A Little Secret
Our boating saga continues.
Joan
5/10/20244 min read
If you have followed my blogs, you will remember that on arriving at our allotted mooring on the Canal Rhône Sète , after a lovely sea journey via the port of Sète, we found that there was an abandoned boat already there. When we had been along to inspect things some weeks earlier, the mooring had been vacant. But alas, now that we had arrived, what could we do? We decided to moor at the canal side port of Frontignan until we could sort this out. It was not too far away, and passing boats are welcome to stay there for up to 72 hours. Stay longer than that, as we have found in previous years, one is liable to be chased, and warning stickers will appear on your boat. All calls to the VNF , the canal authority who had allotted us that mooring, went unanswered . Then finally someone took responsibility and posted a warning on the offending boat. A further two weeks went by, but the offending boat was not moved. In desperation we complained again and a nearby mooring was offered for the interim.
Yesterday, we set off to retrieve our boat from Frontignan, anxiously hoping that it would not be plastered with warning notices. But first we stopped by to check the new temporary mooring. It was not ideal . Our officially allotted mooring is not great either, being in need of repair. But it is wide and spacious, and should be easy to use. The temporary spot proved to be very narrow, and mooring there would be tricky. B. checked the depth. It was just deep enough , and would do for the time being. But goodness knows when the other boat would be removed. " Why don't we just move it out of the way ourselves?" I suggested. But we both feared that we could be liable for any damage caused to other boats, if it came adrift.
Today we spent a pleasant morning on the étang, mooring off the pretty port of Bouzigues for breakfast. All was quiet, and for the moment the water was deserted. But soon cars would be arriving along the shore bringing lunch time diners to parade along the front, trying to choose the best restaurant for sampling the local oysters. Everyone would be out on that beautiful May bank holiday. But by the end of the day, we knew that Bouzigues would resort to being a peaceful haven once more, tucked away from the busy world beyond.
