Tuesday, September 25th
After breakfast we investigated options for passing through the unusual round lock that includes a third exit - into the river and eventually the sea. While we were doing this a VERY large restaurant barge did a 180 degree turn outside the lock, backed in, did another 90 degree turn inside the lock, and disappeared down the canal towards the river and the town. Obviously off to get its passengers for the day.
We packed up and headed towards the lock. Although this is was effectively a down lock for us, we treated it like an up lock because the walls were higher inside and provided no option for the "crew" to get out of the boat once inside. While we organised this a small Le Boat launch came up the canal and went straight in ahead of us - English or Germans?! It turned out to be the former, a couple, and total novices. It was their first lock (ever) and they hadn't taken the time to consider the options.
To say they stuffed everything would be an understatement - they also made it more difficult for us by getting in the way, and borrowing our crew (ie. Prue) to help resolve their predicament - ie. nobody ashore, and (almost) a man overboard.
The lock was large enough to allow us to escape before they got in our way again, but they then proceeded to shadow us all the way to our overnight stop - I think it's because they thought we knew what we were doing (!)
No photos - the situation required total vigilance!
After one more lock, in which they joined us and almost lost the same man overboard (husband and wife - relationship challenging "holiday"), we completed the final few kilometres of the Canal du Midi which officially ends in the marsh lands that open into the vast Estaing de Thau.
The exit into the "estaing" (estuarine lake) was somewhat daunting, just as we anticipated. There was a lighthouse, lots coloured poles, buoys, oyster farms and sailing craft. We decided to head into the first port option - Marseillan, which was close enough for us to see without binoculars (why did we leave those behind?).
The port was "chockers' with boats coming and going, and the presence of our English shadows didn't help. Fortunately, a boat left as we came in and the Capitainerie signaled us in. Phew! The English parked behind us, but we will escape them tomorrow as we head in different directions (we hope).
The port fees are not cheap (30 euros per night), but there are facilities - showers, toilets, water, electricity and WiFi. However, it seems that 30 euros is too much for most of the boats that were here when we arrived this morning. Almost all of them have now departed (for who knows where) and we will have a quieter evening than might have been the case.
Hmmmm dinner options? There's a good selection of restaurants, and all have similar menus - "soup de poisson", "parallada de poisson", "moules", "huitres" (no translation for the French impaired). It seems we've definitely left the cassoulet behind and moved to seafood specialties.
The blog is now up to date, as of Tuesday, September 25th - Yay!
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