The Rhone north                                                                                                         8th August

Vallabregues for the Avignon lock and a bread delivery at Ardoise

Saturday and Superbike practice back in Blight, here in Provence it would peak at thirty eight degrees. As we awoke in Vallabregues on the Rhone the morning mist had not cleared. A damp humid dew all about our world. This tiny set of pontoons on the mighty Rhone had deliver a quiet night, no barges after midnight we found ourselves in a flat calm mist to wake on the river. Lots of local advice from the resident holiday mooring boats, French water depth very shallow, you may have to divert for Calais after Lyon. Clearly our adventure from Med to Poole moved at each turn, the Robin silted up, the boat specification measured too high for the Midi. The Rhone was proper ship country, it appeared to have a 35km speed limit, but we had time on our hands. Looking to meet T at Lyon via an air flight from Manchester. So, we would take a sleepy run up the small marinas of the Rhone river.

Green trees thinned beyond Vallabregues, a more commercial landscape. A road along the Rhone acted as an artery for the trucks, the banking’s soon became mostly concrete, lots of aggregate works, just beyond a tributary junction we were upon the Avignon lock. Each lock at different VHF, ‘English yacht on VHF  22. ‘Welcome, 20 mins holding please’ A ship above the lock transiting towards us.

We have done three ship locks so far and we have become dab hands, lifejackets on, fenders top side of the deck, centre rope and a stern safety to a single giant rising cleat. About ten meter rise, we enjoyed the shade of the lock walls from the red-hot mid-day sun. ‘secure.’ For such a huge space water comes in very softly. A crash gate sits above the entry and as twh water reached ist height the crash gate acts as a barrier if something entering got it wrong. At the top we were back in te baking heat.  VHF call, ‘Clear, mercy, thank you.’ Away and exit with six feet of space to a giant yellow barge next in the queue.

The Rhone was wide here, good for the autopilot, true bliss, we had linked the Raymarine autopilot remote handset. We could sit high on the back of the skipper’s seat, in the shade of the canopy and press the buttons to steer.

More bliss, when we had to take the wheel, we had finally found the knack to raise the captains seat bench, giving a third level and more leg room. Right hand drive and lots of space, loving it!

Moctfaceun Castle stood tall on our port side of the bank. Old and new, a treble span of bridges followed after the castle, the last bridge rattled as a giant SNCF high speed train sped above us. The green water had more blue here, the banks turned thick with dense trees. From commercial to countryside in a single turn. Soon after the SNCF train we left the Rhone for an easy day to a tributary, 5km to the end where we found the sleepy basin of Ardois. A small river marina, a dead end then blocked by a giant concrete weir.

What looked like the Capitanery chap stood by a narrow berth, he did not wave, a little odd! We came about to stern in what was a narrow slot. ‘No’ The real Capitanery popped up by a hammer head, here, come here. We had the VIP berth, best in show. We thought it must have been for a visiting tour boat. By river standards this was a premier super yacht mooring.

Capitanerie chap smiled, took a mid-rope, it was as still as a poached egg, and the poached egg had been overdone in the scorching heat. ‘6amp electricity or you can have 16 if you wish.’ Mega, we will take 16, bliss and more bliss as that puts the air conditioners on. Hot was hotter than any day so far. Thirty eight in the mid day sun. The water in the dead end of the tributary was running well from the giant weir, it looked very inviting but a deep emerald green did not encourage us. The red coloured dragonfly of the main river had changed to smaller green fellows here. The bank buzzed with insects we could not see.

First check the emails and do this diary, the MailASail red box was spot on, uploads a piece of cake. Life at work in this crazy world of French canals.

Knock at the boat, the Capitanery was driving into town, would we like a baguette. ‘Does it get better than this?

Ardoise river berths 44:06.27N 04:42.38E