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July 26

Monday                                                                        

Nancy to Crevic.

We moved last night to avoid the main road out of Nancy we were moored against.

The spot we chose - not more than 50 metres from original mooring - quiet, in the shade, comfortable mooring, little traffic - turned out, at 0500, to be just opposite the dispatch gate of a factory, and not far from a busy set of traffic lights.

Al hell broke loose about 0530, but we managed to survive - not much else we could have done!

Civilised breakfast, although sun was beginning to heat up, and then off back up to yesterday's Total fuel station. This time it was open, and yes, they did sell "gas oil" to boats.

Method was totally logical, and very French. No long hose with nozzle on the end reaching into boat's fuel tank - no, that is much too easy.

A long open pipe arrived on the boat, from through the fence between the service station and the canal, and across towing path. Said service station was set up on the road (of course) which was quite a few feet higher than the canal - say 20 feet.

The other end of the open hose emanated - through a shut off valve - from what looked like a milk churn on a stand, situated comfortably close to the roadside diesel pump.
One states the exact amount of diesel required. This is pumped into the milk churn thing.

The valve under it is opened, and the contents drain into the boat. Quite painless.

120 litres, 570.48 francs. We estimate that consumption is now about 1.25 gallons a day, which is the same as last year's average. The increase this year from start of season's Ave. of 1 gall a day is probably due to fast hard running on the wide rivers, and the wider deeper canals with fewer locks. i.e. we are going faster!

It is a super feeling knowing the diesel tank is full - Ratty had 60 galls capacity, Albert a mere 40, so it can be a worry, although we do carry 2 X 4.5 gall jerricans full.

We can always buy from a normal service station by using funnels, and carrying the jerricans across the road - but so far we have avoided this chore.

Set off, after this, on our journey, out of Nancy, but it was one of those days.

Through the first lock, and there just half a field away was a supermarket - and we reckoned we were going to need one in the next 3 or 4 days.

So tied up, long gossip with council employee cutting grass, over the field to a "hole-in-the-wall", and into the air conditioned super market. (it was very hot outside)

Bought heavies - milk, beer, water, loo paper, Cote de Rhone (Missed out on the 5 litre casks of red Vin de Pays, they contained "a mixture of wines from Several European Union Countries"- couldn't stomach that, so left it, there are some very strange countries in the E.U. growing some very strange wines. Romania still isn't sure which is dry white, and which is anti-freeze) and all usual things, and took trolley across field to boat.

Unloaded, but by now lunch time in locks, which means lunch time for Albert, so found some shade, tied up and had lunch.

Bank was a little squalid - fishing station - and outlook largely pebble dashed factory wall, but considering reduction in quality of mooring that we have accepted in the last few days it wasn't bad, and at least it was cool, without the constant hot hooly that has been assaulting us during the last few days.

Dragged ourselves away, and through next lock. Managed final domestic chore, and filled water. Feel we are now complete. Questioned lock keeper re the Nancy Embrachement - see day before yesterday, we were at the top end of the branch from Richardmenile that we hit on Friday morning, and at the spot we should have arrived at by Friday lunchtime.

No, it was reserved for commercials only (1 a day - 1 per 2 days?), and we were not made aware of why! Possibly water - it is very heavily locked - but more likely just custom and plain French logical cussedness. It really didn't matter in the slightest, and we certainly would have hated to have missed the last 3 days. The trip amongst the "big boys" was definitely "something else". Possibly in 3 years' time it will be opened to pleasure boats?!?!

On through, or rather back to, the very pleasant fields and villages country we haven't see since we set off up the Saonne, although there is a very definite German flavour in everything now - the people are apparently totally bilingual.

Through a hugeous/ginormous soda factory - all railway lines, towers, conveyors, and rows of trains and peniches awaiting loading.

After next 3 locks manning gave over to "automatiques" - i.e. zappers. Just as well, as the L.K.s in the manned locks took themselves far too seriously, and made us tie up, although the guy in the one where we watered took the hose when we were finished to fill his kids pneumatic swimming pool in his garden.

Trotted back into country - saw first Friesian (Friesland) cows on whole trip - for another 5 - 10 kms, found a nice bit of grass and shade, and after a busy day knocked off for drinks, letter writing and snoozing in chairs.

Whilst running by the railway line, waived to engine on railway line - engine driver, and his 3 small kids in cab waved back and tickled horn. We were nearly blasted out of boat - but surely only in France does engine driver take kids in engine cab.

Discovered that many country churches ring the hour twice - 3 mins before and 3 mins after. This, of course, is totally logical - first time tells that there is plenty of time, so do nothing - second that you are too late, so continue doing nothing.

 

July 27

Tuesday                                                                                

Crevic to Einville.

Had a horrible thought in middle of night - we had a "zapper" for going upstream, but when we read the instructions in French (they usually give the instructions for this sort of thing in French, German and English) we realised that the translation into English was a trifle loose.

On this canal, there are posts with zapreceivers (Boxes on posts that receive the zapper signal, and initiate the first part of the locking process) about 100 metres up stream of each lock, and zapreceivers on a different wavelength on posts on the downstream sides. Our zapper was an upstream one only, it only did the locks from the downstream side, it would not operate the system when going back downstream.

This was potentially disastrous, it meant that once we had ascended through a lock, there was no way we could go back down through it again.

It was vital, as we had 2 sets of visitors to be entertained on this section of the canal, that we should have unrestricted backwards and forwards access.

Therefore, at Lock 20 at around 0945 as we went through, contacted "control" on the safety phone on the wall of the lock cabin.

Explained problem to disembodied - but quite interested - voice, who said wait there, and somebody would come out.

Waited and waited - no-one. Went up to 19 and tried again. Still no-one. All very relaxed about our problem except ourselves.

Finally into 18 where found an itinerant L.K. who knew all about our problem. He went and phoned control, who said we would be met at 17 by "garcon" with necessary gadget.

Now lunch time, and hot.

Arrived at 17 - no-body, except nice dog (bitch) towing the village idiot around on a lead. He (the V.I., not the dog - she just put her nose into crotch and barked) knew all about our problem, and he phoned control, who sounded surprised that we really wanted a comingbackdownhill zapper, but would send one out in 5 minutes.

45 mins later 2 charming fellows in V.N.F. van arrived with downhill zapper.

Much relieved and proud holder of 2 zappers (normally they dish out bilingual zappers on these occasions, but none available).

Turned round - we had not actually "mounted" lock 17 - and returned to Einville - 2 kms back.

Bright hot sun, and strong wind.

Moored up opposite village moorings under a tree to doss and await the Ochiltrees (Veronica Glover that was, with husband Ian, and 5 yr old son Jamie)

They were 2 hours later than promised arrival time - not bad for this sort of meeting.

Moved over to village quai after 2nd tel call confirmed arrival time, and met.

Loaded several cwt of assorted camping kit, arranged meeting place with Ian and car, and left again upcanal for 3 bridges.

Set up camp - what a performance - all the tent pegs were of soft aluminum and bent when hit with the mallet (which was plastic, anyway), and had picnic supper based on boat.

Good fun - but a mite stressful, with small hyperactive boy.

 

 

 

July 28

Wednesday                                                                                       

Einville to Lagarde.

Country now much less "French" and more like Salisbury plain with huge farms and fields.

Grain harvest in full swing, and some stubble already ploughed in.

Last night, tractors - particularly muck spreading ones - continued until dark at 21.30 - quiet little road became very noisy at times.

Arrived at Lagarde (a hire boat base - Rive France), after untidy day of too-ing and frow-ing with changing crews in boat and car. Loaded all camping and personal kit (including lego and toy soldiers) onto boat and abandoned car.

Went up two more locks above Lagarde.

Lagarde now considered as base, as due to meet AndrewandClaire there to-morrow.

Found nice camp site and mooring, and maneuvered boat in with much forward and backwards.

Disaster - during last maneuver, accelerator did not accelerate. Engine changed gear happily, but engine refused to run faster than idle speed. Lever just flopped about.

Completed tying up operation with stomach in boots, and lips very tight - how can any individual - particularly a male one - reach middle age, and still be totally incapable of connecting a rope to a peg to such an extent that he just stands and holds it, asking what should he do?

Spent 3 sweaty hours finding that the throttle/accelerator cable was broken, thus preventing the engine doing anything but idle, and making a plan with one of the Fireball's shrouds so that at least we could get back to the hire boat station at Lagarde and plea for help.

Lovely supper - nice campsite/mooring, lovely evening, but worried all the time by engine prognosis.

 

July 29

Thursday                                              

Back to Lagarde.

Very nice camp site and mooring, marred somewhat when a L.K. came at 0630/0700 and let 3 locks-full of water through quickly, resulting in boat settling on sloping bottom 3 times rapidly, whilst hire boats gilled about outside our window waiting to go down, and we were in "night attire" and couldn't get up.

"Plan" on engine throttle worked nicely, and having got everyone up and packing, got into Lagarde about 10.30.

Approached hire boat company - yes they had a mechanic, and yes he would come and look.

Mechanic came and looked, agreed on diagnosis, yes he had a spare, and yes he would install it straight away, and yes he would change fuel filter, oil filter and oil at same time.

Suddenly life was well worth living again - all was unutterably joyful!

Ochiltrees pushed off in car - Veronica not too well - very hot, but impervious to invitation to stay over until cooler.

Work duly done, paid - about fr375 - £37.50 - incl spares, and boat usably by 14.30.

Took boat across to shade (after watering) and went through now familiar process of homing visitors with inadequate maps along very minor roads to very small places probably not marked on said map.

Sat around in shade, but stupidly left big "anchor shade" brolley up in increasingly blustery wind, and one of it's ribs bent, and it collapsed.

This is an utterly vital piece of our equipment, so went to considerable lengths to repair it. - whether successfully only time will tell.

AndrewandClaire finally arrived at about 17.15, hot and sweaty.

Poured tea into them, transferred kit, parked M/C in hire company go-down, and set off up canal for a couple of locks, found shade, moored up for night.

Beer, red wine, brandy, food, talk.

 

July 30

Friday                                                                                                                          

Up some more locks, but a steaming hot day, so shade found, boat moored up, and "chilled out" with books, mail and letter writing chores, etc.

We were entertained during the day by arrival of military "Armee de l'aire" helicopter in field corner below canal embankment. Settled, switched off, chap got out in slightly cowboy and Indian fashion looking round hedges and across fields to horizon, then after 15 to 30 minutes he re-mounted, they wound up their elastic, took off beautifully between tight hedges, trees, etc, and shot off keeping low on the contours.

Later - 1 hour? - we saw 2 of them flying in formation, so maybe they were doing find and concealment exercises.

Although probably small in the flying world, they are very large and noisy in fact!

We were also entertained by the wife (?) of a peniche sunbathing on top of her boat absolutely starkers, lying on her back, reading a book. The skipper - contrary to one's belief and understanding that skippers of suchlike boats are great big hulking loud mouthed tight lipped competent sort of guys, looked rather like an archetypal bank clerk. It has to be said that this incident resulted in bruised jaws as they dropped to the deck all round. S. denied seeing it, but the rest of us were totally goggled eyed.

Ditched 2nd English gas cylinder at bottom of canal embankment in trees. What are we supposed to do - maybe we'll pick it up on the way back - maybe next year.

Sun came round in the afternoon and started to cook us, so went up a few more locks, found evening shade, and re-chilled.

Worried about being near busy road, but traffic density about 3 cars an hour not considered harmful.

 

July 31

Saturday                                                                                                                         

Had to be Lagarde by 11.30, so reckoned an early start might be appropriate, but on checking map it appeared that in 1 and a half days we had come up the canal by 6 kms, so no ways was there a hurry.

Wandered into Lagarde about 11.30, bought bread - they and the Ochiltrees between them had consumed all the reserves we were so proud of when we left the Super Market outside Nancy. Shame, but worth it!

Early lunch, and off went they went.

To-day is change over day for the local hire company, and all the green Rive France hire boats came in early, and shoreside id like a well ordered ants nest, as they rush around getting the boats ready.

They work hard, and move it, each boat +/- 16?? gets pressure wash and clean within and without. We were impressed - when we were getting the throttle cable fixed, the whole place was fast asleep! Their boats, though basically ugly, look good, clean, and neat, and we reckoned their clients got a better deal than the Crown Blue Line, and Conoisseur Cruisers (The Brit firms)

Watered up, started off up through locks to-wards Strasbourg, but it was still blowy and very hot, so found shade after 3 or 4 locks, and continued the "chilling" process.

To-morrow we really go!

In the evening the 2nd or 3rd Peniche of the day - loaded passed us. This must have been the 6th or more in the last 3 days - lots to us, but really rather pathetic.

We went up, on foot, to lock 11, to see how they do it.

The Peniches are 39.85 metres X 5.60 metres X draught of 4 metres. He had about 6 inches on each side in the lock, and 3 feet front and back.

The crew were a man and his wife, and I think they are about 200 tons loaded.

The boat was spotless and beautifully presented - clean and tidy.

Skipper put Peniche into lock - slowly, steadily, accurately, and without drama, and stopped comfortably 3 ft from top gates.

Wife took over, skipper went up front, and put SWR spring onto bollard halfway back along lock, tightened it, and put another spring (actually the other end of the same length of SWR) from the other set of bow bitts onto the bollard in the front corner of the lock, on the other side.

Boat was thus held fast and could not surge fwd or backwards against gates at either end, and as she came up in the lock, he tightened the spring on the bollard by some means known to him.

Unlike Albert, anyone on the deck of the peniche - even fully laden - could see and manhandle ropes over and above the edge of the lock. We can't even see the bollards, let alone cast a rope over them.

Long conversation between skipper and L.K. - who was present, and usually is to see peniches through, even in "automatique" locks. As the peniche moved out, skipper walked slowly back along side deck - keepingpace - so that conversation proceeded comfortably. Whilst very obvious and practical, it looked very weird.

As far as we could tell - they speak very German and guttural around here - the peniche wanted to carry on for one more lock (3 days to Strasbourg) and the L.K. was pointing out that it was after 7.00 p.m.

The canal was heaving with hire boats - they were all let out of Rive France at Lagarde from 4.00 p.m. onwards, and there are millions of them.

The lock, although ostensibly closed at 7.00 p.m, must - in fact - have been left open until late to let them through, as we could hear the machinery running till about 9.00 p.m.

 

August 1

Sunday                                                                      

Just above Lagarde to just below Hemming.

Sunday breakfast after Sunday lie-in.

Already hot, still and breathless.

Started about 10.30, but the canal is still waist deep in hire boats - there are thousands of them. First lock had a problem kept waiting in the sun. Probably a result of overuse by undertrained Germanic hire boaters last night.

Found ourselves sharing locks up front, but managed to push them into front place at second lock, and then tried to loose them alto-gether by stopping for coffee before 3rd lock - but dozens more turned up.

We actually stopped for coffee exactly where we moored up for hot chill-out day with AndrewandClaire, and were able to check out the gas cylinder. It was still there.

Set off again, under the delusion that we were on our own. No such luck - Sunday end of July/beginning of August!?!?

Country side now very English like, mixed farming, lots of green meilies, and combines everywhere. But big. What cattle there are look pretty scrub. Agriculture reasonably scruffy.

Wind rose, and we had another day of steaming sun and strong breeze. After the debacle with the brolly at Lagarde didn't dare leave it up, so took it down and got well warmed.

At the top of the set of locks "automatique" we have been on for the last few days there is one of the remarkables of the system, a 15 metre deep lock out in the middle of no-where.

Hit it behind 3 hire boats and in front of 2 more.

Tried to receive directions in bottom of 15 metre cavern, but with wife at front of boat, 2 load mouthed Huns next boat and 2 metres away, and L.K. shouting from 15 metres up in echoing cavern communication and understanding were poor, so went own way.

Rise very gentle and controlled - don't know what all the fuss was about. Floating bollards on one side only - the other side, but SS mooring pylons from bottom to top on our side at bow and stern precluded drama.

Continued across the summit - this looks on the map to be a series of lakes, and rather nice. However, the canal was dug with the spoil being put on both sides, so we were completely enclosed and saw nothing except the top half of a set of Hoby Cat sails over the embankments.

Bimbled through Gondrexange and Hemming looking for overnight moorings not flooded with the great German unwashed. Passed sundry cement works, motor ways and rly lines.

Finally got a nice spot under trees in shade (about 5.00 p.m.) but all canal along here bricked curved sides and bottom, where we cannot get the boat in, and even if we do, we grate all night.

Tried new mooring up method - 4 pegs, spring ropes pegs anchoring outside ends of gang planks, whose inside ends are wedged against boat side. that are wedged against boat sides. Keep boat out, and, hopefully, springs keep her rigid. Proof against all except Nicholls, Crown Blue Line, and Conoisseur, all driven by lunatic Huns.

Quiet, except for rly line behind trees. Motor-way audible in the distance.

Survived a peniche, but even so, attrition by horrible Hun hirers is telling.

 

August 2

Monday                                                                           

Just below Hemming to 2 locks below Inclined Plane.

This stretch includes 2 of the "great wonders" of this canal.

However - to start at beginning:-

Quiet night in wooded country, except for distant grumbling of cement works. Fancy mooring up method worked fine, in that it survived 2 peniches, and many overheated hirers, and we did not grate at all.

The canal entered some rather superb heavily wooded but very pretty country.

Now conscious of German influence everywhere - it is no longer sufficient to speak Fractured French, Guttural German is also required. All the holiday makers, boaters, etc, are German, and if not French, one is assumed to be German.

The country side is no longer French, as seen earlier, but more "Bavarian" or "Swiss", with roof ends cut back, and lots of half timbering. Attractive.

Came to tunnels - 400 metres, and 2300 metres.

Traffic light system stops meeting other boats, and they have "street" lighting throughout, and are dead straight.

The interesting thing about them is that until 40 years ago, all boats were pulled through in long strings tied to each other, pulled by little electric donkey engines running on canalside railway. The railway is still there, as is one of the donkey engines, rusting away on the jetty.

When we came through there was some sort of diesel driven works machine on the line about 2 thirds of the way in, and sundry men doing something by torch light.

We went into the first tunnel solo - having waited some 30 minutes, but 2 cruisers came up behind us going like the bats, and as we have no stern light (all our navigation lights are in a plastic bag in the fore-peak) we were scared he would do a "Marchioness" all over us, so we held a torch facing backwards.

We let them both go in front of us through the second tunnel (they are only about 400 metres apart), to find the first one was English - Royal Thames Yacht Club - and didn't speak to low bodies like us, whilst in the second the crew - very female - was happily and unselfconsciously topless. Surprised she didn't get entangled in her mooring lines.

Let them get well ahead, until the Arzviller Inclined Plane.

This really is something else - a tank, the same size as the standard locks on this section of canal - 40m X 5m X the same depth. This is mounted on wheels on a railway track, and moves sideways down a dirty great ramp balanced by 2 enormous concrete counterweights, also moving on railway tracks (different ones)

The object of the exercise is to move boats up and down vertically some 40 metres, replacing the 17 locks that used to drop the canal into the Zorn Valley, where, because of the narrowness of the valley and steepness of the drop, some of the pounds were little bigger than the locks themselves, causing massive traffic jams in the days of 40 peniches a day, and they suffered horrendous water shortages.

We arrived just in time to miss the current trip - the 2 cruisers aforementioned (I failed to see if she was still topless in front of the crowds of gongoozlers)

However, we were able to watch them down, a penich come up - another immaculate boat - and the 2 trip boats to which the large crowd of gongoozlers belonged.

This was all intensely interesting and enjoyable, and clearly a major tourist attraction.

Our turn duly arrived, and in we went, squashed between 2 hire boats(!)

They then sealed the end of the canal, and the caisson separately, and discharged the water in between, and down we went.

It was so smooth and controlled it was almost a none event, the only excitement being a young girl in VNF sweatshirt want our "boat documents".

I offered her the whole file, she knew not what actual docs she wanted or needed! Gave her the SSR card which seemed to keep her, and another lad happy.

At the bottom was able to watch the seals on the caisson and canal being put in place, the 2 seal gates being lifted and the canal and caisson being re-connected.

We drove out, and on down the canal.

The actual time taken from arrival, to getting out, takes about 40 minutes instead of a minimum of 1 day, and 40 cu metres of water for 3 boats, instead of 17 locks full.

We started off down the locks below, still in rather beautiful narrow wooded valley - still very hot, but largely windless in the trees.

After 2 locks, it was obvious that there were such crowds of hire boats waiting and passing through each lock, we would get no-where, so made best of bad job, and moored up in shortish pound, with same curved brick sides as last night.

Did same kind of fancy moor-up as last night - once again having it intensely tested by a loaded peniche, and many hire craft.

Mooring was at least in shade, but also close to bust secondary road, and very busy railway line, all in trees, resulting in noisy echoes.