Into the hills

Our passage through the Jura hills has been spectacular, the sheer rock cliffs have been formed over millions of years by the river eating its way from the Swiss Alpes to the Rhone river.

The Citadelle dominates the town of Besancon

The Citadelle again, as we head East out of Besancon

                                       The Doubs river winds its' way through the 'Duras'

                       Must not be distracted by the scenery as we follow the marked channel,

River levels have been low with little rain over the past Months, in places we have no more than 30cm below our keel

                                        Each lock is accompanied by a Barrage (wier) 

Weed harvester, on the summit level 

The Rhine/ Rhone canal takes over from the Doubs river as it becomes too shallow to navigate.  

Completed in 1834 after the revolution, the entire navigation is 236 Kms long with 112 locks and climbs to 340m above sea level.

Looking back, as descend towards Mulhouse and the Rhine valley 

Storks, lots of them around Montbeliard

Arriving in Mulhouse

We are greeted by the marina 'Ragondin' (Coypu)

Time to stay put for a week in this very friendly marina, after three weeks of mountain climbing. 

The Doubs and Jura mountains

Having cruised North from Lyon up the Saone river back to St Jean de Losne, we turned right onto the Doubs river which will take us across to the Rhine and Strasburg. This is a new waterway to us, and came with warnings of strong currents, shallows or floods. we seem to have picked a good year to make the passage, The scenery dramatic and the river kind.

Our entry into the Doubs river near Dole

The Rhone / Rhine canal stretches 240 Kms from the Saone almost to Switzerland.

Industry, least we forget the reason for a canal to be built

 Dole, the birthplace of Louis Pasteur

A magic waterway, as we climb the river into the Juras

Becancon, a classic old town, with Roman and Spanish heritage

This Roman gateway survives in Besancon.

As I write a heatwave envelopes us and shopping is a welcome relief from the heat, escaping to the cool of the Supermarket.

Longest day and heading North

After a busy couple of weeks, we are heading back up the Saone river and away from Lyon.

Sundown on the Saone, the longest day

We were able to leave Antiope in the marina at Lyon for ten days, due to the kindness of the port capitaine, not something we could get away with in mid season, while we took an easyJet flight up to England. It was about time we caught up with old friends and relatives. While there we were able to see progress on two boat restorations on opposite sides of the country.

Valerie, built 1895, now fully restored by Scott Metcalfe, 

 Port Penrhyn, Wales 

                                 The Lowestoft Boatbuilding Training College  and  'Swan'

Barge yacht 'Swan' built 1897,  

 I was once the proud owner of Swan before moving to New Zealand. Her current owner is having her restored to her 'as built' condition, Work is slow as she is being used as a teaching tool, but there is progress.

Antiope in Lyon alongside the massive Confluence shopping centre.

Lyon has several building facades completely covered by incredible murals, this is the most striking. Look closely at the bank front mural below, bottom right on whole mural. 

This is all one mural !  6 stories high

Detail, life size from bottom right of main mural

Strange sights in Lyon, a driver less shuttle bus

and way out building design

Looking down from the Confluence centre.

Rhone river left, Saone river right.

The French waterway network.

This map may help to follow our track. Starting out from Corre down to Lyon and now heading North and East towards Strasburg

Charles and Annie,      Saone river,      21st June

Down the Soane to Lyon

As I write we are moored in Lyon, What a friendly city.
We are just over two weeks out from Corre and into cruise mode, we have traveled the navigable length of the Soane river to where it joins the river Rhone, which runs down from Switzerland and all the way down to the Mediterranean (look it up on Google maps) Here we will turn around and head back upstream, Although the Med is only four days cruising down river from here, that trip is for another season.

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Approaching St Albin tunnel, just a few Kms down from Corre.

An overnight stop in the sleepy village of Ray sur Soane.

A cool spot, Summer has kicked in.

We approach Lyon, the Basilica dominates the skyline

The Romans left their mark on Lyon 

The interior of Lyon Basilica, magnificent!

Architecture in Lyon, a more Mediterranean style.  

Having located a secure marina berth for Antiope, Annie and I will fly up to England from here for 10 days, to catch up with folk we missed last year.

Go, team NZ. 

Cheers Charles and Annie

Back aboard and afloat

A busy couple of weeks now behind us, we are able to cruise once more.
We arrived in Corre on May 5th to find Antiope had survived the winter in good shape, despite temperatures down to -17 deg C at times.

May 5th, Antiope under her winter coat, at Corre, France.

On May 8th we attended the local VE day commemorations and were then invited to join the Mayor for drinks and nibbles at the town hall. Corre was a centre for French resistance during the last war,

During the NZ summer I had constructed a new teak hatch and we carried it dissembled in our travel bags. The old hatchway had been too small to allow extraction of the old washing machine, which must have been 'built in' since the boat was new.  A side issue was that the old hatch had started leaking anyway. 

First major task, cutting a big hole in the steel cabin top.

It fits ! The new teak hatch assembled.

After two seasons and many miles Antiope needed a couple of weeks cleaning and painting before launching,  

All clean and ready for launching May 17th

Antiope is back in her element, and keen to go exploring.

As I write this, we are tied up in a quiet backwater only a few miles downstream from Corre, a glass of wine is next on the agenda.

2017 A new season

We are booked and ready to fly.

                   
                                                  Antiope in Berlin 2016

Annie and I will rejoin Antiope on 5th May in Corre where she has slept for the Winter.
This season will be more about taking our time and cruising more slowly, mostly in France.
We plan to spend a week or so getting Antiope ready for the water. We then we have a choice of directions to head away, either South down the Soane river or North up to Nancy.
Colmar, Strasburg, and Basle are on our list to visit this year.

Summer in New Zealand has kept us busy, Our Stewart 34 yacht has a new engine and lots of fresh paint. She has rewarded us with a few wins on the water, proving that she is still quicker than her crew! Partner Bill will continue to campaign her through the Winter.

I was asked recently to deliver a talk at the Ponsonby Cruising Club here in Auckland.

The format was a compilation of two cruises to Copenhagen, the first in 1966 by open boat, and the second, last year in Antiope. see our earlier blogs. If anyone is interested, I am happy share the show next time I am in town. contact  cscoones@ihug.co.nz

Our next post will be from on board Antiope.

Cheers Charles and Annie

Full circle

It is now October and we have returned with Antiope to Corre, Since leaving there in May 2015.
She has taken us to 7 countries. She will spend the Northern winter ashore here having a well earned rest snug under wraps.

Antiope, on the Vosges canal, just a few Kms to Corre

April 2016, Under cover in Travemunde on the Baltic coast, our adventure began.

Since launching earlier this year we have cruised  Denmark, Sweden, Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, and now back to France.

Autumn arrives as we cruised up the Meuse into France

                                             The Freycinet guage locks of France,

The small 'do it yourself'  locks are a welcome change from the massive commercial waterways.

Calm warm sunny days of September 

September in Europe has been the warmest for decades, a late attempt at compensation for a wet and windy Summer.

We share a lock with a much travelled Enlish narrowboat

A sad looking bandstand, A sign of rural France in decline.

Some traditional industry survives at la Rochere near Corre.

We find hand made glassware still being made and sent all over the world from a business that has survived 5 centuries in the same family. 

We will miss these quiet waterways, until next year.