Seascapes Travel Log
Michael Grew
Mon 12 Jul 2010 09:19
09/07/2010. St Leger-sur-Dheune.

We had planned to move on today but as we were still a bit tired after yesterdays marathon, we decided to stay put. Then wonders of wonders, it started to rain. I never thought I would relish a good downpour. (anything to cool the atmosphere down). But hey ho it wasn’t to be, we had about ten drops then dried up and the sun came out again. We have now lost all our travelling companions, the crews of “Bella Vista” and “Zuiderdiep” and the Aussies in “The Wanderer” and we probably will not see them again as they will be turning North at Chalon and we go South. Claude in “Finalite” will be stopping in Chalon and then will be going home next week. The “Do Littles” are having a week off in Monceau-le Mine. Spent the day in the shade reading. In the evening there was a farmers market set up on the green by the quay. Everything very expensive and I did not care for the wines we tasted, they were all very dry. The local farmers seem to think it might rain tomorrow because they all feverishly bringing in the hay. The market was supposed to end at 22:00hrs but the stall holders must have sampling their wares too much as the party went on until well after midnight.


10/07/2010 46:54:19N 04:45:16E

08:45hrs slipped the moorings and motored down to the lock where we had booked a 09:00hrs appointment. We were held up at the lock waiting for a boat coming the other way, this enabled a Swedish couple in a huge steel ketch to ketch-up with us. We then spent the rest of the day locking in and out of locks with them. They stopped at Santenay, but we carried on alone towards Chagney, another 5.5 kilometres further on. We intended to cycle back to Santeney along the tow path. The town boasts something like 50 different vineyards which are represented there and wine tasting is a must. At 12:00hrs we arrived at Chagny and moored in the huge and virtually empty basin. Our lines were taken by an English guy called Allen Savage off a Prout Catamaran that had seen better days. He gave us his complete life history in what seemed like the same breath. Clearly a lonely bachelor. Then a charming French girl arrived in a car and handed us an advertising leaflet for her families vine yard. She was very persuasive and had a prominent cleavage, so I thought it would rude not too. We got the bikes off the boat and cycled back to Santenay and found it to be a very well off market town. We tasted some of the local wines and found them too dry for my palette. On the way back we stopped and spoke to the Swedes beside the tow path and were introduced to another guy from Sweden whose name I have forgotten. He was off a floating houseboat, It looked like a shed on a catamaran. He asked us if tomorrow he could “lock in” with us. We agreed, provided he went in front of us, where the inlet surge is at its most powerful and can cause our boat to swing all over the lock. Something to do with our hull configuration. Having cycled back to Chagny we continued the other way and climbed a very long hill (2.5 kilometres) up to the girl’s vineyard called La Jolie, where we were met by her Father. On our arrival we were both perspiring heavily, so entering the air conditioned wine tasting shed was heavenly. The wines were definitely better than the ones we had previously tried so we bought, three bottles. Back on the boat I did some routine checking of the engine and found a dead fish firmly wedged in the raw water intake filter. Today we cover 14 kilometres and passed through 5 locks.


11/07/ 2010 46:54:19N 04:45:15E

08:45hrs we left Chagny with the Swede in the shed and carried on through the locks until we met up with a large,very slow commercial barge so we decided to stop for lunch at 12:45hrs and let him get ahead of us.We had been told Fragnes was very nice and had we not had to be in Chalone by Monday we would have stopped there longer.To our surprise the Dutch from “Bella Vista”and Brits from “Zuiderdiep” were there, already to watch the Football Final.
13:00hrs we were off again to do our last lock of the day 10.19 meters, the biggest yet. It all went smoothly. Then it was out onto the River Soane, it seem huge after the narrow canals and quite intimidating. We arrived at the marina at 15:00hrs. in 36 degrees. Moored up beside and English couple who immediately provided us with cold drinks – most welcome.
Once it cooled down (a little) about 21:30hrs went for a walk and had another cold beer.Travelled 20K 12 locks and dropped 52 metres.