Nemours to Montargis

22/9/2012

Today:                 13 locks

After shopping at the market we waited for 2 commercial barges to come down past us before setting off, leaving our French lock-mates snoozing, and ensuring some peaceful locking, at least for the morning!

Every bridge makes us hold our breath as we duck and cross our fingers that the advised air draft of 3m50 is accurate and our measured height of 3m35 isn’t wishful thinking!! So far so good, but there are some really close calls...

Coming through the second bridge we lift our heads to see a wooden railway sleeper – right across our path, with no way of going round it in such a tight space. It made a hell of a thud as we hit it bow on, and a few more as it went under the boat L It came out the other side with big splinters in it but mainly whole, so after checking the bilges and seeing the hull appeared structurally unharmed, we carried on to check properly at the next lock. Hmmm, big patch of paint missing on the bow, but otherwise mercifully unscathed. We warned the lock keeper who said local kids tend to chuck in boule pitch marking planks when drunk – must be my age but sounds like a rubbish night out to me! 

The locks are easier today, both with practice and the fact that we are alone means we can stay at the back away from the wash of the incoming water. Some keepers let us through one lock, then jump in their van and rush to the next to be ready for our arrival. They note you in and out too, so everyone on the network knows who is where, and they all ask you to confirm if you’re keeping on going or mooring for the night before the next lock so he can warn his colleagues. We also both tried our hands at the gate, helping open at the end of the procedure, which apparently they appreciate.

It’s a long day, and at 16.50 we move from the Canal du Loing onto the Canal du Briare, so the lock numbers restart at 36 working backwards. A is exploiting his rope throwing skills from the fly bridge to get an extra line on, but at the last lock he passed the tails down to J on deck, and unaware the rope was slithering down behind, she got thwapped upside the head by a tail and glasses fell straight off her face into the water – sunk like a stone, no chance of getting those back! Thank goodness a second pair were bought before leaving France!

We moored shortly after on the commercial quay (allowed) behind a UK registered converted barge without water or electricity, but also without a bill so what can you do?! Hot footed it to the supermarket for supplies followed by an early night!