and back to the Med!

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Andy and Lyn

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We were planning on returning to the Med in the spring after our refit, new engine etc.. - but have now concluded , why wait - particularly considering the cuurent weather predictions in the UK for the rest of this month.!

So, hopefully across the channel to Le Havre and up to Rouen for dis-masting. Probably will send the masts (ketch) by road but possibly may re-consider that.

Last time we did the Loire route so this time we plan to go the Marne way and then down to Port St Louis planning to get there mid to late October.

Can anyone see any obvious reasons that doing this, and in particular the route so late in the year will present.

The crossing of the channel this end and the greater prevelance of the mistral at the other end are recognised!
 
We came up the Rhone/Saone to st jean de losne last year in September/October.. lovely weather.. best we had all year. Seems to be the weather pattern for the last 2/3 years, so could be very good. I guess if the weather turns nasty and the flow down the Saone /Rhone is too fast, you can always stop en route. I can't see any particular problems (as long as the travel lift/crane is working in Rouen!)
 
We crossed late in September (equinox - wouldn't do that again) and made a leisurely and pleasant journey to St Jean, arriving late November. So your timetable looks fine to me. Always a chance of Mistral, as I know you know, but sitting it out is the strategy. No particular need to rush IMHO and no logs to contend with later in the year.
 
Marne

Have a great voyage, Andy and Lyn,

Calling to Epernay is a high point on this route, spend a few days there if possible, and perhaps bag a few bottles of fizz to put away for special occasions!

The long tunnel at Langres (specific name unremembered) is best delayed for say an hour, if a Peniche or other smokey exhaust vessel is transiting ahead of you.
The smoke was so dense in there we stopped and had lunch underground lit by the dim flourescent strip lighting.
Our cold cuts and salad did not seem so appealing in the gloom!
We still, despite lunching, almost caught up with the peniche at our lowest revs, and were really glad to emerge into the sunlight again.
There is a towpath throughout the tunnel.
Wishing you both a leisurely trip, we feel we did it too fast as well, but with 1.8m draught or draft, the VNF wanted us off the canal sections ASAP.
 
Tunnels

Done a few tunnels in France, always an experience. The best remembered is the long tunnel where one had to go through on own power. An other one had a electric driven barge that towed a whole train of peniches ( And us )
In those days I had an 10 meter converted lifeboat. Beautiful fast sleek hull, big Mercedes. Fast for a displacement hull. After two years of restoration of my “African Queen “ me and my brother did our first big trip to France, Paris. I had zil experience, the number of accidents and adventures is unbelievable.
We arrived in front of that tunnel, there was a green light, so in we went. I noticed that keeping the speed up made it easier to steer in that narrow tunnel. My brother sat in front of the boat with a searchlight. After maybe 20 minutes of concentrated steering my brother came back and said
“I can hear something coming”. Nonsense I said, not possible. We went on and in the very distance could see a light point. With the binoculars I could see the exit but in front of it the silhouette of a penice..... with a big moustache of white water in front of it.
Jeeez.....panic of course, my brother said he was positive he could hear the engine a lot louder now.
It was going back or death, I reversed. Our boat had its propeller just below the water surface and did not steer in reverse at all. Brother had to run on the partly demolished tow- railway one one side of the tunnel to keep the boat off those iron teeth. Once we had some speed, I could steer free of the rails, brother jumped on en there we went, a very very long tunnel in reverse.
Just before leaving the tunnel I stopped, not to upset the radar system regulating the traffic lights.
The engine was overheating, the propeller turning in reverse send bubbles of air into the water cooling system so the engine blew steam.
We waited half an hour, nothing came our way. After an hour we decided to go ahead again, brother could not hear the penice engine any more. So there we went for the third time. And yes, there it was again, the death barge. Only this time the light was better so I could see the moustache of water was in fact the wash of the propeller. The barge was empty , prop turning half in the air working its way extremely slow in the same direction as we.
Later I noticed, the skipper put the helm slight to one side so the nose of the penice is sliding along the tunnel wall. He was standing on the bow of his barge, pouring buckets of water over the metal were it robbed the tunnel. They ware extreme slow, we very fast, that is why we thought they ware oncoming.

Sure you guys have lot more experience than we had then. Have a good trip.
 
Last time we did the Langres tunnel (the Balesmes) we caught up to a commercial peniche within sight of the entrance and past the traffic lights. Bless him, he let us go past. I count that as the action of a proper professional skipper. And gentleman.
 
going south

Be aware that you are going with the flow, I think from my own experience you are not too late, BUT the french water turbines that supply electicity start working according to demand from consumers, this speeds up the water flow ,,,mostly near locks. nothing to worry about, only to be prepared.

When you arrive stay in Port St. Louis, the others have worse problems in the winter months.
 
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