The hireboat moored behind us made a lot of noise for the three quarters of an hour before he moved off downhill. The two up by the lock did semi pirouettes before they actually got in the chamber, lock 17 Champ du Chêne (2.59m), well after nine. The keepers managed to get it refilled ready for us smack on 9.30 a.m. We went in first and Charlie behind us. The guy we’d seen the day before who collected fossils and lived at lock 6, Planche du Belin, had come down on his bike to work the locks for us. He was silent as he worked the lock. Diana stayed on the lockside to open the right hand side gate as there was a ladder by Charlie for her to get back on board. A short pound took us to lock 18 Creuzet (2.56m). The same keeper came down to work the locks (in fact he did all the locks for us) on his yellow bike. Diana did the honours again with the gate. A slightly longer pound to lock 19 Petit Corvée (2.59m). The previous keeper was refilling locks for ours. Mike’s turn to stay off and open a gate as the ladder was our side. It took ages to empty as we had lots of water coming in over the top end gates. The old guy pushed the mitres apart from the middle of the gates while Mike leaned hard on the winding handle on his side to get the gates to part and start opening. Mike came down the stone steps below the lock and got tangled in brambles. Another longish pound to lock 20, Bois des Taureaux (2.49m), where there was a new extension to the quarry and another noisy, dusty stone crushing plant. Mike stepped off to close the top end gate, wound a bottom end paddle too, when the lock was empty he opened the bottom end gate and got back on board down the ladder. Another shorter pound to 21, Picampoix (2,50m), where there were some interesting lever paddles like Salter Hebble in the UK north.
Mike took photos. The lock was right next to the quarry, which was very noisy and dusty. Mike did the honours again with gates and paddles and got back on down the ladder. I had to take the mast off for the arched road bridge below lock 21 as it was a low one. Short pound to 22, Surpaillis (2.53m), with rows of railway wagons filled with stone ballast alongside the canal. We were catching up with the hire boats in front. Had a short wait while the keepers refilled lock 22 for us. The ladder this time was at Charlie’s end of the lock so Mike wound a gate shut and opened a paddle then got back on board, Diana opened the gate – one with decorative wooden balance beams that opened using the usual rack and capstan with a winding handle. Half a kilometre to lock 23, Pré Colas (2.57m), and the hireboats were just leaving and one was about to come uphill. A small cruiser belonging to Aquafluvial. There were two scooters and a bike with three VNF keepers on the lockside. A VNF team of men with three vans was busily filling holes in the towpath/cycle piste. We had another short wait while lock 23 was refilled. One of the scooter guys wound the top end gate shut for our keeper so Mike wound a bottom end paddle up then got back on the boat, Diana had the ladder so she opened the bottom end gate. Another short pound to lock 24, Yonne (2.91m). As we dropped down the chamber, Mike arranged with our keeper to pause for lunch above lock 25 for lunch. The ladder was our end of the lock so Mike did the usual then climbed back aboard. The VNF workshop and office in the old lock house was busy as it was nearing lunchtime. It was 11.45 a.m. Locaboat’s hire base at La Grange had five boats sitting idle on their pontoons and a permanently moored (abandoned?) little Luxe style replica DB called Libertas slowly rusting (a licence with 88 on it was in the wheelhouse). The old unconverted péniche called General Leclerc was still moored by the old lock on to the Yonne, its wheelhouse curtains made it look still lived in. We could see the bows of an old Klipper coming through the bridge halfway down the narrow cutting leading to the next lock so we stopped until it cleared. The slowest Dutchman ever was a Dutch Barge (for sale) still with masts and rigging being steered by a pompous elderly Dutchman who wanted to be where Charlie was. He kept coming halfway along his gunnels to mime when he wanted to go and Diana also mimed it was shallow. Charlie reversed out of his way as he bulldozed his way to the bank. Two hire boats that had been following the Dutch Barge took the opportunity to nip past it as it faffed about in the shallow pound. It was just midday as we slid into the cutting and ran down to the lock with sandpipers flying in front of the boat. The two hireboats that we’d let go first that morning were moored on the stumps on the right bank by the lock, which was full with one gate open. As we prepared to moor on the left hand bank a chap in a gold car stopped alongside and told Mike to go into the lock for lunch. Mike said what about the hire boats – he said oh ignore them! As Mike went past the first hire boat the steerer of the one in front of it started screaming abuse, then started his engine up, untied and put the plastic cruiser diagonally across the lock mouth!! Me first, eh? Mike told him the lock keeper had told him to go into the lock and the steerer shouted back that he wasn’t the lock keeper! I was making lunch and didn’t take too much notice of all the shouting. Charlie had tied on the left bank so we reversed and Nick said come alongside, which we did. What a performance! At one o’clock the two French crewed hireboats went down the lock. Our fossil collector had come back on his motorcycle and he had reinforcements in the shape of another VNF man in a van. At 1.20 p.m. the lock was ready for us so we sailed in as usual. Locks 25/26 Eugny were a staircase two-rise with a drop of 4.30m. Mike gave a hand with the gates. A short pound to lock 27, Marcy (2.61m) and the two guys worked the lock for us. A longer pound of 1,070 km lead to lock 38, Chaumot (2.54m) our last for the day. Mike arranged for us to moor at Chitry until Saturday then we would move at ten. Said our au’voirs and mercis to the two old guys and we motored down the short distance to the basin at Chitry-les-Mines.
Nick stayed on the quay before the basin but we didn’t need water or electric so we went to the top end of the basin (next to our car and two camper vans) and moored parallel to the canal. On the other wall with stumps and electric posts was a large replica Dutch Barge called Highersynth Bookay. The chap who runs the shop/moorings and lives on two narrowboats moored on the corner came over to ask if we were the same narrowboat Temujin that was boating with Bill and Rosy. T’other way round mate, he came boating with us! We had a short chat as we tied up. Mike wanted to find the VNF main offices in Corbigny so we went in the car to find it. We spotted one of our lock keepers filling his van with diesel. Went in the offices and a lady came out to speak to us. She didn’t know about flags and went into another office. Seconds later a smiling younger lady (Madame Goudron perhaps, who I ‘phoned last Autumn and she helped organise our winter moorings? Mike didn’t ask) came out with a new flag! Great, a sparkly new VNF flag! Showed her our old one that had been shredded by the Mistral wind in the south and said when we used the new online service to get our licence there was no way to get a new flag! She asked to see our licence which Mike had brought with us and she handed over our new drapeau. We thanked both ladies and set off back home. Mike immediately put the flag on the mast. He went to check with Nick when we were going to have a meal at the café as he had recommended it. 7.00 p.m. and we were having steak and chips. We set up the TV then I checked he Internet, nothing again. At seven we went to see Nick and Diana and we sat out under the tents to have our steak and chips. The guy off the Peter Nicholls’ barge, Highersynth Bookay, came over for a chat. He and his wife (from Chicago) were also dining al fresco. We had a couple of bottles of rosé and chatted until it turned cold as the sun dropped behind the trees. We went on Charlie for a natter and more pink wine.
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