The journey now continues through France towards the Mediterranean.
Most time of the trip, I was alone on board and often met nice people in the canals, several of them I still have contact with.
In some part of the journey through France, I get help from Fritz and later by Robert, on the last leg of the journey through France participates my neighbor Nils. Now begins the sluice process seriously,there will be many locks through France.
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Givet in France it's a nice town.
Canal de la Meuse (CDM).
Large slate blocks.
One of 11 locks today.
565 meters tunnel.
Some bridge openings there were.
Passed many nice small towns.
Wonderful weather, warm and comfortable.
Passing a small village.
The mountain ranges becoming larger and larger
Final lock for today.
The locks are closed now, spend the night at the gate of St. Joseph 51st
Celebrating Fritz has show up with a glass of champagne.
The lock is closed = own swimming pool with swim ladder in the crystal clear spring water.
Good with a bath after a hot day.
Sluice Dames the Meuse.
Canal de la Meuse (CDM).
Canal de la Meuse (CDM).
The locks come denser.
One more.
A man on board and one ashore went fastest.
Another village.
Canal de la Meuse (CDM).
Canal de la Meuse (CDM).
Canal de la Meuse (CDM).
Canal de la Meuse (CDM).
Canal de la Meuse (CDM).
Canal de la Meuse (CDM).
24 degrees and cloudy at the Canal de la Meuse (CDM).
A lot to look at.
Arrival Mouzon, it was a welcome return of Anna and Paul who had a week's head start.
Mouzon.
Mouzon, loaded the food supply here.
Mouson.
Good ol 'fellas.
Now, it soon becomes dinner.
Onboard AnaSofia.
War Remnants of the 70 000 who died here in the trenches during the war.
Mouzon.
Flowers everywhere.
Visited the old church at Mouzon, nice and cool in here.
Lookout on the bow.
Now it was over 30 degrees again.
One of the 9 locks today.
Anchored before lock Planchette 25th
Alone here, no boats can enter, the locks are closed for the day.
Different lock in the Canal de la Meuse (CDM).
Someone aboard opens one side .
And lockkeeper the other.
We took turns .
Fritz prefer the shade, 34 degrees and no wind, strong sun.
Nice view.
Canal de la Meuse (CDM).
Many bridges and aqueducts.
Enters the Canal de la Marne au Rhin through an aqueduct.
Change of plans. Had to take a detour, the Canal de Vosges (CDV) is closed due to water level.
Recognizes the highway from the car drive before. stay the night at VNC void.
Tunnel Mauvages 4877 meters long!
On the starboard a walkway where sooner mules pulled barges.
Lock down force continues.
Canal de la Marne au Rhin
After being funneled down the 38 locks from the tunnel, we have come to Bar le Due.
Bar le Due, harbor dues 1.2 Euro = 12 Skr.
Stay the night at a rest area in the Canal de la Marne au Rhin
Canal Entre Champagne et Bourgogne.
Now it will be up again.
Now lockage quickly, we are alone again and can channeling unhindered.
Overnight in St Dizier, after 18 locks up and 19 Nm today.
Bridges and locks we manoeuvre ourselves through a remote control.
Now it was an error on the lock again, Fritz goes ashore and calling on phone. which is always at the locks.
Finally, things happen.
After an hour came a gate guard and fixed the lock.
Always many fishermen along the canals, and they catch quite many and large fish.
Sunny and warm again.
Have a stop in the water filter a few times, good to have spare engine.
Nice view.
Met a Frenchman who worked at SKF in Gothenburg.
Shadow is good in the heat, 34 degrees today.
Shadow is good in the heat, 34 degrees today.
Met the pastor of the parish Lewi Pethrus in Chaumont.
They belonged to the congregation and I was invited to dinner there the next day.
After a 4 hour walk, I ended up a little error between the mountains. But was helped by two nice guys who drove me to the boat.
Frits goes home and Robert will show up soon.
Canal Entre Champagne et Bourgogne.
Canal Entre Champagne et Bourgogne.
La Saone.
Stay the night in Port de Plaisance in Chalon sur Saone. nice marina and mega malls 200 meters from the boat.
Tournus, La Saone.
La Saone.
Nice old bridges.
Stay the night outside a barge, we were treated to canapés and wine in the barge. Robert travel home. I continue the journey alone.
Lyon
Lyon
Lyon
Lyon
Flowers on board?
Many flowers !
Lyon
Lyon
Lyon
Now I go down 11.8 meters soon in Pierre Benite, then there's only 12 large locks left until the Mediterranean.
Now it's quicker with a few knots co-current
Now it becomes more vineyards.
Rhone
Vineyards in the Rhône valley.
Everywhere
Down 6.7 meters in Vaugris.
The barge will just run out first.
Two interconnected.
And a Pusher, tot. about 200 meters long.
Available bathing here.
And more wine.
Goes to Condrieu marine. Have had problems with the gearbox.
A man there who think he's a pirate.
The marina in Condrieu.
The marina in Condrieu.
The marina in Condrieu.
The marina in Condrieu.
It takes a half minute from that I put in gear to the propeller starts spinning. I Contact Rodahl vendors in Lidkoping who immediately send a new one from Italy.
Photo safari in Condrieu.
Photo safari in Condrieu.
Here I go every day.
From the other side of the bridge
Beautiful wall.
Time to disassemble the gearbox.
Waiting for delivery of the new gearbox.
Photo safari in Condrieu.
Photo safari in Condrieu marina.
Photo safari in Condrieu marina.
It took just 24 hours! Thanks Rodahl in Lidköping.
Time to start the new gearbox.
Out on the Rhone again.
Rhone
Larger Barges but not so many.
Rhone
Sablons, down 15.3 meters.
After the lock.
Passing Andance.
Small horses with long ears now.
Gervants down 11.8 meters.
Found a pier at a yacht club in La Roche de Glun.
After a long day, enjoying good food with local wine at a restaurant.
Bourg les Valence down 12.5 meters.
Enters Port Leperviere Valence due to approaching bad weather
Meet other sailors who thought the same thing, we take a glass of champagne in the cockpit of Azur
Remains in Valace and checking the surroundings
Just take it easy, because of heavy rains in the Alps is calculated water tomorrow is 25 000 m3 per second. Can be over 7 knots current.
Now, do I try to go out, the water has fallen so the current is a little less now.
It flies south.
Now it gets more kilometers per day.
But had to be careful.
Do not want a log in the propeller.
In Cruas I'm waiting for my neighbor Nils to show up.
6.5 knot current, turned around before the entrance to the Cruas, full speed countercurrent and then sideways into the harbor.
It appears that it flows much.
Viewing around in Cruas.
Viewing around in Cruas.
Viewing around in Cruas.
Now blooming cacti.
Leaving Cruas together with Andreas and his boat Maktoub.
Chateauneuf, down 18.5 meters.
Nils and I
Nature is changing again.
Rhone
Bollene, down 23 meters.
Bollene, down 23 meters.
Furthermore, the Rhone.
Bridge, speed trains TGV
Spent the night at a dock at Vallabregues.
Beaucaire down 7 meters.
Flamingo !
Andreas.
Arrival Port Saint Louis, Now we are in the Mediterranean, CHEERS!
Arrival Port Saint Louis, Now we are in the Mediterranean, CHEERS!
Time to get the mast up again.
Bought fish from a fishing boat that has just arrived.
Bad weather reports so we took the bus to Martigues.
Martigues.
Martigues.
Martigues.
Now we leave France in a very blue Mediterranean.
