy Kiwis) moor alongside us, so it’s not quite as quiet a day as all that, but they are friendly enough.  Eternal optimists they are hoping to find shops open in France on a Sunday afternoon.

Monday 19 September (A Really Great French Market and 7 Locks Rising 20 metres for the pleasure of it)

A lazy morning again as we will go the market in the town.  Glyn takes the dogs however all the way to inspect the lock at Germigny (is it a staircase are just deep?) which there and back is over 4 miles (about 6.5kms), and doesn’t get back until 9am.  By then the Kiwis who are on a hire boat are handing it back to France Fluviale, before they head to Dubai.  They have lots of perishables left so shower us with beer, coke, vegetables, fruit, etc., but Linda turns down the wine in plastic bottles.  Our days of Grappilru are over.  Ah! La vieillesse!

The market up the hill (and it is a hill – it makes Malmesbury look flat) is amazingly large, and almost everything you want.  We spend an hour and a half mooching around, buying lots more veg and fruit, as well as the local cheese.  If only we could have a market like this at home.

The Church at St Florentin from the Outside - Equally Impressive from the Inside

We take a lazy lunch and then after that go on to Flogny which is at the end of our canal map for “Bourgogne Ouest”.  We had wanted to do the whole of this canal this year (114 locks to the summit and then 60 odd down to Dijon and St Jean-de-Losne).  But that will now wait for next year.  At least we will make lock 100.  All the lock-keepers are amazingly friendly and helpful.  At the first lock (Germigny) we buy some local honey and we don’t need our arms twisted to also but some Chablis at an excellent price.  The second lock is equally friendly and selling a variety of other local wines.  We may try some on our way back.

The third lock is selling courgettes but also wild mushrooms, sweet chestnuts and “asperges de bois” all collected locally from the woodland. 

We travel with two couples on a boat share from Bristol.  They have an excellent Dutch barge called the Dorney, and 12 couples have a share each, having use of it for 2 weeks each year.  This is excellent way to enjoy canalling in France without investing in a whole boat.  They are very chatty at each lock, but going on to Tonnerre, and are based at Auxerre.  They also advise us that the cafe routier at Germigny is excellent value for money if we want to try that on the way back.

We complete the seven locks and 12 kms in under 4 hours.  We need to turn the boat but at this point discover it isn’t quite wide enough, and we have seen others in difficulty: no taking risks.  We walk back to the last lock-keeper.  “You can’t turn” he smiles.  Yes, we say, where is the nearest place we can do it safely?  Oh, before the next lock, he says.  And then with an even bigger grin, just before the lock – and it 4 kms there and 4 back! Oh, gosh that will take an hour, we say.  “Une bonne heure” he replies.  So off we set.  It is though a very lovely trip in the warm evening.  At various points it looks wide enough that we might be able to turn, but we take it gently and turn in an easy wide circle at the end.  We are back in 1 hr 10 minutes.  Not too bad.

A phone call from Lauren.  Virginie (and Mike) has had her baby today, a girl, a sister for James.  Delightful news on a delightful day.

It’s still not 6pm.  We wander with the dogs up to the village just ¼ mile away.  It is a long village and another ¼ mile to the new shopping precinct with almost everything you want just in front of the Salle Polyvalente.  Mind you, it’s Monday, so most things are closed.  But this is a good place.  And it’s lovely evening.

We return to the boat.  The girls can run freely on the bank of the mooring.  It is peaceful and idyllic here, only marred by three carfuls of the local “yoof” coming to hang out from 8-9.30pm, just when it’s getting dark, doing nothing in particular, just making noise.  It slightly mires the peace, but eventually – one by one - they go.

Tuesday 20 September (The Rural Idyll and Workers’ Paradise)

So on Tuesday we merely tinker back.  The first lock is only 5 minutes and the lock-keeper friendly as yesterday.  It’s fresh, we say.  No, it’s good he says, smiling as ever.  The he receives a long call from the next lock-keeper on his walkie-talkie (it’s not an open VHF here).  You can see he is getting increasingly irritated.  At the end he feigns to throw the walkie-talkie into the canal.  Modern techno logy, he says, they won’t let you get on with the job.

He is also our lock-keeper at the second lock.  He gets there before us on his scooter.  When we arrive he’s rubbing his arms and hands.  OK, it is bit parkey, he says, with the same old smile.

But it’s getting warmer.  A beautiful morning, beautiful countryside.  At the penultimate we buy a couple of bottles of the local wine, one red, one rosé.  We’ll try it later.  But we tell him we are stopping before the next lock for lunch, and ask if there is baker there.  There is.  He also suggests the cafe, which is excellent value he says.

So we lunch at the cafe Germigny.  It is our first meal out on this trip.  It is good.  We regress and think we have not eaten in a “cafe ouvrier” since the Kerampont in Lannion.  We used to eat there every Thursday (market day) all through the summer for so many years.  300 covers, buzzing like made.  A four course meal, wine, soft drinks and coffee, all thrown in.  When we first ate there in the 80s it was 39 francs (then about £3.50, though the exchange rate alone would now make that £5.00 or €6.00) per head.  When we last ate there, probably in 2004, it was €8.00.

Here the price is €12.00, but again a four course meal, a good steak for Glyn and a good veal escalope for Linda.  They only do about 100 covers, but two women do all the serving, back and forth non-stop.  There are more families and women here than there used to be at the Kerampont. Although it is relatively plain food it is very good.  We hope France never loses these.  Admittedly our kids were never as enamoured as we were, and sometimes we had to give in to a Big Mac (though even Big Mac in France serves a good salad and a good coffee).

So after a good meal and little siesta we reach the lock at Germigny at about 2pm.  We have to wait for another boat.  The lock-keeper asks if we’ve tasted the Chablis yet.  Not yet, we say.  Oh, you’ll enjoy it, he says.  It’s a lovely day today, we agree, and then note (hopefully not too morbidly) that it’s the last day of summer.

The other boat arrives.  We shared two locks with this French couple this morning, before they stopped for breakfast, but weren’t able to strike up much conversation.  Nor can we now.  Any way we both stop at St Florentin for the night, but on opposite banks.  We have a just quiet evening, a light supper, and walk the dogs.  This has been an idyllic day.

Wednesday 21 September (A Day of Two Halves)

We wake and get up late.  But even at 7.30am you cannot see the other side of the canal just 15-20 metres away.  There is an amazingly thick blanket of fog.  Glyn walks the dogs before we have breakfast, and comes back quite cold.  At 8.30am you can just see lock about 40 metres away.  

The French couple from yesterday head for the lock just in front of us.  We both have navigation lights on.  Should we travelling in weather like this? But the lock-keepers have no worries about letting us through.

The fog lightens but not very much over the next three locks back to Brienon.  We really are travelling in the dark.  It is nearly 11am at the last lock, and finally the sky is lightening a little.

Yet when we have moored up at Brienon by 12 noon the sun is finally out.  Linda has done some washing on the journey, and we put up the washing line to dry it.  Amazingly by 1pm this is a very warm and sunny day.

The French couple, who had shared locks with us, had moored earlier in a not very easy place.  They are walking their dog and see us in a better mooring.  They come over and ask about it.  We have a good chat and then they come and moor behind us, but they are only staying for lunch. Isn’t amazing though, that over two days we hardly got a word, but now we know they have brought their boat from Decize up the Canal du Centre, the Saone and the Burgundy, and going to a permanent mooring on the Nivernais.  We don’t get as far as names (it’s odd how that is always quite a way down the talk list on the canals) but at least we’ve made contact.

After a bit we take the dogs for a walk, circling around behind the back of the town, and then come down the High Street.  It is small town, but with an amazing circular “lavoir” (communal clothes washing area from centuries past), and good town square.

We laze through the afternoon, read a bit, sleep a bit, walk the dogs, shop a bit.  Our French couple move on, but another arrives and we help them moor.  They are from Dijon, and know most of the Burgundy canal very well, but not this bit.  We disappoint them that there is no electricity or water, but diesel is available from the garage across the road.  We check our diesel and realise we should fill up again before we ride the Seine.  Do we fill with jerry cans at a reasonable price, or get it pumped in at astronomical prices?  A decision for tomorrow.  Today is too nice.  All the clothes are dry and aired.  Glyn needs another walk and the dogs are happy to go with him.  It may have been autumn this morning, but it’s certainly summer this afternoon.

Thursday 22 September (Better Ways to Get Diesel)

A lazy day today again, or so we thought.  Just down the canal to the river Yonne at Migennes so that we can go into the boatyard first thing tomorrow.  Just 10kms and 3 locks: should be 2-2½ hours.  We have debated diesel at the local garage at €1.40 but where we have to carry it and pour it in ourselves, or at Le Boat in Migennes where they have a direct pump but at €1.65.  We need between 150 and 200 litres.  We are not skinflints but that’s between €40 and €50 extra from the pump.  Also we need to get used to getting diesel from the roadside.  We will just have to do it as we travel further afield. (On the faster rivers we have been using about 2.5 litres per hour against 1.5 on the French canals, and only 1.0 when crawling on the Kennet and Avon.  But even at 2.5 that’s a very good consumption rate.) The Capitainerie at Briare offers a reasonable price (only €1.50) but everywhere else on the waterways is astronomical.

So at 9.15 we start the treks of about 250m each way to and from the local garage.  Our trolleys will only take one can (we will have to get a better one) so carrying is the only option - 2 x c.18 litres at a time.  With decanting via funnel each takes 20 minutes.  By 10.25 we have put in 150 litres and decided that is enough for now.  By the time we have tidied up it’s 11.00, so enough time to walk the dogs, have lunch and be off at 1pm.

We have an easy run to Migennes and the sun is winning the battle.  It is beautiful afternoon.  Having filled one tank we have to empty another and find a quiet spot to do this.  At Migennes we stop above the river lock for a bit of essential shopping at ATAC, and lo and behold find hard plastic jerry cans with taps (to empty them) for only €7.  Our French friends yesterday just sat with the tap filling the boat tank which is a lot easier than trying to funnel it in.  So half our problem solved.  Now only a decent trolley.

The River Front at Laroche-Migennes

We drop to the river and go downstream to search a mooring at Laroche.  This is a good find, with easy walks for the dogs back to the lock at Epineau.  We get some beautiful pictures of the sky at dusk, and over the weir to the lock.  We moor alongside a Royal Squadron yacht called the Cosi and they very kindly help us moor.  It turns out they bought their boat through Simon Evans and winter with him at Sens.  We will see them quite a few times over the next few days.  The sunset is spectacular (see pictures on blog).  We’ve done our big chores and had a lovely day.

Sunset at Epineau Lock

Friday 23 September (Hanging About for a New Bow Thruster Propeller)

An early start, walking the dogs back to the weir.  We set off for the boatyard at 8.15 and Mark helps us more up at 8.30.  We catch up with Simon who will get ready to replace the bow thruster asap.  But he has to get the crane ready etc.  Meanwhile he has all the parts replacements we have ordered, but says we can do the job on the sanitary system ourselves.  (He only does the mucky jobs.)  This turns out much easier and cleaner than we thought.

Various other people cause distractions so we take the girls for another walk, and at 1100 the propeller replacement is under way, and all done by 12.15.  

Roger to the Rescue - To Get Under the Bow

However others again demand urgent attention before lunch and we get left literally “hanging about” (see below).

Hanging About for a new Bow Thruster Propeller

At 2.00 we are finally let down, but new arrivals want lifting out of the water and it much more sensible to do it now with the crane in place.  Also we have bills to pay, paint to collect, and other things to discuss.  We decide we won’t get away today and arrange to stay overnight.  But as we walk the dogs in the early evening, we feel calm, relaxed and happy.  The weather is gorgeous (a true Indian summer) and the Meteo are promising this for another week at least.  The boat is now all ship-shape and (that city) fashion.  We are ready for the return to Briare.  We discuss some works for next year with Simon, and arrange to leave the boat here next late May / early June when we will back in England.  Already the bigger “trajets” for next year are well planned.  It’s been a great week.

The Seine and the Yonne: Real Rivers to Test our Skills

Sunday 11 September (A Dark Day – the Seine “sous la pluie” and locks to widen the horizon)

Well today is a day we will all remember and French television in the evening has little beyond the memorials of 9/11.  It was a dark day affecting so many people of so many nationalities.

It is also a dark day on the river.  If yesterday promised an Indian summer, it was only to trick us.  Today 22 departments in the north east of France are on orange alert for storms. It wasn’t quite that bad, though we awoke to thunder at 5.30am and rain through to 7am.  But it was clear to walk the dogs and prepare for cast off.

We have four locks and 8 kms before we reach the Seine which we do in just over 1½ hours. The weather is grey with intermittent rain.  We get a taster of commercial traffic with too heavy barges coming up the canal, one of which almost forces us into the side, though no real problems.  And then through the Moret lock down to the Seine junction.  It is wider here, but not greatly so, but the moored boats give a picture of now having reached a serious waterway, though except for one bleary-eyed crew nothing is actually moving.

We pass the old lock and Glyn (is he still bleary-eyed) asks which way is the canal.  All too quickly it is the Seine.  Wide and beautiful, but after passing a few more moored barges and grain carriers, absolutely empty.  Except, that is, for the rain.  It has thickened and there is a heavy grey across sky and water.

That's the Seine, You Fool

Amazingly, albeit a Sunday morning, it is though absolutely empty.  For 10 kms up to the Varennes lock we pass only one vessel carrying sand down to Paris, and finally are caught up by one small Belgian cruiser heading to the Petite Seine. Two boats in an hour.

The Varennes lock though!  Not frightening, but we were just not prepared for this.  The weir to the side was huge (see picture on blog) but everything well marked and easy to avoid.  But where was the lock.  Ah!  The whole of that is the lock.  180 metres long (10 times our length) and 11.5m wide.  So we are in.  A very helpful VNF lady helps get our ropes on, as the bollards are quite far apart and we have to reverse a bit to get to ones we can use.  And the lock begins to fill.  This is a canal in itself. But it fills smoothly with just two tiny boats at the back end.   The Belgians chat to us about boats (so much pleasure, so much money), and off we are again on the big river until we reach Montereau.  They go north, we go south.

This is Varennes.  Where's the Lock?

Oh! That's the Lock!

Despite the guide book mooring at Montereau, at the place we are supposed to, is impossible.  But just around the corner we find a deserted old railway quay which just suits us and the dogs fine. 

Then we set off for our first “sloping sides” lock.  Though smaller than the Varennes (the first at Cannes-Ecluse is only 94 x 8m. Linda particularly is anxious how she will manage the mooring ropes or even get to the bollards when there are sloping walls.

So we enter the lock on the green light.  No-one makes themselves visible.  The lock gates close, and the lock begins to fill.   No mooring ropes.  Control it on the engine as we have no other option.  This works well, but the lesson we learn quickly is that the most vital element it to keep the bow firmly pointed to the quay: the flow will then only push it backwards and can be controlled from the rear deck.  If the bow comes out you start swinging.  We learned that just in time before it moved too far.

We repeat this at the next two locks.  In fairness the lockkeepers did appear and ask if we wanted them to take our ropes, but the motor solution (at least this point) seemed as good as anything.

So we arrive at Mizy-sur-Yonne where we propose to moor the first night on the Yonne.  We are uncertain where.  One book gives no mention of moorings; the other says there is a quay downstream of the bridge.  But if we can’t moor here the next moorings are an impossible 15kms and 3 locks: not do-able on a Sunday evening.  We cruise slowly along the banks of Mizy looking for a quay.  The first possibility is OK but not long enough, and is certainly not a proper quay.  We pass a series of other moorings which are either just for row boats or ramshackle and out of use.  We turn around and head back downstream to the first option.  There is some overgrowth and a major branch of a tree in our way, but we can just snuggle in with some of the stern sticking out.  But with three mooring ropes we are safe.  It is a good place to walk the dogs, and there is a restaurant just over the road.  Maybe time for a meal out, but no, of course, it’s Sunday evening and shut.  So after walking the dogs it’s macaroni, ham and parmesan, with yoghurts for pud.  Very tasty, chez Morverc’h.

Just one boat passes us that evening.  A very large sand and ballast carrier called the Albatross.  Thank God we are not following it tonight.

Monday 12 September (Hard Lessons and Fine Towns)

We sleep well, walk the dogs a long way in the morning, and set off at 8.30am.  This will be a day of many learning experiences.  If learning canal and river skills interests you, read on.  If not, just have a laugh.

We arrive at the first lock, which is an entry to a cut off the main river.  The gates are closed, and so we wait outside.  Suddenly behind us comes a barge and pusher-tug (together probably 70 or 80 metres long and very wide).  Will we have to wait while it goes ahead?  Surely we can’t share a lock with this.   Wow, it isn’t going into the lock but, we guess, to an extraction quarry up river alongside the cut.  The lock gates open and the good news! There is a straight wall on one side against the sloping side on the other.  We take the straight side. Then the bad news again. Just as we are settled a ginormous boat called the Puebla from Champagne-sur-Seine joins us.  If the lock is 94x8m then the boat is probably 50x5.  We are told to move forward as far as we can (and implicitly under no circumstances let our boat drift back, or.....).  Well we were told about sharing big locks with large commercial vessels.  First real experience is more challenging.  At least we have ropes on.  Green amateurs we hang on to them like grim death.  In fact the fill is quite smooth, but it has taken its nervous toll.

We ask the Puebla if he would like to leave the lock into the cut first, but he is real gentleman and says No, it’s easier for you to go first.  Half way along the cut we enter the second lock.  Both sloping walls this time, with the Puebla right behind us.  Hah!  But one side has a rising pontoon to which we can moor.  But getting ropes on before the Puebla comes nosing past us is no mean challenge, and the dogs watching our every move don’t help.  We just manage it.  Lesson two: in these locks the dogs stay down in the cabin while we are mooring in locks.

At the third lock the Puebla has fast disappeared ahead of us.  But when we reach it the gates are closed against us.  We can’t get any contact on the VHF, and the facilities for mooring a small (and low) boat like ours does not seem good.  However we can see some activity on the lock.  So we hover as best we can.  An even bigger boat than the Puebla slowly heaves into the lock coming downstream.   Finally we see it.  It is the Albatross.  Thank God again it is going the other way.   Meanwhile trying to control our boat against the outflow from the lock as the Albatross makes its spill water, and then lock waters themselves are released, while avoiding getting pushed over towards the weir, takes all our energies.

The Albatross comes out, the captain waves, and says some nice words of greeting (which we can’t actually hear) and we are in the lock on our own.  The rest goes very well.  By 12.30pm we are moored by Pont-sur-Yonne for a well-earned lunch break.  The town offers good pontoon moorings.  We can walk the dogs, and though only a small town it offers a good boulanger and very reasonable Vival small grocery which has all the few things we want, including fresh milk.

The Old Bridge at Pont-sur-Yonne - a small but lovely town

So now for the afternoon.  We have advised that we will arrive at the next lock at 2.00pm and we are there exactly on time.  The lock gates are closed, and the VNF van there, but no other sign at all of activity on the lock.  We wait quite happily chatting to each other (well shouting lunatically above the engine, VHF buzz and noise from the weir) and we find how a small boat like ours can moor up while waiting.  We should have known this all along, but at least we are learning.

After 20 minutes we try a squawk on the VHF, but no response.  After 25 minutes we try, with some worry that we must be seen as rude or pushy, a few blasts on the horn to let someone know we are here.  Nothing happens.  After 30 minutes Linda scrambles up the bank and walks the 100 metres to the lock to see if she can find anyone.  After mooching all around she goes to the lock office.  Ah! There is someone in a complete state of dreamy innocence.  Sadly she has to shatter his dream by knocking hard on the door and asking if possibly we could enter the lock.  He jumps to life.  Later a French friend tells us we should have just leaned on the horn until someone came.   But we do not know what other tasks they have, and the British are seen a pushy and contrary enough anyway, without needing to give actual offence.

Once on the job the lockkeeper is excellent.  This lock has both walls sloping and a clear sign at the entry saying “Amarrage Obligatoire” (you must moor!).  How to get a rope on when you are three metres and down and more importantly five metres out from the bollards?  In this case he kindly waits at the lock gates for us, and though it is physically difficult for him to reach it (given his Queen Victoria shape), he does reach out and kindly takes it. And the rest of the process is speedy, efficient, friendly and smiling.

The next lock is open and speedy with straight sided walls, and so we arrive at Sens at 4pm.  We stop off briefly at Evans Marine (part of the boatyard we used at Migennes in April and are using again this time) to say hello to Philippe whom we have emailed with regularly but not met face-to-face.  It is good to meet up.  We ask if he knows anything about VHF as we don’t seem to be able to raise people with ours.  Not much, he says, but they’ve changed channels this year.  Oops. Another lesson!  It does help to be on the right channel.

After a very helpful and friendly chat, including advice about where to moor in the town, it starts to rain.  We decide to get back to the boat and complete our day’s journey.  It is only three minutes to the boat but in that time it is really raining, black overhead, and the wind has whipped up.  Even more than we thought, as the boat is really jerking all over place, and almost impossible to hold still in order to cast off.  Wow those Orange storm warnings might have been right.

We finally get off and see on the opposite bank a couple of speed boats and water skiers hurriedly getting ashore.  This change of weather is not good, but it was not that bad.  It was the water skiers going past which threw the boat about.

So into the town quay and once in the shelter of the central reach the wind dies down even if the rain does not.  We moor easily, and take the dogs for a walk.

Initially it is not easy to find a good dog walking area.  But Sens itself seems a well set-out town, with lots of greenery, many fine old buildings, and good shopping.  We find a convenient Tourist Information office and get excellent friendly service with town plan and advice about a park (albeit a kilometre away) where we can walk the dogs.

View from the Boat Window - Moored at Sens

We return to the boat, have an early supper and decide to take the walk to the park at 7.30pm so that we can back by 9pm before it’s dark (though as always we take torches as a precaution). 

The Central Periphery Avenue in Sens - Just Before Dark

The park is actually excellent.  It is very big around a beautiful lake.  It is green and fresh and full of different plants and trees.  The dogs can run and it gives them very good exercise. And then the half hour stroll back through the town.

We are back at 9.00pm.  Read a little, watch the meteo (the weather may be getting better) and retire for an early night.  We really are delighted by Sens.  There is clearly more to explore, but this town is really worth visiting.

Tuesday 13 September (Experienced Riverfolk)

Tuesday is a slightly lazier start with a good walk around the town’s tree-lined circular (central periphery) promenade, a quick visit to the boulanger, breakfast and off for the first lock at 8.45am.  A large British-registered Dutch barge, the Izuli, has been moored behind us, but she is off at 7.45am.  We have become so accustomed to locks not opening until 9am that we operate on that basis.  In addition with no light until 7am and then chores and walks to complete, 9am suits us fine.  But here on the lower Yonne the locks open at 8am, so one can have an earlier start if wanted.

But it is 9.00am for us at the first lock. At least that is when we arrive.  Again 10 minutes and no action.  So we squawk on the VHF (on what now think is the right channel) and Yes! We get a perfect reply.  ‘Hello “Plaisancier Anglais” (so now we know how to describe ourselves). A commercial barge is on its way downstream and will be at the lock in about 10 minutes, so could we wait until then.’  Of course we have no option.  But at least now we know what’s going on.

Finally just after 9.30am we get into the lock.  The lockkeeper is clearly showing a student or probably a trainee manager the finer points of lock keeping, and does this as he operates the lock.  Until that is the lock is full and we are waiting to be let out.  A good 10 minutes after the lock is full he remains just outside the lock office in deep discussion with his novice, and we just cannot attract his attention.  Finally at 10 am we are on our way.

The next three locks are perfect heaven.  We can moor up properly, communicate with the lock-keeper, moor ourselves to the floating pontoons.  It is all so easy.  Although we meet some commercial traffic it is much more limited now.  Once we have passed the massive industrial and extraction works at Gron the landscape itself seems to change.  The river is a little narrower and the fields and forest more varied.

The Scenery Starts to Chnage on the Yonne

At the first of three we have straight entry into the lock.  At the second we have to wait on a downstream commercial barge which turns out to be the Puebla, and we exchange return pleasantries from yesterday.  At the third lock it is open but two extra large barges waiting upon the entry moorings.  However the lock is open with one boat already in, and these two look like they are staying put (no crew to be seen, and no engines turning).  We confirm that on the VHF with the lock-keeper, and go in.  And who should be our travelling partner but the Izuli.  We moor on the opposite side to them and they ask us to keep forward as their stern might drive out.  No problem.  You left so early this morning, we say.  Yes, we wanted to keep ahead of you they say!  Did they think we would slow them down?  Given we left an hour later and lost 30 minutes at the first lock how did we catch them up.  Maybe they got stuck too.  We bet they were miffed to have to wait for us at this lock.

But they are friendly and helpful.  They are mooring after the lock at Villeneuve-sur-Yonne for the night while we are only taking a lunch break here.  They advise on where to moor.  They are surprised we are continuing further today, and even more surprised that we aim to be back to Briare in the first week of October.  Maybe we are doing too much.

Villeneuve-sur-Yonne - a beautiful aspect:

how about this for a hospital?

And once again this seems an excellent town.  We don’t on this visit have any time to explore, but the setting and quality of the moorings is excellent, the facade from the river impressive, a lovely and riverside walk for the dogs.  It’s great.  After lunch we have a nap (or at least Glyn does while Linda as ever is back into her Kindle) but set off just after 1.30pm.

Just two locks to our destination today at Cezy.  They go like clockwork with organised and efficient lock-keepers.  And once again the landscape has changed to a smaller river (though still big by English standards) and you now have the feel that you are in pleasure boat country rather than on an industrial and commercial highway.

We make Cezy at 4pm.  It is really just a large village but with a single good mooring ½ km from the village, close enough but isolated enough to give the dogs the freedom of the banks and fields.  The village too is lively and maintained, so we shop at the grocery store, boulanger and chemist.

What a great day.  We feel fully experienced (well a few questions outstanding, but...) and very relaxed.  We even get the blog up-to-date after the fourth walk of the day for the dogs.  But then for the next 10 days it is really slow down time.  This journey was to get here.  From here we sort out the one or two issues with boat (but do we really need bow thrusters any more?), then a relaxing week or so on the Burgundy canal, a slow run back to Sens, as there are some lovely places, but then fast back to Montargis.  The final stretch of the Yonne, the Seine, and the Loing past Nemours are, in our opinion, more waterways for travelling through than visiting.  But who knows? Maybe we will change our opinions in the future.

Wednesday 14 September (Back to First Base at Migennes)

We were in our own rural paradise at the mooring at Cezy.  The dogs can run and sniff.  We wake early but do so in a relaxed way.  We do some domestic chores but are off to catch the next lock, just 5 minutes away, for 9am.  Alas the lock-keeper only comes on duty then and all is quiet.  Linda decides to go up to the lock but slides on the muddy steps.  She is quite shaken with torn trousers and a bloodied knee.  And of course then the lock-keeper appears.  But it is a slow lock and nearly 10am before we complete it and the ensuing cut.

But then out onto the open river again at Joigny.  This is beautiful town (see picture on blog) which we enjoyed so much, with its wonderful market, cafes and shops, when we were here in April.  As we approach the town a small red-dustered Dutch barge comes out from the town moorings and slowly winds through the town bridge.  We follow it slowly through to the next lock.  It is however only cruising at 6 kms – on the wide river where the limit is 12kms. To begin with we are happy to enjoy the air and scenery at this speed.  But then we realise we won’t make Migennes by 12 noon at this speed and the mooring party (which you certainly need at the boatyard) may go to lunch.  We move to centre channel and give two long and two short beeps on the horn (no reaction from the Tara – for this is the boat in front of us) so we pass quickly.  This only gets us in first to the final lock but it does mean we get away quickly afterwards.  And indeed we make the boatyard, where we arrived in France in March, by just after noon.

Joigny - just before the Yonne meets the Burgundy:

a town worth visiting

Simon Evans and three or four hands from other boats are there to help us moor.  But mooring options are limited.  Finally we moor three out against an old hotel barge in a very poor state, being (slowly) refurbished, but currently with floorboards and many other things missing.  To get ashore we have to get onto our roof, then mount the hotel barge and creek gently through it, before boarding a further barge which is against the quay down a steep gangplank.

We chat to Simon, who sadly has lost his mother in the fortnight since we last spoke.  Although she was in her 80s he is clearly upset.  So we move on to boat issues and sort out our work programme for the next few days.  He’ll look at the bow thruster tomorrow.  We find out after some further investigation that the utilities problem is one we can sort out, with a spare part from him.  Hopefully the other things will be done on Friday.

Meanwhile we have made various contacts with new boater friends, though all Aussies.  Jeff and Mu have just brought the Matilda Blue, a 70’ English narrowboat, back up from the Midi after cruising her down the Rhone.  They gave some tips on this and where to moor.  Less usefully Jeff thinks Wales’ result against South Africa is nothing, anyone can beat South Africa, and Australia will clearly win the Rugby World Cup.  Greg and Cecilia are refitting a Dutch barge called the Vrouwe Catharina, whose name they will retain.  However they had spotted us (or the boat) at Briare a few weeks ago.  They have the Shiralee there, an old Crown Blue boat, though it up for sale now that they have the Catharina.  They are based at Briare and know various new boating friends there, so we will meet up again.

We met up with them as we take our ‘mountaineering training route’ over the moored barges to the quay.  We can manage the complicated route.  But after several attempts and different varieties of solutions we realise the dogs can’t.  After a further discussion with Simon we locate another option for mooring where they can get off.  This involves some doggie mountaineering which at first they are nervous about, but then enjoy it as great fun.

But now it’s 6.30pm and they have been on the boat since before 9am.  We need to move.  Unfortunately while turning the boat to go back to the new mooring the stern just slightly swings in to a shallow and gets stuck....., and stuck....., and stuck.  After several tries Simon, and Roger who works with him, realise we are well and truly grounded.   ‘Have you got a bow-thruster’ shouts Roger, which merely drives Glyn into delirious laughter (would we be here if the bow-thruster was working).  So they get another boat and eventually tow us off the shelf, but it is 7.30 before the girls get back to land and a walk.  We give them as much as we can, but only an hour, as even the new agility trail is not one you want to do after dark.

Supper, and then we can’t decide has this been a bad or a good day.  We are here, the cruising was really pleasant, the weather has decidedly changed for the better and will stay so for several days, our works are planned to start tomorrow, our loo problems have been solved, all others are in hand, Simon is a great source of comfort, and we’ve met new friends; on the other hand Linda had a bad s start and lost a pair of trousers, the dogs have not had a very good day (though they slept through most of it and have been very good tonight) and the mooring is one might say, challenging.  But come on, that 6-3.  And we have completed the Burgundy West circuit with great enjoyment and no serious problems.  Apprenticeship over! From now on we are going to take it easy, come hell, high water, Rhine or Rhone!