Montceau to Saint Julien (tiny village with small but good moorings)
We had "booked" a 0930 start to go with "Thing", but saw
him at 0915 and told him to tell L.K. that we were late having gone to
Supermarket.
Firm of S.M. very like Spaar here, who have S.M. in shopping precincts in
centre of towns. Good thing - used them quite a lot. Sell own brand of Alsace
Blond Beer 4.7% alc is ff38 a case of 24. We need 2 cases at least at any one
time to act as a footstool for right hand jump seat in cockpit.
Posted letters, bought beer and milk and hot chicken got cash (if you draw
ff600 from hole in the wall, £63.00 debit on statement) and left.
First lock out and up was start of famous French
automatic/hydraulic/electric locks. They are superb.
Radar or IR beam detects you on your way to lock, flashes lights at you to
tell you what to do, sets lock, opens gates and waits.
Boat enters, pulls blue rope on a stand on lock-side when ready, gates
close, lock fills (or empties), other gates open, boat drives out, IR or radar
detects he has gone, and awaits next boat.
They are bloody marvellous - except when they don't work, which is almost
never, but happened to us.
Climbed about 9 to the summit - tied up in nice green spot, and had lunch.
Country since Montceau pleasantly rural. but difficult to classify - perhaps
more English as
we
would like it to be and as we like to think it still is, still lots of Charolais
cattle, and occasional small grain, but almost everywhere now is haymaking.
Long day, up to summit, along summit, relatively narrow (5 N.B. width and
1.8 metre depth at least).
The start of the trip down through the first 4 locks in a close flight was
quite spectacular - the view over the edge was almost like over a cliff, as
the first 4 locks have a total fall of 18 metres, and next 5 - slightly more
spaced out, are over 20 metres. Most of them are over 5 metres each, and along
with several later on of the same sort of depth have a facility new to us -
and all English.
The floating bollard. These are hollow steel boxes on vertical rails fixed
to the lock walls in recesses, with bollards welded to their tops, so that it
is possible to tie boats up safely, and the bollards move up and down at the
same speed as the boat. We didn't use them - going down hill we don't tie up
at all - but going uphill in these very deep automatic locks where one has no
control of speed of water ingress, they must be totally necessary.
Down 8 locks - tried to moor up on or soon after summit, but too shallow -
to formal village mooring. Not marked in book, and very comfortable, only 1
metre water, but we draw .6 metres, so unlikely to be disturbed.
The trip down was incredible - quite closely settled, but lots of trees,
open land, small fields, gardens, etc, between houses. Lots of people out for
Sunday walks, all immaculate, with children, equally immaculate.
Where have we gone wrong in UK. Are there just too many of us so we have to
compete - aggressively - for everything from parking space, to shopping, to
tables in a pub on Sunday, to moorings?
Rang Bob Darling - negative.
Couple of gents arrived on mooring to gossip - one MUST have been a
schoolmaster, and suspect fluent in English, but not letting on. VERY
enjoyable conversation in Fr , trying really hard to get away from 3 word
sentences. He led me on, just as a conversational teacher would. The only
wounding part was that after he had understood my part he
"translated" for his friend in bubbly exhaust French, which I
understood perfectly. Friend must have been thick.
June 14
Monday
Saint Julien to St Leger sur Dheune.
Rain in night, chilly blustery morning.
Countryside rather like Scottish Borders in the valleys - very green, small
fields, lots of hard wood and coniferous trees, both in copses and woods, and
separate, low sloping hills and valleys.
Continued on down to St Leger sur Dheune with intention of having lunch, and
moving on at 1500.
Started raining as we arrived, formal moorings appeared, looked good with
electricity and water laid on, and weather got progressively more unpleasant.
Moored up behind "thing" who arrived yesterday evening, having come
all the way from Montceau in one day yesterday - 28 locks. He couldn't stop
because of his deep keel. We don't think he (or she) is having fun, they keep
muttering about "going round the outside next time".
Plugged in shore electricity and turned on both heaters.
Decided to stay until to-morrow a.m.
Minor S.M. shop at Cassino, got some cash, and found we had "no
access" on mobile. Couldn't understand. Rang Voda help lines and got no
reply from them, either.
Visions of Voda being bombed out of business, bust, taken over, or whatever.
Eventually - just hanging on for about 10 minutes - got somebody who
explained main BT line was "down". Why can't they tie it up with
baling wire like we always did in Kenya when the locals stole the wire for
bangles.
If main line was down, how could we get cash from cash machine, and how was
I able to get reply from Voda - even if only after 10 minutes waiting
listening to "ring-ring".
Later - came right at last.
Slightly steamy session with Compuserve help line in England over multiple
copies of e-mail messages, late in evening - whilst I can sympathise with
spotty youth in anorak whose job it is to help people like me over glitches in
their sloppily written programmes, said spotty youths should be taught to
appreciate that elderly gents in phone boxes in France in pissing rain up to 1
km away from their machines are not all that receptive to glib answers.
Tried out his instructions and mashed up Andrew's message - saw it for just
long enough to see who it was from. Second message from Floss survived - 3rd
from Compuserve themselves also got mashed.
Went on raining till late - wretched French sea-going boat with 4 strange
men squeezed in between us and "thing", and spent evening studying
what we were doing through front windows.. Must be very bored.
Turned out to be a very noisy spot, traffic wise. One has to live with this
when weather stops progress.
June 15
Tuesday
St Leger sur Dheune to 3 kms short of Chalone sur Soanne.
Woke to lovely day after heavy rain last night.
French boat crew continued to study us as we got up and had breakfast!
Left moorings - virtually last to do so, everyone else got up much earlier
than us - at about 0940.
Straight into first lock, automatic, so down we went.
Second lock found the Margarine Boat - "Flora something or other"
- very posh Heritage built boat from Evesham driven by a big boop with a bloke
behind it who used to be in the Royal Navy.
L.K. waved us up, and tried to squeeze both of us in - plenty of room if
"Margarine" had pushed up, but he was all tied up to the sides with
bits of rope Navy fashion (what for, we asked ourselves, he and we were going
downhill) so couldn't move. As there was a danger of our catching the lock
cill under our skeg, we over-ruled the L.K. and backed hurriedly out. He got
his revenge by putting "Margarine" through, switching everything -
including the traffic lights off - and departing in his car. As the head
office of the area was in the lock cottage, this was silly. Went into office
and made fuss - L.K. was summoned by radio, and through we went! All rather
silly, really, but quite a giggle when looking back - he was very young.
The country side changed remarkably, and we were very glad we had waited to
enjoy it in the sun, rather than yesterday's gloom and drizzle.
We are into wine growing country, and it is most interesting to see how they
use the land, and what terrible looking soil it is they grow the vines on.
Also having had soil conservation dinned into me all my life, to see rows
planted directly up and down the hills is really the end.
There was an enormous area planted to vines, but clearly from our position
on the canal we could see that it was only the S facing slopes planted out,
and those very much in penny packets. The remainder was cereal and pasture,
but all so like E and S Africa, with lower slopes intensive, and less and less
as they went up the hills, with bush - or apparent bush - predominating on the
higher lands. Very pleasurable to see.
Our day's trip was neatly split in half by Chagny, which meant that we would
have to lunch in the town, and continue in the afternoon to Chalone sue Soanne.
Being us, we didn't like that, so stopped for early lunch (very early,
11.30) at a set of wine growers' moorings tucked in the trees, overlooking a
very pleasant valley, with far slopes planted almost exclusively to vines.
Very nice view, and reasonably sheltered from wind, which had been
strengthening since mid-morning, and reasonable shade. Got stuck in to the
shandies and bagette sandwiches, when a large hire boat arrived. 8 adults,
emerged. Laid picnic table with elegant cloth and plates and cutlery, laid out
multiple bottles of wine, laid out prepared starters of what looked melon
portions, and so on. Urgh. We left.
Due to go through Chagny at 1400, but very high air temperature (strong wind
kept us reasonably cool) and fear of Albert playing up again in heat if
pressed meant we only went through to start last flight at 14.45. Too bad.
Saw "Margarine" on moorings at Chagny - big hire basin and general
boat yard - but all very hot, sweaty, dusty and unkempt. Alongside railway
marshalling yard.
Waved and left, thankfully, down flight (only 9 or 10 to Challone) in shade
of trees.
Did some careful map-reading, and stopped before last lock just far enough
from motor way to be bearable, and before bigger and better motor-way
impinged. ouch!
Still strong wind, but found reasonable moorings with enough water under to
float us, and good shade.
Stopped at 1600, drinks at 1700. Read books in chairs under trees at rate of
2 words per minute.
June 16
Wednesday
3 Locks above Chalon to Chalon sur Saonne.
It was actually about 6 kms, and 3 locks above Challon
- quite a bit further than we thought.
We were duel mustered by VNF lady - 2 visits last night and 2 this morning.
We were ready to leave at 0930 as declared, but she seemed to have 3 or 4
boats spread out over several kms, all leaving at 0930, and it seemed to her
appropriate that they should amalgamate into a convoy to go through the locks
to-gether.
This is a waste of time, unless there is a shortage of water, as the
automatic system of the locks has to be over-ridden, and at least the first
lock supervised. Seemed daft!
Anyway, off we went behind Greenpeace, who had furled their Greenpeace flag,
and were flying an enormous Belgium one.
Through 2 ordinary automatics. Problem is first boat in triggers lights to
red - past which ye venture if ye dare excommunication. In we went, duly
outside the pale, and down we all went - with the usual fussing and faffing.
3rd and last lock on this canal was utterly dramatic. It is 10 metres +
deep, with a controller in a high glass front gantry running it. Quite spooky,
and for the first time we looped a slack rope over one of the floating
bollards.
The exit gate was a guillotine on clanking chains, and let us out onto the
short cut into the River Saonne.
We are now amongst the grown ups - 30 metre barges moored up to various
terminals on the bank, with cranes, gantries and all the rest.
Unfortunately - sign of the times - there was no work going on at all - or
at the dockyard, where a monstrous barge had had it's back end - complete with
engine, bridge and all, cut off, and was floating with it's rear bottom plates
just above the water line.
Entry down river to Chalon definitely intimidating - river 1.5 times width
of Thames at Kew, but magnificent suspension bridge followed by very old stone
bridge, over it.
The city itself looked great - light stone buildings, roofed with red tiles.
(This is the second time I've written all this - bloody computer threw the
first lot out with "illegal operation" message).
However, although intimidating, great fun, and very exciting, we have to
enter, moor up and have lunch, so got on with it - feeling minute and
vulnerable on this vast expanse of water.
Round behind island, in city, there is a small marina largely filled with
small river plastic boats, still laid up.
Along the side of the main pontoon are transit moorings - largely empty
except for "Thing" when we arrived, but by evening totally filled
with British boats - large and expensive - bound for the Mediterranean. We are
in with the big boys, now. Houses in England, Spain and a boat in addition,
and in passing! Not sure how Albert feels in such company - one boat mentioned
in passing that his marina cost £3000 at Cob's Key, in Poole.
Had our lunch, gossip, etc, ending up with drinks on "Thing" -
beer at 15.30 on a hot afternoon. This was probably a good thing - the alc
burns off straight away, and the extra liquid on a hot afternoon helps keep
heat stroke at bay. Anyway, that is one way of looking at it, although various
courts might - in their ignorance - disagree...
Spent afternoon trying to plan next phase of trip, taking into account (a)
that the Thornes are coming next week-end, and (b) that Chalon (get your maps
out) is very much the cross-roads of the entire continental waterways system,
upstream for whole of Continental system through to Holland, Belgium and
Germany, downstream to the Midi, Lyons, and the Med.
Decided to leave for Tournuse and the Seille River to-morrow. Some
reservations, will Albert mind trudging back up all those 37 kms against the
current back to here, then 57 up to St Jean de Losne? Who knows, until they've
tried.
This is the classic situation when meeting people off the shore. With
unknown speeds and schedules, either one has to wait in - possibly -
undesirable moorings for some days, or go like the bats, and spoil a perfectly
good piece of the trip. We will go down, go up the Seille, and ask the Thornes
- if we can get into contact with them to delay a day or 2! They probably
can't, and we probably can't get through to them, anyway - now what?
Left it at that,
Up to supermarket/shopping area. CarreFour, much too big to find anything,
but got photos done. Tried to get cash out of hole-in-the-wall, but it
rejected all our cards, including credit cards. Like Sainsbury's, not accepted
by big boys who fear it's competition, so won't accept their cards either.
Into Chalon itself - across one bridge to island, and across main river to
city
Wandered around, got cash, saw price of most things was city prices, and
went back to boat, loosing our way in the process, and walking a great extra
circle in the heat.
Chalon is a lovely city - split by the wide river, with formal gardens and
tree rows on river front, light stone coloured buildings, and red tiled roofs.
Tea and drinks and yet more gossip - no-one can get over meeting a perfectly
good standard English Narrowboat half way to the Med.
Moorings were very quiet and pleasant after we had got rid of the mozzies -
as they should be for fr117 .00 per night w/o electricity.
June 17
Thursday
Chalon-sur-Saonne to Verdun sur Doubes.
Clear sunny warm morning, but wind already evident and on the increase.
Decided that last night's plans - going down river, turn left just after
Tournuse, and go up the Seille - just wouldn't work - apart from the long
trudge back up the Saonne River.
Therefore turned upstream as we left the Port de Plaisance, amidst a degree
of hilarity from onlookers over our "Anchor Shade" and inability to
make up our minds as to where to go next, and also our inability to take boat
things too seriously. Showing off, really.
In fact, we really made very good time indeed, the current is, as reported
to us, no faster than the Thames, Severn or Avon. Just the ambient temperature
is much higher!
Just took it steadily all morning - scenery and weather perfect, the river
level is not far below banks, so one can see out - unlike the Severn.
Stopped off at first moorings we saw for lunch - high well built moorings of
stabilised pontoons with a ramp up to the facilities, leading up to a caravan
park at Gergy. Had whole run to ourselves, but later joined by a German hire
boat -a large one - who were able to overlook us eating from their
"flying bridge" here they ate, and then later an English cruiser.
Left reasonably promptly, as there is a dearth of overnight moorings on the
river, and we didn't want to overwork Albert, who sounded as the this was just
the sort of motoring he had been waiting for for the entire trip. Steady,
virtually no propeller "thrash", and quiet steady temperature,
rising very gradually and gently about 2 degrees over the whole day.
Pulled in to Verdun sur les Doubs to look for overnight mooring.. The book
showed a picture of a nice Port de Plaisance, but then said don't use it,
because of the hire boats.
Penetrated anyway, found it all, very small, and indeed virtually fully
occupied by a small hire boat operation, with enormous pretentious lighthouse
type office, and relatively few boats or spaces. Probably recently taken over
by Crown Blue Line. Very dead and alive.
Found mooring space on concrete jetty below town walls beyond hire base,
perfectly disgusting, covered in loose sand and silt, no facilities except
some bent mooring rings, very hot off stone walls. Forbidding notice saying
price ff50 per night. Nonsense, so avoided contact with officialdom, and never
met or spoke with anybody - or paid.
Went into town - very old and pleasant. Sat at street bar and had drinks
from about 1700 to 1900 watching the town wake up and come alive after hot
afternoon.
Supper on boat, heavy anti-mossy spray before sleeping - they (the Mozzies)
are getting very busy.
June 18
Friday
Verdun sur Doubs to Seurre
Left 0815 before breakfast.
Idea was to avoid heat of day, but in fact weather was slightly overcast, so
no great heat.
Left before anyone suggested that we should pay, would have been extremely
reluctant if they had!
Had breakfast on hoof whilst continuing trudge up river.
First experience of full size river lock.
Big notice in French and English - "tie boat up whilst in lock, wear
life-jackets". We put on life jackets - it must be confessed for the
first time this trip, and held the boat on the front rope - the lock was
180-200 metres long, by 40 metres (/) wide. It was ENORMOUS, with the
lock-keeper in a glass cabin way up in the sky.
We were completely hidden from him (we were going up) by the wall, but he
must have had a mirror.
Water came in at the front like the Victoria Falls, with great waves and
surges. Never has Albert been rocked and rolled so - but there was no feeling
that it was too much - it was just exciting! We emerged feeling yet another
bench mark had passed under us.
Passed a loaded barge - several thousand miles long, wide, and right down to
it's gunnels in the water.
Made good time by sticking to inside bends where current is less where-ever
possible, and crossing over between, and keeping a sharp look-out round blind
bends.
However, coming round a grassy corner appeared first an enormous bow wave,
followed by an enormous bow, followed by yard after yard of enormously long
boat, with small cabin complete with driver waving to us about 100 metres plus
behind bow wave. VERY FRIGHTENING. Put tiller hard over, throttle right down,
and amidst cloud of black diesel smoke headed for our right bank. Made it -
wouldn't be writing this if hadn't - and watched this -to us - enormous
floating nightmare go past, with the bow wave starting as a wall of water at
least 6 ft in front of it's round bows.
The incredible thing was, that the bow and stern waves caused us far less
hassle than those of 15 to 25 foot cruisers with delusions of grandeur going
at a fast 10 knots!
Continued up river with the adrenaline flowing, and pulled into Port de
Plaisance at Seurre for lunch.
Got pipped to the best mooring across the end of the main jetty by a German,
who just bummed in with an incredibly manoeuvrable boat, incredibly bad
manners and boatmanship. Too bad. Went onto one of the 20 ft fingers, dangling
in current, held in place by cross current and hope.
Coupled up shore electricity, and did washing, lunch, kettles, toast and
fan.
Off up town for inevitable shopping - Thorne's visit now looming as a major
event - must brief visitors that in future they should arrive with 24 hour
ration packs as issued by the services for each day of their visit. Space to
store the food is the problem.
Then - another major hurdle in the foreign and mysterious land, we had our
hairs cut - "coup classiqe" = not very short back and sides!
Back to boat to find small gang of boys harassing the hirers (English) next
door, and others further along the pontoon.
After a bit got the hell-in and threw them off, and believe it or not, they
went! They only went to the next trot and hassled the boaters there, - but
they were Germans and could look after themselves.
Pity - first example of this sort of nonsense.
June 19
Saturday
Seurre - St Jen de Losne.
Getting up later and later! This a.m. about 09.30.
Whilst we had shore power still, hoovered boat.
Then nice boat flying Australian flag arrived with 4 elderly Australians on.
Boat was officially registered in Melbourne, although it has never left the
European waterways!
Strong hints to see over "an English Narrow Boat". Showed them
over, and the opened everything and peered in - even the bow locker where we
keep gas bottles and water hoses.
Then went to them for a beer.
Am extremely concerned - S. says she may be getting a liking for beer. Not a
good thing.
Left moorings for up river about 12.30 - had heard that there was some sort
od rally/bun fight at St Jean do Losne, but the Australians said it was only a
midsummer boat blessing celebration.
Didn't much want to stay in Aeurre, so although we are not good at
gatherings/rallies or any other sort of jollifications continued on up.
Straight off moorings into maw of another 10 acre lock. Unfortunately, it
was very closed with a boat only just starting down it.
Jiggled around (hire boat in offing as well) and eventually tied up to the
lock pontoon - too much wind to hover successfully.
Whilst waiting 2 ships of the size we saw yesterday loomed - breasted up.
They hovered successfully, and when lock finally opened we thought it would
be extraordinarily tactful to let them in first.
In they went - each driver seemed to have his own ideas on where they were
going, so much huffing and puffing with roaring engines, reversing etc.
Fortunately, they disappeared up the front and it is an indication of how
vast it all is, the 2 of them virtually disappeared over the horizon.
We snuck in - life jackets to the fore - as did the hire boat, and up we
went.
In due course out into a long and very dull canal cut for some miles that
replaces the rivers colossal bends and meanders.
The passage of the 2 big boats left the water very rough for some time after
they had gone, and poor Albert was rocked and pitched everywhichwhere.
All afternoon was spent trudging up the cut, scenery not bad, but canal dead
straight and very wide.
Arrived St Jean de Losne into an area of "grande vitesse", skiers
and little fast going power boats all over the water like gnats.
Mass of enormous boats , moored up everywhere on both shores. St J. a nice
looking town - but very small - not much more than a village, considering it
is the meeting place of Upper and Lower Saonne, Canal de Burgogne, and 1 mile
up Canal du Rhone au Rhine.
Wandered about on river, but no suitable moorings, so went into basin of
well known mooring/chandldery/moorings company "H2O". Highly
original name. Masses of boats of all sizes, shape and age, moored higgledy
piggledy in total haphazardness. Asked one boat covered in H2O flags what the
form was, but he only srugged, and we could see for ourselves there was
no-where even remotely suitable for us, so pushed off again up through first
lock on the canal, which was just at the entrance to the basin.
There was another basin above first lock on the canal, lots of vague ship
orientated businesses - all notice boards, masses of tatty boats and no
action. In all fairness, there were also some very nice boats all of the
Luxmotor or Pinniche type.
Went through first bridge, just at the end of the basin, turned round, and
moored up in the shade of a tree, just outside the bridge hole opposite 4 or 5
more or less permanent looking locals.
Walked back to chandlers, bought a large cleat for stern rope, 3 Navicartes
for future journeying and a little French courtesy flag; paid with Lloyds cash
card, (fr454.00), and received a thoroughly disillusioned briefing on
to-morrows festivities from the shop - "ees a shambles".
Left S. to have a drink in a shady outside cafe, and did quick suss of
moorings, boats, etc, on foot. Seemed mostly fun fare on shore side, and
drinks in bars. Not much in it for us - but why should there be. Saw
Australians moored up just below a disco. Good luck.
Went back to boat and played web web unsuccessfully on computer, sat on bank
in peace and quiet, and had drinks, and carried out much telephoning.
Mounted French flag on radio Arial - looks very colourful. Not been keen on
flags and badges before, but perhaps a good thing. Question, which way up
should it be flown?
