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| Loaded peniche Touareg below lock 3 Sapigneul |
10.2°
C. Grey skies, drizzle occasionally, rain showers after lunch, chilly breeze. I
took rubbish to the bins by the lock house at Berry 3 and told the young
black-bearded keeper who was on duty that we were ready to move and asked him
to set Berry 1 for us, which he did. Coats on again as we set off at 9.45am,
backing out of the very muddy, weedy corner of the large. Five loaded boats
remained in the pound, Nano, Destin and Vite were moored by Berry 3 and
Florence and Delta were moored just beyond
the junction with the Aisne à la
Marne canal. Up Berry 1 rising 2.85m, then pausing on the silo quay while Mike
investigated why the cooling system water was blocked – a thick lump of blanket
weed came out of a pipe, then we set off again. Turned the pole to activate
lock 2 Moulin Sapigneul, up another 2.7m noting some recent boat graffiti on
the lock edge “Aude 3.12.15 > Sète” which would suggest that George and
Helen’s favourite load is back on the books. On to 3 Sapigneul, which is linked
to lock 2 so no pole to twist, it was ready for us. Two VNF vans were by the
lock but they left
before we got there. Made a cuppa as we went along the
longish pound to lock 4. Loaded boat Touareg (Belgian from Oupeye) came down 4
Alger and we passed him by the Caprimeb concrete works. Up 2.67m, with clouds
of innocuous snipe flies (a type of hoverfly) about. The man from the lock
house was tending his garden and swallows were nesting under the top edges of
the girders on the top end lock gates. A passing cyclist with camping gear and
paniers had paused at the picnic area above Alger. Up 2.6m at lock 5 Gaudart
(nice veg garden at the lock house) and on to a 3.5kms
pound. Passed a large
Dutch cruiser with Diksmuide (Belgium) on the stern and a red duster on the
stern. Houseboats Louna (Luxemotor) and (péniche) La Campanetta were moored as
usual in the layby below Loivre lock 6. Paused while Lafurka, a loaded péniche,
came down lock 6, then we went up another 2.6m. The garden at the lockhouse was
beautiful with a peachy coloured rose by the door. A fishing boat (Dutch)
called Hunze from Amsterdam was moored by the silo quay above the lock, looked like
no one was home. Another short pound to lock 7 Fontaines. An empty was coming
down. We passed Edouard from Landelies, waving to its skipper (and
saying hello
to the VNF staff who were back to work after lunch at the workshop just below)
on our way into the lock. Up 2.8m. Gongoozlers on the bridge. Another short
pound to lock 8 Noue-Gouzaine. The derelict house was gradually disappearing in
the herbage. Noted that the middle section of the catwalk over the (new) bottom
end gates was missing – taken away to deter thieves and vandals crossing the
lock or broken and gone for repair? On to our last lock, 9 Courcy. Hello, the
gates were open but no lock lights were on. We went in, hoping the bulb was
busted, but found a very chatty, pleasant VNF man working the lock. Thick
electricity cables were trailing along the lockside
the full length of the
lock. Electricité coupé? (Electricity cut off?) We asked – reply “Nous n’avons
pas payé le facture!” (we haven’t paid the bill!!) We’d just been saying the
VNF haven’t paid up. The lock had been recently rebuilt and it looked like they
were having problems with it. The hydraulics worked the gates OK, one at a
time, but our VNF man in a van had to wind the paddles manually. We had a long
chat about Brexit, and a good laugh. France next? Frexit? Yes, he said and Marine
Le Penn will win! France has big problems too with immigrants, especially in
the big cities. Marine le Penn is a tough cookie but far more moderate than her
extreme far right father, so he could be right. French friends say that the
current prime minister and president are much too weak. We certainly live in
interesting times. Said au’voir et merci. Passed yet another Dutch cruiser who
had been waiting above. Got the turned backs, invisible again! Tied up a few
minutes later on the bollards by the old factory in Courcy. It was 1.45pm. Mike
clipped back the overhanging nettles and we set up the TV just in time as a
short shower arrived. Lunch, then we put the solar panels up as the sun was out
again and getting quite warm, not for long though. Later, Mike watched football,
Iceland beat England 2-1.
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| Loaded peniche Lafurka in lock 6 Loivre |
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| Lock house at 6 Loivre |
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| Dutch fishing boat by the silo quay above Loivre |
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| Missing centre section of catwalk at lk 9 Noue-Gouzaine |
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| Moored at Courcy by the old glass works factory |
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