Wednesday 8th September 2010 Cercy-la-Tour. Day off.

More rain and windy, sun out in the mid-afternoon. The Locaboat moored behind us went at nine, but several LeBoats were queuing for the lock when Mike went up to La Poste to deposit some cash in the CCP and pick up a loaf on the way back. After lunch we went out in the car. First to Roanne to see if they had any moorings. We went via Digoin and Igeurande. The basin was busy, lots of boats moored but there were quite a few gaps and loads of people walking or running around the basin. We parked by the moorings on the west bank first, but then decided to drive round to the far side to find the Capitanerie. We spotted Redquest on the moorings, but no one was aboard. The Capitanerie was closed, there was no one in, and so we waited around by the door then went and sat in the car. Eventually the Capitain arrived, he’d been out with the paddle-wheeled weed cutter. Surprisingly, he said straight away that they had no moorings vacant and he had a waiting list. He said people had been asking about moorings for this winter last January! However, he asked if we knew anyone who moored there, and we said yes, John and Lizanne  and also Redquest. He said we could ask them if we could moor alongside them and if they said yes then he would be agreeable too. OK, we said we would do that, we’d phone John and Lizanne and ask if they wanted an eye keeping on Goede throughout the winter. Took a price list and a leaflet and sat in the car. We’d heard via the Towpath Telegraph that Goede Verwachting was at Genelarde, so we went to see if they were still there. North to join the canal at Paray-le-Monial; there were only a few boats moored in the basin there. Carried on up the canal all the way to Genelarde and only saw one boat moving, a péniche called Raymondo, and two moored cruisers. Goede was moored below the lock at Genelarde with DB Déjà Vu moored behind it. I wondered if the people on Déjà vu would know if they were OK as they weren’t on board, so Mike went and asked. The American who spoke to him said they were back in the UK for a christening and would be back on the 13th. Back home via Perrecy-les-Forges, Toulon-sur-Arroux and Luzy; the southern end of the Morvan hills. A lovely little back road full of hills and twists and turns between fields of Charollais or sheep and forest. Back at 6.30 p.m. The boats on the pontoon hadn’t moved and more hireboats were arriving. One tied on the end of the pontoon bows first and connected up to the electricity. The rest must have carried on down the canal because they’d gone when Mike closed the canvases on the front deck.