On schedule we filled our tanks with water and left the dock at Manoel Island to start our voyage to Sicily on Thursday the 7th July 2022.

We are playing a bit of Blog catch up now, but soon the blogs will be sent out closer to the date.

Wind forecast was light headwinds so the iron topsail Perkins did most of the work.

Our voyage to Sicily coincided with Julia and Dave’s wedding where we planned to meet many of Emilie’s extended family. A beach day on Friday before the wedding was our inspiration to get off the dock on Thursday as planned.

Sailing out past the bastions of Grand Harbour Malta

Temperatures were scorching hot, forecasted for 38*C but if felt above 40. After three weeks working 12-14 hour days in the yard our energy levels were inversely per portions to the heat, and on a scale of 1-10, my energy was barely 1.

Once out of the Marina we had a bit more breeze blowing through the cabin. I also decided that now was the time to install our new hella fans above the beds and in the galley.

We spent much of the voyage cleaning and tidying up from the refit. I also re tuned the rig and put the sails back on.

The highlight of the first day was the kids seeing a full pod of dolphins for the first time since we left Tasmania.

We arrived at Marina Ragusa at 8pm and decided to anchor off for the night to avoid entering the Marina after dark, and to get a bit more breeze blowing through the cabin. To top off the evening, as soon as the anchor was set we all had a cooling swim!

The kids love swimming with the surfboards

The next morning we enjoyed a morning swim, then a slow morning of sorting the boat out and more cleaning before entering the Marina.

After arrival we had a quick bite to eat, then I gave Issy and Max their new climbing harness and I introduced them to the joys of mast climbing. Issy and Max managed to get to the first spreader and hooted so loudly that the entire Marina had their attention.

After the climb we downed tools and cleaning products, hung up the Dyson and headed to the beach for a relaxing afternoon of friends, family, and relaxing in the sun. We arrived back at the boat exhausted and after a few sundowners with neighboring boats collapsed for an early night.

The next morning we had planned to take the kids surfing, but the swell had dropped off. Instead we hiked to the shop to buy some water because our Britta filter had expired and the watermaker still not installed. On return from the shop all the kids wanted to do was climb the mast. This time Issy climbed to the second spreader!

Later in the afternoon we headed to Julia and Dave’s wedding. It was a beautiful wedding and great fun to catch up with so many family and friends.

Anchored of Passero island we took a walk to the castle ruins.

The next morning we were a bit slow getting started, but finally made our way to the Marina office to check out and grab a bite to eat. We then sailed 11nm down the coast to Caserma Finanza where we anchored for the evening.

We awoke at 2am the next morning when the wend dropped and Sunday island began facing the current laying her beam onto the swell. Knowing full well nobody would get a decent sleep I pulled up the anchor and motored 25nm to Passero island dropping anchor at 0530 in a beautiful bay surrounded by castle ruins and a beautiful little village. Waking up later in the morning the move during the night was definitely worth the effort.

We spent the rest of the day swimming off the boat and relaxing in the village and preparing for our passage to Greece.

Sunday Island arrived in Malta on 11th June 2022 and sails into Mellieha bay to anchor.

We enjoyed a few days in Malliieha swimming, scuffing, sailing, snorkeling and enjoying an anchorage. While at anchor I installed our new solar panels of 3 x 175w panels and Victron solar charge controller.

Installing new solar panels

Our starter motor did not work on arrival so I removed it from the engine and took it to an auto electrician for diagnostics and repair. After two unsuccessful attempts from the auto electrician the engine still would not start, so on 15th June we sailed south to Manoel Island in 5kts of wind to be hauled out for some works.

Sailing dinghy with kids

The primary reason for the haul out was to address some corrosion issues in the hull identified in the survey. We also had a number of other works including; Repair corrosion
Paint cabin and caprails
Re caulk parts of deck
Polish hull
Antifouling
Replace engine mounts
Engine service
Install watermaker
Install freezer

We arrived at Manoel Island and hauled out at 1430 then went to the office to complete paperwork and discuss works required.

On Thursday morning at 0730 works commenced with a pressure wash, then we began drilling into affected sections of the hull to assess the level of corrosion.

Areas where corrosion were less than 3mm on the 6mm plate could be filled with weld then ground flat, other areas would need to be cut out and the Aluminium plate replaced.

Inspecting plates

While this was happening I sanded the old antifouling from the hull to make it flush and to identify any other areas that required attention.

By Friday afternoon works were progressing slowly and I met with the yard managers to make a plan to get the job done more effectively. We had only been allocated one fabricator and one spare hand and I found that I was required to constantly supervise the workers and do much of the work myself.

Over the weekend the yard workers had time off and I commenced sanding the deck, cabin sides and caprails and removing caulking where required.

Re caulking decks

On Monday a new project manager from the yard attended and agreed the plate needed to be replaced in 3 frames below the waterline. We then measured and marked the frame positions and started cutting.

Sunday Island is not constructed as other sailing yachts as she has a lifting centerboard so ballast is in the bilges rather than the keel.

Once the plate was cut out we began to remove the ballast. The only way to get this done was with a good electric chain saw and a number of good quality sharp chains. By Wednesday evening 22 June we had the plate cut out and ballast removed.

Plate cut out exposing ballast

Now for the heavy part of removing ballast. After Sunday islands hull had been constructed molted lead ballast was poured in over sand, and additional lead ingots had been placed over the top and secured with epoxy, tar, and then lined with a type of epoxy barrier. The chainsaw cuts through the lead relatively easily, however the epoxy that secures the ballast and the sand and tar blunts a the chain.

Holes in the bottom of the boat

By Friday 27th June we had removed most of the ballast, I continued to tidy up the inside of the hull over the weekend and start fitting the freezer and also commenced painting and fairing the cabin sides. This time of year in Malta all painting or epoxy work needs to be complete before 10am, so I had many early hours starting at 0530 sunrise to get the job done. Most days I would get home to Emilie’s fathers flat at 6pm, and some days not until after 8pm!

Building the freezer. Emilie could not believe my slim profile could fit in such a small hole.

The next week we continued to tidy up ballast and cut the plate to tack weld into place. On Wednesday 29th July I had the yard employ Kamoy engineering, who are certified DNV welders to weld the 5083 6mm Aluminium plate.

Plate welding was complete the next day and was NDT tested by a third party to check for cracks or weld defirmaties. Once this was complete I could begin to paint the bilges with Jotun Mastic 80 epoxy based tank liner then line the bilges with rubber mat.

New plate welded in place

During this week the yard also serviced the engine and fit the new engine mounts. I also managed to get the starter motor working and engine started.

On Friday morning I was on the job early putting primer into the new Aluminium plate. The yard then assisted me to cut the ballast into manageable sections and loaded it onto a pallet then lifted it to deck level to be passed through the deck hatch and put in place. It was like a very heavy and large game of Tetris to make sure ballast was fitted as tightly as possible and secured well in place.

Sorting out the ballast inside

By Midday Friday the temperatures were nearing 40*C and the yard had knocked off for the day. I continued to fit the ballast, securing it in place with expanding foam. I then spent the afternoon fairing the hull before being picked up by Emilie and the kids to go to the beach for a well deserved swim.

Over the weekend it was early starts at Sunrise to paint the cabin sides, cockpit snd caprails before 10am, before moving on to fairing the hull. After this was all done I began to clear up the interior mess and reconstruct the interior that had been dismantled for hull works. Emilie came to the yard to help masking prior to the antifouling and also help to clean up the interior.

Fairing the hull

On Monday continued painting cabin sides and I began to paint on the antifouling. By Tuesday afternoon all the antifouling had been applied and we had a few final jobs remaining prior to launching the next day including securing ballast and re mounting the interior table. I also fitted the new B&G speed log and depth transducer and put in a new through hull fitting for the new Spectra watermaker.

Wednesday morning we were almost ready to launch. While the yard fitted the propellor back in, I met with the yard managers to discuss the job and negotiate the final invoice. On schedule SY 1030 on Wednesday the 6th July we re launched Sunday island.
Emilie and the kids joined as we motored around to a Marina berth to begin putting Sunday Islsnd back together and clean her enough to move back onboard.

Finished job ready for launch

Thursday morning we packed up our gear from Emilie’s fathers flat and moved back onboard. It was another sweltering day with temperature in the high 30’s or early 40’s. While Emilie did some shopping the kids helped me to launch and clean the tender dinghies, then re-Tune the rig. When Emilie returned we decided it was too hot to stay in the Marina so we set sail for our 8 hour passage to Sicily.

It had been an exhausting yard period for me working 14+ hour days, but we got the job done on time and in budget!

Sunday Island arrived in Palma Mallorca on Monday the 23rd May after cruising the French canals for since October. Apologies but this post is a month overdue. Read on to find out why!

Issy and Max enjoyed going back to their own school and being celebrities for the week. We enjoyed some nice anchorages around Palma before berthing at RCNP yacht club.

There was much work to get done on Sunday island, as usual my list was longer than your arm. The primary reason to stop in Palma was to open our storage container where everything from our house was stored and decide what we needed onboard Sunday Island and what should go into storage.

I took responsibility for all the boat stuff like anchors, lines, sails, and electronics while Emilie took care of all the homie stuff. We had some interesting discussions such as “why do we need three bread boards on the boat?” or “why do we need three anchors on the boat?”

The kids were very reasonable about not being allowed to bring all their toys and treasures onboard and asked if they could give their toys to kids without. A beautiful gesture to remind us what amazing little people they have become.

In amongst the chaos of “moving in”, I had do deliver SY Privenance to Sete in France and Emilie had a wedding to attend in Malta. While we were away Issy and Max stayed with Auntie Amanda, Uncle Beaver and Nanna Lyn.

I returned from France at 10pm in the evening exhausted from the delivery and brokerage viewings of Provenance. I took the liberty of the kids being away to install some more B&G instruments and the AIS. I also removed the deteriorating engine box lining and re lined the engine box with some special fire proof insulation.

After two weeks in Palma Emilie had fitted as much as possible onboard to make Sunday Island a home and a school, and I had squeezed as many sails, tools and electronics onboard as possible. We also loaded the deck with surfboards, Solar panels, the kids Optimist dinghy “Rainbow” and a collapsible bike.

Nana Lyn went off to the airport to return to Tasmania, and Emilie returned from Malta. The next day after securing everything onboard we weighed anchor from the Port of Palma opposite it’s stunning cathedral, and set sail for our 600nm passage to Malta.

We enjoyed light winds to settle into the voyage, and as we passed the Cape Salines light house we dropped the sails, stripped off and all went for a swim.

The wind started to pick up in the evening from the NE. We had a good forecast with a bit of light upwind at the start of the voyage and then down wind sailing all the way to Malta courtesy of the mistral.

Issy and Max were enjoying their first big passage. The barometer was dropping and we began to experience swell from the north indicating the forecasted winds approach. Issy seems to have overcome any indication of sea sickness. I made preparations for the wind ahead including running Jack lines (a safety line you can clip your harness to) on deck

The second evening the Mistral began to kick in and we dropped the missen and put two reefs in the mainsail. Just after sunset we lowered the poles out Genoa and settled in for a bumpy down wind ride with gusts up to 40kts.

When the kids woke up to their new environment they were excited. The wind was building to force 6, and the sea to sea state 6.

While cruising in our previous yacht in Tasmania the kids saw force 12 (70kts) twice, so this was not their first storm and they both seemed completely unfazed by the wind and waves, thinking it was a great way to improve their acrobatics in the cabin.

Sailing. Rainbow and bike on foredeck

When I circumnavigated the Mediterranean in preparation for my Mini Transat 10 years ago I experience numerous pods of dolphins, migrating whales, sunfish, sharks, turtles, tuna and a pleather of sea birds. I was looking forward to sharing this experience with the children. As I write this we are 30nm from Malta. After 5 days at sea and 600nm we have only seen 3 lone dolphins, one shear water bird and a Pigeon who landed on our deck. Finally Humans have managed to kill the Mediterranean! How sad that the children have not seen a dolphin since we left Tasmania two years ago!

The Mistral blew strong for three days with winds exceeding 40kts and a confused sea. Emilie and I worked great as a team keeping watches and entertaining the kids, as well as all the daily chores like cooking, cleaning and maintenance. We worked well sailing the boat, reefing and taking in sails and it is good to know I have such a wonderful woman and sailor by my side for the adventures ahead. Even if she does insist on keeping three breadboards and 20 cushions onboard.

Issy and max had their first pet onboard “Ninni” the caterpillar.

With full sail up, taking advantage of the last light winds from the Mistral, Sunday Island sailed in between the islands of Malta and Gozo.

Gozo channel

Some stats from this voyage:
Rhumline Length 600nm (about the same as sailing from Sydney to Hobart) Max speed 14.2kts
Max recorded wind 45kts
Number of droplets of water in the bilge 0
Dolphins 3
Birds 2
Best daily run 176nm (in 24 hrs)
Number of breadboards remaining 3

On our approach to the anchorage I went to crank our Perkins 4236 and nothing happened. Leaving Emilie and the kids on deck I went below to have a look and made the conclusion the starter motor was not functioning. There was not much to be done but sail into an anchorage and find an auto electrician.

Sailing between Gozo and Malta

We sailed into Melliha bay, dropped anchor and went for a well earned swim. I then turned my attention to removing the starter motor, and hand turning the engine to ensure there was no water ingress from the stormy seas of the previous days into the exhaust.

Installing the new 3x 175W solar

We spent the next four days anchored in Melliha trying to have the starter repaired. We enjoyed some great swimming, Issy learnt to stand up scurf behind our 2.5hp engine, and we explored some beaches. It was good to relax for a few days at anchor before the next big event.

Sailing Rainbow the oppi with kids

The Hewson family aboard Sunday Island arrived in Marseille on the 19th May 2022 with a full crew including Rich, Emilie, Issy, Max, Rich’s Mum Lyn and auntie Amanda.

Amanda departed on arrival in her black limo and the rest of the crew set to work cleaning the boat, doing laundry in the Marina facilities, entertaining the kids, and preparing the masts to be re stepped.

One of the jobs prior to re stepping the rig (mast) was to run a new cable down inside the mast for the new B&G wind instruments. This is easier said than done as the cable conduit inside the mast struggled to fit another cable. Rich had been trying to get the cable through since Lyon, but finally we found success.

Mast spreaders, radar transmitter, aerials, wind vane(s) and halyards were re fitted, and Mum helped put the turn buckles in place ready for their respective stays.

We were booked to step the mast at 11:30am on Friday 20th May and arrived at the Naval Services rigging dock at 10.45am. Bookings must be made 4 days in advance due to the number of yachts stepping masts up or taking down their masts for the canals. Costs are €150 for the first half hour and €50 for every 15 minutes thereafter. The service do s not include a professional yacht rigger so any yachties need to know their stuff or pay the big bucks! If I were to step a mast in Australia we would plan for a crane for half a day so I was expecting a hefty bill to step two masts in the south of France.

We briefed the Issy and Max about the dangers of rigging the masts and instructed them to either stay below or stand well clear.

No sooner had we tied ourselves securely to the dock but the crane driver was in the crane and had started the engine. We scrambled to get Issy, Max and Mum off the boat and the rigger asked if we were ready. I gave a nervous, “wee” and nodes my head and up went the main mast.

Thanks to our studious preparation the first mast was up by 11:00. I was just getting the final turn buckle loosely fitted and the missen mast (aft mast as Sunday island is a ketch) went up and was loosely secure by 11:30 and the crane drivers walked away. I was astounded we managed to step both masts in 45 minutes, and I think the riggers were also impressed as we were only charged the minimal fee of €150.

We were allowed to stay at the rigging dock for the next two hours so Emilie and I set to work tightening turn buckles and getting the masts straight with correct tension. At 1300 we moved to another berth for lunch and spent the rest of the day rigging booms, sails and awnings. By the evening Sunday island was transferred from river barge to a beautiful ketch and ready to sail! It as time for a well earned beer!

Everybody was excited on Saturday morning 21 May. Max was especially excited pulling ropes here and there even before we left the dock. At 8am Issy started the engine and we let go lines for our 300nm sail to Palma Mallorca Spain. This would be Emilie’s first sail on Sunday Island and my first sail in the sea. Forecasted conditions were light headwinds to 10 kts which was perfect for our final rig tuning.

We motored out of the port, re checked the rig, and briefed the crew (Issy and Max) about the sailing and to not pull ropes or touch winches if they did not know what they were for and the importance of wearing life jackets. Then we hoisted the sails and re checked the rig. On the way out of the Harbour there was a sunken ketch buried deep in the sand spit, serving as a good reminder about what could possibly go wrong.

As the wind picked up, to justify our brief about life jackets I threw the Dan buoy in the water and we practiced man overboard drills with both Rich and Emilie having command. Issy and Max got involved and thought it was a great game.

50nm out of Marseille Em went below to cook dinner and a few minutes in to cooking came out and said “We have run out of gas!”

With all our focus on rigging the boat we had forgotten one on the basic rules before a voyage to check the gas! We have four (two Dutch and two French) bottles onboard, and we now remember only filling up one Dutch bottle in Lalystad before we left 6 months prior.

Considering the amount of coffee , tea and meals prepaired that one bottle had lasted well, but that didn’t help us cooking the pasta for dinner! The remainder of our trip was cold wraps, salad (Emilie’s favorite food) with coffee and tea made out of hot water from tap (heated by the engine).

The sail to Palma was beautiful, it was nice to be back at sea! The children enjoy d sailing however Issy sucommed to the dreaded sea sickness.

The Kids love putting on life jackets and going up to the bow, watching the waves to look for jelly fish, dolphins and watermoon unicorns. During the day we only spotted jelly fish, but Mum and I were lucky enough to spot a Finn whale later in the evening. Sadly we only saw one lone dolphin the entire voyage.

Monday 23rd May and after a bumpy rounding of Cape Gros, and Cape Llebeig, dodging ferries and fishermen and being spied on by a surveillance drone we had Mallorca well within our sites.

At 3pm we were safely anchored in the SW corner of Palma Nova and enjoyed a good swim. Max was keen to enjoy the dinghy so we pumped up the inflatable and had some fun rowing around the bay.

In the evening, having no fuel for the outboard motor, we rowed ashore in the inflatable dinghy for dinner to celebrate a successful voyage and Mums last night onboard. It was like “Who Sunk the Boat” – Five of us with bags and things in a leaking dingy!

The next morning was business as usual with everybody up early. Rich was off to SY Provenance in Palma and Em and the kids had to pick up the car before dropping Mum at Amanda’s house and taking the kids to school.

For the next few days we enjoyed being the life of a corporate live aboard – boaties at night while working / school by day. We enjoyed some nice anchorages around Palma before pulling into The Royal Club Nautico yacht club Palma (RCNP) while Rich did some work on the boat, Emilie began runs between our storage container and the boat, and the kids went to school.

Sunday Island has been cruising down the French Canals for the past Month with the Hewson family onboard. As we pass through the vineyards, old towns, and locks our little ships compliment continues to grow. We are canaling in company with Emilie’s father and a friend on their boat Harfie.

Crossing over a water bridge

Since we departed Maron we have passed through one hundred locks and have found the Lock keepers house beside each lock either un occupied or have new custodians as presumably lock keepers live else where with locks now becoming all automated. The automated lock system probably makes financial sense to the bean keepers however it presents new problems. A couple Emilie spoke to told us they were stuck in a lock going up and down all day because a stick got caught in the lock doors and there was nobody there to fix it!

The view we mostly had was tree lines canals, fields in the distance, the occasional village, vineyards, and a Chateau’s. Unlike the canals and n Holland and central France, Not many villages are on the Canals but they are in walking distance. If we had time to spare we could tie up on a bank, get out the bikes and cycle to a village. Bikes and walking paths mostly follow the canal path.

The canals are narrow in some areas and if on the helm concentration is required for getting around bends, passing other traffic, stopping to wait for a lock

Some cottages are in disrepair but others are well kept. Lock keepers are now often in charge of a few locks and on a few occasions we would see the lock keeper leave in his vehicle and meet us at the next lock .

Issy and Phillippe “Pegging in” to hold us to the bank.

On the 14th May after 6 months since departing Hinderlopen and over two months of passaging through canals we dropped over 300m in a series of large locks and exited the canal system onto the Saone river.

We arrived in Chalon France on the14th May and stopped in a nice marina on an island. Our berth was under a walking bridge that connects the island to the mainland. Shortly after docking we heard a You-Hooo from above, looked up and saw my cousin Eddie Hollender waving from above. Edwina is living in Paris and had caught the train down to Chalon for a few days on the boat.

View of Sunday Island from bridge in Chalon

In Chalon we refueled. With the price of fuel at the moment I was sweating the cost of refueling 500L however had a nice surprise when I went to pay and was only charged €1.70 per L. And only required 300L. The station attendant told me they purchased the fuel last November so charged 2021 rates. I think it will be the last time I buy fuel under €2L!

We continued down the Saone River. We had a full ship with not only our family of four, but Mum, Sister Amanda and Cousin Edwina from Paris. Ed is the an instant hit with the kids playing games and singing songs. We now have three live aboard Nannies – the life of the rich and famous!

On 16th May we arrived in the vibrant city of Lyon. We tied up to a Marina and for the first time in months had a chat to some other Yachties heading south for the summer. It was nice to be around other yachts with rigs on deck and talk about the highs and lows of traveling through the canals by boat. I was glad we had a lifting keel as one yacht with a draft of 1.7m told us they would need to haul out in Marseille to repair damage to their keel.

Mum on the helm with a castle in the background

In Lyon we went ashore to eat pizza and enjoy Eddie’s last night with us. In the morning Eddie departed back to Paris and Amanda also got off to spent a night ashore as she had an important business call the next day and was on call for her work as a yacht medic with MOS.

The next day was Amanda’s birthday and she joined us 40km down stream in St Vallier. We were all slightly jealous of Amanda’s stories about large hotel baths! Issy made Amanda a lovely pavlova raspberry cake.

There is a beautiful village where n the hill of St Vallier but children were a bit tired to travel up the steep hill to the beautiful village so we celebrated Amanda’s birthday at the local Caribbean style bar. Celebrations went long into the morning and I think I remember seeing glimpses of the sun as we went to bed!

Some of the big locks dropped us 40m to the sea.

We were out of narrow Canals and in to a wider Rhone with larger barges and cruise boats
We got to Le Port La Guinguette near town of St Michael. A beautiful old city built on a hill above the port.

The next day we had the Med Sea in sight !! 3 locks 95.4 km and 300m to drop to sea level. We continued down stream to Vallabregues then left at 6am the next morning as Amanda needed to leave from Marseilles in afternoon.

It was a misty morning, with lovely reflections. Mum was on helm most of way. We passed a number of old castles and fourts and a smelly factory, both old and new reminders that we were approaching the sea. The old fourts were probably built in the days of the Vikings to stop them rowing up stream to Paris!

Boat kids life on the riverbank. Max found a fishing pole and we spent the morning “fishing” and skimming rocks

With the sea in view we had one large lock then last lock in to Port Marseille. The last one opening in to the Mediterranean and the city of Marseille!

The Marina in Marseille was a tight fit and for the first time since Lalystad I had wind, tide and current to contend with. As the keel had been up for the past 6 months I forgot how responsive Sunday Island is in “Sea mode” and the keel down. She now turned on a dime, and I could steer her while going astern. We got in to the marina stern to With our mast over handing astern 10ft much to the displeasure of other Marina patrons.

Amanda had a taxi booked to the so was straight off To the airport in to a cheuffeur driven black limo !!!!

The canals have been an unforgettable experience. We have passed through hundreds of locks, over mountains, through tunnels, over water bridges, three countries and now Sunday Island and the Hewson’s have returned to the Mediterranean.

We departed Paray-Le Mondial 9am. We are still climbing up through the locks and today did from lock 23 to 10 finishing at Chavannes . We passed through three lifting bridges into Montceau les Mines where we arrived at 1600.

A beautiful example of a canal boat in Paray

We tidied up the boat, booked in to Marina office then Rich went to find an animal park. Em & Lyn did some shopping in centre of town. Em & Lyn then went and met up with the others. It was a warm afternoon so we quickly found tables in the shade and a beer and wine and the kids had ice cream. Back to Sunday Island for dinner.

Montceau les Mines is a a lovely town, originally a mining town in 19th century . The town is now clean with modern shops, malls etc. The marina was modern and this morning we all showered and filled the boat with water.

Issy helping to steer

Thursday 12 May we departed at 9am – what a day! We went through four locks and at fifth lock met up with Emilies Dad and friend in Em’s fathers Canal boat “Harfie”.

Harfie returns

We continued together in the locks, full capacity with the two of us. We did another four locks – last lock No 1 “Ocean” – Altitude 303m.

We were told not to leave our lunch park just after “Ocean” because a yacht was stuck aground. The yacht drew 1.7m, we draw 1.4 with the keel up. We waited 30 minutes then decided to investigate rather than risking delays. Harfie went first around the stricken yacht and as we went past we offered them a line and towed them bumping along the canal floor until they were in deep water. Our Perkins 4.236 had no problems with the extra weight.

The small boat we pulled off draft 1.7m

From Lock 1 we started our descent . Descending is more manageable going though the locks.

In three hours we descended 16 locks. In total the lock count for the day was a record of 24 locks!

Amanda kept Issy & Max amused. A good skipper is required going through the locks with inches to spare (Lyn’s comment). Em is a wizard on fore deck.

These latter locks were all automatic. A couple of times we needed to call the lock keepers to free the gates.

Luckily for us there is not a lot of river traffic at the moment so we are free to maneuver. This evening we “pegged” into the bank and rafted up against Harfie for a BBQ. We put some extra lines ashore just in case

Setting lines ashore.

The last two days we have been busy experiencing the canals and towns between Clos Du May and Montceau Les Mines.

Yesterday we entered the canal du Centre for our last remaining up hill locks before making our final decent.

These have been long days with many locks. The locks in canal du Centre are completely full with only 10cm of lock wall remaining after it is completely full, making for a very cautious exit out of the lock.

Today we covered over 14 locks rising about 80m in altitude.

This evening we berthed in an old mining town called Montceau Les Mines. Amanda and I took the kids for an explore around a large park complete with peacocks, goats and a large pig.

We arrived in Nevers with Harfie in the evening of 6th May. The next day was spent doing maintenance while we waited for my Mum (Nana Lyn) to arrive. I spent the day wiring the B&G cabling for the new Nav system while Emilie did some shopping.

Nana Lyn arrived in the evening if the 8th May for Mother’s Day (in Australia) and I met her at the train station. The children were very excited to see their nana who they haven’t seen for two years.

The next day we departed Nevers for Decize where we enjoyed walking around the old fortified city. We enjoyed an excellent meal at the Decize Marina restaurant.

Approaching Decize the Perkins engine temperature was nearing 90*C which is a bit too hot for my liking. In the evening after putting the kids to bed I took apart the sea water system of the Perkins engine. The Perkins 4236 is an excellent engine however the impeller which pumps sea water to cook the engine is impossible to service! After many quiet words to myself I managed to change the impeller and decided to leave the rest until morning.

The next morning I removed the pipe supplying sea water to the heat exchanger, blew the water through and then poured vinegar into the heat exchanger to de-calsify and remove any organic material. I left the vinigar for text hours to do it’s job while I rode my bike to the train station to meet my sister.
I met Amanda walking down the road, put her bag on my bike and we walked back to Sunday Islsnd. When we returned we started the engine and I was glad to see a full flow of cooking water.
The kids were very happy to have Amanda and nana Lyn onboard! Like all their christmases have come at once!

Today we cruised the canals from Decize to just short of Beaulon and this evening we tied up to the bank just south of Clos Du May for an evening of serenity away from towns.

Today we cruised into the famous Sancerre wine district known for some of the finest wines in the world.

A quaint little town that no less than 15 years ago was struggling to sell wine for more than €6 a bottle, but now with the help of the people internet and booming global trade sells bottles over €60.

We enjoyed a pleasant walk up the hill from the canal to the village of Sancerre. The children taking turns to ride on their Nanu’s scooter.

I was expecting to drink premium wine on a sunny afternoon listening to a classical string quartet. Instead we were treated to a more original view of this premium wine region. The local people were similar to local people of rural towns around the world and were very friendly however put Tasmanian bogans to shame withe their bespoke Sancerre high street burnouts and motorbike “blockies”.

A very unique and unexpected experience in the worlds second best wine region #Richmond_Tasmania_1st! Now back to Sunday island for some real Sancerre Red!

Over the past few days we have been cruising the French Canals in company with Emilie’s father onboard Harfie.

The seven canals

Yesterday we cruised from Sup Sur Loing near Emilie’s grandmothers house in Chavanne along Canal de Briare passing 8 locks going up between 2-5m per lock and stoping at Montorgis for lunch.
After lunch we had four 4-5m locks in quick succession so Emilie and Issy ran along the canal bank while Max and I drove Sunday island into the locks. Emilie would then pass down the lines to us making the process much easier.

In the evening we stopped at a quaint town called Montbouy. The town has a large church built in the 11th century that rings it’s bells every half an hour! At 7am and 7pm the church rang it’s bells for 15minutes. This was a joy to wake up to the next morning!

Emile took this amazing photo of Montbuoy

Today we cruised the canal de Briare passing through a huge 22 locks including passing the historic 7 ecluses de Rogny https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rogny-les-Sept-Écluses

After Roget we began our decent, with our grand fanalie passing over the famous Pont Canal in Briare.

Returning from the bakery

The Pont canal is a bridge (aqueduct) for boats built in the 19th century and supervised by Gustave Eiffel (builder of the Eiffel Tower). The bridge is 662m long, 6m wide with a depth of 2m
https://www.loirevalley-france.co.uk/outings/city-visits/pearls-loire-valley/briare-canal-aqueduct-enamels

Pont canal

This evening we parked south of Briare along side the river bank. To the children’s delight we are right next to an amazing playground complete with roundabout, huge slide and swings!