Hot and sunny. Set off at 9.15 a.m. just after the yacht Smithereen had left. When we got to the first lock, Champfleury 12 (2.03m), it was empty as a commercial had just gone down. Mike called the keeper but he didn’t answer (he answered the commercials though, and PDQ!) We hovered above with the yacht while the large, very rotund, lock keeper pressed buttons to refill the lock. Both lock walls were vertical, the yacht went left and we stayed on the right behind Charley. Still on the river for 7 kms of lovely winding bends, then into the canal section, the derivation de Courlon, with Charley behind and the yacht in front. We were catching up with a loaded commercial and another was coming up in the lock, Vinneuf lk 13, a deep one at 3.38m.
Nick hung back between the bridges on the narrow canal section to let empty barge Looping (whoever thought of the name for that one?) 62m long 710 tonnes, come past, which delayed him enough to miss the next lock. The yacht was on the little pontoon and loaded péniche, Va-Yo-Yo-Mi, was sitting in the middle of the chamber, so we slid in on his left behind the pontoon, slung a rope around a bollard then fended off the sloping walls with boat shafts. The keeper shut the gates and dropped the lock. The péniche sat ropeless, engine switched off, in the middle of the chamber, skewing slightly as the lock emptied. We shoved off and went out first to leave the commercial plenty of room and the yacht followed on behind us. Just 1.6 kms of canal lead to lock 14 Port-Renard (1.30m), which had been shortened since we were last there (1996) and had new gates fitted.
In 1994 we spent a weekend moored on the river side of the lock chamber wall while VNF were on strike and péniche traffic piled up. Chatted with the lady off the yacht while we waited for the péniche. They had SSR 00018 – the earliest we’d ever seen. They’d had it (and the yacht) since the scheme started in 1974. We asked the keeper if we could stay and have lunch while we waited for our friends to catch up. He said there was a new mooring below - it was for the big boats – we went on the wall – it had a “No Mooring” sign now. Lunch. At 1.00 p.m. the keeper came over to tell us Charley had just left his lock. We set off downriver, 4.3 kms to the next lock. Passed a large private marina in an old sand pit which had been renamed AssisBeach leisure centre and access was prohibited into the lake via a moveable footbridge. On a very tight bend before the bridge at Misy-sur-Yonne we passed a very large empty pan called Labrosse being pushed upriver by tug Alsace.
Lock 15, Barbey (1.64m) was full and ready with top end gates open. The lock lights were green and red, so Mike called on VHF to ask permission to enter the lock. OK. We got an answer and a green light! Sloping sided and no pontoon. The keeper came out of his air-conditioned lock cabin to take a rope for Diana. I threw mine before he got there and flicked it over the bollard and got a “Bravo” from the him. The sloping sides were old stones and very rough with lots of scrape marks as the water level dropped. We kept the boat away from the rocks with boat shafts. Followed Charley down the 4.5 kms winding river section to lock 16 Labrosse (1.71m). At KP97 we left the department of Yonne and entered Seine et Marne. At KP98 Mayflower (67m 896 tonnes) was loading gravel.
Lock 16 was ready with gates open and a green light, we followed Charley in. Again no pontoon and both sides sloping – at least the locksides were smooth concrete, still with lots of scrape marks. Saw no sign of the keeper. He had a very smart new two storey lock cabin with air-conditioning. Waved to the camera as we left then shouted “Au Voir” as we passed his open cabin door and got a wave back. One long bend between gravel pits on either bank and a long straight and we were at Cannes-Ecluses. Mike called the keeper to tell him we were staying above his lock for the weekend to watch the F1 from Spain. He wished us a bonne weekend. Winded to keep the side doors on the outside as we moored on the right hand bank opposite the village, in front of a row of houses. Charley went under the trees and we moved up so we were bows to bows. It was 3.45 p.m. Not long after we tied up Mayflower, now loaded, went past which checked our mooring ropes – all OK. Gave Mike a hand to run the moped off on a long plank to the top of the sloping grassy bank and the road. He went to collect the car from Pont-sur-Yonne and I put the laptop on to do the log. Back on 3G again! I just had time to check my emails and Mike was back with the car. Gave him a hand to get the moped back on the roof before cooking dinner.
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