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. Lunch stop in the town of Saint-Porquier - headed west on the Canal de Garonne. Fall foliage beginning to appear.
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À BORD d'ACCORD
La Deuxième Partie
Octobre 2011
Page 5
Saturday October 7 - Fair 70º
After checking out Montauban, we
headed back up the Canal de Montech.
11:45 AM - Dep Montauban
1:30 PM - Lunch stop at Ecl #4
3:00 PM - Arr: Lacourt-St-Pierre
Pleasant free tie-up with 2 other barges.
Sunday
October 8 - 11:00 AM - Dep Lacourt-St-Pierre
11:30 AM - Jct w Canal de Garonne
12 noon - thru 5 locks in 30 min!
Cute little church in Lacourt-Saint-Pierre
In Lacourt-St-Pierre with two other barges. Notice our yellow wheelhouse cover and new partnership flag.
(These have been photoshopped in so that the other partners can decide if we really want make these additions.)
Back at the junction of the Canal de Montech with the Canal de Garonne.
Ragoût de lapin (rabbit stew) by cuisinière Nancy.
October 8 - Continued...
1:30 PM Lunch stop in St-Porquier
(see photo at top of page)
3:15 PM - Arr: Castelsarrasin
took last slip at Pt de Plaisance
Monday
October 9 - 11:00 AM - Dep Castelsarrasin
12:30 - cross Pont-Canal over Tarn
1:00 PM - Arr: Moissac
back to our "home port" -
which will also be our winter port
.
During our second month (La Deuxième Partie), we spent
16 days traveling. We covered a total of 162 miles (statute)
with a total engine time of 52 hours. Our daily average run
was 3.25 hours and about 10 miles per day. Our longest
run was 17.5 miles, our shortest 2.6 mi. We passed through
a total of 89 locks! That sounds like a lot, but for the most
part, these are very easy locks - particularly in this heavy
boat. We never used more than one line, and hardly ever
even needed to tend it - going up or down!
A remarkably horny goat along the canal in St-Porquier.
Crossing the Pont-Canal du Cacor over the R. Tarn near Moissac.
Built in 1867, this structure survived the 1930 flood which wiped out
the newer steel railway bridge. (Mouse-over for another image.)
Ferocious guard dog aboard boat in Castelsarrasin.
Nancy doing her best to add some fall color in Moissac.
Full moon over Moissac. This is another look at that yellow
wheel-house cover. It looks pretty good in the moonlight,
but I think we've decided to go with a plain-vanilla top.
We've spent the last few days in Moissac working on
refinishing the wooden wheelhouse panels.
As you can see, I'm using an electric sander. About
12:30 one afternoon, I was asked politely to please
turn it off during lunch hour. Apparently, 12 to 2 PM
is quiet time in Moissac. So I was forced to take a
proper French lunch break!
Here's the result of a lot of sanding and three coats of
Sikkens Cetol finish. Nancy's visible at computer inside.
On the day of our departure... The Amarok is all buttoned up for her long winter's nap in Moissac. She
looks a bit naked with everything stowed inside, and a bit high at the bow with an empty water tank.
October 10 through 17 - We stayed in Moissac and
worked on the boat and readied her for winter.
Moissac is a lovely place to hang out, and a popular
winter spot. There will actually be a total of five Piper
55-ft Dutch Replica barges like ours here this winter.
So ends another great month aboard the Amarok/Accord.
(I guess our partnership has decided NOT to change the
name, so she will continue to be the AMAROK. Guess I'll
have to think of a new name for the blog next year!)
Sign on the Capitainerie in Moissac. (See photo above.)
(Click on photo to read the fine print.)
The weather was fantastic! Only one day of rain in 30
days, and daytime temps consistantly in the 80's.. We
turned on the heat in the morning a couple of days when
the overnight temp dropped into the 50's, but that was it.
This turned out to be a perfect time to cruise this part of
France, gorgeous weather and no crowds!
We look forward to returning next year. We plan to
head East along the Canal du Midi. Then, in the fall,
possibly up the Rhône and Saône into central France.
Now that we've decided
to keep the AMAROK
name, I'll have to
come up a new name
for the blog - and
perhaps a new logo?
In Inuit mythology, an
Amarok is a wolf-like
creature who preys on
those who misbehave -
particularly at night!
Automne sur le Canal de Garonne
mouse-over...
mouse-over...
Our new Bow Pennant...
Perhaps?
12/28/11 - Click Here to see
our our new flag "installed'.
Mouse-
over photo
to left to
see
Amarok in
the
Snow - and
the Canal
frozen over!
Flash!
Mouse-over...