Clear sky blue and sunny start, more and more clouds as the day progressed, still hot, rain in the evening. Two boats that had moored overnight further along the summit pound, a three-decker Belgian cruiser that had been on the silo quay and a yacht that had moored by the bridge, went down Rogny flight at nine. Mike connected the Markon drive and I started the washing machine; when it had finished heating and started washing we set off along the summit. It was 10.00 a.m. It was peaceful and cool travelling along the short summit pound and with trees either side we were in the shade most of the way. The water level had gone down by about 20 cms as the VNF had been running water down Rogny and there didn’t seem to be much coming in via the feed from the reservoirs by the silo. Lots of the concrete edging had fallen in in places and the bare bank was suffering from erosion in the gaps. A few rocks had been added in places and where there was piling it was showing signs of rusting. Trees were starting to grow along both bank edges, from the height and size of them I’d say they hadn’t been cut back in five years or more. Charley was moored on the non-towpath side (right) about 500m from Gazonne. Several cruisers, including Lara (French crew we'd met before), were moored on the towpath side down by the lock and more on the non-towpath side including a “dead” tjalk. We moored just after Charley. Nick was doing some painting and Diana was modifying their stern deck covers. Gave Mike a hand to get the bike off the roof and he went first to get some bread from Ouzouër-sur-Trèzée (the Trèzée being the name of the tributary of the Loire whose valley the canal now follows down to the Loire at Briare). Lunch, then Mike went to move the car from Dammarie to Ouzouër where there was a good car park by the moorings. When he went for bread there were several cruisers and two DBs moored there, when he dropped the car off there the cruisers had gone to be replaced by another DB called Corita. He had a few words with the crew. They said they were only on the boat for three months per year so they used wifi to access the Internet which they said they did every two or three days. (Don’t fancy doing more than emails on Wifi in a café, plus you are obliged to buy at least a coffee!) On his way back to the boat on the moped Mike booked the lock for nine the following morning with the lad who was on duty. Tried the Internet, nothing, not a peep, and the 'phone didn’t work either, no network and no alternatives. According to the French weather forecast, rain was due all day on Wednesday (so we’re definitely moving tomorrow)
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