Tuesday 20th July 2010 Château-Landon to Dordives. 4.1 kms no locks.

Still cool overnight. Very hot and sunny again. Put reflectors in the starboard side windows to try and keep the cabin temperature down a bit. Got on with the chores while it was still relatively cool. Lunch. After lunch Nick said they wanted to move on up to Cepoy as there was no TV where we were (they couldn’t get satellite at all or French TV and we’d had to resort to putting the dish on the engine room slide so we could watch Corrie). Set off at 1.45 p.m. after I’d walked down to Néronville lock to check the car was OK parked by the bins (it was, and in the shade too) but there was no sign of a lock keeper. The cabin was open and the lock house doors, but I couldn’t make anyone hear me – he was probably down at Egreville as he had the two locks to work. I walked back to the boat as Mike was untying. We followed Charley up the rest of the long pound (4.7 kms) to lock 6, Brisebarre. It was excessively hot. We passed a British yacht coming down the pound who had an unusual ensign on the transom, not the usual red, white or blue, this one was black with a white cross. Maybe Fowey Yacht Club is an ancient one and has a special ensign. (It didn't, it was a "Cornish" ensign - an unofficial one!) The lock was full with the top end gates open. We waited under the trees. A large cruiser came down. It was very much cooler under the plane trees so we decided to stop. Nick said he thought we’d get satellite so he could watch the Tour de France. Diana took a walk up to the lock to tell the keeper we were staying until the morning. We had to move in front of Charley as we couldn’t get the satellite. Still really hot in the cabin. Max 31.8°C inside – outside 39.9°C. We were moored next to a little back road but it was worth the occasional noise of passing cars to have the boat out of the sun. Boat batteries were pretty well fully charged. Had a quick look at the Tour, they were in the Pyrénées crossing the col d’Aubisque – been there in the car, nice road. There were campervans everywhere. Mike made a new float for the Honda gennie’s carburettor from a slice of synthetic cork Nick gave him. I checked to see if we had the Internet. We did, 3G!