Oui Captain: The Canal du Midi

Paul and Wendy meet us at our apartment just before 11am for a punctual 11 pick-up from Rachael, our taxi driver. It's a bleak, overcast morning, and it has been drizzling all day. It's not the auspicious start to our canal adventure we had hoped for, but while the weather might be damp, it doesn't dampen our spirits.

The drive to Homps is about an hour, and just before arriving at the marina, Rachael kindly pulls over to a supermarket and suggests that we'll need bottled water for the canal. Paul and I go into the supermarket and return with beer and wine… oh, and some bottled water. We should have taken the opportunity to do a more substantial shop here, but it's the novice's mistake, and we just settle for beer, wine, and water.

We arrive at the small Le Boat marina a little after noon. Rachael asks for our boat number so she can deliver the luggage right to the boat; she is the

most considerate taxi driver. There are up to 30 Le Boat-branded craft moored here. After delivering the luggage to our boat, we bid Rachael farewell, load it onto the boat, and head to the office, where we are given a very thorough briefing. We then wait for the practical instruction in skippering the boat, which is scheduled for 2:30. We spend the time sorting out how to store our luggage and where we’ll sleep, rather than heading back to the supermarket for a more practical shop.

At 2:30, Serge arrives—a very delightful Frenchman. With his moderate English and our basic French, we receive a thorough handover that includes a lesson in operating and steering the boat. "Who is the captain?" he asks. I sense it’s pointless to say we’re socialist, so I take on the role. The boat handles like a sloppy old Cadillac, with about a five-second delay in the steering. There are no side thrusters, so keeping its 12-meter hull going in a straight line is a challenge. The crew then get their instructions in rope handling for the locks, and at 3:30, we are off!

It's lightly raining, quite fresh, and within five minutes of casting off, we are at our first lock. It’s a little nerve-racking; there are already two boats in there. Should I go in, or should I wait? The lock master waves us in. “First

time?” he asks. He directs us in and tells us which way to turn the steering wheel to get alongside. It takes nine rotations of the wheel from port to starboard. He is generous with his directions and patience. We’re in, the crew has the ropes under control, and then the water empties out of the lock until we reach the lower level. He opens the gates, and we cast off, departing in the same order as we entered.

It's a great feeling to get the first lock under our belt, and before we finish congratulating ourselves, there is another lock, then another. In total, we successfully navigate six locks in the rain on our first evening. The good news is that’s it for the next few days.

Just after sunset, we arrive in Argens Minervois and decide to moor against

the bank. This requires driving steel pegs into the ground for something to moor the boat to. Once secured, we walk into the village in search of a restaurant. It’s very quiet, and while Google Maps tells me there are two open, the old French man we encounter on a walk has a different story. It’s Monday; everything is shut. Except for the church, he says, the church is open. So it's back to the boat to wonder why we didn’t take the opportunity to go back to the supermarket while waiting for Serge. We have enough to piece together some snacks, and we have some wine. The stress of our six-lock first day has taken its toll, and we turn in early.

Our first night on board is rudely interrupted by an early morning thunderstorm. We discover the boat is not completely leakproof, and each of us cop a few drops of rain. When morning breaks, we head back into the village to look for a boulangerie and discover a supermarket-cum-café where we have breakfast. Then it’s back to the boat to cast off and continue along the canal. A perfect blue sky has emerged, and the temperature slowly rises until it reaches around 24 degrees.

Next stop, further along....