The Journey -
'Rosy' Ploughs On

I spent all weekend moored at the rather grotty mooring at La Chapelle Montlinard, but set off early (7am UK time) on Monday morning. And what a lovely morning it was.

The sun was low on the horizon, but was shining brightly through the mist that was wisping up from the canal. The air was clear and fresh, and there was a heavy dew glinting on the towing path grass. The trees on each side of the canal looked really lush, though some had a hint of early autumn russet about them. The undergrowth between the trees is laden with hips, blackberries, sloes and elderberries - all mellow fruitfulness.

As there was no wind, and as we were the first boat of the morning, the surface of the canal ahead of us was glassy smooth, perfectly reflecting the bank-side vegetation.

Just off the stern quarter, Rosy's bow wave (well, more of ripple really - at 5.5 kilometers an hour you don't get a wave) reflected off the bank, and formed a perfect interference pattern with the sternwave, cutting the water surface up into a moving series of diamond shapes.

It was all quite enchanting.

We only cruised for a couple of hours, and stopped at Herry, where it either was raining, or just about to rain, for the next day and a half. I'm now at Menetreol, and will hover here for a day or two.

Narrow boat joke: During the cruise down to Menetrol, I had to wait (with another boat) whilst a boat was working up through a lock that we wanted to go down. I knew that we were in for a treat when a rather nice looking crutch rose up above the lock gates.

I'm sorry, that should read ' ... when a rather nice looking cratch rose up ....'

Incidentally, the other boat was a Caribbean cruiser style hire boat. A mile previously, I'd followed them through a bridge hole. They took the angled approach, whacking the port stern quarter on the way into the bridge hole, and the starboard stern quarter on the way out. Seeing that the lock was in use, they entered into a flurry of activity with mooring ropes, mallets, mooring pins and boat-hooks. I practised the ancient art of hanging about.

(Yes. I know that some hire boats are expertly handled, and that some private owners know very little about boat handling. But this WAS a hire cruiser, and the crew WERE dreadful. They banged and bounced their boat into the lock. I followed them in, gave the rather morose lock-keeper a Gallic shrug and said "Les anglais ... toujours un problem!!" He replied (of course) "He haw, he haw".)

I've just been doing some sums.

I bought Rosy in October 1999. That year, we cruised for 96 miles, and went through 68 locks (all in England).

In 2000, we cruised for 52 miles in England and 812 km in Holland, Belgium and France, and passed through 76 locks.

Toodle pip!

Bill