2007
overnighters
wouldn't yet have arrived.
with below it in 2007.
Joined, during afternoon and early
evening, by a host of boats - but still enjoyed the stop and visit.
Masses of cyclists up and down,
the
towing path is a part of one of the main cycling routes - next stop Chalons sur Saône!
14 August 2007 Tuesday St Léger de Dheune to Montchanin Canal du Centre
To-day we were into proper boating again. This stretch covers the last lengths and locks to the summit between the Saône and the Seine, and work appears almost to accelerate as one approaches the top, with locks getting deeper and deeper, and closer and closer to-gether. It is historically quite an important stretch, as well, and must have been purgatory for the big horse or donkey drawn peniches when the locks were manual, The very handsome boulangerie is - or rather was last year - in fact a boulangerie, and I believe the boat museum by it is good. Unfortunately, buying bread is perfectly feasible, but interrupting the automatic chain to moor up and visit the museum would be unpopular.
The
trip is good fun, if one is not pressurized. There seemed to be virtually no traffic, so I was
pleasantly on my own and unpressured..
This is where VNF Canal du Centre get their own back on the boating public.
The locks are all boater operated mechanicals. But unlike all other locks on the system, where tirettes, or the lock operating controls, are rods mounted in permanent structures half way along one side of the lock, these tirettes - 1 per lock - are mounted in one corner, tucked in just below the upstream gates, and they are not nice firm positive push rods, but tatty ropes running in worn out plastic pipes cemented to the lock wall that have to be pulled, tugged, and jerked.
Hence it is necessary to go right through the lock, poke the bows of the boat almost right into the far end corner, steady her, then trot through, and - assuming driving is accurate - grasp blue rope and pull like billy-oh from the bows. Then one stands watching the entry gates with an eagle eye waiting for the slightest movement as they start to close (if they don't - try again!). As soon as they do move it is necessary to make a mad rush back down through the boat to the driving position and back her hurriedly to the downstream end of the lock steady her up, and line her up nicely before the water really rushes in, so she rises quietly and calmly hitting nothing. This is, of course no problem in the 2 to 3 metre locks, but there are several of 5 metres plus rise and the ones from Lock 10 to lock 1 at the top can be quite naughty, reacting far too quickly to the control commands, and filling very quickly.
On the plus side, the deep locks are fed through ground paddles and chambers - the water comes up from the bottom all along the side of the lock, and there is no wild white water up the front. If the boat is on the correct side to start with she is held nicely and firmly against the wall. If not - the incoming water shoots her across to the other side. Fine, if the boat has been kept lined up straight so that the rear and front fenders connect more or less at the same time, but not so good if one end of the boat has come out and across, so that one is lying diagonally across the lock. The ultimate snag, of course, is that the floating bollards (if you use them) are all on the same side of each lock - as are the controls, but the side the incoming water enters by varies from lock to lock! For the reference of boaters meeting this problem, and like me have trusted to luck in the past, I made notes - but of course, in the excitement of the moment I may have got them wrong, and I am not convinced that each filling behaves the same way as last time, anyway - but I was quite careful. Basically, and remember this is on what they call the Mediterranean side coming towards Montchanin, in Locks 10, 8, 6, and 2 I sat on the left - the water came up on the right and pushed us over to the left. In nos 9 and 3, I stopped on the right - i.e. on the floating bollards side. I don't seem to have a note on 4, and 5 and 7 are only 2.6 metres rise. I wonder if 4 was the one that had me totally confused with red and green lights. The red light turned out to be a road traffic light, and the green the sign outside a pharmacy. It's own lights had the weepy sun light exactly behind them, and even the structure was invisible to me.
Lunch was taken at the little mooring at St Julien at the bottom of the last flight of locks. I have been trying, every time we have passed this spot, to duplicate the photo that appeared on the entry page of our original logs, and once again, as always, there was some other boat or boats in the way.
Drove through the summit cut, with some relief and distinctly weary, at tea time. Moored up to the VNF stores just before the first lock down at the far - or Southern end - of the summit pound. Well done VNF - there was always a very scruffy sort of couple of bollards here, but they have tidied it up, cut the grass and bush back, found more bollards, fenced off their private property, and really made it quite nice. No facilities, of course, but Jeff Renel is right opposite in the old hire boat base if you want things done to your boat, or need water. The village - with normal "commerces" - is a very short bike ride away.
Visited Jeff's yard, but found first sign of the semi disaster that stalked us over the next couple of days. It was closed!
17 August 2007 Friday Génelard to Paray-le-Moniale Canal du Centre
Once again, cool to cold, and overcast.
Passed - once again - the old bottle kiln, still, after all these years with the same signs up saying danger keep out. Pity, it must be quite an historical structure.
Big repairs going on to structure of bridge at Lock 18. Was it the collapse of this that closed the canal - amidst fantastic rumours - at the beginning of the season?
Still pleasant small farm mixed farming country - small fields, hedges and white moos. Incredible how green everything still is, after the wet "summer". The chestnuts have all gone brown and the poplars are very autumnal, but on the whole up here, not too bad. The green sort of pollen stuff that appears on the water at this time of year has made it's appearance.
4 years ago was truly horrified at the hacking down of the grove of lovely mature lime trees just below the moorings, for no apparent reason. Last year area was unused dusty litter catching area. This year some strange shaped marquees were pitched on it, but still feel some imagination could have avoided the cutting down of those lovely trees. At least some could have been left to provide shade.
Into Paray - shock horror. Main moorings absolutely
full except for 1 space exactly 16 metres (my estimate) long. Didn't
dare attempt it without help - strong wind blowing. However, not
like usual, no one - least of all boats next to the gap - showed slightest
inclination to come out and help, so after 10 minutes of looking hopeful, and
seeing faces peering out of boat windows, but not issuing forth, gave it up and
went and moored alongside further up into town, which has always looked
thoroughly undesirable 
to
me, although there is a full complement of bollards. In fact, not
much noisier than main moorings - lot of LAMs about - but of course free, nice
and near Lidle, and so little traffic, that undisturbed. Also,
although silly enough to park opposite 2 benches, no disturbance or interference
from locals. Mooring is on right of photo.
Harassed by little VNF man in white van while trying to moor in the now thoroughly strong and unfavourable wind with damn silly questions about when I was leaving, where I came from, where I was going, and what was the name and number of the boat. Offered him a rope to hold, and told him all would be made plain when I was safely moored up. Never seen anyone get into his van and drive away so fast.
18 August 2007 Saturday Paray-le-Moniale to Pierrefitte Canal du Centre
Seem to be rushing along my favourite
canal on the whole system, Idea was to loaf up this section, spend a
couple of days in Beaulon cleaning up, then wander into Decize in mid September.
However, weather is not conducive to just wandering, and a faint - and in fact totally unjustified - worry that I would not get the same jetty in CBL at Decize as last year, so I am covering too much ground each day.
To-day, through Digoin (lunch and water) and over the Loire on or in the splendid aqueduct, as it is Saturday afternoon being run by 2 girls who really didn't know what was what, but were really quite sweet!
Later in the afternoon - under the bemused gaze of an unperceived following ex hire boat - I finally did what I have been scared of during the whole trip.
Went to sleep at the tiller, and rammed France.
No damage - except vast to dignity - as I actually woke at the last half second, and with heavy application of power managed to spin a full scale ram into a "glancing blow". It was now that I looked back and saw the chap behind for the first time - well dressed gent wearing little more than a pony tail round a bald patch, and bronzed skin, and appropriately placed pocket handkerchief.
From
then on, drove very circumspectly along the
right hand side until lost him at a lock. Thence into Pierrefitte, but chap behind me wouldn't overtake -
obviously preferred to keep me where he could see me. Know the
feeling.
Into Pierrefitte always known in mind as "Sister Ruth's village" where some years ago she had to dodge the very heavy through traffic on the N79 to buy bread. This is one of the many villages - plus Paray and Digoin towns - up and down this road which have now returned to civilization with the diverting of all through traffic onto the new auto route.