log blank 2000


2001

This Weeks We're Here Map

July 8 Sunday
Forges d’Uzemaine to Chaumoussey.
Rain in night - raining and dark when we got up.

Still managed a 09.30 start - only to see, as we went across the basin and canal to line up for the next lock (this is the one the peniche spent the night in, when we were here 2 years ago) a large cruiser of indeterminate type coming up the previous lock.

We would infinitely preferred going up on our own, especially since hearing Ann and Jim’s saga of 7 hours for the last few locks, with a very slow German boat. However, there is nothing we could do - except tie up again, and he was probably just as fed-up at seeing us appear, as we were him.
Waited in reeds for him to overtake - Lady Cath - Dutch, very wide, very high, very square, and looked a pig to control in and near a lock, or wind. Hermetically sealed wheelhouse, and lots of very shiny plastic. On their way from the Med to Holland. We christened her and all boats like her, the Brick or Bricks. Some of them look like a floating bricks, but the worst of them look like a brick-on-edge bouncing along the bottom.
However, they did more than their share of the work, as going uphill we can do very little initially, not being able get off the boat except up the ladders, and we consider ladders not to be cool any more. We just make ourselves fast with my gadget-on-a-pole that drops the rope end loop over the right, but invisible bollard up on the top of the lock wall, tidy ourselves up position-wise, and leave the rest to the L.K., whilst refraining from being a nuisance, causing extra work, or holding up proceedings.

Asked for assistance or advice over bread requirements in cafe/boucherie at bridge over first lock, or information about the travelling bread van usual in rural parts.
First downright unhelpful rudeness ever. Grubby and hungover indeterminate aged female "We are a boucherie and cafe - we do not, have not, and never will sell bread, and you won’t get any anywhere else, either, and the vans never run on Sundays!" Silly - quite often 2 will run on a Sunday, where only one, or none at all, run on weekdays.

Mounted next 11 locks with brick in front, then lunch time arrived, so parted at the lovely little picnic spot/mooring below lock 7 we had been looking for since yesterday to overnight in.
This was the spot we had lunch at 2 years ago, had made no written notes about, but both thought we remembered exactly where it was. And we were both wrong.
Meant to sleep there last night - but it wasn’t where we stopped, so we slept at the old peniche stop at Forges d’Uzemain, lullabied by wailing dogs.

Continued uphill, waiting in ever increasing bewilderment during the morning as the stop still didn’t appear.
However - nobody had removed or stolen it - and there it was, complete with flower beds, jetty, and rings, and no dwellings, roads or anything more human nearby than typical French concrete telegraph pole.
There was another boat in possession - Dutch, genial - that had spent last night (there is room for at least 3 boats, but no facilities) and was staying for to-night as well.
Duly had lunch, and moved on solo at 1400.

Usually, when a pair of boats splits up, like we did, it is quite difficult to get going again, as the system throws a wobbly, and the L.K.s cannot or will not slot the odd boat in again, if they have stopped.
On this occasion, we said we would like to leave again at 1400, and in spite of a very large and very stupid German yachet (that is the correct spelling - pronounced yachet, 2 syllables. ch as church) going as fast as possible in a hell of a hurry down flight, and achieving quite incredible slowness as he bounced off everything, we were expected, and dealt with properly.

2 years ago, also on a Sunday we had a fairly dreary experience of incompetence and slothfulness on this flight, with students in total charge of the entire flight, and either absent from their locks, or unwilling to run them.
This time - also a Sunday - it could not have been better run, with the odd "proper" L.K. amongst the students keeping an eye on things, and in general a most positive attitude from an enthusiastic, helpful and competent body of men and girls.
Emerged from flight just before last lock at wide extensive moorings, with intention of knocking off. Didn’t realise that a large farm steading, complete with sundry ripe manure heaps, and cows, was "canalside".
Stayed long enough for some tea, then left in a hurry, virtually carried off by the flies. On these occasions it is not so much the flies that are irritating - although they were dreadful - as everyone fidgeting and complaining about them, and frantically turning the boat upside down looking for yet one more aerosol of "agent orange".
Eventually tied up on nice quiet sunny (to think we would be enjoying the sun after last week) spot well away from visible human habitation.
Improved shining hour by engine oil change after first round of drinks.
Roast lamb for supper!


July 9 Monday
Chaumoussey to Igney.
Long day ahead with the thought of the 16 locks in the Golbey Flight down to the Epinal level, over 2.5 kms.. Slightly unhelpful L.K.s last time we went down, so apprehension in the air.

Left overnighter at our usual prompt 0945, along the summit pound, a lot of which is actually above the surrounding houses and countryside.
Stopped for bread, then got on with it.
Slightly astonished to see little "seeing eye" radars under last bridge before turning corner for flight, then a CCTV up in the trees.
Then, round last corner, there was the flight, all locks completely automated with brand new equipment.
As we have said, there is a certain sadness about automatic locks, but in a close spaced flight they are undoubtedly ideal, and although the settings on all the locks was dead slow, we were down and out in about 2.5 hours - much assisted by the fact that we were on our own!

Gave Epinal a miss - nothing we needed, although quite liked it, and have hilarious memories year before last of pounding the streets with Jules looking for travel agents, trains, taxis and things. - so pushed on up past Thoane - all fairly industrialized, with row upon row of car showrooms just the other side of the main road that runs alongside the canal from here to Richardmenil at the junction with the Neuve Maison embrochemont.

Arrived at Igney late afternoon, where we intended staying over for much looked forward to 2 days "off", just dossing, and doing odd jobs.
Used to be very nice stopping place, rings in bank, grass kept short, shade under huge old tree.
However, no cutting or slashing had taken place, and grass and bush overgrown, only shade area taken over by local kids, who have worn grass out, and littered it, and local moto-velo kids use it as meeting place.

Moored up a little back, with intention of moving further back again.
Joined later by Pop-eye, neat 15m Dutch barge, with whom we had a beer and corrected the world.

We weren’t in any way actually hassled by the kids - indeed hardly conscious of them - and they all went home by 2100, and weren’t noisy before that, so maybe we are oversensitive. But one can hardly put the chairs out and consume evening drinks 5 metres from a concourse of small boys sitting around cross-legged comparing fire-works.
Got last week’s web away - 23 minutes to transmit, but more pics than usual. It seems to go very smoothly now-a-days. (Don’t speak too soon)

July 10 Tuesday
at Igney.
Took over shade tree in mid-morning, established chairs and books. S did washing, otherwise it was sit around and snooze or do not-a-lot all day.

Weather was kind, bright sun, but cool breeze, so sometimes sat in sun, sometimes under tree. Washing dried quick - but have some doubt as to what they would think at Braunston about the row of knickers hanging on the nice brass tiller.
Local cycle ride in evening, gossip with ex-penichier lock keeper who sold us our little revolving toy signaler/penichier 2 years ago, which has graced the top of the boat ever since fatuously revolving and waving his French and Scottish flags. Looking back at the log on that occasion, see was rather uncomplimentary about said toy, but it has to be said we have had a lot of fun from him, and he has joined the ranks of Ratty and The Big Brown Bear, the Kenya Regt hat, and the bandaged lion in family history. He even got a re-paint in the winter.
3 or 4 kids came back and shared the tree with us rather embarrassedly, but the motor-velo brigade never showed up. It was coolish, so gave them best, after pretending not to understand their request for matches to light their wretched bangers.
A good day was had, all in all.

July 11 Wednesday
Igney to Griport.
Weather blustery and grey.
Pleasant uneventful run, through distinctly run down looking section of canal.
Old gates leaking badly, grass on both banks uncut.
However, as previously noted, all L.K.s unfailingly helpful and efficient.

Pulled into Charmes for lunch and to do a minor shop.
Moorings are combined with the municipal camping-car site. There were 29 of them there (camping cars)! Nearly all Dutch and German. Thus, when we pulled in - there wasn’t really enough room, a Dutchman was exactly at the middle of a 2 boat jetty, so we had to overhang - all the camping car occupants descended on us to watch the mooring spectacle, and grab the wrong rope at the wrong moment.
Since, like everything we do, our mooring up technique is distinctly idiosyncratic, anything can happen on these occasions. It didn’t at Charmes, but was a little untidy!
Went up to S.M. for the odd thing. Considering Charmes has been flattened at least once, frequently more often, in every war since Roman times, they’ve really got quite a nice town - some slate roofed houses wouldn’t look out of place on Edinburgh. However, there seems to be little charm, and a lot of bored small and not so small boys in Charmes, and we left after lunch without regrets.

Stopped for the night a little back from our 1999 stopping place, just on the canal bank - problem all up this section of the canal is the N2057. However, it is not so great a problem that if one can choose somewhere with a few trees between one and it, one can ignore the traffic. If one can, see, hear and feel them it gets really unpleasant. Best if one cannot see them, and anyway, this road - previously a main trunk road, seems to have been dropped from use by heavy traffic, being superseded by a main road running parallel 5 kms away, and a motor way development further over.
Seemed a nice spot we had chosen - and once we had converted it, it was, with nice big trees to sit under and to moor to - we were only 200 metres from the outlet of the lock. However, "conversion" consisted of sawing off or clipping back a number of small bushes with hefty trunks growing out of the side of, or through, the revetments, waiting to wear our paint off, and make horrid creaking noises all night.
Bit sweaty - especially when side cutters, being mis-used as secatteurs - took a dive into the canal. Out with big magnet, and dully recovered!
Took an hour, but when finished, a good mooring up spot!
Gin under trees and restful evening.

July 12 Thursday
Griport to Crevechamps.
Weather as yesterday.
Canal quite busy to-day with lots of boats coming up behind us, overtaking us and dashing ahead, and then having to wait at the next lock.

The brick arrived behind us, just as we were untying to leave, but fortunately the L.K.s up here don’t make everyone wait for another boat, but just put whatever boat or boats are there straight through, so if one isn’t keen on one’s partner in the lock, just dawdle, and make sure one doesn’t arrive at the next until the gates are shut.
We dawdled, and arrived after the gates were shut.

We were still in the world of locks never more than 2 kms apart, so the daily total is quite high.
Stopped off for lunch at one of our less aesthetic picnic spots. Were had by the various times different L.K.s take for lunch. Some are 1200 to 1300, some are 1200 - 1230, some 12.30 - 1300. Times are noted in the Navicartes, but as the years pass they (the Navicartes) are becoming increasingly unreliable, and all too frequently just plain wrong.
The spot was one of those sad places marked as "silo".
In days gone by it was, with jetties and loading shoots for grain, and a mill behind the silos. Now the jetties, shoots and silos are still there, but badly run down, abandoned, and vandalised, although the mill behind was humming, with rows of lorries feeding and distributing it’s products.
Finished at about 1500, pleasant mooring, grass cut, outlook across Moselle River to the other side of the valley, and with care, by not looking too far to the left one could avoid seeing the enormous gravel workings.
Light rain started at 1600 - thank goodness we had stopped - and developed into a heavy downpour by dusk.
Quite cool, and am afraid the evenings are already getting shorter. Noticeable that all the small grain crops are, or have, turned yellow, and watched the first combine of the season last week in flax or something - too far away to identify properly.

July 13 Friday
Crevechamps to Richardmenil
Another cool grey day.

Much much better length of canal - banks cut neatly, grass short, rows of trees not surrounded by bush, and had the weather been hot and sunny, masses of sitting out places. But the gates!!
Scenery-wise - not so good. We are running in the River Moselle valley, which is extensively quarried in this area for gravel and sand. On the other - west side - fields running to forest.
On the east side in the past there must have been gravel pits almost wall to wall up this section in the bed of the Moselle, but many are now deserted - leaving all machinery, notices, etc, standing as at the day of closure. Not a pretty sight - but that is not to say that this is the case everywhere - many pits are still working - but sadly the product is not transported on the canal - the jetties are all in dis-use and the bridges are busy.

However, obviously an effort is being made to sort the canal, although some lock chambers are in a horrific state with cut lining stones in the chamber walls either dropping out with all mortar dissolved out, or the stones themselves dissolved out and the mortar remaining. Some locks are leaking badly at the join of the original chamber wall building, and the Freycinet lengthening done at the end of the 1800s, with water stored in behind the walls when the chamber is full running out when it is emptied. Some gates - although many have been replaced - are in the sort of state where one is quite glad to be out of the lock!
Rumour has it that lack of commercial traffic is partly the result of lack of depth of water resulting in half loads being necessary maximum. Certainly the few peniches we met weren’t loaded right to the gunwales, but they looked fairly full and well down to us. However, this is a chicken and egg situation!

At mid-day, bread crisis, and reckoned we would be too late to buy at Richardmenil, so asked advice of lady L.K. at second last lock.
"Just pull in and moor below the lock", says she, "how many do you want?"
Being old hands at the indigenous phlegmatism - or is it "phlegm" - said "2", and pulled over to await events.
at 12.02 bread van horn audible in distance.
At 12.03 lady L.K.’s daughter - student L.K. from one lock down - having knocked off for lunch and left German brick waiting above lock, arrived in small car, cloud of dust, and a million words from ma for being late.
Daughter bundles out of car - stalling engine - carrying on spirited row in shrieks with ma - she was late!
Ma bundles, also shrieking and leaving us breathless, into same small car, leaves in cloud of dust and small stones.
5 mins later ma returns in great triumph with bread for all.
We stayed put, recovered, and had our own lunch.

Continued on for a little longer, and moored for night at little halte nautique at Richardmenil - a spot we stopped off at very successfully 2 years ago. Pleasant little town up an extremely steep hill, clean, bright and cheerful, with pleasant people, and a small S.M., boulangerie, and everything else.
Found King David, a 60 foot narrow boat, Bill and Claire, who have been living on, in France and the Low Countries, for the past 8 years.
Went up in afternoon/evening to do a bit of shopping.
Was fascinated by work being done on church steeple - replacing timber cladding boards, quite major looking, from mobile crane basket, rather than the more conventional and labourious scaffolding.
Weather turned nasty later - soft light rain turning to persistent heavy rain. Bad luck for Bastille Day fireworks - usually held day before the 14th.

July 14 Saturday
In Richardmenil.

Bastille day, and as there had been the usual confusion - every boater had asked a different L.K., who had given categorical and different information, over whether locks were working or not, and as we liked the village and the mooring, and had previously decided to stay and do nothing very much over the holiday, we did just that.

Decision enhanced by rain, which had been showering all night, set in in the morning, and suggested that as we do boating for fun, and navigating in the rain is not fun, we should stop.
We hadn’t started, so we did (not start).
Weather cleared for spell mid morning, and l’Heritage, an ex Thames fuel bunker barge - neat and very good looking in an elderly sort of way, with minimal messing about done to her during conversion, set off for Toul - our target.

It is quite disturbing, on these occasions, and there is a very strong pull to set off as well - especially as the Dutch/German brick at the end of the line had also gone. However, it started to rain again, so we didn’t.
Managed a short walk in the evening, but most of day spent in boat - time, however, did not hang heavy, although we actually did nothing!