Jaux to Cergy

Hello from civilisation ... yes, we have arrived at Port Cergy, a lovely PdP (catering for up to 50 boats) with - wait for it: mosaic tiled walk-in showers that work and are hot!  Also a nice washing machine and new tumble drier - that work!  We have power, water and free wifi so we've decided to stay for 5 nights to relax and get ourselves and the boat ready for the final push to Paris next week where we meet our friends David & Roche from Whistable.  Here's a little taster of the last couple of days.

Wednesday 29 June - Jaux to L'Isle Adam
We awoke at 0700 to thick mist and realised that's why there'd been no barge movement to wake us.  The sun soon burned off the mist which was great as we had quite a long run ahead of us.  We are now in the River Oise as opposed to the canals and the water levels are controlled by sluices so there was quite a current to help us along.  We had 5 descending locks today but they were much smaller than those in previous posts so not daunting at all.  Strangely we weren't followed by a barge or yacht all day which meant no waiting around at the locks and we had the locks to ourselves which was great. 

We are starting to see planes overhead taking off from nearby Paris Arsenal airport (we think) or, possibly Charles de Gaulle, so we know we're getting close to Paris - lots of trains whizzing by too en route to the capital.  Getting quite excited! 

After 7 hours cruising we arrived at L'Isle Adam, a small quayside mooring for an overnight stay.  There are lots of these moorings along the canals with varying degrees of facilities.  This one had power and water so we thought we'd tie up there for the night.  Sadly, the pontoon-side debit/credit card reader wasn't working so we didn't have power or water(!) but it was quite a warm evening and we already had a full tank of water.

L'Isle Adam is quite an upmarket riverside retreat with lovely shops, boutiques and a patisserie to die for!  We gave into tarte au citron - yum!  There is a fab outdoor swimming pool complex which reminded me of the 1950's Hollywood film sets, complete with man-made beach.  But the highlight of L'Isle Adam for us was a family of 4 beaver/coipu like creatures.  We couldn't work out why they were actively pursuing ducks and then we realised they wanted to steal their food!  It was really funny watching these little animals swimming with such gusto after a tidbit. 

On arrival, we heard a radio blaring out and figured it was a nearby builder's companion but, when we went ashore, we realised the same radio station was playing all around the town.  It reminded us of the TV series, 'The Prisoner' - in fact the architecture was quite similar.  Fortunately it stopped at about 7.30pm and, as we hadn't seen a big white balloon/bubble coming towards us we figured we were OK for a night!

Locks today: 5 (total 38)
Miles today: 40 (total 163)

Thursday 30 May (L'Isle Adam to Cergy)
Just a short hop today (19km) to Cergy.  We reserved a place here as we knew it was popular and moored alongside "Venture" and were invited onboard by Garth & Catherine for coffee which was nice and where we met a lovely Norwegian couple - Oewin and Oedny from 'Ny Likke' who had done a similar trip to us last year (in a power boat) and written a beautiful book which they showed us.  It was quite something and we asked if the planned to publish it in English as they'd have lots of readers.  Watch this space!

We invited Garth & Catherine onboard for vino as we'd not really spent time with them as our passage plans differed slightly.  They are leaving tomorrow for Paris to meet family so we hope to catch up with them there again. 

The weather looks like it's changing for the better tomorrow so that's great.  Hope you're all well and enjoying the blog.  I'll do a separate post for our stay in Cergy so check-in soon folks for some more looney tunes!

F&M
xx

A joust (almost!) en route to Jaux

Hello folks and bonjour from Jaux, a small village just downriver from Compiegne.  We couldn't find a mooring at Compiegne's Port du Plaisance (Pdp).  Often, these Pdps are quite small - catering from 5 to 30 boats to include locals so they're not like marinas - and as "Reward" is nearly a 50' boat with the unstepped mast it does create problems mooring.  So we motored 6km down the River Oise to Jaux, a pretty PdP with power, water and showers.  Only downfall is that it is in the main canal so we get the wash from passing barges - OK if they're not speeding along or too large otherwise it's hold onto your hats as you roll around!  

Monday 27 May - Pont l'Eveque to Jaux
"Stardust" and "Reward" set off from Pont l'Eveque in bright sunshine and thought we'd have a quick run down to Compiegne.  We traversed the first lock pretty well - it was quite wide so there were 3 yachts and a barge alongside us all. 

Sir Mickelot!
We continued down to the next lock where we were followed by the same barge who, of course, has priority over us yachts so "Stardust" and "Reward" took a line ashore on the quayside and waited for him to pass and go into the lock.  All easy enough except when we tried to get off mooring astern (in reverse gear) the wind got hold of us.  First Mate's dulcet tones were heard by all as she warned Skipper of a possible collision as our boat is tricky to handle in reverse with the keel up.  Fortunately we managed to avoid a small altercation with a quayside roadsign and a huge steel barge! 

Seriously, it was a really stressful moment as you can imagine, not least as the locals were looking on anxiously but a huge sigh of relief all round - a close call though!

So with that we set off again to Jaux.  With mooring secured and overworked adrenals we decided that the best thing to do was go ashore and have a beer.  There is a lovely bistro/bar at the PdP so we sat on the veranda taking in the sun and beer - lovely!  It was mid-afternoon by this time so we didn't do much else other than have dinner on board, prepared and cooked by Skipper.

Locks today: 3 (total 33)
Miles today: 18 (total 123)

Tuesday 28 May - Jaux/Compiegne
We decided to walk the 6km to Compiegne along the canalside which was lovely.  About half way it started to rain which had set in for the day by the time we arrived at the Centre Ville an hour later.  Such a shame as I wanted a few snaps but the weather didn't lend itself well to capture the elegant style of Compiegne - very Parisian and former home to several royals whilst hunting in the nearby forests - the second largest forest in France.  It is also where Joan of Arc was captured so lots of history here.  A converted Chateau is now home to three museums but which was shut today. 

That's our news - we're off to Cergy tomorrow which puts us in striking distance of Paris.  It's quite a long haul so we'll stop half way at a watersports haven - L'Isle-Adam - so no doubt we'll post again from Cergy.

Over & out for now from Sir Mickelot and a damsel who was close to distress! 

Pont l'Eveque

Bonjour de Pont l'Eveque, a lovely, quiet village at the junction of Canal du Nord and Canal Lateral a l'Oise which offers free quayside moorings.  We're actually moored opposite some houses with a pharmacy, bar and boulangerie just metres away surrounded by splendid weeping willows - very quaint.

Reward on the quayside mooring at Pont l'Eveque

Friday 24 May
We cast off at 0740 with Ken & Katie on "Stardust" and chugged 25 miles to Pont l'Eveque in pretty much day-long rain, though lighter rain than the previous day's hail downpour x 2!  We went through 7 locks (3 ascending, 4 descending) and a 1km tunnel.  We had a pretty much clear run through the locks as we didn't have to wait for barges to enter/exit before us so that was great.  We moored up at 1630 so we had a 9-hour day but it was worth it.

Total locks: 30
Total miles: approx 105

We decided to stay 3 nights as we needed a couple of days to thaw out, relax and explore - plus we thought our next stop - the popular port de plaisance at Compiegne would have more space after the weekend.

Saturday 25 May
We awoke to bright sunshine - hurrah!  We had a walk around Pont l'Eveque on Saturday and met a retired 12th generation barge skipper who told us all about the area and canal life and he knew the route we were taking well.  He said that Napolean actually brought his boat up to this region as it is a place of strategic value - we're not sure we understood that correctly but perhaps we (or one of you?) will research that a bit more when we have time.

We've spent some time with Ken & Katie aboard 'Stardust' sharing one another's stories (and fruit tarts!) which has been great.  We plan to catch up with them again at either Compiegne or Jaux. 

Sunday 26 May
We walked into the nearby town of Noyon to take in the fantastic 12C Gothic Cathedral - a  masterclass in Norman architecture and where we saw 4 boulangeries/patisseries doing a roaring trade (the 3 staple businesses in France are bread, flowers and coffee) - the favourite pastime by far though is fishing - carp poles galore!

So that's our news for this weekend.  Photos to follow as my Domino wifi gizmo doesn't like downloading photos.  Tomorrow we're off to Compiegne and Paris by next weekend - ooh-la-la!!!

Peronne

I write on day 3 from Peronne's port du plaisance as, after the recent lock series in the wet weather we realised that we needed a little more r&r than we thought.  We've been away for just over 4 weeks and when we look back at what we've been up to it's no wonder we were shattered!  And Peronne is an OK place to stay with a town nearby, a supermarket even closer and has power, water and showers so why not?!

We have had a couple of walks into town which is steeped in WW1 history as we're in the Somme region.  There is a museum here dedicated to WW1 and there are coachloads of visitors that come to pay their respects throughout the year.  It's hard to imagine the scale of what happened here as you walk around the town today as it is quite tranquil and you can't help but be touched by how awful life must have been for those soldiers - it puts any troubles you feel you have into perspective.

Skipper at the Gate of England, Peronne

First Mate at the moat inside the Gate of England, Peronne

We had drinks with Alan & Carol on board "Reward" which was fun - in fact, they are our first guests as, don't forget, this is Reward's maiden voyage and we only bought her 6 months ago. 

We've also met Ken & Katie of "Stardust" - they are doing a similar journey to us so no doubt we'll be travelling with them.  They have given me some ideas as they winter in Spain ... now that's the way to do it!  All the people we've met so far are wondering what's going on with the weather and think that, even this late in the year, we're still too early.  It seems that this region of France is still in their Spring season with Summer yet to start.

So, nothing much more to report at present.  We're well and feeling rested so we'll update you when we're on the move again.  Our next stops are Noyon and Pont l'Eveque en route to Compiegne where we hope to arrive - weather permitting! - sometime over the weekend.

Over & out for now!

Locks galore

Sunday 19 May - Courchelles-sur-Lens to staircase-type locks
We cast off at 8am and got through the first three locks pretty painlessley.  Here we left 'La Liaison' (which actually was not as bad as the books have said) and entered the Canal du Nord.  We passed through Douai which is pretty much barge town central, followed by the villages of Arleux and Marquion where we met Catherine & Garth on 'Venture' - a lovely timber Pinnis boat (which were formerly used to ferry supplies to bigger naval ships).  They've been living aboard for 2 years and are cruising to Paris so suspect we'll be seeing more of them over the next couple of weeks or so.

Here we entered the first lock in a series of staircase locks, i.e. 6 up and 6 down - each with 2km of one another but not strictly a staircase lock which is a series of adjacent locks.  We've that pleasure to come!  We knew it would be challenging because of their proximity and once you start you're pretty much committed.   

We saw several pleasure boats en route - mainly Brits - good to see as we were beginning to think we were the only people doing this trip.  A couple of them turned off at the junction of Canal du Nord & Compiegne but we suspect we'll meet up with them later on as, like us, they're en route to Paris and Sete.

The weather wasn't great - light drizzle in the morning and heavier rain the afternoon which makes working the boat a little tricky and you have to take care on the wet decks, quaysides and anything else you have to get a line onto.

We had an idea of what to expect but it isn't until you try your lines arrangement that you discover whether they work or not!  Also, we have the added conundrum of fending the mast - fore and aft - from the locks walls and any surrounding boats so it's a 2-person job for sure.  Skipper had been considering the best strategy to get us and the boat through the locks safely.  We figured that if we could avoid going up and down ladders within the lock that would be a wise move as they're usually slippery and slimy - yuk!  Girls, no point having manicured nails as this ain't glamourous work!  We opted for two lines located amidships - one which we could run aft, the other forward so at least we could secure the middle of the boat until and if we needed to adjust anything else.  We also leave the engine on tick-over to stem the flow of the water while the lock is filling.  This is a system that bargemen (and Admiral John Foster) adopted and it works but it doesn't pay to be too set in your ways - you need to adapt to what you find so you need to be on your toes.

Up we go!
We negotiated 6 ascending locks within 8.5km of one another.  On the lock-keeper's signal (a green traffic light) off we went.  First mate was working the foreline as well as her trusty boat hook to fend off our mast; Skipper was looking after the steering and stern of the boat - and First Mate!  Ideally, you don't want to be the first boat in as the gush of water coming into the lock can be quite something and you need to keep the boat steady.  Needless to say we were first in!  These locks comprised a series of ladders and 'antlers' - little hooks you get your line around and move up to the next set of antlers as the water level rises. 

The end of our unstepped mast at the front of an ascending lock - going up!

After negotiating 5 ascending locks quite well we had to moor alongside 'She's a B' to wait for barges to clear the lock.  We spent about an hour chatting when we got the green light to enter the next lock.  We were doing really well but, because of the short delay at the lock earlier on, and the closing time of the locks on Sunday at 6.30pm, knew we'd be lucky to get through all 6 ascending locks.  We made it the last lock at 6.15pm but that was it for the night - Monsieur had signed off - so we moored up for the night on the quayside with 'She's a B' and a lovely Dutch pleasure barge which was being delivered to Paris.  We spotted a mink or polecat type creature on the grass verge.  Alan & Carol invited us aboard which was great and, after an hour or so, we set off for our much-needed bed as another early start awaits us! 

Locks today: 9 (totalling 17)

Monday 20 May - the light at the end of the tunnel ...
The crews of 'She's a B' and 'Reward' were up with the lark and into the last of the ascending locks at 06.50.  Next up was a 4.5km tunnel which is controlled by lights - you go in when you get a green light and means you're pretty sure you won't meet any oncoming traffic although there is a passing place about half way through.  It is well lit all the way through so not too claustrophobic.  'She's a B' was the leading light again and about half way down we met a big barge which we passed successfully.  It was great to see (dim) daylight at the end of the tunnel and onwards to the descending locks.

The light at the end of the Ruyaulcourt tunnel

And down again ...
Just when you get into the swing of something another challenge awaits and we were a bit nervous about the descending locks but we were assured by 'She's a B' that it was quite a quick and smooth process and they were right.  There were 4 boats in this series of locks led by a friendly bargeman who was keeping an eye on us all in case we needed help.  Next was 'Ocean Trident' of London and 'She's a B' with us at the back which, in the end, turned out to be a good arrangement for us.  The descending locks are more physically demanding as you have to pull in very long fore and aft lines but, for us, it wasn't as daunting as we thought it would be.  With the best will in the world it's so easy for lines to get caught around a bollard or railing as the lines are so taut - in this situation a lock-keeper may free it for you - alternatively you have to cut the line but fortunately we managed to avoid that.


Typical descending lock which shows how much line you need to pull in!

So, with 5 of those under our belt and the tunnel we felt we'd done a fair day's work - and it was only 1.30pm!  It wasn't made easy as it rained all day ... not as heavily as yesterday but it does take the edge off things a bit.  We had our all weather gear on so we weren't cold at all but sometimes that gear is a little tricky to manouvre in, especially after the aerobic workout that is jumping ashore with a line, taking it back on board and hauling the lines in - I've lost about 7-10lbs so far - at this rate I'll be half the woman I was when I started!
We then had about a 4km run down the Canal du Nord where we passed some lovely forest and rural countryside.  We arrived at the junction with the Canal du Somme and think we may come back that way - via Valery-sur-Somme as it's very picturesque - we'll see.  We almost missed the spur for Peronne Port du Plaissance but 'She's a B' knew exactly where she was going as Alan & Carol had stayed here before.

Peronne's Port du Plaissance is annexed to a camping site so it has most facilities, if not a little basic.  Nonetheless, we were relieved to have power and water and lost no time in getting the blower heaters on (to dry out our wet gear), taking a hot shower and getting online.  We burned quite a bit of extra diesel, too, as we had our Eberspacher heater on for the last couple of days as it was so damp - we'll have to top up tomorrow.  You learn to appreciate those taken-for-granted creature comforts of home.

Locks today: 6 (totalling 23) and a tunnel

Journey so far...
We're about 100 miles into our journey with 23 locks and a tunnel under our belt.  We are about half way to Paris and we should be there comfortably in early June. 

So that's it folks - over & out for now!

Bethune & Courchelles-sur-Lens

Hello all!  Sorry we've been quiet on the blog - a few days on the move and the last 2 without any mod cons, to include mains power.  So, since the last post we've been cruising the canals and traversing locks galore!

Friday 17 May - Arques to Bethune
We left the quiet backwater of Arques at 9.15am and cruised along the Canal de Neufosse to our first two ascending locks of the day which were within half an hour of each other - there's nothing like a lock to wake you up!  The weather was dry - hurrah - which makes cruising that much more pleasurable.  We are fortunate that we have a dual steering system so you can nip inside if it rains or is too hot (an unimaginable luxury as I write from Peronne as it has rained pretty much since we left Bethune).  1.5 hours later we passed the junction with the River de la Lys which would take us to Belgium - it's funny as these junctions are posted with signage similar to roadsigns.  After 6 hours steady cruising we arrived at the lovely town of Bethune where we had to moor alongside a hired pleasure barge.  Another first for the First Mate which involves tying-up to an adjoining boat.  On this occasion I had to step onto said boat and attach our lines to the other boat - quite scary as the bow of their boat had no toerail or handrails so my balance was called upon!  I'm glad to report that all went well and we had a steady mooring for the night.

After a quick lunch we went ashore to explore the town and we were pleasantly surprised.  A strong Flemish influence is evident in the architecture here.  We've noticed that the French really love their town halls (Hotels de Ville) - they are a central focal point of the town and ususally quite impressive buildings.  We had to get a few supplies on board and Mick, using his best Franglais once more, asked for directions which resulted in a lovely lady walking with us all the way to the supermarket (en route to picking up her grandchildren from school).  Would that happen in the UK?  Increasingly less so I think...  Anyway, with supplies in hand we decided we'd earned a beer or two so found a nice little bar which was full of locals.  We were made very welcome even though we were the only non-French people but they did laugh when Mick asked for 'l'addition' in his best Sarf-East London Franglais - better than my French though! 

Bethune Architecture

Saturday 18 May - Bethune to Courchelles-sur-Lens
Laundry time again - yawn!  I know I'm in trouble when I say that I got rather excited to see a new launderette - nice to think that your clothes will come out cleaner than when they go in!  So once that task was done we returned to the boat and set off for our next port of call, La Bassee which is only a short hop up the Canal d'Aire.  Another ascending lock under our belt (with a big barge alongside) we passed a junction to Paris and Belgium but we couldn't find the spur for La Bassee - the signs ran out so, somewhat perplexed, we pressed on into the Canal de Lens during which time First Mate steered past 5 heavily laden barges - a bit scary as the canals aren't that wide - maybe 100 feet - so you need to keep your nerve and maintain your course as these massive barges can't (and won't) change course.

The rules of the road are that commercial barges have right of way and pleasure craft have to accommodate that.  All barges we've passed though usually have a cheery wave for us pleasure boaters.  What I didn't realise is that the barge skipper (and often his family) live aboard in the aft of the barge, the cargo is amidships and any crew live in the forward section of the barge.  It is a way of life and they usually have a car, motorbike and sometimes a jet-ski stowed on top of the barge and their own crane to lift it off onto land so they are independent at the end of each particular voyage.  So far it looks like aggregates are the main cargo.  The barges are well-kempt.  Skipper and crew obviously take great pride in their barge and home.  The wheelhouses are always decked with lace curtains, flowers and other homely touches - really nice to see. 

Typical barge - complete with car!

A bit further down the canal was the spur for Courcelles-sur-Lens port de plaisance (a quiet stopping place with some facilities but not usually up to marina standard).  It was a pretty location - set in a lake surrounded by trees.  There's only room for about 12 boats so you take pot luck when you turn up at these places.  You can book in advance but the numbers given in the books don't always work. 

Courchelles-sur-Lens port du plaisance

Here, we were greeted by the first Brits (and pleasure boat) since we left Dunquerque - the lovely Alan and Carol on 'She's a B'.

They led us onto our mooring and took our lines as our mast in it's current position effectively makes us 2 metres longer and is tricky when coming onto a mooring.  Alan and Carol are on their sixth trip through the canals - they do a different route each time - and really know the ropes.  They gave us all sorts of useful info and, like us, happened to be leaving the next day towards Peronne.  We asked if they'd mind us tagging along and they were happy for us to do so and we promised we wouldn't cramp their style!  They'd heard that the second lock along our route was closed and operating a reduced timetable so it meant an early start.  We were cool with that so had an early-ish night and set the alarm for the next day.

So that's it for today as that's quite enough for one blog post - over & out for now!

No longer lock virgins!

Hi di hi campers!  Sorry we've been a bit quiet on the blog - we had no mains power 'til yesterday as we finally escaped Dunquerque into the canals - hurrah!

Tuesday 14 May - Dunquerque to Bourbourg
After saying our goodbyes and topping up with water, we left Dunquerque and entered our first (ascending) lock.  No longer lock virgins we started the process of leaving Dunquerque basin through a bridge and 2 more locks (one ascending - to include one where we had to climb a ladder rapidement! - and our first descent) after which we moored up at the VNF office to purchase our 'vignier' - a licence to cruise the French waterways.  We were expecting a long bureaucratic process from what we'd heard but we were in and out within 15 minutes.

We read that, once out of Dunquerque, the more relaxed route towards Paris is via the Canal de Bourbourg where the small town of Bourbourg offered a quiet mooring - no mod cons - but rather that than navigate the busy, commercial 'La Liaison' (Liaison Dunquerque-L'Escaut) - an arterial waterway comprising several canals and a river - widened to accommodate the commercial barges.  We didn't fancy mooring up in La Liaison as the wash from the barges is considerable - until quite late at night too.

However, we needn't have worried as we didn't pass any boats or barges en route to Bourbourg, including in the locks - a bit of a relief really as we had lots of room to practise with lines arrangements in the different types of locks - no two are the same!  It also struck us that we might be a bit early in the season although all the books say that cruisers are ususally en route through the canals around this time.

The Canal de Bourbourg is quite narrow - about 20 feet wide and in places very shallow.  The landscape is very rural here - real 'Wind in the Willows' country.  For the twitchers among you we saw lots of Crested Grebes, Cormorants, Grey Heron, Moorhens and Ducks.

Our journey today was approx. 6 hours (average 5 knots ph), including 4 locks and several bridges after which we arrived at the small town of Bourbourg.  The first thing that struck us was the peacefulness - the only sound was birdsong - lovely!  Initially, we felt a little like a sitting duck as we were the only boat there but it felt like a safe place to stop for the night.  Next we had to raise the lock keeper.  No reply from VHF so Skipper called from the mobile in his best Franglais and eventually a VNF van arrived and the lock keeper set about opening our first manual lock!

Lock-keeper opening manual lock - Bourbourg

As you can imagine, we were pretty shattered after our first day on the canals.  It was a chilly, rainy day and quite an active one too so we had a tin-chef special dinner, a couple of glasses of vino collapso and put the heating on (yes, we have the luxury of on-board heating - generated via the our diesel - which we needed as there was no power or water on the mooring).  However, it was free mooring - the first night we haven't paid for.  We hit the sack at 9.45pm and it was lights out 'til morning.

Overall, we travelled 20 miles today and we're 4 locks down, 196 to go!

Wednesday 15 May - Bourbourg to Arques
We awoke well-rested and ready for the next leg of our journey.  We've been away for 3 weeks now - that's gone really quickly.  A different VNF chap was on the bridge preparing for the lift and he followed us to the next bridge and lock.  It was really nice to have the same chap accompany us in his trusty VNF van.  Their job is to assist us at each lock or bridge - or, rather, those that aren't automated.  Nice job, eh? 

More twitching: we saw a magnificent Red Kite and lots of Martins which were diving along the river in front of us for much of our journey today.  It struck me that they were a regular sight when I were a small lass - House Martins used to nest in the eaves of our house. 

Once through the lock we entered the River AA - known locally as "L'Aa".  This, again, is a very rural area and we passed lots of pretty cottages along the riverbank. 

A bit further down we arrived at the junction of the dreaded 'Liaison' but we needn't have worried - there was hardly a soul about.  We turned into the industrial town of Watten and after a couple of hours cruising - again averaging 5 knots - we arrived at the Port du Plaissance (marina) at Arques.  It is just off the Liaison and has showers, electricity (hence my blogging!) and water.  It is a pretty, rural little marina - again - very peaceful apart from lots of birdsong. 

Arques Marina - "Reward" just off centre

After lunch on board we walked into town.  The most famous thing here is the glass/crystal factory - manufacturers of Luminarc, Pyrex, Arcoroc, Chef & Sommelier and Cristal d'Arques - all household names in the UK.  We may squeeze in a trip to the factory tomorrow if time permits.

We also visited the disused but wonderfully preserved 19thC double Boat Lift at Fontinettes -  an amazing piece of engineering - Fred Dibner would have been in his element! 

The Boat Lift at Fontinettes

Thursday 16 May - Arques/St Omer
We thought it was time to leave the boat for the day so we walked 3km along the riverbank to St Omer, a lovely town featuring 17th & 18thC architecture plus a 13C Basilica.  Here is the largest Gothic structure outside of Paris - the Notre Dame Cathedral which featured original paintings by Rubens and 16thC Astrological Clock.  We did take piccies but they were a little dark - sadly, not enough light.

We also couldn't visit St Omer without partaking of it's home brew - St Omer beer - and raise a glass to our
old friend Craig of 'Westaway' fame - his boat was always laden with St Omer beer - cheers Craig!

So that's it for now folks.  Tomorrow, we're off down the canals to Bethune, about 20 miles from Arques.  Will update you as soon as I can - over & out.

OMG - what happened to our mast?!

Hurrah - we are without mast - or should I say upright mast!

I'm pleased to report that all went well today.  We got into the lifting slings first time around and were lifted out of the water by crane so the boat was stable for demasting.  The process was made more straightforward as Skipper had freed off the rigging screws which meant less work for the technician at Bleu Marine.  He was amazing: he shimmied up the mast with ease - minus harness(!) - to attach the crane sling under the spreaders (which spread the load from the mast-top shrouds).  

The amazing Bleu Marine technician up our mast - without harness!

With the crane now taking the weight of the mast, Skipper and First Mate released the rigging screws which hold the mast's shrouds and stays (i.e. mast supports) and then the mast was tilted onto the much-admired A-frames. 

Aft view of mast on much-admired A frames!

We were then lowered back into the water and returned to our mooring in the now customary gale force winds.  We were blown off mooring on our first attempt so we made another pass in which we were successful - just!  Skipper was relieved to get our lines on so we could tidy up the mast in the now 'unstepped' position (i.e laid out on the frames).

Skipper walking the plank!

At time of writing, Skipper & First Mate are knackered, relieved and happy that we can finally get into the canals.  The next step is to get our licence tomorrow so we should actually be en route to Arques & St Omer tomorrow afternoon - bureuacracy permitting.

So that's it folks - another eventful day for Skipjack & Anchovy.  Tune in for the next exciting instalment of The Owl and Pussycat Diaries - over!

A weekend in Dunquerque ...

Hello lovelies,

Just a brief update on our weekend in Dunquerque.  In fact, as I write, we've been here a week today - it only seems like a couple of days ago that we arrived.  Time flies when you're having fun, eh?

We decided to have a night in on Friday with a rather toothsome home-cooked Chicken Tikka Masala, rice and raita (c/o Jamie Oliver's Ministry of Food cookbook) and a St Emillion.  Fortunately the winds were kind to us last night and we slept like logs!

My girlfriends may be interested to know I'm getting used to the galley and producing tasty, fresh recipes - as we'd have at home - rather than reverting to canned stuff.  They'll likely be times when we'll need to do that so we're making hay while the sun shines.

Saturday
We decided to turn the boat around so we could get off mooring quickly and easily on Monday for our demast and all went well until First Mate lost a deck shoe in the marina but with gazelle-like agility we fished it out with the boat hook.  Mick has been telling me all week to use my trainers on deck - he has resisted so far with the 'I told you so ...' remark!

High winds this afternoon (6 gusting 8/9s) meant we had to move all the fenders to the pontoon-side of the boat as the winds were pushing us onto the pontoon at a 25 degree angle - again (like Calais) a bit scary and uncomfortable!  We also put out another bow line to steady the front of the boat and that seems to have settled her.  (Cint - are those pegs up the right way?!!! lol.)

We were also visited by the Douanne (Customs) this morning.  In case you don't know they have more power than the police and can board your boat if they suspect anything.  Of course, we've nothing to hide and we had a pleasant chat about Skipper's fine A-frames, our general plans, etc., so that was good. 

We had a relaxed afternoon in Dunquerque to include the Port Museum - wherever we go Skipper has to visit a nautical museum!

For dinner First Mate cooked a tasty spag bol which was washed that down with another lovely Bordeaux and we decided to watch a couple of episodes of The Young Ones - always good for a laugh. (Chris - we watched 'Sick' - when Vyvyan attempts acupuncture on Neil with 6" nails!  I think Rick was at his best in this episode - lol).  I was crying with laughter.

Sunday
The winds have died down and a couple of boats are returning to Belgium, just up the coast from here.  Skipper has washed the boat down - he's very house proud!  First Mate is trying to sort out yet another IT problem: this time my new Domino (wifi internet connection gizmo) is not talking with Internet Explorer 8 (my web browser).  Skipper's mate, Kevin kindly gave me a few tips (cheers Kev!) so hopefully that'll sort things as I'm relying on the Domino for wifi throughout France.  Toca madera (touch wood) as they say in Spain!

Skipper has decided to cook tonight and (to Mum and Helen) you'll be pleased to know that for dessert we have a couple of Strawberry Tarts - the edible type(!) - that I spotted some in a lovely boulangerie.  The French really have made an art form of cake-making.

After a week in Dunquerque we have to say we've been really well looked after by the North Sea Yacht Club Capitainieres (Harbour Masters).  We've also enjoyed the town but the canals and the next part of our journey beckon.  We know it'll be eventful as the first part of our trip involves navigating the 'La Liaison' - a vast waterway which comprises a canalised river and a 3 or 4 canals to form a sort of motorway for commercial barges en masse so watch this space for the next instalment!

So that's our weekend post.  Tomorrow we hope for the demast and we'll keep you in the loop.

Over for now me hearties!

Stuck in Dunquerque: gale force winds for weekend

Well, shiver me timbers!!!  We're stuck in Dunquerque as gale force winds overnight and today - force 9s - are with us certainly 'til Sunday and early into next week - can you believe this weather?! 

You may recall we were booked in to have our mast taken down today at 2pm.  We had a chat with the boatyard first thing today who said they'd do it - but at our risk!  There have been lulls in the winds and we thought we might be lucky and catch one of those as a boat had theirs done at 11am today.  But as we were casting off at 1.30pm the gusts built and built until we couldn't get off the mooring.  Other boat owners were offering help but we decided it was just too risky to get around to and into the boat slings safely to be lifted so, disappointingly, we are still on our mooring.  But at least we're safe, secure (we've doubled up mooring lines) and warm so it could be worse.

Several Belgian yachts that did battle yesterday along the coast are alongside us sitting it out - that's all you can do.

OMG!!! As I write the wind is HOWLING!!!!  Absolutely terrifying really although we know the boat is secure.  Just worrying that the pontoon is!  I'm getting used to the noises the boat makes in such high winds so that's a relief.  We've heard that Dover Coastguard has issued gale force warnings all around the coast - they are stuck in the same weather system and I can see the west country is too. 

But we won't give up - we're booked in for demast next Monday so fingers crossed.  Nothing much more to report than that.  We'll just batten down the hatches and sit it out - with plenty of supplies and grog to keep us warm!

By the way, loving all your comments - keep 'em coming as it's great to know you're enjoying our journey - in real time probably more than us!

Over 'til the next time.

F&M

A long-awaited day off - Dunquerque Bank Holiday

Ooh-arggh me hearties from a far more relaxed crew!  No gas alarms, no chores, just a nice day off to see how the locals celebrate their bank holiday.  No rain today - sunny but windy - 5s gusting 7s.  What is going on with the weather these days??? Chats with various yachties we've met have said they've noticed a changing pattern of weather over the last couple of years or so which is making the boating season much shorter.  Ho, hum...

We heard word of a big brocante in the town centre so we wandered over there where the town and it's dogs were out en masse - crowds that reminded us of how the UK markets were of old (e.g. Petticoat Lane, Portobello Mkt, Roman Road).  It was well organised: areas for books, records, collectables, bric-a-brac, personal tat - a real hotch potch.  I wanted a few photos but there were so many people you wouldn't have known it was a market.

We also went in the beautiful Saint-Eloi Church, a 16thC late Gothic building and Renaissance sachristy (in case you're worried I've gone all devout on you, I'm copying from a leaflet I picked up!)  What attracted me was the beautiful stained class rose window (by Sylvie Gaudin).  It was stunning - and the choir were rehearsing for Mass later that day with the massive 54-pipe organ in full flow - awsome!  It was made up of several mini-altars and areas for quite reflection, in addition to the main church area.  Our friends the Lewises would love it!  Interestingly, there was an area set aside for Pope John Paul II ... really touching actually. 
Then off to the beach for a long walk.  We were lucky to see a horse parade along the beach - about 20 sets of horses - all shapes and sizes - pulling their little traps - it was lovely.  Here's a piccie:

A glance out to sea revealed lots of yachts were battling their way from Belgium to Dunquerque for respite from the strong winds - there are 4 or 5 moored up around us - some with crew in the bosun's chair fixing the spreaders and nav gear.

Oh, and we must tell you about last night: we went ashore for a couple of drinks after which we fancied a nightcap.  Just alongside our favourite hostelrie was what we can only describe as a true public house, an increasing rarity in the UK.  A peek through the window revealed a tiny, shabby-chic front room with quirky decor to include a selection of hats!  The landlady was quite eccentric herself but made us welcome.  It was a fairly limited bar - beers, a few aperitifs and strange liqueurs and then I saw the Martini collection - I just had to have one for old time's sake - perfect!  As the evening drew on we noticed the clientele was strictly male and so we decided to drink up and move on.  Not that we were made unwelcome at all - just a feeling that there was something more to the 'pub' than met the eye...

So we're glad to report a fairly uneventful day!  The Skipper is visibly more relaxed and resisting the 2+ roll-ups per day he's been having.  He's had a lot on his shoulders and done brilliantly.  Being Skipper ain't for the feint-hearted.  That's not to say First Mate has been shirking - she's been good crew, galley slave, accounts bod (that will worry some people reading this!) and jobber's mate throughout.  In the end it's all about teamwork which is what we do well.

So that's it for now folks - over & out! 

F&M

Reinstated Blog Page: Dover to Calais, Friday 3 May

Hmm, somehow I managed to delete my page 'Bonjours de Calais'.  That would be because the blog instructions were displaying in French - until I saw that they could be changed to English - so I thought I'd deleted was an old draft - in fact it was a published page!

So to fill in the gaps we crossed the Channel Dover to Calais last Friday - the wind direction had changed to SW which was great for us and we seized the opportunity to go while we could.  In retrospect that was a great idea as the next day brought really high W winds which would have been horrid for our crossing.

The sea was kind to us and although there was a swell from the NEs of the week's bad weather in Dover, it was a bright and sunny crossing with easy force 3-4 breeze.  Skipper's manual navigation was spot on - took us to the Harbour entrance.  The only glitch was a wee steer around kindly French fishermen who decided to pair trawl right outside the harbour entrance!  A ferry didn't take too kindly - she was delayed and in the end decided to run over their net floats!  We are learning that the French do what they want when they want and that's just the way it is.

We arrived in 4 hours as estimated and were relieved to pick up a buoy and wait for high water to enter Calais marina.  We went ashore for a light dinner and early night ready to make haste the next day with plans to get through the canals.

Here's a couple of piccies ... until the next time - over! 

Au revoir Blighty!

A bit too close for comfort!

Salut from our buoy outside Calais marina - Mackesons was all we had on board (for cooking!)

Update from Dunquerque

Sorry we're a bit quiet on the blog - we've had a  busy couple of days:

Monday
Skipper went ashore first thing and, armed with his nautical vocab list and the Foster trait of getting things done, he managed to negotiate with 3 boatyards to get a good price on getting the mast down - I know, no surprise there!  Demasting is set for Friday at 2pm. 

We then set about locating the VNF office - the organisation from which you buy a licence to go through the canals.  We got there at their lunch time so went and had a bite of dejeuner in a quaint cafe run by an elderly couple and to whom the locals seemed to gravitate - always a good sign. Service was slow but charming as Monsieur was hard of hearing.  It was so funny - Mrs Overall sprang to mind and, true to form, when he brought out our order, half the cafe au lait was in the saucer - bless! 

Then back to the VNF which was like pulling teeth!  Essentially, after our discovery at Calais that two locks were closed, we wanted to ensure that our proposed route was open before buying a fairly pricy licence - it wasn't easy but I cracked one of my winning smiles and Madame seemed to come on side.  So we need to check our proposed route and, if all clear, we will go back on Friday to buy the licence and set off into the canals on Saturday - yippee!

Comms was next on the list: we sourced a local SIM card as it seems we have to call some of the locks ahead of arriving - rather than using VHF.  Less locks are using VHF these days so a mobile is a must.  We also bought an Orange Domino which is a device that gives temporary wifi access to holidaymakers, no contract, just top up as you go.  Thanks to Mick's cousin, Claire, for putting us onto that! xx 

So, there we were reflecting on the day on our sunny aft deck when the gas alarm went off!!!  Skipper leapt into action and checked everything - twice.  He has a testing kit and checked the entire system: the unions, the regulator, the caps, the pipework, etc.  No leaks.  We ventilated the boat as sometimes you get an accumulation of gas in the bilges and figured that the system is under stress as we're living aboard and using it all the time.  It is likely that the pipework is original (i.e. 20 years old) so to be double-sure we've ordered some new pipe from the brilliant Marlec in Ramsgate which will arrive courtesy of our friends Dave & Roche who are visiting us in Paris mid-end May - thanks to the Lewises for that.

Tuesday
There's no avoiding it - today is laundry day!  The Young Ones sketch sprang to mind (I know my brother, Chris, will smile at this reference).  It involved a bit of a trek as the Marina's washing machine is broken.  On the upside it gave us the opportunity though to visit the lovely St Malo beaches: long white sandy beaches and dunes.  We also came across the first traditional boulangerie we've seen on our trip so far - Mum - you'd have drooled at the gateaux!  I resisted and stuck to a French stick instead. 

The afternoon was spent cleaning and tinkering on the boat and as we'd had a busy week we decided it was time to go ashore for dinner and enjoyed Moules et Frites - delicious with a carafe of red wine!

Wednesday
All quiet on the gas front thankfully so kettle went on for morning cuppa.  Today's task is preparing for the demast on Friday which is quite a big job: releasing rigging screws (which hold shrouds and stays which in turn secure the mast); undoing the electrics for the mast gear and assembling the A frames (which Skipper prepared before we left) to support the mast as we go through the canals as there are height restrictions in many parts of the canal system. 

So that's about our news for today.  Tune in next time for the next chapter of The Owl & Pussycat Diaries.

Over & out!

Bonjour de Dunquerque

Hello from a very sunny and warm Dunquerque where the tans are coming on a treat!

No sooner did we begin to settle in Calais than we discovered that two of the locks in Calais are broken and are late in being repaired (but which was not on the canal route website!) so we had to move up the coast 20 miles to Dunquerque and enter the canal system there.  We are learning to expect the unexpected in France ...

So the Skipper and First Mate set to work on a new passage plan on one of Skipper's Dad's (we'll call him the Admiral!) very old charts.  It just goes to show that you don't need GPS or any gizmos to get from A-B.  Skipper's navigation once again was spot on.  Sure, we've got the nav aids in case we need them but essentially we're plotting courses manually - I reckon it keeps you more engaged in what you're doing.

Thankfully it was a beautiful day after gale force winds the afternoon before - 33 knots of wind recorded in Calais (which meant we had to baton the hatches, fender up and wait it out.  The boat was heeling about 25 degrees on the mooring - quite scary!)

We left Calais yesterday at 08:30 and with a very strong tide under us arrived at Dunquerque in 3 hours.  First Mate saw a porpoise en route and some very large containers passed very close to us - hardly leaving a ripple behind them!

A bit too close for comfort!

We passed the Dunquerque Sands where Operation D-Day took place.  It put into perspective our hiccough with our proposed route when you think what our soldiers went through.  So much history here ... Dunquerque will be regional town of culture at the end of May so if you want a long weekend in a lovely town head here for much pomp & splendour.

"Reward" is gathering many admiring glances & comments - a French couple came aboard as it's the kind of boat they're looking for.  We also met another UK couple with a Southerly 115 and they're en route to the Baltic today.  The design is becoming obsolete in favour of the more angular yachts and think that's why "Reward" stands out.  A boat builder's saying is that if it looks right it generally is.  In addition it has a lifting keel which allows us to get in and out of places in low water.

So today (Monday) we set about getting the mast down and buying our licence to go through the canals - not before we check our proposed route though!

Over & out for now me hearties - ooh, argggh!!!

F&M
xx

It's all over in Dover!

Ahoy me hearties!

Just to say we're still stuck in Dover - bit like Hotel California - once you arrive you don't leave! 

This is all because of the winds being against our Channel crossing - two weather systems fighting one another with the low winning at the moment.  This is hopefully changing by Friday so reckon we'll be here a couple of days yet.  I'll continue to work on the tan on our aft deck!

The marina itself is lovely, the seafront is lovely, as is the Castle, but the town itself is pretty dire.  The only good things are an M&S and a lovely bar/bistro (Cullins).

We've met some nice people doing interesting things: one couple aboard yacht "Bluebottle" is sailing around Britain but is equally stuck in Dover en route to the East Coast.  Another couple were going West and crossing the Channel to Cherbourg and onwards to the Biscay - not for the feint-hearted! 

So that's it so far ... until the next update - over & out!

F&M
xx