It's a wrap!

 

                                                                 

Antiope is snugged up for the winter.

Antiope is back on dry land in Simon Evans' boatyard in Migennes. She has cruised at a liesurely pace this Northern summer, and is now back in France after four seasons in the Netherlands and Belgium. Her crew have scuttled off  home to New Zealand.

Haul out day for Antiope, at Simon Evans' boatyard, Migennes.

We have an an affinity with Migennes, as it has been Antiopes' winter base many times over the years that we have been cruising the waterways of Europe.  Putting the covers on and hibernating her life support systems is always a sombre task and with the exception of two 'covid' years we have now been doing this for 16 years and in five different countries.

On our last evening afloat on the Yonne river,

 just downstream from Migennes

Auxerre, on the Yonne, one of our favourite stops.

Nerac sur Baise, in south western France. 

A region we have yet to explore more, and preferably by boat.

In today's world of Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat etc, this Antiope blog may be a bit 'old school' but it remains uncluttered by pop up advertising and is also a personal story since the day when we first found Antiope in 2009 languishing in a back corner of the London docks and just yearning for adventure. I hope that the readers may get just a taste of our life afloat exploring Europe. In these intervening years Antiope has taken us as far afield as Scandinavia, Berlin, the length of the Rhine river from Switzerland to the sea, through the Netherlands, and Belgium and up the Thames river as far as Oxford,  

Antiope is 'For Sale'. There! I have said it. Although it is often quoted that any boat is always 'For Sale', we have decided that it is time she needs younger hands on the helm. She has yet to be listed with any agents and we are in no great haste to find new custodians. We will be posting more details via this website in due course. 

In the meantime should you or anyone you know be interested, by all means email-                     charlesscoones@gmail.com 

                                       On a different track.

Off the water and once the packing had been done, we took time out to explore Migennes and its history as a railway town. Before the high speed TGV lines cut straight lines across France, by-passing Migennes, it was a hub for North-South traffic. Express trains to the Riviera from Paris would change locos here. Engine sheds and maintenance yards extended over acres of land. Sadly, while in German hands during the last war, the RAF did their best to destroy the town and its railway yards. A Railway preservation society held an open day at the yards, so of course I went along to see.

The historic engine turntable, then and now restored.

These engine sheds once echoed to the sound of steam locos 

This 'Mistral' diesel once hauled the Riviera express   

We got to ride this vintage railcar out on the main line!

Out of the museum for the day

                                            Tourists for a few days.

After leaving Migennes and before flying home, Annie and I took the TGV train down to Agen in South West France to visit my old shipmate David who now lives at Buzet-sur-Baise. This village lies close by the Garonne river and the waterway route of the lateral canal that links the Canal du Midi at Toulouse with Bordeaux on the Atlantic coast. I have long been fascinated by the history of this waterway which was originally proposed in the reign of Louis 14th. It was begun in 1820 and completed in 1843. 

A tranquil section of the Garonne lateral canal at Marmande.

David tirelessly drove us around, exploring the local waterways along with numerous refreshment stops.

  

This 580m long aquaduct at Agen completed in 1843, 

finally opened the through route 

The aquaduct crosses the unusually shallow and tranquil Garonne river

 Buzet is at junction of the main Garonne lateral and the equally delightful Baise river navigation, both of which when we visited had good water levels despite the drought conditions further north and on the Garonne river itself. A thriving hire boat base operates at Buzet. We may be customers next season, as the voyage South from Migennes and back with Antiope may not make economic sense.

The Garonne river, several metres below unavigable level.

Until recent years, a commercial link with the Lot river to the North was possible by locking vessels down from the Garonne Lateral canal onto the river itself, cruising a few kms and then locking up onto the Lot river navigation. Floods and droughts have made this link too hard to maintain solely for recreational navigation, but if conditions were to improve, this could change, as the lock structures have been maintained in good condition. By now, you may understand that I have an adiction for exploring lost waterways.    

This linking lock is high and dry above the river level

The start of the Lot navigation, now closed for several years

This lock up from the Garonne at Nicole, could easily become operational,

 if river levels returned to normal

Now back in New Zealand, we are preparing for a different sort of boating, and soon heading over to Melbourne for a classic yacht regatta.

Cheers, Charles and Annie.