As our incessant itchy feet require us to keep moving, again farewells are thick and fast, tears and hugs are all too regular in our nomadic lives. Still the next adventure urges us on.

Noel sums up his thoughts  on canals, sailing, speaking French and life! – and he reveals a bit more about our ‘prospective’ new boat:

This Friday we return to the lovely France. We are meeting our good friends Andrea and Clive, on whose farm we lived and trained our horses, spending the night together at the Pub. Next morning they are taking us down to our prospective new boat.

Then we take off, with the owners on a 280 k test run! Complete with 87 locks for heavens sakes. This is to deliver the boat to St Jean de Losne Marina and haul-out facility. The owners reckon it will take about 8 days. They do not speak English (being Australian, neither do I really, but I muddle on) we of course have a bare smattering of French (Jackie is miles in front of me with all things Franco-phile). So that should be interesting. Viva le accorde!! Well hopefully.

The barge (dutch Luxemotor) is 18.5m long, so somewhat shorter than the other beast, and has NO concrete in the bowels.

I do admit that the ocean has an allure, with regards, a sense of freedom and endless possibilities. These thoughts being well tempered by memories of exposed anchorages and lee shores. We shall see.

I’m primarily abso-bloody-lutely delighted with the fact that we have a choice to do these things and still have the health to enact these desires.