Week 2 7th May- 13th May The Smedleys and We are Off.

With Doucette now watertight, we look forward to welcoming our first visitors of the season and setting off on this years cruise. Still before they arrive on Friday we set off the 30miles to Clamecy hoping to buy a couple of extra chairs for the poop. We get there to find all the hypermarkets closed. It is yet another French Bank Holiday. Unbelievable! We come back with just some tomatoe plants and a herb pot. Next day we repeat the journey on route to meeting Steve and Jackie at Mailly la ville where they will leave the car and come back to Baye with us. We are delighted to get the chairs and meet the Smedlars at 1pm as arranged.

 A great visit to the stunning Vezelay is a lovely start to their trip as a diversion on our return to Baye where after settling them in, we route march them on a round trip walk to baye village via the etang. It is a truly lovely spot and despite obvious fatigue,  all enjoyed the late evening stroll in the sun.

Saturday saw us delay ou departure as a result of a Foire du Terroire in Corbigny. after introducing Steve to Ted Johnson resulting in an hours intense discussion on the merits of British leyland classic engines and farm machinery we dragged him away and discover the corbigny high street filled with farm gear and animals from heavy weight drays to prized cattle to geese, sheep, horses and all manner of critter. What a bloody racket though! We watched and sniffed agog at the sheepshearer. A combination of a  lack of deoderant, a skintight wetlook singlet and a writhing sheep under his armpit did nothing for his lady killing powers but everything for the marketing strategy of the adjacent aromatheraputic candle store a short hop down the high street. We amazed at the quite incredible demonstration of a 19th century clogmaking machine. Truly a work of art. We purchased a stinkily expensive speciality pate and a couple of cases of st bris wine before selecting the loony locals bar for steak and poivre  with frites menu for lunch. A super meal was distressingly interupted by a nasty alcohol fuelled spat between two thugs whose families and young children witnessed the whole sorry episode. The first time we have witnessed such behaviour in France and we were glad to make a hurried exit. Shame as it had been a very pleasant lunch.

Up with the larks Sunday, well at least those that awoke at 9.30am, and with car stashed for a long hot summer at Baye, goodbyes, wines for michel  and a case of beer for the team and rising excitement, Doucette roars into life and I point her bow at the bridge to enter the collancelle and the 2014 cruise begins.
A magnificent poodle through this scenically stunning stretch of 3kms. Steep vine laden banks line the steep wooded cut where the trees form a natural arbour complete with tumbling waterfalls.

 

 Cyclists stopped to watch and photgraph our progress as we drifted under the cathedral like pont over this narrowest of waterway stretches as I cautiously pilot Doucette between the all too close rocky edges of the canal.

Quite an introduction to the Nivernais for our smiling guests.

 

 Lunch was taken at the end of the Collancelle prior to the start of the 16 lock staircase down through the sardy valley.

 

 And so our descent began,

 

fortunately Mr Smedlar, keen on losing a couple of pounds offered to help at one of the locks. After engaging with an eclusier who spoke perfect English, he was very soon offered an honorary eclusiers badge and his enthusiasm for his new found expertise cast a strange spell over him. He emerged from the wheelhouse after his second performance with a distant glazed look. Tonight Mathew, I am Forest Gump. With that he vaulted over the guard rails and started to run. and run and run.

 From lock to lock he ran stopping only to heave open and closed theses heavy gates as Doucette made her way down the staircase.

 He wavered just a moment intrigued by the hippee locks pink themed cottage come tea room.

 

 But with his lock gates closed He was off again

 

And Gump just ran quicker and worked harder, the sculpturs at their expo lock stood in open mouthed astonishment as he scorched past them with a cheery Bonjour but everything must end and as we came to the final lock of the staircase, a tear seeped from his eye as Jackie told him "gump that is enough you must not run anymore" It was 3kms to the next lock.  He slumped prostate on the sundeck a complete exhausted shambles.

 I guess having guests on board is like a box of chocolates, you just never know what you`re gonna get!

We overnighted at the locaboat marina at Les Granges and paid 13 euros for the night having had to go and find someone in the morning prior to departure.

Monday was a day on the canals with Steve recovering from yesterdays exertions, It was Jackie this time excelling in operating  the delightful manual lifting bridges.

 Weather turned a bit iffy and we moored at an idyllic rural setting of Dirol for the night.

 

A stroll took in one of the only remaining wooden lifting bridges remaining in use on the French waterways

 

Tuesday morning is lazy before setting off into Montceau le compte to the famed auberge du centre.

 

 A stunning lunch at a fantastic typicaal rural french restaurant. Two and a half hour of culinary bliss is a trip highlite already but means a late start but we make it to Asnois where I make the bad decision to mount the wheels of steel to go in search of bread. a fruitless and exhausting 18kms later I return to join the crew on a stroll into this deathly quiet and alarmingly mysterious village. a plethora of goats skulls adorned too many abodes and the village was a shrine to brocante and crap. Surely there were things of value but far outweighed by the confused mass of absolute worthless rotting junk which could only adorn a skip and look well placed. We made a hurried return to Doucette delayed only by another quirk of fate or was it wierd sign.

 

 

We Locked up securely this night and cuddled up close as the hoot of an owl was drowned out by a shriek of goodnight from our very own Jackie Gobillot.

Week 2 Stats.

Distance Travelled  32kms
Locks                       39
Mooring Fees           13 euros

2014 The First Week Baye 30th April - 6th May

After a midday crossing on the new Brittany economie ferry on a glassy flat sea, we drove a couple of hours to get the other side of Paris and spent a very comfortable night at a pemiere hotel and following a hearty breakfast completed the leisurely journey to Aqua Fluvial at Baye by noon. These travel arrangements worked wonderfully and will be the new favoured plan.
Excitement grew as we finally saw the marina and much to our surprise, immediately spotted Doucette just as I had left her.

 

Michel had emailed me some weeks ago asking to move it as we had agreed last November. French exception already. Still it was fantastic to see her and we could not wait to unwrap her from her taupalin cocoon. Of course our arrival was at the start of the 2 hour lunch and co incided with the first rain of the journey but this did little to dampen our spirits. We set forth with gusto and soon Doucette was uncovered if a little filthy. However we were very pleased with the protection the covers had afforded and all things considered she was in great shape. Inside was no different. Very little sign of any mildew and the battereies were fully charged.
Michel and the team returned and warm tidings were exchanged. We cracked on with the arduous task of loading the boat with the car full of provisions and beginning to settle back in to our home for the next 5 months. Marvellous! It felt great to be back.
The next couple of days were just sheer hard graft but by Saturday evening Collette had the boat looking great inside with, unbelievably, homes found for just about everything and the whole boat had benefitted from a thorough spring clean, collette fashion. I had scrubbed, polished and antifouled the hull and polished up the steelwork, props and shafts and a newly painted boot line left Doucette gleaming and ready to get wet. Yippee!
We had arranged for the grand lift in to take place Monday so with a great forecast for Sunday, we decided to retrace our steps of last year and head off to the fete du vin, du pain et frommage at Epoisse. A spectacular village and a lovely day. We tasted and of course purchased the fetes offerings. Enjoyed a glass of champaign at one of the champaign bars and enjoyed some live music. We strolled round the chateau gardens before a beautifully scenic drive back through the Morvan national park. We passed through a delightful village which was settling down into the last hour of the day long Vide Grenier (car boot). An obsession in France where every house in the Village has a stall outside. We stopped and had a quick peruse, I am after some metal mooring spikes and a velosolex to restore as my years silly project, we will see. No Joy on iether front and so we sat at a table outside the village bar and had a cold beer in the late evening sun. Glorious! Back at Doucette by 8pm it had been a lovely first day of leisure and we really felt we were back now.
Monday 9am, Michel spies me "Are you ready Andy"
Yes I reply 10 minutes to ready the fenders!
"ok 10 Minutes then"
We quickly set to the final preperations amid growing excitement. 5 minutes later I hear Michel call me, "Andy, this morning is now impossible and I have a rendezvous from 2pm to 4pm at home so will 4pm be alright"
Of course Michel I smile. French exception!
We make the most of the time by hurtling off to Nevers to sort out the orange 3g internet recharge. That sorted with remarkable ease at the infamous magazin Orange, we go off in search of a new table for the poop deck. Of course it is now 1pm and the shops are closed til 2pm, but we do spot a possible table through the window of Casa, a favourite store. After lunch at the open Leclercs we head back and are thrilled to find the perfect table for the poop. octagonal and with both sides dropping, we are made up. It has been a great day so far and arriving back at Baye at spot on 4pm we ready for the big lift in. Michel is ready and Doucette is quickly prepped, strapped in and lifting serenely over the water.

 It really is a thrilling feeling when she finally settles down safely. Quick check and no leaks so we are freed from the strops and once more we are back on the water. Brilliant! Thanks Michel

Champagne the proper stuff is cracked to celebrate.
Following a dreamy nights sleep on the water Tuesday morning sees me down in the engine bay. Alittle too much water in the bilge and a quick look over and I guess the stern gland needs a little adjustment. This done and I am confident it has sorted the problem. We potter and go off to Corbigny for vittals. Our return hails bad news the bilge has filled again. I find a small leak on the water calorifier, ah that must be it. I repair it and wait. At 7ish I check the bilge again to find more water. Where the hell? I lift everything and find nothing from top to bottom. Going crazy I again check the calorifier when I notice a seeping from an old through hull fitting which has been blanked off next to the gearbox. Never taken any notice of it before as it is capped with a plastic screw top similar to those found on a 5ltr oil can. Horror when I touch the top, it moves and I ncan feel the pressure of the water from the canal urging to release itself into my blood boat. Suddenly this looks serious and I look aghast as  I see Michel pulling out of the marina. I am on my own! The leak is suddenly much worse. Ok skipper, time for a clear head and clmness. Christ Wrong skipper to have!!!! I actually stay pretty calm, I have some fabulous works silicon which sets under water. I attempt to encase the whole fitting in it but every time I touch the assembly the leak worsens.

 

 Eventually like Rodan, I sculpt an igloo of silicon over the capping. I ready wooden plugs to hammer into the potential geyser and prepare a monster 1500 galls per hour emergency bilge pump with car battery terminals ready to be clamped onto the opened battery box at a moments notice. With the bilges on auto it is with some relief when every 15minutes the whir of the bilge clearing the ingress invades and destroys any chance of sleep. A long long night ensues but thankfully with no further drama. By 9 Michel has arrived and we are emergency lifting Doucette back out of the water. I can almost cry but the relief that huge disaster has been averted is a powerful antidote to my financial concerns. Alift out and in is 500euros. Off to Ted Johnson at Chitry les mines for anothe hour session of old tales and chat with this marvellous canal man. Of course he has the bits I require and for a mere 20 euros I return and carry out the replacement of the through hull fitting. On On extraction the failure is all too evident. Clearly the plstic had aged and a cold winter had made it very brittle. The sudden movement of the hull when lifted back in had caused it to cack and hence my emergency. Next winter all plastic through hull fittings will be replaced. By 7pm Michel was lifting Doucette back in having helped me secure the repair.

 

Tomorrow I would discover that he would not chage me a cent for the emergency lift out and in and nothing for his time and help iether. A proper top man who smiles everyday and lives by his motto Tous Jours Positive!
It had been quite an end to our first week back in France.