Retired 18 years ago today. Sunny spells, grey clouds. Nick said there had been people talking loudly right by the boat at 1.00 a.m. and 3.00 a.m. We heard nothing! Up early to get the shopping done. Put the Internet on to find the nearest Carrefour Market. Surprised that the Internet said there was one in Chalette. But we couldn’t find it. Found signs but they were on the opposite bank of the river in Montargis. Gave up and shopped (to our cost, much more expensive than C4) in a Hyper Casino. Must find that C4 Market! Back well before lunch. Packed the stuff away and made lunch. Mike watched F1 qualis from Hockenheim. A group of six noisy youths went past as Mike went out to turn the gennie off at midnight, but they were no trouble, just loud.
Sunday, 25 July 2010
Friday 23rd July 2010 Cepoy to Port de La Chalette. 5.66kms 3 locks
Hot and sunny, but with a nice cool breeze. Thunderstorms and heavy showers later in the afternoon. Up bright and early as we had all the poles and ropes to get back on board before we could set off. The Belgian hotel boat, Agnes, left just before nine heading uphill, attempting to get to take off speed before it had cleared our two moored boats. Lots of back packers were leaving the hostel as we got ready to move. Followed Charley up to the lock, N°1 Cepoy (1.80m), at 9.50 a.m. Diana jumped ship under the town bridge to give the middle aged keeper a hand with the gates. Last of the canal du Loing locks. 2.2 kms to the next lock on a section of canal that used to connect the end of the canal d’Orleans to the river Loing before the canal du Loing was built. The next lock was on the canal de Briare, 36 Buges (1.10m) and it was automatic.
Nick lifted the rod and the lock filled slowly. Above the lock the canal d’Orleans went off to the right and some workmen were drilling under the canal to continue a pipeline which had recently been laid under the towpath. Just uphill of the junction there was a recently added pontoon with a couple of short fingers for cruisers and a long mooring reserved for a trip boat (which was moored in a side arm further up the canal). Around the previous lock there had been derelict factory buildings dating back centuries but leading up to the next lock there were new factories as we approached La Chalette-sur-Loing, now a suburb of Montargis. It was only 800m to lock 35 Langlée (2.60m), where a lady keeper worked the lock for us. There was a stepping off place below the lock so I got off with a rope to drop down to Mike. 
He put a stern rope up too to stop the boat running forward as we were so close to Charley’s stern. The keeper had a control box (yellow plastic crane-operating-type) which opened and closed the hefty looking new paddles, but the gates were still manually worked by winding a capstan. When the lock was full I helped wind a gate open. We were undecided whether to go up the next two locks into the town but the old commercial port seemed to have been taken over by houseboats and, closer to the road bridge, by new moorings for passing pleasure boats. I took a walk up towards the bridge to look at the boats moored there and found a notice board with the prices – for our length of boat 15€ per night (inc water & electric) ouch!
We stayed in the old commercial port with no facilities but free mooring. Hotel boat Agnes had moored on the quay but said they were setting off (crew had just returned with shopping) so we moored in front of them and Nick came in front of us with a permanently moored cruiser in front of him. It was 11.40 a.m. Agnes left about ten minutes later – at full throttle and attempting to get to take off speed again - until Mike shouted at them to slow down through moorings. Lunch. Mike had a wander round Bricorama (opposite the boats) for a new tap for the diesel pipe in the engine room. He needed 1/4”, the smallest they had was 3/8”. Several Danish yachts went uphill and another hotel boat came down and moored well beyond us further down the canal on the silo quay for a short while before moving on. Mike decided to dodge the showers and walked the 6 kms back to collect the car. At midnight Mike turned the inverter off in the engine room. The car park opposite the boat was busy as there was a fair down by the road bridge and a cinema.
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