Our Mission
Early in 2022, Colin’s ever-active and generous cousin Howard invited us to transfer his rather nice Haines 32 Offshore cruiser ‘Allons-Y’ from Aigues Mortes in southern France to his friend Yves’ home near Rouen, by early June if possible. He was, typically, asking us to do him a favour while in reality doing us a favour!
`Well that’s how it seemed at the time.
The duly assembled crew of Colin, Marie and friend Richard (who has crewed with us before and surprisingly come back for more) were viewing it as more of an adventure than a holiday. With nearly 750 miles and 200 locks to tackle, and an average crew-age of 75, this was not a voyage to be taken lightly. Especially as it would involve going the ‘wrong’ way up the Rhone in Spring, with its potentially high winds (the Mistral), strong currents and occasional flooding.
Was it strange, or just inconvenient, that all the guide books and online resources we found were written travelling the other way, i.e. to the south, generally in season and in good weather? Not at all strange, as it turned out. The fact that we subsequently voyage for many hours, sometimes for whole days, without seeing another vessel going our way suggests that only ‘Mad Dogs and Englishmen go Up the River Rhone in Spring’.
Anyway, we accepted the challenge – carpe diem and all that.