and Lena sat in the pulpit dangling her feet in the bow wave.
For the fi rst time, we both thought that maybe we could do this.
Slowly we got our new fl oating home in order. The boat still
looked like a fl oating jumble sale but everything was now in place
and we decided to embrace the ‘look’ and get on with life. The
cabin roof was covered in gear, the bimini doubled as a washing
line, Bonnie’s bath was on the foredeck and our bikes hung
off the stern. I think we were the most waved-at vessel on the
river! A typical day would start with me taking Bonnie to
the boulangerie for fresh baked bread while Lena sorted out
Betsy and tidied up the boat. We’d then fi ll up with water, wash
the decks if needed and get underway. Lena would often run
alongside for the fi rst hour or so to get some exercise and escape
the confi nes of the boat. We tried to cover between 30-50km a
day so some time off the boat proved to be incredibly nourishing
for both of us.
SUMMER IN THE CITY
Three days into the trip we encountered our fi rst
big problem. The original Electrolux fridge quite
literally could not stand the heat and gave up the
unequal struggle. I tried to fi x it but to no avail.
We bit the bullet and ordered a new Dometic 12V
fridge for £600, arranging for it to be delivered to
the marina in Paris.
Arriving in Paris was incredible. Passing the
Eiffel Tower was a real moment for us. I don’t
think any of our friends or relatives thought we’d
get this far. Before we left, they’d all joked about
which would come fi rst, Paris or divorce, so we
both felt a real sense of achievement that we’d
made it this far and were now fi lled with a fresh
sense of adventure for what lay ahead.
We stayed in the Port d’Arsenal Marina for three days, but it was
simply too hot to make the most of the city with small children
and at €50 a night, we couldn’t afford to stay any longer. We
made the most of the washing machines, wired in the shiny new
beer-cooling device and left. Two days later, we left the Seine and
joined the Haute Seine, a much quieter river where, for the fi rst
time, we were able to cool down by swimming off the back of
the boat. Lena’s sister Esther fl ew out for a week as we continued
south towards Saint Mammes. It was here that we left the river
and joined the canal network. Having Esther on board was a real
godsend – it gave Lena someone else to chat to and some much
needed help with the girls.
The canals seemed tiny compared to the river and I hurriedly
rigged up a pulley system that enabled me to collapse the bimini
from the helm as we approached the low bridges – it was far too
hot to leave the bimini down all day.
Central France drifted by at a gentle jog,
and we soon settled into an easy 20-30km a
day, becoming experts at researching the best
places to pull over for baguettes, play parks
and swimming pools. Having a toddler on
board was a big challenge as there was limited
space for her to play and she quickly became
bored in her seat. To keep Bonnie amused, I
built her a play park on deck, complete with aTIPS
Bikes We cycled miles to the shops
and swimming pools. We also took
a bike trailer, which proved invaluable.
Marinas Average cost was €12
a night including water and electric.
Fendering Buy loads and hang
them everywhere. You will not
be the worst driver on the canal!
Draught We drew 1m with exposed
props and never once hit the ground.
Other boats drew 1.8m and made it
despite the odd scrape.
Air con A lifesaver and worth the
investment.
Mosquitoes Not too bad but it only
takes one in your cabin to spoil your
night. Take nets and get them up
well before dark.
Washing machine We should have
taken one, it would have saved
countless trips to the launderette.Central France drifted by at a gentle jog,
and we soon settled into an easy 20-30km a day68TRAVELTaking in the delights
of rural France one
waterway at a timeRhône with a
view – looking
down on AvignonSleep washes
over drowsy
water babes