2019 sees us planning  a big year moving Le Bateau from the north of France to the Caribbean.
Jane has a contract teaching at Kingscote for the year so Ants will be cruising with various crew members over the next seven months through France to Bordeaux by August.
Jane will sail in Portugal in September and a  Caribbean Christmas.

Ants flew  into Paris on June 11th and then traveled to Pont a Bar He found Le Bateau in a really good state except a battery that needed replacing. Other than that ready to go.

Now in the "first person".

I was accompanied by cousin John who last sailed with me in 1984 to New Caledonia.

 By day 3 we were motoring up the Meuse River in fairly idyllic summer weather with the occasional thunderstorm thrown in for good measure.


At Mouzon  waiting  for the lock to be available

Typical of the Meuse River in quiet countryside

At Stenay we heard about the Musee de Bier and found a huge grain storage converted to a Museum, and an attached Restaurant. A great visit!
John enjoying a beer at the Beer Museum at Stenay

There was a small problem with the stanchions when we bought Le Bateau but I fabricated some aluminium plates at home and now they feel very secure.
Stanchion base repair that seems to be successful
Along the Meuse there are plenty of choices for stopping and Halte Fluviale are provided by villages and towns to encourage boats to stop and generally no cost (but no showers or toilets either)
A Halte Fluviale at Lacroix sur Meuse
An interesting floating internal pontoon at a lock
We came across a great vending machine with eggs by the dozen,half dozen, or tray of 30 and you choose which particular eggs you want. That is the ones with white shells etc. We have yet to try hot French bread from a 24hour vending machine!
Organic egg farm with 24 hour egg sales

Off for a bike ride
So today we finished travelling on the Meuse. We are briefly on the Marne/East Rhine but by Friday we are on the Moselle.

By late July up to August 14 I am a bit short of crew on the lower Rhone and the Canal du Midi so seriously, I know it's short notice but if you are game get in contact and enjoy a taste of canal cruising in the middle of a European summer.

Next time from Central France!

Comments

  1. Kerry19 June 2019 at 21:27

    Looks great so far. Hope the same continues. Mid August still seems a way off but I’m sure it will happen soon enough. Looking forward to joining you. Cheers Kerry

    ReplyDelete

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