Canal Lateral a la Loire Decize marina to Gannay-sur-Loire/PK 52 Gannay-sur-Loire to PK 44.5 St Martin-des-LaisSt Martin-des-Lais to Beaulon

Thursday 8^th May

Canal Lateral a la Loire

Decize marina to Gannay-sur-Loire

5 locks and 15km

We enjoyed our two-night stay at the Decize marina.  On Wednesday evening we had dinner at Le Charolais, only about 15 minute walk from the marina.  They are closed Monday and Tuesday, which is why we stayed the two nights in Decize.  We had a fabulous meal, we would highly recommend the restaurant.  Even though it’s called Le Charolais they also serve excellent fish and seafood. 

I spent Wednesday washing everything in sight, bedding, towels, clothes, and the bedspread!   Kev thinks I have a problem but when you have unlimited electric that you have paid for then you feel you should use it!!  The washer and dryer was going for hours.  I also cleaned the boat inside from top to bottom, its amazing how dirty it gets.  The marina cost for two nights 22 euros to include water, electric and Wi-Fi.

 

A handsome visitor just by our boat

Leaving the Decize marina
There is a hotel and restaurant, all very new

We joined the Canal Latéral à la Loire towards Digoin

On Thursday we set off around 11am to join the Canal Latéral à la Loire, going through the automatic lock out of the marina.  We found it strange to be on such a wide and deep canal after the meandering, shallow Nivernais.  The boat is much easier to steer when you have more water underneath you.  We also found it strange to not have to slow down for bridges, as they are wide and with good height.  We had one stretch of canal that was almost an hours motoring without any locks or obstacles, positively boring!!  Just joking.  But this canal has a very different character to the Nivernais.

Good depth on the Canal Lateral a la Loire
On the Nivernais we were lucky for the depth gauge to read 2.5 feet

Very wide and straight

We came to our first lock at about 11.45am, the gates were closed and there were two boats already in the lock. As we knew it was too late to get through the lock before lunch we moored up on the bollards provided just before the lock.  The next thing we knew was that the lock keeper had walked to us and he spoke to us in French asking our boat length, and then saying he had two other boats already in the lock, which he didn’t think we could fit in the lock with, at the same time.  He said something else, pointing to his watch, which I understood as “its now midday, so you will have to wait until after lunch at 1pm to come through”.  (This is what Kev calls a 'Debyism', complete guesswork at the French being spoken to us and me guessing what is was)  So we sat on the back deck with a cup of tea, Ipads up and running, facing away from the lock.  A while later we then noticed him reversing towards us in his VNF van on the other side of the canal, and he tooted his horn.  We looked back at the lock and the gates were open, so we leapt into action.  I now think I had totally misunderstood what he had said to me!  

We moored up just after lock 12 near Gannay-sur-Loire.  We walked into the village, about 1km to find everything closed; after reading a notice on the village shop door we realised that it’s Armistice day, so that explained why it was all shut.  The mooring at Gannay/Vanneaux PK 52 is a very nice, there are lots of long term barges moored up and a town mooring too with free electric and water.  There is a restaurant but we think its only open at lunchtime.

Friday 9^th May

PK 52 Gannay-sur-Loire to PK 44.5 St Martin-des-Lais

2 Locks and 8km

My birthday!!  We aimed for a rural mooring where there was supposedly a pizzeria, as it was only 2 locks and 8km it didn’t take us long.  There was another barge moored up onto the two bollards that were available so we used our pins and the spirofix to moor onto.  We then cycled 2.5km into Paray-le-Frésil, quite a pretty village, with supposedly two grocers, and a baker.  There was only one shop that was also a bread depot, so we bought a baguette for our lunch.  There is no sign now for the pizzeria near the canal where we are moored so we presume it is closed, we cycled around and couldn't find it.  It’s a great spot though, and we are not under any trees so we can get a TV signal for Masterchef tonight!  We did a big shop in Decize so its steak tonight for my birthday dinner.  

 

Kev banging in our 'Spirofix' ground anchor
No bollards here.  A large barge went past later and our pins and ground anchor held us perfectly 

A nice rural mooring 

Saturday 10^th May

PK 44.5 St Martin-des-Lais to Beaulon

1 Locks and 6.5km

Yesterday we were asked by the lock keeper at our last lock on Friday, what time did we want to go through the next lock on the Saturday morning, I said 10.30am.  As we had to travel about 50 minutes to get to the lock we set off at 9.15am to get there in good time.  No one was there when we arrived at 10am, as we were early we waited until 10.20 to phone the number left at the lock.  I wish my French was better, I felt confident the lock keeper knew we were at the lock but I didn’t completely understand his answer, so we waited patiently until 11am when finally he arrived in his van with two boats coming in the opposite direction.  We then shared the lock with another boat and we left the lock at 11.30am.  This was our only lock of the day (taken us 1.5 hours), but not a problem as we wanted to stop at Beaulon, only 2km further on.  There were two more boats waiting to come back through the lock, this was the busiest we’ve seen the canals so far this year.  And our slowest journey, 6.5km and 1 lock in just under 3 hours!

As it was 12 noon when we arrived in Beaulon, we quickly got our bikes off the boat and cycled the 1km into Beaulon before the shops shut.  It’s a very nice town, with a fabulous baker and confectioner, we bought some desserts as a belated birthday cake, and we then popped into the butchers, which was also fabulous and bought some more steak.  Last nights steak was so good we wanted to repeat the meal.

We bought a Boules set in Decize, a kind birthday present from my Mum.  There is a Boules court here at the Beaulon mooring, so we had an enjoyable first practice.

We are right next to the lock for tomorrow, which we have booked for 10am.  We will travel a little further tomorrow.

All our locks are going up again, but they are much smoother than the Nivernais,
four sluices carefully opened by the lock keepers.

We enjoyed our Boules practice