A Tale of Three Rivers

                                                     Another season has drawn to a close.
                        We are home in New Zealand and 'Antiope' is snugged up for the winter

                                           Antiope ashore at 'Corre' on the Soane river

                     A big gap here since I last updated this blog.for all sorts of reasons.

Since my last posting Antiope cruised on to Nancy in a very hot 2013 July, then with our partners at the helm, South as far as Lyon before laying up for the winter in 'Corre' on the canal de l'est. Back in the water in May, Antiope headed back towards Paris and onwards to the Somme. Where Annie and I rejoined her in Amiens. for this seasons cruise.

                                                Swan built in 1897, under restoration 
                                 
                                                    New timber in the  transom

Before heading over to France and while seeing folk in England I had the opportunity to see my old boat 'Swan' which is now under restoration in Lowestoft Suffolk.
Built in 1897, Much of her history I have recounted elsewhere in the book 'Swatchway Magic' I can now post this update. Swan had been approved for restoration by the International Boatbuilding Training College in 2009 as a rare example of Victorian Boatbuilding. Now after waiting in line since then, and safe under cover, her turn has come. Her current owner got in touch with me to say that work had started. Stripped to a shell she lay stranded in the workshop. With temporary frames set up new timber was being knitted into her hull. I look forward to another invitation to see her refloated and perhaps sail her once more. 'Swatchway Magic' is available from Amazon.com and some yachting type bookshops 

                             

                                        July 2014, Antiope, on the tranquil Somme river 
 
    Our cruising this year was largely unplanned and governed by family events beyond our control, which shall be my excuse for not attending to this Blog, However Annie and I have enjoyed our time together aboard with possibly the best weather we have experienced in the past few years.

We rejoined Antiope in Amiens, and decided to explore the lower reaches of the Somme as far as the sea at St Valery. It was from here in the Baie de Somme that William set sail back in 1066 to do battle with Harold and conquer England

Baie de Somme, from where William set sail for England

                               The spectacular sound and light show at Amiens Cathedral

                          
                          The Somme at Cappy, for 4 years, this was the front line in WW1

We gently cruised the navigable length of the Somme to where it joins the Canal Du Nord, turned right and headed towards Paris, however instead of the direct route we followed the Aisne to Reims.

                                                        Busy morning on the Aisne

In Reims we found secure moorings close to the vibrant centre of town, Reims has emerged from the devastation of two wars and is well worth a visit. While there in a rather plain looking school building behind the railway station we visited the room where in May 1945 The German High command signed the 'instrument of surrender'.
 

                                                             Reims 1917

                                   The surrender room as it was on May 7th 1945

We cruise into Paris

and moor in the shadow of the Bastille monument

 We have moored in Paris before, always a great experience, however this time we came in by the back door along the little known Canal st Martin, built back in 1802, by order of Napoleon 1st

                               Canal st Martin, the little known waterway through Paris

                                             Evening BBQ on the river Marne

                                                    The man that started it all!

                                              Tranquil evening at St Jean de Losne
 

2014 Amiens to the Marne

                                                                 Sunset at Epernay

Summer at last

 

 The Dutch Barge association, had planned a rally in Dijon, and as new members we joined in the fun. The May floods and canal closures had caused havoc with the plans of many of those booked to attend, Despite the low turn out the sun shone and we made many new friends.

                                  DBA rally,15 of the planned 36 boats turned up in Dijon

Your writer entered the rowing race, and showed the flag. Foils not permitted.

 

From Dijon we cruised the final few kilometres south to St Jean de Losne where we joined the Soane river. Decision time, turn left for Eastern France or right for the Med. We were enjoying cruising this region of France so left it was to be, upstream. 

 

         The true start of Summer, and long warm evenings. The river Soane at St Jean de Losne 

Cruising the Soane reminded us of the upper reaches of the Thames river, just a different history.
At Auxonne, Napoleon Bonaparte did his military training. Thousands of cannon were cast here.

                                         Napoleon dominates the town square in Auxonne.

At the upper navigable limit of the Soane we joined the Vosges canal to climb another hill. Here we were given a remote control for the locks. This waterway was a delight to cruise, some days only seeing one or two other boats.

                      Automatic locks on the Vosges canal, and our own remote control.

The Vosges canal, almost to ourselves.

 

 

At Epinal the canal drops steeply down to the Moselle river, and large commercial barges ply from here up to eastern Europe, we are in a new region.

 

Grown up locks and barges on the Moselle river.

 

Built to fit!

 

All too soon we arrive in Nancy, mid July and time to hand over Antiope to our partners.

We have experienced a season of extreme weather, but we have been enchanted by France and cannot wait to get back aboard Antiope, to continue the adventure. 

 

                                                          Bastille day parade Nancy

Old town gateway, Nancy

 

                                   Spectacular nightly light show in Stanislas square Nancy.

Then, there is the book, now in 3rd reprint.

   

                                                 
                              Our book 'Swatchway magic' finalist in the Peoples Book prize 2013!

 

Thanks to all those who supported us and voted. We made the final 12!

for more info go to swatchways@aquafirma.com 

 

Cheers Charles and Annie.

cscoones@ihug.co.nz

 

 

 

 

Boating in the clouds

The first commercial craft passed across the summit level of the Bourgogne canal and through the Pouilly tunnel in 1832, At the time it was the only navigable route from Paris to the South.

The electric tunnel tug, retired but  preserved. It dragged a chain from the canal bed

 

 

We head carefully towards the tunnel

The tunnel has the tightest gauge of any in France.quite remarkable and 300 meters above sea level.
After much running around with a tape measure, fenders lashed to our extremities and clutching our pass from the eclusier we ventured carefully into the 3km darkness.

 

                                          Three kilometers without touching the sides!

The reality was far less daunting, and 40 mins later we emerged into a new landscape.

It was now all downhill to Dijon through 76 locks on the most scenic of waterways, Chateaux to visit, The weather was still cool and June already.

Hills to climb and Chateaux to visit

 

76 locks on the downhill side

The author in a field of mustard

 

No not beer. but mustard from the pump!

The locks average 1 per km, so progress is slow, Dijon is the home of Mustard I had no idea how many varieties. 
 

Summit Conquered

On the 18th May Antiope finally reached the highest navigable point in France, 378m above sea level.We passed through the last lock, Ecluse no 1. to moor in the basin at Pouilly en Auxois.

Top lock, Ecluse no 1, the summit

 

Since leaving Migennes we have negotiated 114 locks, much of the time in pouring rain, not much fun with the canopy down. The bridges on the Bourgogne canal have a air draft of only 3.4 m or 200mm spare for Antiope.

Antiope in low profile mode, in the rain!

Air draft limited on the Bougogne.

According to the lockeepers this May has been the wettest in memory.

Aftermath of flooding in Montbard.

 The aftermath of flooding two weeks ago is very evident, with massive trees having been swept down the rivers. Altitude plays tricks with the barometer, we could also claim the storm of the century by the weather outside right now.

Our barometer plummets as we climb the hill.

Our next hurdle is the Pouilly tunnel over 3km long and likely to be a tight fit for us. Watch this space.

Springtime 2013 France

Where do all the old lifeboats go?

Simon Evans collects retired RNLI lifeboats

We arrived in Laroche Migennes In the last days of April to find Antiope had survived the winter in good shape.Her home for the winter was at Simom Evans Boatyard on the banks of the river Yonne. Here has also become the home of a lost fleet of RNLI lifeboats!
An unlikely place to find these herioc craft, all lovingly salvaged by Simon.

Antiope is refloated, just in time, before the Yonne river flooded.

                                   The flooded river Armencon, overflowed the canal


Antiope had a lick of paint and was craned into the river, but only just in time, the rains came in buckets, followed by floods, the Yonne turned into a raging torrent, we had scuttled into the Bourgogne canal basin just in time.
The VNF closed all the waterways in our region for several days. Our choice of where to go was reduced to one option, the canal de Bourgogne.
So two weeks after launching we finally head off south towards Digon. The canal de Bourgogne was one of the the earliest canals cut linking the north to the south, and climbs to the highest navigable point in France, through 113 locks.        

Under way at last, cruising South towards Dijon, the canal de Bourgogne