Calling in

Marianne should have gone by now. (You will have to read Holiday Afloat if the name means nothing). Even more parts were arriving Friday to make it go.
We did call back to see if they had gone, and since they had not we hailed them and asked if they needed a phone or internet connection to help out? They didn't but instead invited us in.
I have not been in a barge home before. It was spacious, warm and cosy. It housed Alan, Anne, and Linda. Anne had arrived by train for a canal trip the day after the boat should have been fixed.
Broken starter motor. But then they found a broken fuel pump too. The latter was under repair at a garage that appeared to work on the job only when Alan called to oversee it. Nearly done, finished Friday morning was Thursdays report. If Alan picked him up he would fit it Friday.
We sat with our large glasses of wine and listened to the tale.
They had broken down 4km outside St Dizier and the garage right by them was geared for fixing the motor type they had. But not on a boat! So when they heard about a boat yard in Vitry le François, they decided to tow the boat down- that's right, by pulling it.
It's 90 tonnes. Once it is moving it takes 100 meters to stop. Alan pulled but Linda could not steer and bumped between opposite banks until they swapped over. Linda is an ex-gym teacher and although slight, Aussie built and tough. She pulled it for 3 days during temperatures over 30C.

Marianne

With help from a passing boat or two they arrived at their birth and wondered how they would cope for water and electricity. No problem, the factory manager gave them both; and a free internet link in range provided contact to the world. Perhaps it was not such a bad place to stop after all!
Still the repairs have been long and protracted. They have been broken down for 5 weeks. Hopefully today they have set off for their winter birth and Anne can experience her first lock.
And we had a lovely evening finding out too. Thanks guys, and bonne voyage!