Brittany

At last we've got to somewhere we've been before.  We're in Concarneau, a very attractive port in South Brittany, where we're meeting Cathy and Ian tomorrow.  It seems to have been a hardish week.  Some attractive places in the Vendee, and the Isle de Yeu, where we had a lovely cliff-top walk.

 Our mood was a tad upset by unluckily spending one night next to a smallish French boat  where a dozen or so youngsters (well under 40s) decided to party until 4.30 am on deck.  Surprisingly they then put to sea, so we didn't even have the pleasure of disturbing them at 7.30, when we had to leave. 

Until the last two days it's been warm and calm - we've been motoring a lot.  But the weather has now changed to wet and windy.  There was a Force 9 forecast for today (for the uninititiated that's definitely breezy) but we managed to get here before it did.  All we had was pouring rain alternating with thick fog and a brisk breeze, while we tried to weave our way around the numerous very sharp-looking rocks that pepper this coast (not really possible without GPS/ Chart Plotters).  Then in the middle of it the engine started to smoke a bit alarmingly.  Then another yacht called up to ask for a tow because they had (unrelated) engine problems.  If someone had been trying to set a Yachtmaster test they could have done worse.  Still we got here.  And we hope the engine problem isn't serious.

Soon we'll be at the last corner!

Masting

...or, in French, mâtage.  Well, we found the mast, and it's up, and we hope it will stay that way.  It was a hard working, and quite stressful 3 days in Pauilac.  The actual raising of the mast only took an hour or so, but there was rushed preparation, and quite a lot of sorting to do afterwards.  The raising was a joint effort with harbour staff - and our french wasn't really up to "tighten up on the starboard lower shroud" or "lock the cleavis pin on the backstay tensioner".  With all that we missed out a bit on the glories of Pauillac, and in particular the vinyards that we might have visited/ sampled.  Still, we did manage a Sunday lunch on the boat with fresh local oysters and local Entre Deux Mers.

 We're now in La Rochelle.  It's a really pleasant and interesting city.  Splendid entrance to the harbour

and a very attractive atmosphere.  We're actually sitting in a huge, 3000 boat marina, and there is boating activity everywhere.  A proper place.  For some reason the tourist blurb doesn't dwell too much on the siege.  27,000 inhabitants - mainly protestant civilians - killed according to Wikipedia.  Still, it was a long time ago.

We continue North tomorrow - the weather seems to be improving the nearer England we get.  There will, I'm sure, come a point where this ceases to be true...

Back to sea

That's the canals done then.  A lot less hectic and busy at the end than the beginning. It's easier going down, and there are fewer people and boats at this end (it's the Canal de la Garonne, rather the the Canal du Midi).  We had a lovely stop in Toulouse - a beautiful city we thought, and one we could comfortably live in.   And pleasant though the canal was, we've really seen enough plane trees for now

You don't really see a lot else - barring occasional otters (we always thought they needed clean water!), purple herons and towards the end, lots of kingfishers.

We're now on the Garonne river, just outside Bordeaux.  It's spring tides and the flows in the river are impressive - about 5 knots either way, and about 10 minutes pause between the changes.  The water is chocolate brown (mud we think/hope!).  Occasional tree trunks passing give rise to some concerns.  And the current makes parking interesting!  Off to Pauillac today (when the tide turns) to find the mast, we hope.  We plan to be there a few days to sort out before and after it's put up.  Then we'll be a proper boat again!

France Profonde et canaux moins profonds

Bit of a cock-up on the blogging front, I'm afraid.  I thought the comment from Narbonne had already gone on on the blog.  So now there's two at once.

It's harder work than we thought.  So far we've done 61 locks in 4 days, and still going up.  The locks themselves are automated, but they are fast and violent, so the boat takes a lot of handling.  The canal was built in the 1670's and for some reason caring for delicate fibreglass hulls was not among the designer's priorities.  So everything is stone or concrete, and Sally T's delicate complexion is taking a bit of a battering.  And we're the only boat we've seen with a crew of only two.  Since I have to do the really difficult bit (steering) this means that Val is running around everywhere with bits of rope to pull.

It's not helped by the crowds of international (Brit, German Maltese, Oz) boaters in specially built dodgem boats, who aren't always worried about whom they hit (they're mainly friendly and helpful though).  We spent a great evening yesterday in Carcassonne, with a memorable cassoulet.  And we're now in the crumbling, decaying town of Castellnaudary - grandeur fading.

There's a dark secret here, not mentioned in any of the reference books.  I'll probably have to forego my aspirations to the Legion d'Honneur for mentioning it.  On the coast, one is not permitted so much as a pee to go into the sea within 3 miles of the coast (boats have to have tanks to put it all in, and pump it out well away from land).  On most canals there are pump-out stations, so that tanks can be emptied harmlessly.  But not here.  It all has to go into the canal.  Which, unsurprisingly smells.  Oh well.  C'est La France!

No piccies this time - the connection's too slow.  Just wait!