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22 July We were now too late for the wine festival at Avignon. 1715 motor on to take the tide up the river. We tied up at a new pontoon at Cadillac at 1930. 38 km in 2h 15m. When the tide turned we had to put out more mooring lines and the rudders were pushed hard over to starboard. I tried to centralise them and one of the T pieces in the hydraulic steering gave up the ghost. The three table legs became the tiller on the port rudder and we were able to use the autopilot on the starboard rudder.
23 July 0750 the tide turned and as it was a spring we got a 1m tidal bore which shook us up a bit. I went shopping and was able to use my card in the Petit Casino. Banks do not give cash any more though they can give you a card which they pass through their computer. You can then withdraw the cash with the card at their cashpoint. We set off up the river at 1100 and reached the Castets lock at 1300. Here we tied up at the pontoon and had a chat with a canoe packer who had paddled through the canals from the Med. He told us that he stopped at camp sites for security. We were through the lock and tied up by 1500. Michel went for cash as the lock keeper could not take cards. Tie up charge was 3€ with 2€ for electricity. Vignette 51.80€ for 16 days 24 July – 9 August.
24 July 1400 set off through the Canal Lateral de Garonne meeting an English couple who had just hired a penichette. We went first and operated the locks. All went well till 1900 when the canal closed. We tied up at Fourques for the night.
25 July 0910 My plan was to start at 0900 each morning, stop 1200 – 1600 in some shade then do another 3 hours till 1900. We stopped at Serignac 1915. A fine stop with electricity and water. We met a German who played guitar very well and was webmaster for cologne.de
26 July I went into town for provisions and asked about ‘Pruneaux d'Agen’ at the baker's. I was given an address nearby so Michel set off on his bike and bought 3 kg. We started on them right away. They were like prunes but not as dry. Eventually we set off at 1630 and reached Agen at 1915.
27 July Another short day. 1625 – 1945 stopping at La Magistere.
28 July 0915 – 1950 with one hour stopped at lunchtime saw us at Castelsarassin a nice stop and according to the book the last quiet stop before Toulouse.
29 July a long day trying to reach Toulouse. We had little hope and failed by 15 km stopping at Lepinase which was a noisy spot by the railway.
30 July Toulouse we stopped at the town port but were given a free night on a pontoon as we were not able to moor on the 'official' pontoons. The 15 km took us 4 hr 15 min
31 July A gentle run of 20 km in the afternoon took us to Montgiscard with little excitement.
1 August This was our longest day on the canal 8 hr 35 min to cover 36 km stopping at Domerque.
2 August Must have had the bit between our teeth 7 hr 15 min to Villesquelande.
3 August Then a short trip to Carcasonne. In the town they charged 12€ per boat and 2€ per person for a night's stay so we passed the lock and moored in a quiet shady spot which was free. We were able to fill the water tanks and containers.
4 August In the afternoon we set off eventually reaching Trebes which was so exciting that I cant remember it at all.
5 August set off early enough to make a good trip and reached La Redorte where we intended to cook the chicken. When I took it out of the fridge it was a bit pongy and probably unfit to eat. I chucked it in a poly bag and took it to the garbage bin. On the way back I met an English couple who had been there connected to the electricity supply for charging the batteries of electric hire boats since April. They moaned at the fact that VNF had stopped the 30 day vignette which only needed to be checked while moving. An annual vignette costs 224€ which in their case covered mooring with electricity and as much cruising as they wanted.
6 August After the last lock before Beziers with 54 km without locks Michel set off on his bike while I continued on my own steering with the autopilot. I stopped at Capestang as arranged but Michel got lost again and did not return till 1130.
7 August We went to the market and bought a roast chicken and some bread then set off at 1500 for Beziers. We arrived too late for the locks and had to wait till the next morning.
8 August 0800 we passed through the locks with two other boats and continued to Agde where there was a gorgeous lock keeper. She told me that a new vignette was only available at the VNF office.
9 August I got a vignette valid till the 24th and we made our way along the canal till it petered out in the Etang de Thau. Effectively we were at sea again. We spent two hours there and eventually reached the entrance to the Canal du Rhone a Sete. There were no suitable stopping places till we reached Frontignan where we had to stop for the lifting road bridge across the canal.
10 August 0730 and a rammy of hire boats all trying to get through the bridge at the same time. We tied up beyond the bridge and Michel set off to explore Sete. At 1400 we were ready to go and on the way saw flamingoes and white horses on the Camargue. There was also a floating footbridge which opened for us almost immediately. Eventually we reached Aigues Mortes in the dark and moored opposite the capitainerie. Here we had nothing to pay as we were on a private mooring.
11 August 1150 I started the motor as this was the opening time for the rail bridge. Michel had left for the toilettes at 1145 thinking he could return in time. At 1200 he got back and we set off through the bridge and on to Arles.
12 August 1300 a young loon came to collect 12€ for a night stay. He said he was from the Mairie but did not seem genuine particularly as this ought to be his lunch hour. I told him we had only 7€ in cash and he said he would take that. I said we needed it for bread and he went away. There were no French boats on the pontoon and all the others except one which had no-one aboard paid him. He did not come back. In the evening there was a plague of mayflies so we could not eat outside. In the morning I collected 2 buckets of dead flies the fish in the Rhone went wild when we threw handfuls of flies into the water.
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