Robert, your you tube clips are priceless... words fail me...  the chain drive.. the steering gear.. they say the English are eccentric - Mate, this gives a whole new meaning to "junk rig" and you haven't even got the mast up yet. The exquisite fendering  tells its own tale, and the English gentleman walking smartly backwards raises not an eyebrow.

Seriously, compared with this, you could easily make a folding mast out of the parts you have got there. I am sure your evident DIY skills are up to Dave W's sliding sleeve suggestion. If a conventional tabernacle appeals I hope some others will give you advice on how to do it. I can see why you need a folding mast - actually I envy you, we do not have these canal systems with direct access to villages as you do in the UK. Congratulations on your unconventional way of enjoying them.

Have a look folks: the links are 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeNYvVobRoM

and

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ih__xHxqUdo

Thanks for all your comments..

Sam, This may be a statement of the bleeding obvious, and I suspect that you will have thought of it, but ... one other advantage of a folding mast would be that if it can be detached at the joint, which I think they can be but I am not sure, the mast to be carried on deck would be shorter than a whole mast and hopefully would be no longer than the deck so as not to have an unweildy overhang so making life that much easier in locks and at close quarters.  Jonathan

          Helo Sam  , the lowest bridge on the Midi canal is 3.33 mtrs above water level  at the center of the arch so give yourself about 6 inches or a foot lower . You can have yourmast taken out  at Bordeaux if you dont go the foldy way , but it will save you lift in and out money plus time waiting . You can sail up to Bordeaux but watch the tides and river flow ,its big and wide .   If you go that way I reconmend you get the     Carto  Guide Fluvial     three languages , french german,english ,by Jean Morlet   .French tel 01 64 76 64 90 .       fax  01 64 76 64 99     www.nautisme.com   e/mail chabassol@wanadoo.fr     before you get into the Gironde, its got all the imfo you need plus regs .   At certain times they  shut the canal for maintance , so phone ,  your supposed to have more than  one aboard ,but ive seen plenty of single handers ,I think they watch you in the locks ,if your ok they let you go    . Take your camera its beautiful  ,allow plenty of time ,you may want to dally      ,I had to race worce luck .   If you suffer from hay fever ,I dont but ive had my head down the cabin looking for hughy more than a few times , its the hugh plane trees .     I dont know  anything about the other canals .  bob  all the best .

Sam - wrote:Hi Jonathan

It is indeed a coincidence..

My boat was named 'Soloist' when I brought her, not really appropriate for a couples boat.

I am not generally a superstitious person but didn't fancy starting my sailing career by renaming a boat..

I had a look into it and found that her original name was Lexia, I figured if I called her Lexia I would be simply _restoring_ her rightful name, and might even get some good luck!

She is sail number 424 http://www.kyoa.org.uk/k20fleet401+.htm

I will get in touch with Robin regarding the masts..

Thanks

Sam

Sam, Thank you for that information.  I have looked at the link you gave and clearly the kyoa is another active sub culture with a wealth of information.  There seem to be a lot of Kingfisher 20s but can there really have been four hundred plus?  Our Lexia is 1978 and yours is 1979.  I see that sail number 420 is Amicia.  If you look at "Lexia and the Azab" and find my posting of 20 July you will see that I commented very favourably on a boat which I thought was called Almecia but I would presume  now is Amicia and what a brave sight she made as she went past me at speed.   As you are both members of the kyoa you may care to pass on the message and or link to the owner of Amicia.  All the best with the sailing plans.  Anybody who sails out of Portishead into the Severn in a small boat earns my respect.  It is even more challenging than the Humber estuary where we kept our previous boat.  If you haven't read it, you might appreciate The Unlikely Voyage of Jack de Crow, by A J Mackinnon published by Seafarer Books 2002, which is his account of sailing and rowing a Mirror dinghy from North Wales to the Black Sea, mostly by inland wateways, but including a crossing of the Channel.  His description of the stage from Sharpness canal down the Severn estuary to the River Avon is chilling.  However, by comparison, a Kingfisher 20 would be a big vessel.  Fair winds.  Jonathan