43:21.2N 14:8.1 E

 

30 May - Heading on and up, but no dangly things as now in the canal du Midi. Long day - cooling water blockages

Depart Toulouse 0815

Arrive Port Lauragais 1910, 24nm, 11 locks (3 doubles)

Cold, grey and overcast - heavy rain from 1400 and v windy.

 

Now in the Canal du Midi – still going up. Different style and shaped locks – oval and all manned with eclusiers – but they stop for lunch (1230 to 1330). No drop off steps, but a pontoon about 100m before lock – so briefly go alongside to drop off Jane so she can be at lock to catch warps when D`fly arrives.The Midi meanders keeping to the contours – so different to the straight lines of the Lateral. And the bridges are so more attractive too – perhaps due to their age. later saw one engraved 1681. No cooling water exiting exhaust on two occasions as exit locks. Seems to be all the plane tree leaves sucked up into intake . Water filter has some debris but not enough to block flow. Cure by mooring up, unscrewing filter top n flushing water down the intake pipe. Jane discovers that if we leave the engine access board off hot air passes to stern cabin and then to main cabin. Makes sheltering down below between locks more comfortable as now all very damp! Arrive P L in pouring rain – no one about so tie up and hook up electricity to get fan heater going.  Weird but sensible set up – the loos are the mway service station facilities too, and there are coaches arriving with tourists for the cafe till goodness knows when. Wet, stormy night.