Heading home

After 16 kms we entered the Canal de Roanne a Digoin.  As we llok behind us at the first lock there are Jim and Mary on Festina Tarde - fellow residents in the Port at Roanne.

After the first lock we enter a 16 km bief before the next lock.  We decided to keep going as it was a treat to be cruising without locks! We went through one more lock before mooring at Chambilly for the night.  This is a nice familiar spot having moored there a couple of times before.  This was a pretty big day 38kms and 5 locks. So after a few reviving glasses of Rose and a lovely dinner aboard, we had an early night.

 The next day was a fairly easy run to Iguerande where a trip to the village elicited a baguette and some cakes for afternoon tea. This is a small mooring which has free electricity - so we cranked the TV up and had a pleasant relaxing evening.

Then onto our final days cruising to home at Roanne.  When we arrived the capitainnerie was not around so we waited in the lock for some time until he told us where to moor.  We are in the same spot as last year alongside the quay - however they had moved the boat next to us and it is now about 2 metres shorter! We got in with about  metre to spare at either end. The port is very full and we think we will have a boat rafted alongside us for the winter.

Our friends Brad and Nancy had arrived and after a nice Vietnamese dinner in town we joined them and a number of other bargees for drinks on board.  It is lovely to be home!

Nancy had brought Laurels Kindle with her.  It is an amazing device (you download and read books on it) with a very clear screen.  So Laurel has started downloading books.

It has been a busy seasons cruising - 776 km's, 397 locks, 4 tunnels, and 6 manual lift bridges!

Canal Lateral a Loire

As we leave Decize on the 3rd October we head off onto the Canal Lateral a Loire.  It is really nice to have a bit of cruising between the locks!  we have 64 kms and 15 locks to go before we head off onto the Roanne canal.

We would like to get back to Roanne asap so we will travel most days unless it is raining - the forecast is varied with the odd rainy day.  Our first stop was Gannay sur Loire.  It is quite a big port but was full of boats that had returned for the winter. So we moored bankside on stakes.  All was fine until 2 heavily laden commercials went past about 2 metres from us.  We felt them coming as the barge started to move violently as they sucked all the water from the canal.  As they got close I leaped off the boat and grabbed the ropes as they ripped all our stakes out.  A  nice chap from the boat behind came to help and grabbed the stern rope. We swung well out from the bank and there was a bit of excitement as we pulled it back in.  We then moored to trees, before the second commercial arrived! All was then well.  These were about the only commercials we had seen this trip, and had forgotten what enormous suction they have.

The weather had turned rainy so with our more securing mooring we stayed for a second night before heading off to Beaulon.  This is a lovely mooring with free power and water.  There was a French chap and his girlfriend who had taken a year off and bought a horse drawn caravan - his web site is http://www.roulenroutes.fr/   .  He organised everyone from the boats to join him at a picnic table  for drinks and nibbles - after a very pleasant time we had an early dinner and headed for bed.

Our next stop was Pierrefitte after a fairly easy day.    Then off to the Roanne canal the next morning.