It has been a very wet spring and early summer in France, 2016. We returned to Roanne 27th April to find our shore power electricity supply had failed about a month earlier. Consequently, Sable's batteries had run flat. We were able to restore 240V shore power but there was a problem with the Victron charger/inverter. A neighbour kindly lent us a battery charger and after several days charging each battery individually we regained 24V electricity from the batteries, essential to power pumps, toilets etc. Meanwhile, before we could go cruising, the Victron unit had to be sent to the manufacturer in Holland to investigate the problem and effect repairs. This took three weeks! However, it was soon going perfectly again once it was back— fitted with a new ringcoil transformer.

We engaged a local fabricator to make new roof panels for the Wheelhouse. The original fibreglass-coated panels were problematic from day one. We now have smart aluminium panels over laminated marine ply in-fills.

Being confined to port didn't prevent us having fun. Sophie and Reto visited us from Switzerland and showed us how to make Stompf. And Delphine and her two boys, Florent and Julien came to stay one weekend when, for one day at least, the weather was hot and sunny and they splashed in the Loire. The following weekend we took a train to Grenoble to visit them. Delphine picked us up and drove us to their lovely spacious home on seven acres near Vaujany, high in the Alps. We were awestruck by the spectacular alpine scenery.

Finally, we set off cruising 7 June with overnight stops at Artaix and La Croix Rouge, then several nights at Paray le Monial a favourite town. We lingered at Genelard for almost a week intending to make a start on painting but every day it rained! Miles and Tania joined us as we cruised past the TGV stop at Montchanin and later the same day Nicole and Woody who brought on fine summery weather as we continued on to Santenay and Chagny. We all spent a memorable day in Beaune. Our family left to visit Lyon, Nicole and Woody returning home to Japan; Miles and Tania came back in a hire car to spend a couple of days at Fragnes and Chalon before they too headed home to Australia.

In July, Sally and I met up with Myra in Manchester, England and then we flew to Belfast for a ten day fleeting visit to Northern Ireland.