Chagny

The 1930s Dutch sailing barge"Goede Verwachting", [Great Expectations,Arnhem, 45t, 21m,]now alas without her wardrobe and sailing tackle and relying on a Daf 595 truck engine for mobility,has been the home for my host during the last 20 years. Sue is an English lady of a certain age, originally hailing from Brighton and a devoted bargee.
I found her in a highly stressed state, nursing a bruised hip and a strained wrist coupled with lack of sleep, Crohn's disease and over protective of her little domain. She clearly made an effort to welcome me into her life, but it was touch and go for a while. The previous workawayer had lasted 4 days and I was determined to do better. Limited water supplies, an aged boiler which had given up the ghost, and no blackwater tank contributed to her tenseness as well as having a few tours to organise for clients. Thus I found myself living in my van for much of the time. Her cat too had picked up the vibe, nervously tensing at every sudden noise,overweight and a fussy eater.
To compound the situation, VNF the French canal authority decided to close the Canal du Centre in order to conduct a catologue of biota and determine where it was leaking. They lowered the water level until the barges were nearly sitting on the mud and of course there could be no flow of water so a green algae bloomed profusely fed by the nutrient rich waters fertilised by the resident barges. In the 30+ degree heat there was quite a sultry atmosphere to the place.
During the day I worked alone peacefully on varnishing, painting and a bit of cabinet making. A single plate of food for dinner and I scampered off for a glass of plonk in my van. Gradually, Sue calmed down and there was a noticeable warming when she returned one evening to find that the cat came to me for a rub-down before deigning to acknowledge her mistress!
And I am happy to say, I lasted the 3 weeks without losing too much weight and with an invitation to stay longer.Read more