General Witterings -
Rosy Boating in Euroland

Aaaarrrggghhhhhh!!  If there is one thing that is worse than 'flu, it's a computer crash.  I switched mine on on 8th January, and it hung whilst loading Windows.  And hung.  And hung.  After many restarts, and using the Win98 Startup disk (Bah!  Humbug), and the Norton Rescue Disk (ditto), I tried to reload Windows.  And THAT hung.  And hung!!  That is when I felt really awful!!  Needless to say, the backing up routines hadn't always been followed meticulously (!!), and it was the thought of losing data (like my Address List!!) that concerned me.

Luckily I could start in DOS, so I could back up the major files (thank-you God.  I'll try to believe in you a bit better.  Honest!!).  Then the dreaded format c: /s.  All this has, of course, taken a few days, but we are now back on line, and even capable of e-mailing.

I've lost my FreeCell score - 73% from over 3000 games :-(

MORE ON THE EURO

I was a bit dismissive of the Euro ...  so here's a bit more.

I pretty much dislike shopping, and it now takes an age, as no-one knows (yet) which coins are which.  It's bad enough for travellers who are used to different currencies, but to the wrinklies here who have known nothing but the Franc and whatever currency was used in WW2, it's a bit of a bummer.  In the market, I saw an elderly lady hand her purse over to the trader, and let the trader take the right amount.  I nearly got her to take British Nationality when I explained that the Euro is not for us!! 

The one Euro coin is about the same size as the old 10 Franc coin, sufficiently so that the coin-locks on the supermarket trolleys accept either.

The calculator makers have made a bomb, as nearly everyone is running around with little Euro converters.

BOATING IN EUROLAND ...

(especially France)

It's worth mentioning that quite a few boating Brits over here never take their boats anywhere.  They moor them up, and use them as holiday homes.  The finances work out pretty well.

Assuming that you don't want to put the time into buying a boat here in Europe (and especially Holland, where there are always lots of well priced boats for sale), and that you'll buy a boat in UK...

Having bought your boat you have to spend about £20 on registering it on the Small Ships Register.  You also need to pass the CEVNI - the Euroland waterways Highway Code - and get a bit of paper from the RYA saying that you can handle a boat.  These cost about £100, and involve a one day course in UK (unless you can produce evidence of your competency).  Di and Tam Murrell have a barge called Friesland (moored, I think, in Cambrai) and will take you through a weekend course that will provide the right papers, plus forcing French food and wine down your gullet, though they charge a bit more than £100.  They regularly advertise in Waterways World.

You then have to bring the boat over to Europe.  Trucking it over is unlikely to cost much less than £2000 plus (unless it is car-trailable).  The price goes up with the length of the boat, and how far south you want it trailed once you are across the Channel.

Boat insurance is about the same as in UK.

Licence fees are payable in France.  A single day's licence is the cheapest.  Next up is a 30 day cruising licence, though the 30 days don't have to be contiguous.  Most expensive is the annual cruising licence.  The cost reflects the length of the boat, but a £600 licence in UK drops to £200 (or less) here.

Moorings are also (generally) cheaper in France/Euroland than in UK.  It is often not possible just to moor anywhere - the structure of the banks, and the passing peniche traffic can make mooring tricky.  However, many communities provide temporary moorings with free water and electricity.  Long term moorings, with water, showers and electricity can be had for £500 per annum.

Rex (Briare's resident Scot) is back in Scotland having his heart valve (which has shifted its position) relocated.  So I am back as i/c Jess the border collie, who has been willed to me should Rex expire on the operating table.

Toodle pip!!

Bill