Getting underway - who pulled the plug out!

The weather had been pretty terrible, chilly and lots of rain.  So we kept delaying our departure.  Then the forecast was for a few sunny days, so off we set.

Our plan was to do a long cruise this year, up to Toul and Nancy, then onto the Marne, and through champagne, then onto the Seine just south of Paris, and back home via the lateral. Well over 1000 km and 500 locks.   There is a planned closure of the Seine and the top of the Canal Lateral (Canal de Loing) at the end of August, so we need to scurry along to get to Montargis before it closes.

So off we set on a beatiful sunny day- being a momentus occasion we took a photo of our first lock after Roanne

After a couple of nights at Melay sitting out in the sunshine, we dodged the showers and headed for Digoin and then onto Paray le Monial. The weather stayed terrible with torrential rain and massive flooding alongside the canal. So bad was it that it washed away a sluice gate letting all the water out of the canal near Montchanin.

The site of the breach - with the back of the sluice gate washed away

All the boats in Jeff Reynells boatyard are agound

A high and dry lock

Canal without water

The breach is only 2 days cruising from Paray - . Cordelia was coming to visit for a week, so we decided to wait for her in Paray and see if there was any more news on the Breach. We had a lovely time with Paul and Susan arriving on Gulliver, and some old friends Ron and Robin also coming into port.  In between the rain we managed to sit out under the trees and quaff the odd glass of Rose.  Katinka and Scott came up from Roanne for drinks one afternoon. On a drive back to Paray to do some shopping, we stopped off at the Port to find that Debbie and Randy, and Alex and Jane on Busted Flush had also arrived. So more drinks under the trees!

To give Cordelia a short cruise we headed off to Genelard a lovely port where we will wait out the closure.

The crew in a lock

 Having the car with us we did a few outings including of course a visit to some Vide Greniers!

The original notice of the breach suggested it would be fixed by 15th May.  We drove up to have a look on the 12th, to see that they have not yet done anything. Apparently the ground is too wet for them  to start work!  So we have no idea when it will reopen!

After about 3 weeks it reopened, but the weather remained terrible, with lots of rain.  This meant that the rivers were flooded and non navigable, and there were numerous closures throughout the canal network.

We waited for a few more days, and then made the decision to turn around and head back up the canal lateral to Montargis, a trip we had enjoyed 2 years ago.