Up at eight and moving for 9.30 a.m. as we’d booked the next lock for ten. Past a campsite on the left bank, full of Dutch cars with tents and campervans. We followed Charlie as they’d set off while we were untying, Diana had opened the Llangollen style liftbridge so we went through. A small new replica Dutch Barge had gone past around 8.30 a.m. and the skipper was chatting with Nick and Diana as he’d come up on his bike to find a keeper as was still waiting above the lock, 29 Chitry (2.61m) which he’d booked for 9.00 a.m. We moored behind Delisa, a modern tjalk, and waited until the skipper returned on his bike. He hadn’t seen anyone. A few minutes later a youngish bloke in VNF van arrived and started to work the lock, he let the French DB through and I walked down to give him a hand. He said he was all alone and that I’d have to give him a hand, no problem – that’s why I’d walked down! The little tjalk dropped down ropeless. I opened the bottom end gate and dropped the paddle, closed it again and went up to the top and opened a top end gate, towpath side, as he had pointed out the bollards were on that side. Boats in and Mike closed the gate as I was sorting the rope round a bollard, which was a bit too far back even for the centre roof rope. Another man in a van came past and went on to work the French replica tjalk through lock lock 30, Marigny (2.67m).
Our young man had another helper, so Diana got back on board and we motored down to lock 30. After a short wait while two keepers refilled it we ran into the chamber (Diana opened the towpath side gate and Mike closed it) and dropped down lock 30. We could see a larger DB coming into lock 29 as we went down into 30 and Mike thought he could see another behind it. Down to lock 31 Gravier (2.63m) and our keeper had another helper so we were all superfluous. Booked the next lock for 9.30 a.m. on Sunday as we told him we were staying at Marigny. We moored on the towpath side opposite two Moissac blue monsters (big heavy steel hire boats built by Burgundy Cruisers) as this was their turn round base. It was 11.10 a.m. A Dutch couple on bikes stopped to chat and asked the usual questions as were tying up. Shortly after the boats that were following us, a private Dutch Barge (a new tjalk) and a small Locaboat, came past. A LeBoat arrived, heading uphill, and moored behind us over lunchtime. Got organised and had some lunch. After lunch Mike tried the Internet, it wouldn’t work on his PC but it did on my laptop! (Later it crashed and completely refused to restart) Just after two o’clock another LeBoat came past heading downhill.
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