Friday 1st June - Digoin

We decided to stay another day in Digoin in order to get Aphrodite shipshape again.  Unfortunately around ten o’clock the lady in the Capitainerie told us we would have to move as our space was reserved.  Skip did a recce and said he thought there was a space further back where we could get power and much needed water.  So we slipped our lines and went for it.  It was a very awkward spot to get into, involving some chicanery and, indeed, as we approached we spotted a notice that it was also reserved!  Plan B was to moor further along the Bank with no facilities.....so care with the water supply was called for.
Whilst Crew changed the bed and sorted out the guest beds, Skip set to work on cleaning the outside of the boat. We had a leisurely lunch followed by a fairly long siesta.
When we were moored outside the Capitainerie we got no TV reception at all thanks to a big tree beside us but now we had moved, we got a pretty good reception so I guess, every cloud, etc.......!  Crew was very happy to be able to watch Come Dine with Me again!!
We had duck, sauté potatoes and veg. for dinner but we’re very disappointed with the flavour of the duck......it’s normally very tasty!
We watched TV instead of a DVD and bed.

Thursday 31st May - Digoin

Gary and Tina were leaving around 1.30 p.m. so the plan was to have a walk to the aqueduct which allows the canal to flow above the River Loire ( not navigable) and then find a cafe for a bite to eat before returning to Aphrodite and waiting for their taxi to turn up.  A lot of research had gone into trying to book trains to get them to Lyon airport but it all became too complicated and they decided to book a cab instead - an expensive but more expedient option!  They managed to get the same driver that brought them to Chalon just over a week ago, who drove a very smart electric car.
He arrived a little early and we sadly waved them off - we’ve had a great weeks’ cruising, admittedly with some mixed weather but lots of good fun nevertheless.  Just Skip and Crew now!
Skip moved out of Crews’ toilet and shower, back to the guest facilities straight away, much to Crews’ delight......a recipe for disaster sharing the ablutions!!!  Then a long rest and a bit of tidying up.
After our copious restaurant meals, we decided to give our stomachs a rest and feasted on nobbles during the evening, whilst watching a film - fairly early to bed!

Wednesday 30th May - Paray-le-Monial to Digoin

Only a short day today, so we left our mooring at 10 a.m. on a bright sunny morning.  Unfortunately the forecast doesn’t bode too well with rain for this afternoon. But as usual, forecasts can be wrong and the storms that we have quite often pass over very quickly.
We had problems with the first two locks and had to call the VNF man each time.....but our last lock was fine.  A very pleasant 6 km run into Digoin followed.
We remembered the port in Digoin - last time we were here we had to move on as there was no room for us.  This time we dared to moor on the hire boat side of the port.  We were just getting ourselves organised when a nice young Frenchman appeared asking questions about the boat - it appeared he worked in a nearby boatyard and was interested in internal layout.  He very politely asked if he could come back some time and have a look over Aphrodite.....we said of course he could and arranged for him to come over around 6 o’clock when he finished work.
The two men went off to the station to find out about trains for Gary and Tinas’ departure the next day and while the girls were chatting, a very angry Frenchman came along grumbling loudly and making explosive noises.  With that he viciously unplugged our power cable!  Crew tried to reason with him but he was having none of it - he was extremely agitated.  Crew tried to explain that we only had the fridge working but he just wouldn’t listen.  A little while later, the men arrived back and after we related the sorry story, Skip went to plug us back in but Crew advised against it and suggested we wait until we could find a Capitaine to ask what the problem was.  The man came from his boat and started ranting again and this time pulled the plug on one of the motor homes parked nearby.   The caravanner came rushing out shouting and promptly re- attached himself.  A little while later a man from Canalous (a hire boat company) walked up with the angry Frenchman to his boat and as he walked back Crew asked what the problem was......he said it was another boat further along causing the problem - neither an apology or even an apologetic look was forthcoming from Mr. Angry!
After a fairly quick lunch the men went over again to find out where to pay for our berth and were directed to the other side of the canal to the Capitainerie......the only place they found was a nursing home.  However, using their wily resources, they sussed out a very nice space for us to move to right outside the real Capitainerie.  On returning to the hire base they caused great hilarity on recounting the nursing home story!  We moved across and plugged in - safely this time and got comfortable again.
Not very far from the port was a hotel with a restaurant which looked to be pretty good and whilst in town the boys booked a table for dinner.  We had said around 6 p.m. for Matthieu (the young Frenchman) to come over but as we had moved, it was considerably later when he finally found us and by then we were getting ready for dinner.  So another arrangement was made for the next day.
Another delicious meal was enjoyed, followed by drinks and cards.

12 km. 3 locks. 2 1/4 hours

Tuesday 29th May - Génelard to Paray-le-Monial

We left at 10 a.m. under an improving sky and by the time we arrived at our first lock the sun was shining. We had to wait a while for the locks as there was a small yacht going our way.  We managed to catch him up just before  midday.  A lock keeper told us to stop before the next lock - we weren’t quite sure why but suspect something to do with lunchtime!  On approaching the lock the lights were working and on the green light both us and the yacht went in.  The same thing happened in the next lock, so we made no stop.  We arrived in Paray at 1.45 p.m. and all made a foray into town to find a certain restaurant which Gary had researched.  We found it OK but of course, lunch service had finished so we booked a table for dinner.  On the way back we came across a very smart pizzeria, so stopped and asked if we could get pizzas.  The man said he had finished really but agreed to serve us pizzas.  We enjoyed our lunch on a very pretty terrace and, after paying our bill we were on our way home when the nice man came out waving a bottle and glasses.  As one, we all ran back to imbibe a very acceptable Creme de Menthe type liqueur.........good siesta juice!!
The skipper went into the lovely town to get a recharge for his SIM card on his I pad.

After a good rest and a freshen up we all assembled on the back deck for a glass of bubbles, then walked to the restaurant.  The food and service was excellent and again just one waitress (who was very efficient) and I believe just three people in the kitchen.  It was high end so quite expensive.....but well worth it!
Back for cards and digestifs before bed.

21 km. 7 locks  3 3/4 hours

Monday 28th May - Montchanin to Genelard

We left the mooring at 8.30 but unfortunately didn’t get through our first lock until after nine o’clock as it was faulty - we were travelling with the same German boat as before.  There was bad news from the lock keeper however, the port at Montceau-les-Mines was closed!  We decided on looking at a possible mooring before Montceau but alas, it was full.  After eight locks we were forced to moor just in front of the ninth, on a horrible sloping rocky quay in order to wait for the three lifting bridges after the lock.  They were closed for lunch!  Crew stayed on board whilst the rest of the crew went shopping.  We then had a quick lunch on board before the lock opened.  We passed through the now attractive town of Montceau, mourning what we were missing!  Indeed we passed the newly renovated marina which was not to be re-opened for three days......bad timing by us!!
Although the weather had started grey and rainy, by around two o’clock the sun made an appearance, which improved our mood somewhat, even though the prospect of an extra seven locks made for another long cruising day.
We arrived in Génelard at 4.30 and moored with spikes by a bourne which looked a bit antiquated but nevertheless supplied us with both power and water.  A big bonus......no charge for this!
Gary went for his usual recce but came back disappointed not to find any restaurants available.  He found a boulangerie open however and came back with quiches, bread and a cherry tart.  We were all very tired so relaxed on the back deck with a bottle of Cremant, chatting.
Our evening repast was a very casual affair with bread, cheeses, ham, quiches and salads.  A couple of silly games then bed.

30 km 16 locks  7 hours

Sunday 27th May - St.-Leger-sur-Dheune to Montchanin

As it was to be a heavy lock day, we left the mooring promptly at 9 a.m.   On Skips’ itinerary, it was stated that we had nine locks to work but when Crew did a count, it came to nineteen......quite a difference!!  For the most part, everything went smoothly but the Canal du Centre is probably one of the older canals in France and we’re not easy to work through.  The poles that needed to be pushed were situated at the far end of the locks, very close to the gates so Skip was climbing the nasty ladders to go to the top of the lock in order to push the pole.  This made Crew very nervous ( he’s no spring chicken you know!) so it was deemed safer to drop him off on the bank to walk up and operate the lock that way.  We were very grateful to have Gary and Tina on board as we would have struggled somewhat with just the two of us - how a lone sailor would cope, I don’t know!
We stopped for a 45 minute lunch break five locks before our destination just to rejeuvenate ourselves as it was by now very warm and humid.  Our last locks were very close together and we got through them pretty quickly. Then a three kilometre run to the mooring.  We passed a German couple we had shared locks with two days ago who were moored on some bollards but when we got to the recommended mooring it was very narrow with tatty boats moored each side so a very narrow entrance.  We decided against it and turned round to moor behind the Germans, which was fine but without power.
As it had been a long humid cruise, we all enjoyed a bit of a siesta until Gary decided to go for a bike ride.  We had had the bikes repaired last year but when the boys tried to pump up the tyres, they found it difficult to get any of the pumps to work.  After some difficulty they managed to get enough air in the tyres and Gary peddled off into the distance.  There was nothing much to be seen but he did find a garage and got the tyres pumped up properly!
As there was no possibility of a restaurant, Crew cobbled together roast chicken for dinner, unfortunately eaten below as a storm had decided to pay us a visit!  After dinner it abated enough for us to retire to the back deck for digestifs and a silly game.  It transpired at around 11 p.m. that it was Gary and Tinas’ 18th wedding anniversary.......neither of them had realised it until then!!

19 locks. 19 km. 5 1/2 hours

Saturday 26th May - Chagny to St. Legere sur Dheune

We left our mooring just after 11 a.m. as we only had four locks and a fairly short run to St. Legere.  The nine kilometre run to our first lock took us through very picturesque countryside and was without incident, apart from the worry of getting our canopy under some of the bridges.  Tina worked out a system whereas she would stand on the front deck with her arm held high and if her arm went through we were OK.  But eventually it became too nerve racking and we had to take it down - not too much of a problem shade wise, as the sun was hiding behind clouds!
We arrived just after 2 p.m. and were directed to a mooring with sloping rocks......not ideal but with better depth for us than the alternative offering.  Gary suggested that he walk back to an attractive little canal side restaurant that we passed, to book a table for dinner.  Unfortunately, as it was a Saturday, they were fully booked, so he walked into the little town to see what else was available.  There was an ulterior motive for this enthusiasm though - there was an ‘important’ football match later in the evening!  He reported back that there were two cafes, one a pizza and the other a kebab establishment.  There was also a bar with a TV.  We decided to try the one that looked more inviting at the time.
By the time we walked into town the bar had closed (which put paid to any hopes of watching football!) and on enquiring about the availability of a table for pizzas, were told it would be an hours’ wait, so we took the last option - the kebab cafe!  Crew, not being too familiar with kebabs, followed Garys’ lead and ordered a ‘Royal kebab’ - should have guessed it was the biggest thing on the menu!!
And, although it tasted very good, Crew could only manage half!
Back to the boat for digestifs and cards.

13 km  4 locks. 3 hours