Monday 1st May - Rouen

Back to Rouen Halte de Plaisance as the races had finished. Rain, more rain and yet more rain. Interesting to find that French Bank Holidays are as wet as those in the UK. Consoled ourselves by inviting Jacki and David for a Korma evening so had a good time after all.

Tuesday 2nd May - Les Andeleys

Left Rouen at 12 noon after managing to upload the web log with great difficulty. Internet cafes seem not to cater for uploading files and when I asked for the facility, the proprietor, on my time, downloaded an FTP transfer programme. Unfortunately, it was in French so no use at all. Had to go back, get my laptop and plug it into their network. Made Les Andeleys Halte de Plaisance by 21.30. A really picturesque little town. Too dark to do anything but walk Henry and go to bed.

Cruising Notes

Les Andeleys Halte de Plaisance PK174 is supposed to have been dredged, but we dragged our tails getting in with a draught of just 1 metre. It was just getting dark and we missed the sign saying 0.8m depth, so in the morning we emptied our water tanks and warped SWMBO out through the silt. Power and water is free, but there are no showers or other facilities.

Wednesday 3rd May - Mericourt

Arrived Mericourt Halte de Plaisance after a day of travelling through incredibly beautiful countryside The pictures cannot do it justice. Weather in the 30's, so altogether a lazy day just travelling.

Cruising Notes

Mericourt Halte de Plaisance PK120 is very pretty with free power, showers and water, but charges for mooring, €18 for the night. It seems miles from anywhere, so no shops except for a small chandlery section in the Poste Capitanerie. Mosquito protection is advised

Thursday 4th May - Frette sur Seine

Arrived Frette sur Seine around 5pm. Stopped at the local Halte Fluvial which has just been refurbished and were welcomed shortly after arrival by the Mayor himself. Must have been the first visitor since refurbishment so I kept my distance to avoid being kissed on both cheeks.

Cruising Notes

Frette sur Seine Halte Fluvial PK 63 - Its free and very pleasant with room for just one boat and easy access to local shops. No power, water or showers.

Friday 5th May - Paris

Paris at last after 355 kilometres of river travel. Looking up at the Eiffel Tower from the Seine is an amazing experience Doing it while dodging the plethora of huge tour boats adds a little extra je ne sais quoi. Decided to stay 2 nights. It is Paris after all.

Cruising Notes

The Paris Arsenal PKO is accessed through what appears to be a very large hole in the river wall. €36.45 for SWMBO but only €23.20 if we had been a monohull of the same length. Free power, showers and water. No entry after 7pm. There is a laundry next to the Capitainerie and the Port Capitaine is more than helpful and speaks quite good English.

Saturday 6th May - Paris

Went touring on the tandem. A very sociable and easy way of sightseeing as bikes seem to be able to go anywhere. Attracted a lot of attention. Considering the more than amorous nature of couples of all ages in Paris, we are surprised that the intimacy of riding tandem is not de rigueur for touring couples. The other side of the coin is that no one has yet thrown a bucket of water over us. However, if we keep on using it this often, I'm going to have a backside like a rhinoceros by the time we get back to Monmouth.

Sunday 7th May - Melun

Guess what? Monday 8th May is also a Bank Holiday so wherever we are by Sunday night, we have to stop over for an extra day. Luckily, we arrived at a little place called Melun and found a nice mooring on the quayside Got some more jobs done on SWMBO and also got in some "pontoon bashing" practice as I am still getting the hang of a twin engine catamaran, which is a little tricky to manoeuvre in confined spaces. Loads of posts for Henry to widdle on and easy access to town when the shops open. We seem to have solved our cash flow problems as we can now coast on just one engine and nearly halve our fuel bills. Until recently we were burning about E50 per day just on diesel oil. Finally Identified the steering problem We only have half a rudder on the starboard side. This is the result of the underwater collision on the Seine. Will need to get it repaired in Port Napoleon, an insurance job.

Cruising Notes

The quayside on the right bank PKI 10 just before the bridges has recently been developed and is now a very attractive (and free) place to moor. Handy for the town shops, but no facilities.

Monday 8th May - Melun

Many of the shops in Melun are surprisingly open. Shame that I pulled my back when getting the tandem over the side, so Paula had to go on her own.

Tuesday 9th May - Episy

Finally entered the canal system. Should not have been surprised that SWMBO, at 4.8 metres beam, plus the tyres acting as fenders, fills the locks, often with just an inch or two to spare either side. This makes entering and leaving the locks very interesting and more than a little slow. Thank God for the tyres on the sides. Fenders would have been too wide, useless and written off very quickly.

Cruising Notes

Moored just up stream from the lock. No charge and extra midges/mosquitoes thrown in. Short walk into the village to buy our fresh bread in the morning, Superb

Wednesday 10th May - Nargis

Arrived at a little village called Nargis after an uneventful day squeezing through locks. Approx. 560 kilometres and 54 locks travelled since Portsmouth and 670 kilometres plus 162 locks to go until Marseilles. Then it's just a modest 1600 kilometres from there to Corfu, (Note that we shall switch back to measuring in nautical miles when we get to the Med). Strange how priorities change. Our key concerns these days are around the availability of fuel, water, moorings and gas.

Cruising Notes

Tried to moor below the lock, but despite a nicely mown bank with bollards, found that the rebuilt, inclined stone bank was more than likely to damage our hull. Moored just up stream from the lock against a small wooden pier. Very handy for the town which has the basic shops and a telephone Don't expect a fast passage in the canals. The speed limit is 6kph and we can only average about 30 kilometres a day taking all the locks into account

Thursday 11th May - Montbouy

The locks seem to be getting narrower, or is it just me? Today the wind was blowing us laterally and we were getting stuck on one side of the locks with no room to manoeuvre. It was either be seen as the incompetent Englishman or damage the boat. No contest really when compared with expensive repair bills, so we have started walking SWMBO out of the locks. Met a really nice American couple, Tom and Tricia Reay, on their barge Elizabeth and spent a very pleasant evening with them on the barge. Came back with a pudding to finish off our dinner.

Cruising Notes

Very pleasant Halte just downstream of the town lock. Free electric, but no water and the advertised showers and toilets have been badly vandalised and are unusable

Friday 12th May - Ousouer sur Trezee

20 locks today! In a barge it would be fun, but in SWMBO it is a new test every Problem is, we are so tight for space going in and coming out, that Just one tyre getting compressed releases a huge burst of energy that bounces us a few inches across the lock, then we bounce back etc, etc, etc. Paula won't take the wheel coming into the locks. Don't blame her. The boat moored in front of us had two of the most cheerless Brits on board. Could not raise so much as a smile or even an acknowledgement from either of them and then had to follow them through the locks the next morning. Damn glad when they turned off to Briare, miserable bu**ers.

Cruising Notes

Small Halte with free moorings, power and water. Boulangerie and Epicuri up the road. Stopped at Rogny for lunch, a very nice little halt and village, and a good butchers by the 1st of 6 locks that run one directly after the other.

Saturday 13th May - St Thiebault

Peed down all day, so we pushed on The alternative being to sit on the boat and listen to the rain falling. We were not happy bunnies. In addition, the alarm buzzer and light kept going off on the charging circuit. Called up the ever knowledgeable Richard back at Grafton who suggested some tests. Seems the problem is in the alarm circuit, not the charging circuit, so have taken out the bulb and disconnected the buzzer. Still have the voltmeter to look at battery charge state on the instrument panel, so no real loss, I hope.

Cruising Notes

What can I say about this place? It is a fairly quiet backwater but costs €6 per night plus €3 for power plus €3 for water and €1.50 for a shower. All that and 1 to 1.5m depth. Save your money and stop at somewhere like Rogny or Chatlllion Collgny, both of which have beautiful surroundings and facilities. Note there is a large supermarche about 1 kilometre upstream from this halte and also a PETROL STATION near to the canal with Gazole at €1.08 a litre.

Sunday 14th May - Marseille les Aubigny

Sun shone all day and temperature hit upper 20's. All bunnies happy and restored, with a minor exception that having found a large supermarche at long last, it was shut for the day. Much grumbling about this from my Executive Officer.

Cruising Notes

Mooring €4.50 per night. Difficult/little access to power or water. There are small village shops and a telephone. But, there is a small village about 5 kilometres upstream. Cours les Barres, which is more attractive, has free mooring, power and water, PLUS a petrol station selling Gazole at €124 litre, a boulangerie and a cafe tabac, which sells fresh bread when the boulangerie is closed. Go figurel A much better prospect than Marseille les A.

Monday 15th May - Fleury sur Loire

In brilliant sunshine pushed on to a little place called Fleury sur Loire On the way there, got stuck in a lock. Renovations seem to have left a bulge in the wall of a double lock and we came to a sudden stop halfway through. The eclusier (lock-keeper) was not amused and told us off for having tyres as fenders. Did not have enough French to tell him that fenders would be just as wide. Solved the problem by lowering both tyres into the water to slim our overall width down. Now our biggest worry is the Canal du Centre which is smaller than this canal. We are due to enter it in two days time and need to fit our 5.08m beam into 5.14m locks.

Cruising Notes

If you are beamy, beware of the double lock Guetin 21-22 on the Lateral a Loire This canal should be 5.20m min width, but the walls here slim to just over 5.8m. Fleury sur Loire is a great little place with space for two small boats, water and a picnic space The village has a boulangerie, post office and a tabac/restaurant

Tuesday 16th May - Garnat sur Engievre

Last night we had a thunderstorm starting 10 pm and continuing all night Then sunshine all morning and back to thunder and rain in the afternoon. Roll on the Med. Arrived Garnat sur Engevre after a day of variable weather. Met our first French Moggie on the way. Vicky Blackall will understand the term "Moggie". It stands for Miserable Old Git and this particular one started shouting at us for being slow to clear the lock. Don't know what he said as it was unsurprisingly in French, but it was not complementary. We kept going slowly to minimise risk of damage and once we had cleared the entry, he charged in, only to badly scrape his stern. Thereafter he proceeded at our son of pace - poetic justice.

Cruising Notes

A little disappointing this Halte. Free moorings and water, but the advertised showers and Boucherie were long gone. Nicer looking Haltes were Gannay-sur Loire, about 15 kilometres behind us downstream and another about 3 kilometers further on at Beaulon.

Wednesday 17th May - Digion

Arrived here in bright sunshine after a lazy day cruising the canal. Can get quite soporific and it not unknown for Paula to say "just look at all those poppies" and for me to reply something like "wot, again" or, to borrow a phrase from Bob McConnell "and Blade Runner just went past". Slight problem as we entered the lock at Digoin, as SWMBO suddenly drifted sideways at a critical moment and we floundered helplessly for a couple of minutes. We were caught half in and half out with no manoeuvring room, before I was able to extract us without losing our starboard propeller on the stone bank behind. Don't know what caused it, but the locals sure appreciated the impromptu show. With our beam, locks are not easy. If we approach very slowly, we lose steerage way and SWMBO can veer off course at the slightest wind, or cross current from the sluices. If we come in relatively fast, we have to get it bang on every time to within two inches, or risk major damage to the hull.

Cruising Notes

Digion is a perfect place to stop over for a day. It is a very pleasant town, moorings are just €4.30 per day plus power and there is a huge Supermarche AND a large DIY type store. Gazole is €1.08 Litre and there are plenty of Boulangeries. On the way here we passed three excellent (and free) overnight stops. Boulan offered good clean moorings, water and picnic tables, Dion had power and water and Pierfltte sur Loire just water. We can also report that Decize has a large supermarche right by the mooring AND a laundrette next door. Plerfltte sur Loire also boasts a supermarche, which closes 12 to 2.3. Guess when WE got there.

Thursday 18th May - Digion

Still here, watching the rain fall and eating delicious French bread, fresh from the ovens. Found a PC at a local youth centre to give me access to the internet. Had to sign in and lie about my age as entry was only for children. Everyone else was about 12 Downloaded my mail, but could not get replies to upload. Doesn't help that the keyboard is not standard querty and all the instructions are in French. (Well they would be wouldn't they!) Carried 50 litres of Gazole (Deisel) back to SWMBO from the garage and then went back for a humungous load of shopping that Paula had gathered while my back was turned. We now need deeper as well as wider locks. Dealt With that other bane of our lives, laundry. Well, Paula did, but I carried it there and back and made sympathetic noises when one of the machines did an entire cycle with cold water.

Friday 19th May - Palinges

Arrived Palinges after a fairly uneventful day. Apart, that is, from the bastard French peniche that nearly grounded me in the bank. Suppressed my first touch of canal rage while simultaneously giving thanks that a) We didn't hit anything and b) If we had, it would have been on the starboard side (which is after all already damaged). Looked at the travel plan. Just 552 kilometres and about 65 locks to the Med. But most of it is downhill and most of the locks will be behind us in two days. Why is it that everyone delights in worst case scenarios? We get "The Soane and Rhone are flooding because of the recent heavy rain. Watch out for trees (apparently the size of the Eiffel Tower) crashing through at 90 kph" and "Watch out for Med weather. It can go from flat calm to force 10 in 30 minutes without any warning". Just what we need to hear on our way south. When we get to Italy, I fully expect to be told "beware the ides of March".

Cruising Notes

Palinges is a nice little mooring, with about 1m depth. A nice surprise is the variety of shops in the village Almost makes us wish we had not stocked up yesterday. On the way through, noticed that Paray-le-Monial has a large supermmarche and a DIY store and Gazole alongside the canal, near to a good mooring space

Saturday 20th May - Montchanin

Peed down all day. Not the sort of weather we expected when we planned this. Montchanin is the summit so to speak The highest point of this canal system and It's now downhill all the way to the Med.

Cruising Notes

If you are considering an overnight here, don't bother. Can't even see the town from the canal and the halte is full of boaty projects" in various stages of completion/disintegration. We moored in a godawful place opposite the halte that had all the charm of a motorway service station, but with no facilities or shops whatsoever.

Sunday 21st May - St Ledger sur Dehune

Sun was back out again today. Difficult to get into a seasonal rhythm when the temperature oscillates between 11 C and 30 C every few hours. Small consolation that the UK is experiencing the same. Scraped the hull again. Leaving descending locks is more difficult than ascending ones. There is often a run off inlet/outlet just outside of the lock which takes the bows/stern when least expected and bounces us into the wall. If there is not a tyre at that point, we don't bounce, we just hear an expensive thcrape (cross between a thud and a scrape). Met a boat, the same length as us, with 11 fenders down each side. Kept well clear, he was obviously accident prone, or paranoid.

Cruising Notes

This is more like it. A nice little town with plenty of shops and gazole at €1.19 a litre. Mooring €8 per night plus extra for power and showers. Noticed on the way here that St Julien (Just downstream from Mediteranee lock 8) has a very nice mooring (1m depth) and would have made a much better overnight than Montchanin_

Monday 22nd May - Chalone sur Soane

A 24 carat cow of a day. Started off well with me putting on short sleeves and sandals - Talk about tempting fate! By 0845, with 19 locks and 34 kilometres to go, we arrived at our first lock to find it filled with a hotel peniche. This is a 38 metre by 5 metre giant barge acting as a floating hotel. It not only fills the locks, but is also painfully slow negotiating the slalom run that makes up the Canal du Centre. Even at half our normal speed we had to wait around 15 mins at each lock for it to clear. Then the rain started and the wind etc. (Fate had responded). When we finally managed to overtake, it was only to start meeting traffic coming up from the other direction - more delays. Finally, an open stretch, only to find the next lock was not working (automatic, but had not been switched on). Sat in the rain and awaited the Eclusier who got it working and then on to the next (automatic) lock, which also failed to work. The Eclusier who eventually arrived to fix it explained that an (external) sensing device did not like the rain and had malfunctioned??? Bit back the comment that immediately sprang to my lips and then he delivered the piece de resistance. He turned to me and, with a very Gallic shrug of the shoulders said, "Desole Monsieur" After that it was an anticlimactic, but wet (sandals again) journey down to Chalone sur Soane, where we entered the Halte at Chalone. Our first mooring left the mast completely overhanging the pontoon, so we moved to another, where a strong current pinned us solidly to the pontoon. No problem, except that a passer-by mentioned that was the place where all the logs swept through in wet weather. Spent the next 45 mins prising SWMBO off the pontoon, aided by a small army of helpful fellow boaters of all nationalities who amiably argued about the best way to extract us and generally got in the way. Could have done with Steve Parry to give us some more effective advice. Finally moored in a non-overhanging, logless, non-pinning location at 7pm, both totally knackered and just to cap the day, Paula insisted I had couscous for dinner. Oh well, c'est la vie! PS. Thoroughly enjoyed the couscous, much to my surprise

Cruising Notes

The Chalone Halte is not a bad place to be. Just avoid the outside pontoon when the river is in spate as any trees coming downstream barrel straight though there. Mooring €940 per night to include showers. Water and power extra. We did note on the way there, that a new halte is just up and running about 2 kilometres before you get to the big 106 metre lock. The last (34b in my Carte) on the Canal du Centre It looks very nice and is possibly free.

Tuesday 23rd May - Macon

The sun shone all day. What a climate! Now on the river Soane and gloriously happy to have some room to manoeuvre - although will probably become agoraphobic when confronted by the comparative vastness of the open sea. (yes, I know its not good English, but who cares?) Cruised down the Soane at a respectable 12 kph, stopped at the public halte at Tournes for lunch and fuel. Only fly in the day's ointment was the awkward little tit at the garage, who took apparent pleasure in telling me it was just ferme (closing), come back at 2pm. Carried the 25 litre cans all the way back to the boat and then had to return when he had un-fermed at 2pm_ Apart from that, the day was a distinct pleasure and Macon is a good place to stop with lots of shops.

Cruising Notes

Bypassed the out of town Halte at PK83 and moored on the quay just south of the bridge at PK 80. No facilities but is near the town centre On the way here, Tournus at PKI 12 is a good stop, with 36 hours free mooring and free water and power.

Wednesday 24th May - Lyon

Sunshine again today. Something must be wrong with the system as we cruised the 80 kilometres to Lyon without a hitch. Paula kept remarking how the countryside is just like Herefordshire and it is…apart from the architecture and cars driving on the wrong side of the road and the Mediterranean vegetation. But apart from all that, it just like Herefordshire…except for all the signs in French and the huge barges. Just like Herefordshire. Mooring in Lyon is not easy, so we settled against the public quay, removed anything removable from the deck and hoped for the best. The reason, a rumour that anything not nailed down disappears overnight and we don't carry any nails. Will try to find an internet cafe tomorrow and get all this uploaded.

Cruising Notes

Look for the public quay mooring at about PK 37, just upstream from the Pont de Bonaparte. Alternatively, if shallow draught, the quay just downstream from PK 3

Thursday 25th May - Tournon

Sunshine again today. Is summer here at last? Got through some seriously large locks on the Rhone today. At the first one, the Eclusier leaned out of his window, some 100 feet up, and waved a lifejacket at us. We had forgotten to put ours on. Not surprising really as had got out of the habit in the central canals, where only an anorexic hamster could have fallen through the gap between SWMBO and the walls. Started to feel a little cocky in the big locks and then managed to screw up the entry to the second. Despite it being more 195 metres long and 12 metres wide, I bounced off the wall like a rank amateur. The shame of it! Our first mooring choice, recommended on an internet site was "for boats with little height". Bit of an understatement really as neither of us can do the limbo, so carried on 15 kilometres to Tournon, which is very nice and surprisingly large.

Cruising Notes

The halte at PK91 is a little tight for manoeuvring space, but the town is a big surprise The shopping area seems to go on forever. €10 for mooring, free power and water.

Friday 26th May - Viviers

Let the good times roll. I have found an internet cafe, uploaded the latest news on this site and uploaded and downloaded my emails. All this after a quiet day cruising down the Rhone, albeit with a strong tailwind and current that took us at times up to 18 kph over the ground. (we can only manage a max of 10 kph over water with both engines until the rudder etc. is fixed) When we arrived at Viviers, someone told us that we have been travelling in a Mistral wind. Immediate brown trousers all round as this is supposedly a very BAD wind that can raise 2 metre waves on the river. Then, saw the prices for mooring when we arrived. €26 for SWMBO for just one night (2 times normal for boats over 4m beam). Was very unhappy and asked Paula to pay the Port Capitaine as I was likely to be rude to him about his charges. Egg on my face (again) when she came back and told me how charming he was and how he refused to take a double fee. Avignon tomorrow. Can't wait to stand (ok then, sail) sous the bridge. (Apparently the correct version of the song is "sous le pont", not "sur"). And, which bridge is it anyway? There are 3 according to my charts, not that it matters much as we have to sail under all of them.

Cruising Notes

The marina at PK166 has small pontoons which are not easy in crosswinds. In the town, the big surprise is an internet cafe. Take along your own laptop and you can connect it to a 1mb link for €4 per hour. €13 for mooring, (although the board said over 4m beam should be €26), free power and water.

Saturday 27th May - Avignon

Arrived here in a force 7, BUT with glorious sunshine all day. Shame we can't have the sails up. Came through the biggest lock in Europe 195 metres long, 12 Wide and 23 deep! See picture. Rafted up next to a French liveaboard barge and very glad to get the mooring. Even this early in the season it is very busy. Pont d'Avignon is a slight disappointment as we could not sail under the bridge which is "Navigation Interdit". However, as there is only half of this beautiful pont left, we sailed around the end. Does this count as "around pont D'Avignon" The town is walled all round and filled with ultra narrow streets bordered by very old, multi storey buildings. Gloriously winding streets mean we needed a map just too find our way out. Met some very laid back Aussies (well, aren't they all?). Since then, our conversation has been littered with "No worries" and "Aw bugga", but Paula draws the line at "Ywake Sheila".

Cruising Notes

Mooring at PK141 on the town quay costs just €6.60 per night plus €2.20 for power. Free water and showers. Internet cafes in the town.

Sunday 28th May - Port St Louis

The Mistral is but a memory , but the sun shines on. 38 degrees this afternoon. Arrived at the Med at last, or at least at the port where we shall get the boat repaired. What a dump. Midges, mosquitoes, dust and an industrial wasteland across the way. However, we are between a rock and a hard place as I dare not take us out to sea to get to another, more salubrious port, until SWMBO is seaworthy. The town is a good 15 mins away by bike. Not looking forward to ten or so days here.

Cruising Notes

This is possibly the cheapest mooring in this part of the world. However, all is relative as we are still paying €21 per night and there is no surcharge for cats. For this, we get to moor alongside a wall where, as the big fishing boats come back in, we are entertained by a wash that can reach 2 metres high. But power and water are free.

Monday 29th May - Port St Louis

Bit of a wind today, so slightly cooler and the mozzies are grounded. Seems the Mistral is back! Must arrange to get lifted out of the water so we are at least on firm ground.

Tuesday 30th May - Port St Louis

Now out of the water. Just as well as there is much more wind. We estimated it's up to Force 9 and forecast Force 11 tomorrow. But what the hell, the sun is shining, at east it's hot (out of the wind) and the Mozzies have all left town for calmer places. One side effect - we could grow potatoes on the deck which is rapidly becoming covered with a black peat like substance. In these situations there is only one thing to do - so we had a Wind party. Was like the United Nations in our saloon. Aussies, Dutch, Americans and us. Luckily no one fell down the ladder as they left!

Cruising Notes

Lifted out and now on secure ground. MOST impressed with the yard team, a huge contrast to Le Havre back on 27th April. Here, we get a team of 3 professionally directed by Phillipe No 1 (There are 3 Phillipes in all). They do everything, whether manoeuvring the boat for lifting out or mast down/up. An impressive performance, particularly in a force 9 crosswind. For SWMBO - €190 lift out AND return. €70 for mast up or down.

Wednesday 31st May - Port St Louis

Blowing a real hooley. Even on hard standing, SWMBO shudders and shakes in the wind. It feels really strange to have the boat moving while out of the water. I keep getting an irrational urge to check the mooring lines. At the moment we have no toilet on board as I need more parts to connect up the holding tank and any part is difficult to get around here. So this morning saw us jump out of bed, throw on some clothes and dash the few hundred yards to the toilets on the tandem. Desperately hoping not to get caught short during the night.