Bassin Rond to Cambrai River Escaut

Lovely setting off in clean boat!

Relaxed run - 2 hours only - no more heads twisting and turning wondering what was lurking round each corner. No more exhilarating down-hill surfing rides or standing dead stationary in the water while going flat out as the big boys pass or overtake.

Having said that - we did meet just 1 "Freycinet" (the only size that fit this canal - the original standard barge size, 38.5m by 5.05m by 380 tons) peniche.

Fine sunny cool autumnal weather.   Autumn has been threatening for 5 to 6 weeks - the poplars turn very early - but now it is cooler, the days are getting appreciably shorter, and all the trees are turning, and leaves are falling.

However, everywhere here is quite amazingly green, they have obviously had plenty of rain throughout the summer - especially recently.    Don’t we know it.

Moored up more or less on same spot in Cambrai as we left 2 weeks ago - with the intention of not coming back this way! We went with the intention of sticking our toes into the Belgian waterways, and if we liked them, possibly leaving Albert there over winter.

It didn’t work out, and we are more than happy to be going down France again into waterways where we feel more confident and at home.  We do this for fun, and the last 2 week's boating have been a bit like driving a 1930 Austin Seven down a modern day motorway.

Spent the afternoon battling with Pipex to get last week’s log up. They were just "off the air" - no way of uploading, e-mailing, or even contacting them. This is quite common at week-ends wit- free and cheap ISPs when they are superbusy, but always in the past Pipex have risen above that sort of nonsense, with constantly available up-load and help lines. They must have had their staff and assets reduced since going broke and being taken over, so can no longer give the service we pay quite a lot for.

Tried in the middle of the night, and finally got contact, and rather sleepily uploaded at 0230 in the morning, over a "midnight" cup of tea.

Cambrai to Honnecourt-s-Escaut Canal de S.Quentin

Lovely day after very cool crisp night, with lots of rain-promising wind in afternoon and evening.

Country delightful, air very clear and light very bright. So many camera worthy scenes that none were photographed!

Longer day than we intended. Stopped off at SM at Masnieres where we stopped on way up to do heavy shop, they deliver.

Closed Mondays (ouch - horrors!!), then when we got back to boat 3 peniches passed us going our way, and then a fourth arrived and took the first lock - as is their entitlement.

Found them all - plus a whole lot more - playing bumper cars around a silo a couple of locks back from here.

This all slowed us down horribly, and as we have a schedule until we are through the towing tunnel to-morrow, we just had to go on till late so that we start in a favourable place to-morrow for 0930 towage - 3 locks on even from here.

Nice little halte nautique. Very quiet, mown grass under trees, very old wood jetty with nearly all planks removed - and rusty nails sticking up.   Framework seems sound, so tied up firmly and comfortably.

Joined on arrival by first of what we though were the local youth harassing brigade. They were joined quickly by 2 more, but we plonked our chairs down very firmly opposite the boat, and within 20 minutes they took themselves off. Looked to us as though they needed a great deal more privacy for what they wanted to do than they were getting here

Honnecourt-sur-Escaut to Séraucourt-le-Grand Canal de S.Quentin

Alarm woken 0645. We have a schedule - arrive at start of Grand Tunnel of Macquincourt, to be towed through - see log about 2 weeks ago for description.

However, there were 3 locks between our rather nice comfortable and quiet mooring and the pick-up point, and locks here only open at 08000.

Sure enough, 0755 lights came on, and smartly at 0801 Albert broke the radar beam, yellow flashing light came on, main lights turned red and green and we were off.

At 0804 red and greens returned to red only - there was a peniche coming down, having over-ridden - presumably with the help of a lock-keeper - the lock programme.

Only lost 10 minutes - he was loaded but speedy - and we really were off. Met a plethora (2 boats) of other craft coming down behind the peniche, but nothing going up with us.

Beautiful morning. Arrived at pick-up point comfortably at 0915, 15 minutes before required time.

Tow boat arrived towing loaded peniche with well muddied sides - they must be cows to control at 2.5 km/h and no engine (not allowed, fumes in tunnel, 5.4 kms long).-

Again, only boat being towed through our way was us, and enjoyed a tranquil, but extremely cold, trip.

On exit, did our arithmetic, and decided to give it stick past St Quentin P. de P. (we’ve never been in, but a Frenchman described it to us as noisy and dirty and expensive!) and get to Seracourt for a mini-market and quiet moorings.

Cold morning developed into a bright hot day, but this is an extremely pleasant canal, through nice country, lots of locks but all automatics that almost invariably work, and generally good fun all round.

Made this very pleasant little mooring - right off the main canal by 1600, settled in, met "Capitaine" - the local likeable rogue - who took 8.00€ off us, and turned on the electricity and water. There were scores of fishermen all round - but not one on the pontoon - they must have been chased off, or they would have occupied the whole thing.

Read, had tea, gossiped, then tried to fix stiff throttle/gear change lever. See to-morrow, it is one of those things that if made too easy, leaks oil.

Séraucourt-le-Grand to Jussy Canal de S.Quentin

Managed 13 kms and 2 locks to-day!

Another example of this year’s extraordinary weather - yesterday and day before clear, bright, hot mid-day and afternoon, cool clear evenings and nights. To-day woke up to grey overcast, and in due course, without any wind, it just started gently to rain, and steadily got worse.   Even so, this canal is and has been most enjoyable.

Got away late - bit of shopping, and bit of boat cleaning - unenergetically.

Working ahead - we need to clear the next sections of this and the l’Oise a la l’Aisne in one day, as it has heavy traffic from Paris area up to Charleroi and east Belgium., Germany, Luxembourg, etc. We are on it for only a short sec, but must get off it in the one day, and although we are still 5 locks and 8 kms away, there are no likely moorings beyond here - not that these are all that marvelous.

The actual mooring here is a waiting jetty for peniches to load at the near by - disused - silo.   Very interesting church design in town - normal sized spire, but built completely openworked in carved stone as far as we can see, with enormous representation - 30 metres high? - of the Virgin Mary on one face of the building.

Tried to photograph, but realised perceived visitors were in fact local rowdies - drunk - messing about in the porch. Cameras contra-indicated, so left and got back to boat just in time to miss heavy storm.

Spent rest of day placidly reading and "talking amongst ourselves"!

Jussy to Coucy le Chateau. Canal de S.Quentin to Canal de l’Oise a l’Aisne

Woke up and got up to thick mist - really thick! Early start intended.

Rigged nav lights, and as canal so quiet, reckoned we would go - and just take it easy.

Tested almost at once by meeting dredger barge pushed by little tug - we kept on meeting the 2 of them yesterday, so have got to know them quite well. They are dredging a lock entrance - and if we are to believe the notices - the whole canal, but barging the mud all the way up to near Seracourt, to unload into tractor trailers. Thence who knows??

On spite of mist, saw the barge in plenty of time, and he seemed to see us, so reckoned we’d continue a step at a time unless it got obviously worse.

Saw red light of first lock looming through mist, and also 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th.

The last saw us out onto the highway of the Paris - Charleroi - to East Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany canal route, so stopped at foot of lock and walked forward to have a look.

Visibility improving now, and fine both ways - canal dead straight for several kms, and all the heavy traffic we had been promising ourselves disappeared back into our imagination. Zilch - wide canal, double locks (2 side by side independently worked) all to ourselves (most of the second locks barred off, but still useable, by the look of it). On the 9 kms of the main route through Chauney to the turn-off up l’Oise a l’Aisne we saw 2 peniches, and 2 plaisanciers - and of course the rather exposed moorings at Chauney itself.

Turned into the first lock of the l’Oise a l’Aisne, found a suitable bollard on a concrete topped piling, moored up, and had lunch.

This was our final departure from the Canal de Saint Quentin, and on both occasions that we have used it (this last time was a complete end-to-end) we have thoroughly enjoyed it. Pretty, calm,  tranquil, well maintained (all locks are automatic and work well) everything neat and tidy, lock areas with beautiful displays of flowers, and neat gardens - altogether very good indeed.

Turned off -after all our preparations and prognostications for a busy and traumatic trip feeling slightly foolish, but very comfortable - back to the bush type moorings on reasonably sized canals that we like and are used to.

Lunch just above first lock on this canal de Canal de l’Oise a l’Aisne, on one of the occasional and very welcome bollards scattered along this section. Found some plums growing wild and carried out healthy pick.

Last time - 2 years ago - commented that banks and verges of this canal are heavily overgrown, and by the size of the trees in the bush, have been neglected for some years. Over the bottom 10 kms or so considerable effort has been put into a major clearance of both banks. Well done - long and up the canal may it continue.

Locks on this stretch are now automatic - work well, and the house and surrounds are pretty and immaculate!

Sat ourselves on the lock mooring at Crecy 3 for cycle visit to Coucy le Chateau to-morrow morning.

Whilst sitting energetically in the sun doing absolutely nothing, visited by a couple from a peniche that had been held by the 1800 shut-off on the mooring below the lock. Dutch - Hank (Henk ?) and Clara of peniche (Freycinet) Nellie B.

Lots of gossip, and lots of brain picking. They are carrying fertiliser to Sette on the Canal du Midi for little gain! Start at 0700, or when the locks open, and finish at 1800 or when the locks close. They were saying that old bourses where loads were dished out very much on the same principle as queuing at a SM deli - tear a ticket off a roll, and when your number comes up the job is yours - are no longer, and skippers and/or owners have to find their own cargoes - i.e. sell themselves their prices and their services. Result is prices being forced down by the road lobby who speak with one corporate voice competing against a large number of individuals who are competing with each other. Added to this, some routes - such as the Canal de l’Est are so badly maintained that it is necessary to go round by the much longer, more expensive,  but more heavily used routes. As there is very little tourism up the Est, presumably money will talk, and in 10 years time it will be no more.

Anyway, a most enjoyable and instructive - and chilly - evening - and supper and bed only brought round by the cold, and the fact that it is totally dark by 2100.

Coucy le Chateau to Pargny-Filan. Canal de l’Oise a l’Aisne

Heard Nellie B go off first thing - and duly admired her and waved. Very smart ship - suspect crew do it more to keep and live a way of life than to make a decent living.

Lovely fine misty early morning, but clouded over later to be cool and overcast. Dull, although bits of sun sometimes appeared.

Set off after breakfast for Coucy le Chateau itself on the bikes. We did this year before last, but it was very hot, and we couldn’t get into the "keep", so we didn’t really achieve much.

This year was weird - not a tourist in sight in the town, and very few people about at all.

Enjoyed the visit - though a lot of the keep appears to be unrecognisable for what it was - but a marvelous position overlook thousands of kms of country. Virtually no photos - too dull and misty, but were able to enjoy the views non the less.

Back to boat mid-morning - smoking brake blocks - and set off up canal after coffee and sandwiches!

Stopped at Champion SM canalside at Pinon - Ainzy-le-Chateau. Good "heavies" shop, as we can get the trolley to the boat.

Thence on - sides of canal well overgrown now - as mentioned before. Commercial traffic light compared with old days - we are told 7000 to 8000 boats a year, averaging 30 passages day. We met 5 loaded coming down, and knew of 2 going up! This is heavy by our standards.

Arrived at last lock before this mooring and solemnly told LK we were not going on, but would be staying until to-morrow. He politely agreed with us, not pointing out that the only reason he was present at the lock was to switch it, and all the others, off at 1800, so it was reasonably certain that there was no way we would be going on, so the information we were giving the LK in our immaculate French was redundant, anyway.

Tied up - chainedf up - next to a mooring pontoon - full with 2 boats, one deserted - to sheet piles - revets - with holes in the top - always one of our favourite secure moorings where there is commercial traffic around.

At Pargny-Filan. Canal de l’Oise a l’Aisne

Day off indicated!

Just as we were starting, the hire boat filling half the pontoon set off, so quick decision, followed by a quick backing up job, and we set ourselves up on the pontoon, complete with electricity, water, and the company of David and Heather in Narden.

Weather overcast, but warmish.

Achieved virtually nothing all day, but enjoyed not doing it.

Herself persuaded one of the customers in the bar/pub to sell her his bread (he could get more later).

Replaced baling wire holding my Brompton’s chain tensioner onto the bike with the proper washer and nut, then tried to destroy binoculars (ever since dropping before last they have double vision, and have to be twisted to show one image) but saved them at the last minute, unimproved.

Cycle ride across to large pleasure park based on camping and water sports, but found we had to pay 2€40 just to go in and look, so didn’t.

David and Heather for drinks - so ends busy busy day!