Back to Liberté One!

We’ve been back on the boat just over two weeks now and there are not many signs of spring!

The odd flower braving the conditions



It’s lovely to be back although going away again means leaving family and friends and in particular this little beauty who is now almost 8 months old.
Our granddaughter, Hattie


We came back intending to get sorted out and straight on with preparation for painting the boat but the weather is against us just yet. When we arrived the night temperatures were still below zero and the boat was covered with ice in the mornings and the pontoon slippery. Now, although the temperatures are climbing a little, we have a low which is bringing much rain so we have been working inside and trying to get “straight” for the season.

It was not much fun for the first few days while the boat was still winterised and we had no running water, working loo or heating and the oil filled radiators kept tripping the electrics. However, that’s all sorted now and we are warm and comfortable if a little fed up with the rain.

Liberté, still with her winter covers on.

There have been a few breaks in the weather so that Nigel has been able to indulge in his latest (revisited from his thirties), hobby of flying model aircraft………boys and their toys! Yesterday evening he went off to his “flying field” leaving me to cook the tea. He was longer than expected and when he eventually came back he said he needed me to go and help him………… it involved a very long boat hook plus the shorter boat hook to retrieve his precious plane from high up a large tree after a less than perfect landing!!! And no, the tea wasn’t spoiled. 

Belle and Dash love being back here but to be honest, they seem to be very  content wherever we are, they just happily adapt to their surroundings. Unfortunately, Belle is still very travel sick in the car, despite traveling for 14,000 kilometres in the motorhome with no ill effects. Different motion we suppose. Now we are back here they are on their original food and Belle has put some weight back on, the dried food we had to buy in Morocco really didn’t suit her. I’m sure they are looking forward (if dogs do!) to assuming their position on the sunny back deck!

It’s a dogs’ life!



Today we have been trying out the printer that Nigel dropped in the Gare D’eau last Autumn (see Morocco bound at last, November 18th 2012). Amazingly it has survived its dunking and we’ve been printing pictures of the family to put in frames around the boat. Great success!

So, no movement canal/river wise yet. We have three lots of visitors booked so far which we are very much looking forward to, (a new Ryanair service from Stansted to Dole which is less than 30mins away from the marina makes visiting from the UK much easier while we are at base).

We’re meeting up and socialising with many friends we have made in previous years and look forward to meeting new people again this season. I’ll update the blog whenever there is some more news but we are not moving off with the boat until early June. Meanwhile, lets hope we all get some better weather soon.


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0 Comments

  1. Jan Gale

    So hope you get some nice weather soon !! xx

  2. Glad too see that you are back this side of the water. We have just finished our Germany trip and awaiting the ferry. Its been cold but mostly dry and counting the days when we cross the water again. Take care and enjoy – spring is around the corner.
    Lv Chris and Mandy Lefevre

  3. Thanks, Mandy and Chris, don't forget if ever you are in the area, please let us know, we'd love to see you again x

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