Fleury-Sur-Loire to Nevers

Volte face, and we can confirm that canals can be a smidge samey, in one direction or the other!!!

Saw otters today, but can't be sure they were the same ones as yesterday. OK, enough of that, let's get over it, and move on!!

We got to the second lock to find all the gates closed and no keeper in site as he mans two in a row. After a quick call he said we could let ourselves in, but preferred we didn't try our luck with the sluice gates. To the winch, Wench!

All went well after the return of the professional to let us through and our timing was perfect to get back into the port at Nevers at 1pm.

No sign of 'Tracker' in the port - think they were heading the way of the Canal du Centre, so sincerely hope they don't get caught out by this unexpected closure!

Oh-la-la!

So, the next step of our journey, the Canal du Centre, is closed.

This leaves us in the middle of France (nowhere?!) with precious few options!

Yesterday we were a mere week from Chalon sur Saone, and from there a couple of rivers from the Med (with their currents helping us along!)

Today all change!

We will have to retrace our steps (wake?!) all the way up to Paris - 294km and 78 locks!!! and move onto the river Marne and the long way round to Chalon sur Saone...

A obviously devastated at news our return home is postponed by at least a month!!

J would like to overlook the fact that we were in paris on the 19th September, and had the VNF passed on the bulletin of the 20th about the Canal du Centre we would not be 10 days down the country, losing nearly 3 weeks of time, but we feel a strongly worded letter coming on ;-)

Onwards and upwards - literally! Remember that day with 18 locks?! About to relive it...

Deja vu, anyone?

Nevers to Fleury sur Loire

After a fairly chilled morning, we were cast off by the 'Tracker' crew at midday; unfortunate timing since we had no idea the 'automatic' locks letting us out of the port were still closed from 12 til 1 - a lock's gotta eat, dont you know!??!

Apair of Danish honeymooners were stuck on the other side, and kindly let us up first (as the water was already in our favour), and we helped out by activating the lock for them from their side, saving them from a reverse procedure back to the activation point.

It was a remarkably uneventful day, with not a photo taken, and remained that way until the last lock just before our planned stop. We agreed this was the laziest lock keeper we had encountered so far, making no move to catch our ropes, even though J's rope throwing still needs improvement...

Still, we helped on the gates as usual and he opened up a bit - as far as to advise that rumour was the Canal du Centre was closing on Sunday night... Errr, so much for an uneventful day!

Indeed, after mooring in the lovely spot at Fleury sur Loire, about 5 calls to various people revealed that indeed the Canal du Centre would close in 48 hours and not reopen until 2013! This didn't come from the VNF by the way - we told them about it, and on further investigation they admitted they'd been told on the 20th September, but it had slipped their minds to pass the info on!

This is a bombshell we'll have to sleep on I think, and as Fleury boasts a little quayside resto and bar, we took advantage!

Herry to Nevers

We knew today would be a slog, so Ali walked up to the Herry lock last night to book our place first thing on opening this morning.

Our French friends from yesterday had been held up for 40 minutes waiting for us at the next lock, and we were comfortably installed when a 3rd boat arrived - 3 in a bed is cosy, especially as our late arrival has NO driving skills, using our suspended tender to brake his progress!

3 locks on, in the same situation, J had a (not so quiet) word with the muppet behind, and the lock keeper deciding he was barging us on purpose held him back after the lunch break to give us a head start - beer coming your way, thank you!

We were alone for the impressive double lock later, with many cameras flashing, and A handled this new pont-canal with his usual style, again to waves and more photos from the 'paparazzi'!

Part 1 - all is calm

Part 1 - yikes! Glad we stayed at the back!

Part 2 - 9.2m intotal

Part 2 - again, Yikes!!

Pont Canal - you can't see the nasty side wind, but its there!

Success!

 
Double automatioc locks down into the quiet port - a long day meaning we were moored at 17.30 - unexpectedly free since the port captain is unwell.

Turns out we are moored next to friends of the TWO last owners of our boat - who recognised it as soon as we arrived! We met them for a pint later in a local Tabac/bar - great place within walking distance of the port, who also sell baguettes and have internet... And gave us free croissants this morning with our coffee!

PS Sincere regards to Mr & Mrs LeRoux and Mr & Mrs Brown - we're loving the boat, and the notes you all made in the navigation books are super helpful, so thank you!

Léré to Herry

Ready to set off with and American group on a beautiful boat, 'Rival', who had one crew member on land with a car checking the lie of the land for them in advance. One of their friends jumped the line and locked in with us at the best wine cellar for local flavours - Pouilly Fumé and Sancerre, so a bit of shopping was done!

At the next lock we bought veg!

The next was closed for lunch so we broke out the stakes and moored to the bank a way away, hoping not to get jumped in the line at opening; fortunately Rival let us go, whilst the little French rental was giving way to no-one, but that left them in the front so no complaints!! That didn't last long as before the next they pulled over and waved us on, only to pull right back out behind us and into the lock - sneaky!!

Herry was a very quiet spot to moor - no water or electricity readily available, and a walk round town showed it to be very quiet but centred round a very old chapel, whose bells were anything but quiet - on the hour and half hour, 24/7!

We stumbled upon the library on our walk, where we were warmly welcomed, and given free reign of internet via their own computer, and the lady kindly leant her own USB stick to upload the previous weeks blog! The boss later arrived, and also was very interested in us and our journey, so they saved the blog address to see how we get on! Hi to you in Herry, and thanks for your welcome!

Bonjour les gens d'Herry, et merci de votre gentil accueil!

The Sancerre vineyards

Ouzouer-sur-Trézée to Léré

Today:                 4 locks and moving on to the Canal Laterale de la Loire

A late start today (surely we deserved a lie in?!) after a night in the pouring rain. Filled up the water tanks and headed off under grey skies – we decided if that continues we’ll make this a short day. 

After two downward locks we have an unprecedented 19.5km without a lock in sight, but instead were confronted with the incredible ‘Pont Canal’ – Canal Bridge over the Loire river in Briare. Spanning 662.69m it was barely 50cm wider than the boat on each side, with tourists stopped to photograph us the full length. A strong cross wind would have been disastrous, so fortunately they were but soft breezes ;-) and A drove brilliantly, averting disaster.

We arrived at the next look to find it closed and no-one to be seen, so J was put ashore to wake the keeper in his hut and man the gates while A had to try to do all the rest from afloat! A friendly passerby took over J’s land duties so we made it through unscathed. After one more lock, where the keeper was also flogging homemade paté, we picked an early stopping point with great facilities – again all free, and most importantly a pizzeria a short walk away (even if it was in the rain)!

Chatillon-Coligny to Ouzouer-sur-Trézée

24/9/2012

Today :                18 locks in 21 km !

We had informed the last lock keeper yesterday we were heading off at about 10.00 not realising another couple were tagging on our lock cycle, so were surprised at the knock on the door at 10.20 in the driving rain asking if we were planning to leave or not ! Nice French couple on an 11m Linssen, but as his side thrusters were out of whack he asked to follow us into the locks (getting himself the easy ride!) 

We set off together at 10.40 into two sets of 3 manned locks – same keeper travelling between locks. In the second set the keeper pushes us on to the second in the series before breaking for lunch – which turns out to be where he lives! 

We push right off at 1 after getting plenty of info from our travel mates who are from further down the canals in the direction we’re heading (Digoin) and reach the last in that series all of 500m later! Our new friends are calling it a day, so time to say goodbye and slog on alone – and slog we did!

The rain had cleared some, but the wind had really picked up, with the VNF declaring it a ‘yellow day’ – travel with care. Then we got to a serious chain of 5 locks, starting in Rogny les 7 Ecluses – where there used to be seven, but they were bypassed by 5 ‘modern’ ones in the 1800s. 

Once you do one in the chain you have to finish it, so despite the wind pushing us all over the place we had to keep going on the up – more than 20m jump over a distance of 1km which took us 1hr05... This was with a particularly bumptious keeper, who took our lines and then got back in his van – no way was he helping! Really challenging driving, and very thankful for all our fenders! And let’s face it, those strips of brass running the length of the boat are called ‘rubbing strakes’ for a reason ;-) 

We are now on the plateau, having only travelled upwards, so it’s time to cut our teeth on a downwards lock, but again no choice how many as we’re straight into another chain of 5.

Not so bad, even though the wind is still blowing, and that chain only took 50 minutes!

One more automatic lock to go and we reached our planned mooring spot (again, free water and electricity), exhausted but satisfied! We even got a helping hand with the mooring lines from a Brit who looked scarily like Peter Stringfellow but we didn’t chat much – in fact A had a quick nap before dinner!!

Montargis to Chatillon-Coligny

23/9/2012

Today:                 10 locks – phew, the number isn’t going to keep going up exponentially!

Our UK mooring fellows had plenty of advice, and in return J drafted them a few letters to help with procedures for registering their new moped, so we got away later than planned. Having walked the bank in the direction of our departure there was a bridge air draft marker measuring 3m40 in our very near future (Yikes!) so our new friend helped take a current and accurate measurement – confirming 3m35 with full fuel and water tanks. They and another English couple also walked down in that direction with a view - they said - to climbing onboard to help lower us if necessary. As it happens, we passed the bridge with centimetres to spare, and they were nowhere to be seen before the bridge, but cheered for us after successful passage – perhaps a little disappointed it wasn’t a more spectacular outcome?!

We made good time today thanks to a keen lock keeper who told us to rush to the next one and he’d let us through before closing for lunch – in fact we locked out at 12.10 so we tipped him a beer for his trouble. This also confirmed that although the speed limit is 6kph, anything up to 10kph is tolerated as long as you don’t create a wash. That’s just as well, because to keep to 6kph is about tick over for our engines!

We also did our first set of linked automatic locks today – if you start the chain you commit to finishing it as they all prepare for your arrival. There were 4 in the chain and the whole procedure for all 4 was 50 minutes. We also did the highest locks so far – 5m10 feels colossal from the bottom, and the lock keepers pass down a hook on a line to take your ropes for you. J put a coil on the first hook, which got in a jumble so was dropped back down unceremoniously for a second attempt! 

On our last lock of the day J noticed movement in the cracks of the lock wall – a family of frogs waiting for the water to rise again so they could swim off, and a cheeky fish hitched a ride up with us, causing Roxy to stir from her now customary VIP position on a fly bridge bench. Her laid back style causes much amusement to onlookers – she simply responds by poking her tongue out at them, of course!!

We stopped nice and early at Chatillon-Coligny in time to make a Sunday roast, another free-bee mooring with electricity and water, although we didn’t find out til the next day that we’d also have had internet if we’d asked for it!

Lookee-likey!