Paris to Melun - Fuel Blues

I tipped 20L of the spare diesel into the tank this morning as we were down to a quarter. There is a tiny garage that sells it on the street just outside the Arsenal so I filled the cans up on foot.
We paid €120.00 for 5 nights mooring as soon as the Capitenerie opened at 0900. Very good value I think – includes water, electricity, showers, rubbish, etc. – And where else could you stay in the centre of Paris for that! We asked about fuel and were assured that a barge called “Dintel 2” moored by the mouth of the Marne would have some. We duly found a barge with a “Total” flag and a fuel pump but no name and it didn’t answer on VHF17. I called the number the Capitaine had given me (06-72-16-89-41) and was assured that it was the right barge.
We moored alongside and were rather surprised that nobody emerged to help us. L went looking for someone and there was plainly nobody aboard. I phoned again “Je suis ice. Ou etes vous?” and a cheery void said he’d be there by 11.30 – it was 10.00 at the time. I told him it was too long and we would go elsewhere – foolishly having confidence that at least some of the many fuel stations in the Navicarte would work for us.
Oh how foolish can you get!
We passed marked station after station and each one was gone, shut or only sold petrol. Initially we ignored stations that had to be walked to carrying Jerry cans. At Villeneuve St-Georges (PK155), a station is clearly marked but it’s just not there. Port Premier (PK148) is marked but it was shut and looked very private. A land station is marked at Pont de Juvisy that is very close to the quay. When we got there however, we couldn’t see the garage and the quay had large signs saying no mooring – so we went on. Port Saintry (PK130) and Chantier Kliein (PK129) both had pumps as the Navicarte says – but both were very shut and only had petrol anyway.
Finally at 1800 we reached Melun where two petrol stations are marked close to the river at PK111. We moored and I went to find them. The one closest to the bridge is just not there. The other is now a new car sales garage and doesn’t have fuel (and anyway was shut). I yomped around the town for an hour looking and found nothing at all!
So after a whole day motoring, covering 57Km, we found not a single drop of diesel. Luckily we have a 350KM + range and are not yet on our knees. The lack of fuel really spoilt the day though. We went through interesting industrial landscapes, some nice country and lots of interesting house barges and locks. The obsession with fuel however drove most of these from our consciousness.
Essentially we left Christchurch with a full tank of fuel and having added 20 Litres at the only diesel station we have seen, we now are ¼ full. Anyone with less reserve than we have would be in considerable difficulties.
We are told that there is definitely a diesel barge at St Mammes. This is 30KM away which we can make easily. However, I won’t be holding my breath!