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10 July Moved Sufiana to Saint Vallier for easier provisioning for a trip South planning to arrive in the Med to see the fireworks on 14 July. I had not folded away the BBQ and it broke one of its legs as we were mooring
12 July 0635 motor on and away with Pierre, Françoise, Adrien and Willie. . Passed Ecluse Gervans the first lock and found that the cooling water flow in the exhaust was less than normal so we eased to the bank and I went overboard to pull weed off the water inlet. we also cleaned weeds from the water filter. When the engine was running again there was no water in the exhaust. we spent an hour and a half testing the flow with hand pumps and checking the impeller - still no flow - then we saw that the rubber O ring had fallen from the cap of the water filter so the engine was sucking air instead of water. Once the ring was in place all went well. We tied up above Ecluse la Bollene for the night at 2130
13 July 0630 into the lock and 0700 out. We stopped at Saint Etienne des Sorts to visit a friend of Pierre’s from Saint Uze. We anchored in the shade of a tree for lunch from 1200 till 1350. Ecluse Beaucaire the last lock on the Rhone was reached at 1610 and Ecluse Saint Gilles at 1930. Gilbert was waiting for us with melons and bottled water from his freezer. Unfortunately the lock was closed and would not open on the 14th. This forced us to change our plan. We tied up alongside a barge Then Avin carrying bauxite and chatted for a while with the attractive bateliere.
14 July 0820 till 1230 we motored down the Petit Rhone to Saint Marie de la Mer where we picked up Gilbert, filled with fuel and had lunch. After a siesta we motored west for an hour and anchored for the night. We also met a local who helped us to collect mussels and crabs which we consumed in the evening. We spent the weekend messing about near the coast. Also caught two sar which were marinaded in white wine and cooked on the BBQ.
16 July After lunch, siesta and a swim we returned to Port Guardian (Saint Marie de la Mer) to deposit Gilbert who had to work the next day. We paid 33 € for the night and filled containers with water - it had a bleachy taste so we bought bottled water for drinking. Port Guardian was a let down - expensive, no paper in the loos, hair and sand in the showers and bad tasting water - a place to avoid.
17 July Left Saint Marie de la Mer and anchored off the coast to the west of the mouth of the Petit Rhone after motoring for an hour. All went ashore for a swim and to collect more mussels. In the evening we let the wind waft us out to sea and anchored 1 km off.. Mid morning we let the sea breeze push us gently shorewards using the spinnaker pole as a mast and an awning as a square sail.
18 July Motored towards Grau du Roi and anchored just outside Port Camargue. We swam then spent the night at anchor.
19 July We entered the canal at Grau du Roi and waited till 1145 for the opening of the bridge then 5 km to Aigues Mortes where the night cost 19 € and the water tasted a bit better. We helped the French crew of a hire boat Connoisseur to tie up as it was their first moor.
20 July 0900 motored via the Super U (supermarket) eventually arriving at Palavas at 1230. We had lunch and the Connoisseur arrived. They wanted to go to the beach so we all climbed aboard Sufiana and motored 1 km to the last bridge which was too low to pass. The beach party Françoise, Adrien, Willy, Claudie, Marlene, Thomas, Stephane, Melina and Lucie went ashore and Pierre and I took Sufiana back to the pontoon. When the beach party were tired of the beach they phoned and we went to pick them up. When all were aboard we did a neat turn in the narrow channel using a stern line and the incoming current. We put the visitors back on their boat and followed them to Maguelonne where we moored. We finished a bottle of whisky together and worked our way down another.
21 July All went on the wee train to the beach except me as beaches do nothing for me. At about 1200 I saw two gorgeous women crossing the floating bridge. The one in white pants was stunning. Moments later they were aboard Sufiana Claudie and Marlene. After lunch and a siesta we motored to Frontignan and drank an aperitif on the Connoisseur.
22 July All aboard Sufiana and off to the sea. We took the new canal passing signs which said ‘no house boat’ and ‘no sport nautique’ we decided we were neither and anchored 1 km east of the harbour entrance near the beach and went for a swim.
24 July Met NW 2/3 turning SW 3 We left Frontignan and headed east past Frontignan Port and its beaches. After 5 miles the yellow buoys ended and we anchored 200m from the beach. We spent the night here and caught 3 mullet. In the morning (Françoise’s birthday) as a little swell had built up we motored back to the canal entrance and then to Maguelonne where we moored about a mile from the previous night’s anchorage.
26 July Motored back to Frontignan to meet Gilbert - then back to Maguelonne the next day. Here we moored on the south side of the canal for a change and Gilbert took the bike to collect his car from Frontignan. Then Avin passed heading for Frontignan. Met 26th SE 4/5 increasing 6/7 27th 6-8 decreasing 3-5 in the evening. Gilbert left to go back to work.
29 July Françoise and Bruno arrived for the long weekend which was spent swimming, eating and drinking. I went to the beach every morning, swam, showered, then returned to Sufiana. I also ran the motor to charge the batteries.
31 July While I was running the motor I noticed there was no cooling water emerging from the exhaust. The water pump impeller was damaged.
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1 August Bruno drove Pierre and I to Palavas where I was able to order two replacement impellers - to arrive the next day. On the phone Beta confirmed the number of the impeller and advised me that the carriage to France would cost more than a new impeller. Back at the boat I glued the impeller to its axle with Araldite and left it to set. Willy and Françoise went back to Saint Uze with Françoise and Bruno.
2 August I fitted the impeller and we set off for Palavas. After 30 min the pump stopped so I fitted an electric pump in a storage bin which Pierre filled with canal water using the bucket. We arrived and tied up at Palavas and waited for the phone call telling us that the impellers had arrived. The impellers were 35 € each and the delivery 20. 1545 all was fixed and we were away. We continued till 1915 stopping at Franquerais about 2 km from Ecluse Saint Gilles.
3 August Set off at 0900 and were out of the lock at 0925. We motored up the Petit Rhone till we reached the junction with the Rhone at 1140. We tied to a tree and had lunch and a siesta till 1400. The trip to the first lock Beaucaire took 2 hours and we were out of the lock at 1630. We tied up in Avignon at 2000 and slept. Next morning Pierre and Adrien decided to take the train to Tain l’Hermitage so we walked to the station to check times. We ate in a restaurant on the square in the evening.
5 August Loulou and Jean Pierre came down from Sarras and we went together to the Chateauneuf du Pape wine festival. Prices were high - the lowest we saw was 11 € a bottle. (some Cotes du Rhone at 30 €). They stayed in Sufiana for the night and returned on the Sunday.
8 August The mistral had been gusting for some days - but it had a pattern - calm in the morning then up to force 5 at about 1100 and down again in the evening. I set off at 0830 but there was a gas tanker ahead so I tied up to the waiting ponto | 
