Departures, Rain and Pirates!

Rain Rain and more rain - that's the story of 2016!

We keep waiting for it to stop raining before we leave  -  but it appears as though it will carry on - so we decided to leave anyway - we will just wait for a short dry spell.

But the story of departures is not us - two lots of good friends - Foster and Sally, and Brian and Mary, are both leaving France permanently.  Foster and Sally have sold Vagabond and are returning to Canada where they plan to buy another boat near Vancouver.  Brian and Mary are taking Kyrenia back to the UK where they have a mooring for her near Oxford.

Both have been in Roanne for many years and were the life and soul of the port and will be sorely missed by all of us.

Vagabond and Kyrenia...side by side for so many years!

A bit of decoration was in order!

Celebratory magnums - and not the  wine ones -we live the high life!

So off Brian and Mary went to head for Migennes to have Kyrenia lifted out and shipped to the UK - They are the first Brexiters we know!  However the rain continued to Deluge down.  The rivers were impassable and then the huge floods caused numerous canal breaches.  They were stuck in Montargis - a breach ahead of them which will take around 3 months to fix and another behind them.   Eventually they were able to be lifted at Montargis and are now safely on the Thames. 

Donna and Wyn decided we all needed an outing so off we went to look at the dam at Villerest which we thought would have all the sluices open and look fantastic - however even though the dam was full no water was flowing through - so off to the chateau Saint Roche to see it with the water at full height. For the first time we were able to enter through the gates of the Chateau....but because it was us....the building itself was 'ferme exceptionalle' for the next couple of hours!

At Thursday night drinks at the bar the dwindling numbers kept asking when we leaving - in the end we said next Tuesday we would go come rain hail or shine!

So off we went waving to the few remaining boaties as we departed.  However as we approached the first lock we noticed a flag flying and the  two loonies with umbrellas prancing along the lock edge - Hm - Pirates we thought - and we were soon boarded

The lead pirate boarded us, whilst her crew member - Black Wyn kept appearing on bridges and even at one stage threatened to run across the bridge naked! (Laurel did catch the offer on camera and for a small fee will promise NOT to show it on Youtube)

On arriving at Briennon we felt it was necessary to bury the cutlasses and repair to the brasserie on the port for a fine lunch!

Next morning the weather was lovely and we made our way to Artaix for a few days - it is one of the loveliest quietest ports we visit.  After a couple of days we were joined by Jim and Mary on Festina Tarde for the night. We shared a fine meal and great company on their rear deck.

After a few very relaxing day we headed off North to La Croix Rouge, which has been renovated recently.. Unfortunately the new power bourne is not working yet and we went aground as we approached the quay - This made getting on and off a bit of a challenge as we were a couple of feet away from the quay! And so onto the world of deep locks and noisy leaks.

Bourg Le comte

Leaky lock gates!

So onto Digoin for the night and then to Paray for a few days, before heading into Genelard for the Genestival - read more later - and hoping to catch up with our friends Mark and Mary.