La Grand Souterrain – Long Tunnel on St Quentin Canal – 5.5 hours to travel 5.5 km- I could have swam faster!

Posted on April 15, 2014 by agclontarf

This is a 5.6 km tunnel through the mountains on the St Quentin Canal. All the boats have to turn off their engines to be roped to the boat in front, and pulled through the tunnel by special chain driven electric tugs. The fully laden barges go first, then the empty ones ,then pleasure boats in order of their size…… with us last. Continue reading →

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Cambrai Town on the Saint Quentin Canal – a great stopping place

Posted on April 11, 2014 by agclontarf

We have stayed in Cambrai for the last two days. It has a picturesque little port which holds about 20 boats and is in the heart of the town. It was given a very good write up in the guide book, supposed to have diesel, water and electricity. We arrived late on Monday night. Continue reading →

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Remember the blog debate on Washing Machine or Microwave?

Posted on April 9, 2014 by agclontarf

Do you remember we had a debate and decision as to whether to fit a microwave or washing machine to the boat and the microwave won? Continue reading →

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Faire des liens…

Posted on April 8, 2014 by agclontarf

Ma fille Louise s’est mariée avec un Français qui s’appelle Jo Renard. Avant de commencer ce voyage, nous n’avions pas réalisé que ses grands parents vivent à Douai. Nous avons les rencontrés au mariage de Louise en France il ya cinq ans. Donc nous avons décidé que nous devrions les contacter car nous étions dans leur ville. En leur honneur, j’essaie  d’écrire ce blog en français et en anglais. Je m’excuse d’avance pour mon niveau de français et d’erreurs …..( j’imagine qu’il ya beaucoup!!)… Continue reading →

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Meeting our relatives in Douai

Posted on April 8, 2014 by agclontarf

My daughter Louise is married to a Frenchman called Jo Renard. We did not realise until shortly before we commenced this journey that his grandparents live in Douai. We had met them at Louise’s wedding in France five years ago so we decided we should contact them since we were in their town. In their honour I am putting this blog up in both English and French. Continue reading →

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The Dover Delivery Team goes home – Nuala Arrives

Posted on April 4, 2014 by agclontarf

Thursday was the change of crew date. The plan was that Nuala would arrive by air to Beauvais Airport, hire a car and drive to meet us in Douai. Then Bill and Michael would drive the car back to the same airport and fly home. Neil had to go home to England by train. We reached the centre of Douai at 10.30 am on the 3rd April.

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Calais to Bethune – The First Days on the Canals

Posted on April 4, 2014 by agclontarf

We have started the journey along the French Canal system. Over the last two days we have motored from Calais to Bethune, a distance of 144 kilometres. Sorry blogs have been late this week. I have had terrible trouble getting WIFI set up on the boat, and thus with no WIFI… no blogs! Hopefully sorted now. We got an easy start for the first two days, Saturday and Sunday (which we planned) as we did not meet any commercial traffic. Monday was a different story, on the run from Les Ardes to Arques we had constant river traffic. We are now mixing with the big boys, just look at the size of the barges in the photos!!

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In France- We have made it across the Channel

Posted on April 1, 2014 by agclontarf

Having left Dover at 12.00 noon on Friday 28th March. We arrived in Calais at 4.00 pm. The crossing was trouble free and the boat behaved perfectly, in good weather conditions. I was very anxious about the crossing, taking to the open sea and crossing the English Channel was the most dangerous part of the whole Gap Year.

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Today’s a Big Day- Crossing the Channel to France

Posted on March 28, 2014 by agclontarf

We have been in Dover now for two days waiting on the crew to assemble. Neil came on Wednesday by bus, wheeling the second Strida bike. Michael and Bill arrived on Thursday by plane and then three different trains. It’s now Friday and time to cross the channel. This is the most important and potentially dangerous part of the Gap Year.

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The Gap Year Journey has Started! Day 0

Posted on March 26, 2014 by agclontarf

After two years of planning,  the journey has finally started. Early this morning, Jonathan and Glen of Kennedy Haulage met me at the Texaco Station on the N4 at 5.30 am and we drove the truck to Albert Lock to load the boat. Needless to say, my son Marc very kindly got up at 4.30 to bring me to meet the truck in Lucan. Thanks Marc .

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