Our previous experience of inland cruising was a handful of hired narrowboats on the English canals back in the 1970s; John sails offshore but that is not the same.
The plan was simple, buy a second hand (maybe five to ten years old) replica Dutch Barge in England and learn to handle and maintain her where the advice and spares are in English.
We still don’t know how we came to buy a virtually new Piper in the middle of France but the romantically named “Piper 49M” (on her licence) had been built for the Paris Boat Show and taken to St Jean de Losne (SJDL) this spring to sell; she just said “buy me” when we saw her in early July and by the end of the month we had bought her, the official handover to be 1st of August.
Before setting off we carefully considered what we would need, tried to remember what was already on board, allowed for likely weather, evaluated what could easily be bought in France, filled the car with everything that would fit (including my sewing machine), mounted the two bikes on the rack and off we drove.
We drove down to SJDL a few days early to avoid the French holiday traffic; David Piper was already around so we started the handover, this took three days! Although most of that time we spent naming her “Millie”, sightseeing, eating and arranging to overwinter her in the marina. The big day came on 1st August; we demonstrated that we could handle Millie, including the first lock on the Canal de Bourgogne… David promptly jumped ship and we decided hone our “uphill” technique on the 21 locks to Dijon.
Thank goodness for Piper’s handover notes; David’s briefing was thorough and helpful, except that I forgot most of it over the next few days.
Our learning curve got steeper when an eclusier left the lock below us partially open overnight, we woke up on the rocks at an interesting angle. Several of VNF’s Finest ran around, refilled our stretch of canal, and tried to push, pull, tow (with a van) us back afloat; A hotel barge happened along and towed us off as though then did it every day and we all continued on our way.
Dijon has a reputation for rowdy vandalism and an Ikea! No available water taps and no eponymous mustard but there is an Ikea.
After a vandal-free day or two spent mustard hunting we took on water from a vacant hotel barge berth and set off for SJDL to get fuel and to practice downhill locks; 21 should be enough.
About this time, with the heatwave in full swing, we learned the value of the Piper Owners’ forum; the air conditioning stopped and John couldn’t find the cooling water inlet, miles away in the engine room. A fellow Piperer advised by email and it worked!
Back in SJDL it was raining, the town quay was full, the fuel tank looked low, we learned that 500 litres of diesel is expensive and that filling with that amount of diesel in the rain makes you very wet.
We turned up river through Gray to Corre, where lack of water made us turn back, this part of the river is picturesque and well provided with towns, villages and rural mooring spots; thoroughly enjoyable.
Heading back down the Saone we decided to go past SJDL (the town quay was full again) towards … Well, the weather was still fine and we had no deadlines so we could keep going as far as we wanted.
The river changed character, getting wider, more commercial and with fewer free mooring places.
By the time we reached Macon we decided that 2016 would see us heading south and then up the Canal du Midi, no point in going further this year.
After a day or two searching for the soul of Macon we decided it hasn’t got one and retraced our path up the Saone.
The lesson learned was never to ignore backwaters and byways like The canal de Pont de Vaux: Millie muscled her way in the narrow, shallow, muddy water like a champion, she burst into the open marina and we discovered the joy of mooring stern-to with a round rear end. The bikes came into their own over the level countryside.
Further up the Saone we turned up the Seille. Cuisery is apparently one of France’s “Book Towns”. There was a market… With books, but nobody seemed to buy anything (except John – he bought a Pogues CD).
Onward toward Louhan I saw five kingfishers and the toilet blocked! The kingfishers were spiritually uplifting and the toilet needed a submission to the DBA owners’ forum and application of my toothbrush to clear.
Louhan has a huge market so we spent a fortune on tapenade, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh vegetables and a new toothbrush. French markets are always worth a visit.
Provisioned, and with full water tanks, we continued up the Saone to Gergy, a fine town I’m sure except that the cycle ride to the town centre was long and uphill all the way… And uphill all the way back, no idea how that could be. The ride across the bridge to Verjux is well worth it, if only because cars cannot pass you on the narrow carriageway. Ah, life’s simple pleasures.
Several people visited us on Millie; in Gray our first visitors decided that the “occasional bed” in the wheelhouse is not wide enough for two large adults but their daughters (6 and 3) found the saloon sofa fine; one at each end and their feet didn’t touch in the middle.
Later, a couple of friends who were driving from Perpignan to Dieppe and seemed to think we were en route… We were passing through SJDL again so we moored just up the canal de Bourgogne and they parked near Lidl. Entertainment came in the form of the two gentlemen of a certain age, both wearing reading glasses, scuttling up and down to the “man cave” (engine room) and muttering about technical mechanical stuff, mostly about the stove and the central heating.
Finally, our son and his partner invaded for a few days, bringing a car full of essential supplies from England (dehumidifier, Marmite, letters, muesli etc.). Once we got the hang of the wheelhouse bed our guests found it comfortable enough.
Millie’s kitchen (you really cannot call it a galley) coped brilliantly cooking four or six, including two vegetarians and two children.
We covered a lot of distance on our maiden voyage and, on the whole, Millie behaved impeccably, even in reverse! The bow thruster packed up at one point (owners’ forum to the rescue again) and about a kilometre of heavy fishing line wrapped itself round the prop shaft… Including a vicious great hook.
Being so shiny and new she drew admiring comments everywhere.
So Merry Christmas Millie, We’ll be back for next Easter.
Gill & John.
