EREWHON
EREWHON is owned by Ian and Lorna Hampton from Auckland New Zealand. Ever since we had a week with Ian’s sister’s family on the Midi Canal in May 1992, we have dreamed, planned and did what was needed to buy our own boat. As well as an affordable retirement lifestyle choice, it would enable us to see more of Ian’s family in London and Paris.
From then we investigated alternative boats, initially the lower priced Buccaneer type, but eventually deciding on a Prince model from Crown Blue Line. The extra size would enable us to be more comfortable, and have plenty of space for visitors as well as have better handling on the rivers.
We first introduced ourselves to Crown Blue in January 1995 and communicated each year monitoring prices and availability until 1998. In October we went to France to look at two boats, one at H20 in St Jean de Losne and the other at the St Gilles Crown Blue base in South France. We had the use of the Prince for a weekend and confirmed our purchase before returning home.
It wasn't easy to think of a name. We wanted one which could be recognised as NZ, meant something to us and wasn't corny. Lorna, one night at the RSA threw up Erewhon and Ian was enthusiastic. Erewhon is the name of a sheep station in the Rangitata Gorge, in the South Island of NZ from where we both come, and we had fond memories of a day we had visited the area. It is also the name of the first New Zealand classic, and finally when read backwards (well approximately) it spells NOWHERE which is precisely where an inland waterways boat will get you!?
During the months until retirement from full-time work we worked on our cruising plan, bought flags, books etc, paid our VNF fee in March for the 10% discount and increased our anticipation. We found a temporary tenant for our house, packed all our personal things away, arranged travel insurance and were ready. On Friday, 25 June, Ian finished work and the same evening we left Auckland for France.
We keep a journal of each days events and anyone interested can read them here.
The 1999 route was the Rhone, Bourgogne, Yonne and Seine to Paris, the Oise, Sambre into Belgium through Charleroi to Namur. The turning south on the Meuse through Verdun, the Moselle and Canal de l’Este and Upper Saone to St Symphorien at lock 2 on the Rhone à Rhin Canal, where we moored for the winter.
In 2000 we continued up the Rhone à Rhin Canal, down the Rhin, with a side-trip to Colmar, to Stasbourg. Then we turned east to Paris via the Marne à Rhin Canal and Marne. After 4 days it was southwest on the Seine, Yonne, Nivernais and the Canal de Centre to Chalon sur Saone. From here it was downhill on the Saone and Rhone to St Gilles again, and thence on the Rhone à Sete to Lattes near Montpellier where Erewhon spent he next winter.
In 2001 we left Lattes on the 1st of July and cruised leisurely along the Rhone a Sete and Midi to Toulouse, the Lateral a Garonne to Buzet, The Baise to Valance and return, on to Castets en Dorthe where the canal enters the river, back to Buzet and across to the Lot. We were hled up for a week at Moissac by the explosion at a Toulouse fertiliser factory, then continued, after a diversion to Narbonne to Beaucaire.
After a late start in 2002 because of son Michael's wedding in England, we cruised up the Rhone, Saone Canal Marne a Saone, Aisne and Ardennes to the Meuse. Though Belgium and the Meuse becomes the Maas in Holland. After a circuitous route through Utrecht and Gouda and Amsterdam, we left the boat out of the water at Loosdrechte.
In 2003 we brought the boat back to France, through Brussels, Paris the Lateral de Loire, Seine, Seille and Rhone Rivers to our home port of Beaucaire.
During the winter, a new BETA motor was installed in EREWHON and we collected the boat on 1 July 2004 to cruise the Rhone a Sete, Midi, Garonne and Robine Canals and the Baisse River, returning to leave the boat again in Beaucaire.
We tackled the Rhone again in 2005, accompanied by our NZ friends on Waiheke and then did a cou[le of out and back cruises to Bescancon on the Doubs, and to Montbard on the Bourgogne Canal. We left Erewhon at Blanquaarts in St Jean de Losne.
2006 was a quieter trip, via the Marne a Saone, to Riems, where we left the boat for three weeks while we drove a hire car to Sweden and back for a wedding, then on trough Picardy to Belgium on the Escaut/Schelde to Ghent and Brugges, back to Ypres then Dunkirke and Lille, leaving Erewhon just over the border on the Grande Large at Peronne, in Roelins Boatyard, out of the water under cover for only €40 per month!
EREWHON FOR SALE end of Sept 2007. Click here.
OHER USEFUL LINKS
http://www.canals.com/Welcome.html English Canal Info, which is great for links to all facits of canals.
VNF - Voies Navigables de France French Canal Operator; info on chomages ie closures etc, current licence costs etc
The French Canals A US linking page
France Tourism and Travel _ French Tourist Office
Barges DBA An association of Dutch Barge owners; English based.
European Rail Timetable Useful for planning
