Still in Toul, waiting for Sylvia to arrive.. but getting to know several lots of people in the marina.
We bump into Bart, Alan and Connor whilst mutually looking for any open restaurant on a Sunday evening, and subsequently have many chats with them, not to mention the dog training and swimming. It's quite a surprise to see their boat on the canal.. its a 58' cruising ketch of classic design:" Silver Apple.". built from Iroko and locust - English oak, dating from 1967, ! Bart turns out to be a mine of knowledge.. he's the son of F. Spaulding Dunbar who designed many classic wooden boats (including Silver Apple, originally called Rama Dora) and he's also friends with Charles Maunder (ex head of Rival Bowman).. and persuaded the latter to use an American designer (Chuck Paine) for the Bowman 40. What a small world! Connor is Alan's grandson, and on a special trip with Bart and Alan, and gets on famously with the dogs.
Don and Patty on "Maria", a beautiful 28m dutch barge, are very helpful. They've overwintered here, and are still waiting to resolve a gearbox problem, and meanwhile helping everyone with information, and in our case, much appreciated trip by car to the supermarket for yet more fuel, gas and most importantly beer and wine.
David, from the Capitanerie is very funny...
Its also a relief to see the near drowned guy reappear. He's been released from hospital, but has a strange voice.. not sure if its an after effect of the lungs full of water, or his normal voice. We hear through the grapevine that the boat that crashed in the lock was not a hire boat at all, but was his - he had just bought it from the hire company, and was on his maiden voyage... ...sans license, it transpires. The police were reportedly investigating, as the boat needed extensive repairs.
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