Menetreol

Canal cruising on Wilhelmina is not as stressfree as I had expected! the locks of course are always an unknown quantity, they are very narrow (we have about half a foot clearance each side at our widest point), will a breeze blow us off course at the entrance? (we now have decided to lower the leeboards to give us more stability), and then there  the curents inside the locks and getting the ropes on the right bollards. Outside locks we can relax a bit more except there is always the threat of meeting a peniche round a blind bend. Just before Briare we nearly hit the bank because we moved too much out of the way of such a peniche on an inside bend. We are also stressed about finding fuel, a problem we are not used to when on the tandem! The best price for diesel is in supermarkets, carrying a 30 l drum can be tiresome but we have now at last evolved a syphoning system to transfer gazole into the boat without spillage. John sucks through a black tube... no mouthfuls of diesel so far!

The scenery has been lovely, many people wave and photograph us "votre bateau est magnifique!". We certainly have not seen another sailing barge.
After crossing the Loire on the most impressive canal bridge we are now in the Canal Lateral a la Loire, with more holiday makers but less commercial traffic. Have just been informed that water levels are low so that could mean waits at locks for up to one hour.


Had a day off today. Walked through vineyards and across a redundant railway viaduct up to Sancerre, a medieval fortress town. A most pleasant change.
Ready for bed now, especially John who has battled with the paraffin cooker to cure (yet) another leak!