La Foleux
Day 61 – Saturday 12th September
The reason for coming up-river, rather than go towards the sea is due to the severe problem with the lock at Arzal (stress on zal to say this properly). We understood from a variety of messages/emails that there would be a lock opening on 17th September, so we booked on this lock. All other bookings were cancelled and the lock schedule had turned red! Then we learned of two emergency openings; today (groan – we were now far away) and Monday. Having had a chat with Steve and Monica on Jenny Wren, we then observed what was going on at the lock on the live Webcam feed (compulsive watching for us!) as the emergency locks were really aimed at folk who wanted to get back up into the river, but it was going to allow outward going boats too. Right – this changed things and helped us decide that rather continue up-river to Redon, we would return to Arzal on Sunday.
We awoke to a mysterious looking mist over the river and got ourselves into gear.
After showering and a bit of hand-washing – you guessed it – the next job loomed. The fitting of the new bilge pump. Well, let’s say, looking at the viability of taking off the old pump and replacing with the new. It became obvious immediately that this was not going to be an easy swap (well, why would it be?) and there was going to have to be quite a bit of changing things around. So – not a quick fix and kicked swiftly into the long grass. Don’t you just love it when a job becomes “work in progress”?
We spent a bit of time getting organised on board, Bob wanting to try and fit an emergency plate on the stern of the boat to mount the outboard, should the main engine fail. This project also needs further consideration and we had a welcome pause as Paul and Elaine Bragg had arrived back to their mooring here and came over to say hello. It was good to re-connect – they are good friends with Jo and Paul Goossens and I had met them once quite some while back. When we discovered that we would be keeping our boats on the same river, a meet up was going to happen, and happen it did.
I had spent most of the afternoon sorting out the blog, uploading photos – it takes a while and is not a job to be done in a rush and managed the first post of the trip before we set out for dinner at the Restaurant L’Escale; Paul and Elaine invited us to join a group of fellow sailors: David and Sue on Barnstormer and Roy and Ophie, making us a very convivial group of 8.
Very good food and a band playing outside – including a guy playing a chanter (folk/pipe without the bags is about the only way I could describe it – very loud!)
We enjoyed the evening getting to know each other.
One can use the green port row-boats to get across the river and back – great idea as it saves launching your own dinghy. I rowed us back, with Paul and Elaine and we made it despite taking onboard some water (yes, we got wet feet) but luckily this didn’t happen until we were nearly back.
Sunday 13th September – Day 62 Back to Arzal
We slept late – so a good thing we weren’t off up to Redon, otherwise we would have missed the swing bridge at Cran!
Bob continued to try and discover why the dinghy kept losing air…. All around the valves, which weren’t properly seated or sealing. We put the saggy effort back onto the back of Boni ready for departure.
We popped over to say our goodbyes to Paul and Elaine and departed just after noon to travel back down the beautiful Vilaine passing a party playing “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” – the Bobby McFerrin song.
La Roche Bernard ahead
Looking back at La Roche Bernard
This is the all-important water treatment plant just before you get to Arzal. Not much traffic on the river and we arrived at Arzal on the waiting pontoon just before 1400. Beautiful weather, a very slight NE breeze. After a bite to eat for lunch – salad and prawns – we thought we would have a little reconnoitre.
Arrival at the lock… with the dredging boat ahead.
Clearly the lock authorities don’t want you leaving the waiting pontoon! Of course we ignored this instruction and proceeded to see how we could escape the extensive lock works. Eventually, after crouching low to get under the bridge, we found a route out – squeezing between the fence a prickly hedge. It wasn’t my most comfortable moment, knowing that these places are littered with CCTV. By the time we were across we decided that it would have been far better to use the dinghy. We had a walk around by the Capitainerie/Shower block and to a small Epicerie where we bought a baguette.
Here we are courtesy of the Webcam
On return to BONI, Bob hauled the dinghy onto the pontoon to have another look at the valves and was satisfied this time that it would be OK. (Fingers crossed).
Supper was bangers and smashed spuds with haricots vert and we still had the pontoon to ourselves and a dredging boat moored in front.
Realisation that we were running out of water from our tank with the pump refusing to stop – would need investigation later (too tired now).
Monday 14th September – Day 63 Through the lock
Again a misty start and no sign of anyone else coming to wait for the lock ‘til much later. Some fishermen set up in front of us and caught a little ‘un. A bit later Bob observed a large fish jumping – he said it was the size of a small dog, although I didn’t see it myself – it did leave a lot of ripples behind. It might have been the infamous catfish, which are supposedly 2m long!
Upon investigation to the water tank, we discovered that there was very little H2O aboard there. We always carry a couple of 5l cannisters, so one was dragged out. Washing (personal) and washing up was down to minimal levels.
The dredger that had resided ahead of us was moved and then a man from the lock arrived to tell us what was going to happen; that we would soon see the bridge across the lock being lifted so they could get in as many boats as possible into the lock, then the bridge will be lowered while they try to continue to fill the lock and then the water will go into it. Next instruction is to wait for all the boats to exit, then we can go in and for us to listen to the instructions from the lock-keeper as to which number chain to hang on to (Channel 11 on the VHF radio). He said that it is all going to take a while – 2 – 3 hours…. Three boats arrived and moored ahead of us. The good thing was at least, that we are on the list to go through on the second lock (still holding my breath though…)