Artaix - Roanne
Here’s a final picture of the place where we have stayed for 12 nights – truly the record of this season. It was a real lovely spot, causing us to not-at-all feel an urge to leave. The area is loved by boats and campervans alike, although no campervan has been next to us because of a broken branch possibly falling down. The danger is visible high in the tree when looking up from our wheelhouse.
A detailed picture of this branch. It was examined several times by not only campervan-owners but by people appearing to be forestry-officials too. The campervan-owners stayed away from it; the forestry-officials limited their activities to having a look, sometimes even an extensive one.
With us were two other ships, ‘La Béa’Bab’ being one of them. On Tuesday the 21st of October 2014 they left, heading for the Port of Roanne, followed by…
…our other neighbour for over a week, being ‘Villa Louise’. We were left on our own again. Well, together with a few campervans, one English the other Dutch, and an apparently permanent inhabited caravan.
This is how ‘Le Bassin’ looked on Sunday the 12th of October, when we arrived…
…followed here by a picture taken on Thursday 23rd from the same position. Autumn has done its job, at least partly.
Artaix - leaving 'Le Bassin'
The next day, Friday the 24th of October it was finally, after 12 nights, our turn to leave. Although rather thick fog limited the view to not a lot more than, say, 50/60 metres we decided to move at 10:07AM because we (a) had made an arrangement to arrive at Briennon-lock, at a distance of 16,5 kilometers (over 10 miles), at 1:00PM and (b) expected the fog to be burned away by the sun soon. The female part of the two of us manoeuvred the ship fully concentrated back- and side-wards into the right position to cruise in the canal again; the male part made this video of it all – whistling softly and unconsiously.
In the right position, navigation-lights on, revving up only up to 1.000 revs because of the fog, speed limited to not a lot over 3 knots (5,5 kilometers) an hour. (She never used the bowthruster!)
Bye, bye Artaix (Le Bassin) it was a real pleasure to be there!
It took that Friday some more time before the morning fog was chased away and the day became even more glorious than hoped for. As from noon it was like summer again – virtually the entire period from the beginning of September till the end of October has been wonderful. (Weather-wise we mean, our lives are wonderful anyway.)
Just a last view, before reaching Roanne, as seen from Le canal latéral de Roanne à Digoin. This stately home is to be seen close to (lock) Cornillon.
Roanne - entering the port
The video you’re looking at starts when leaving the last lock (Roanne), leading into the vast Port de Roanne. (The white vertical line you’re seeing is caused by the sun, shining directly into the lens.) Another boat will be breasted up to ours this winter. We informed the owners, a Dutch couple, beforehand of our arrival. They are visible, their boat that is, cruising in the distance. We were planning to perform a glorious entrance with a blasting horn and all, but were directed by the port’s captain towards an empty spot at starboard immediately after entering because ‘our’ intended mooring space was supposed to be still occupied. Afterwards we learned that the space was cleared in time, thanks to our ‘winter-neighbours’ (physically they are in The Netherlands during the winter, it’s just their boat). So our initial little plan fell to pieces and this is what we’ve got left for you all. Anyhow, it did give us an opportunity to show that our national colours are still flying, among a lot of other nations, from one of the many poles at the entrance of the port.
Here we are, moored since Friday the 24th of October 2014, 4:00PM. Looks familiar, doesn’t it? A cruiser, called ‘Tinus”, is breasted up to our ship and thus our companion during the winter. Next week: statistics of the 2014 cruising season.
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Dankjewel, Tineke! Tot gauw 😍.
En dan nog even en Amersfoort in zicht
De laatste foto: ongelooflijk!!!!!
Dank je wel, Tineke! We zien mekaar hopelijk snel in A'foort.
Jaja, 't schiet op. Maar rustig aan, want de Nijkerkersluis is nog een paar dagen geblokkeerd. (En een 'Vollenhove' zal ik -als ik er aan toe kom- een n toevoegen...)