Saturday 19th March 2010 Melay to Molinet. 31.4 kms 7 locks

Mooring at Melay

8.7°C Grey, showers of drizzle during the morning and chilly with a strong north wind. Up before eight to get moving at nine. I rolled the electric cable in then took the satellite dish down and put the TV antenna away. Moving at nine to be at the first lock at ten. I made a cuppa to warm us up a bit. There were bright purple patches of violets among the grass along the edges of the towpath as we ran down to lock. At Artaix basin a yacht (left for winter) was moored in the middle of the piled edge and a small cruiser tucked well into the corner on the grassy bank. A middle aged VNF man worked the next four locks for us, very slowly, opening one gate at either end. Down the deep Artaix lock (4) 5.97m. Below the lock Mike took photos of the old lock house and the derelict lock chamber. A short winding pound lead to lock 5 Montgrailloux  3.23m. Our VNF man had driven down in his VNF van. When the lock was almost empty the pressure made one of the gate paddles on the bottom end gates vibrate very loudly. Our keeper had been back up to the previous lock but was back before the lock was empty as it was very slow to empty. The weir, which brought water in below the lock, was located in the lock mouth and made exiting the lock interesting. 

Rusty bridge with unusual supports, near Avrilly

A short pound lead to lock 6 Chambilly 2. As we left the bottom at 10.55 a.m. the keeper asked if we would be going through the next lock before lunchtime – yes please. A large cruiser called Marine was moored just below the lock. 3.8 kms to the next lock so I made another cuppa en route to the deepest lock on the canal, the shaft lock N° 7 Bourg-le-Comte, 7.13m deep. The keeper asked if we would go through the next lock today, yes, be there in about two and a half hours. The top end gate of the shaft lock was riddled with holes which poured water as the lock emptied; when the lock was almost empty the left hand gate paddle started sending a fountain of water into the air which washed the back deck and made Mike rapidly shut the engine room doors. As we left we both told the keeper that we would be at the next lock at 2.20 p.m. The strong weir forced us over on the wall as we left. It was very cold with the wind blowing in our faces as we set off on the 15.7 kms pound. Mike took a photo of the old rusty bridge below the lock, the ends supported on thick branches. The old British-registered Recla cruiser moored by the house at the first bridge now had a for sale notice on it. On past Avrilly, where we had moored on the way up the canal in October. I made hot toasted cheese with fried spam (croque monsieur in French) for a lunch on the move. Nothing moving and no walkers or cyclists, the cold weather must be keeping them indoors. A caterpillar tracked vehicle had made very deep ruts in a very fragile looking section of the towpath before Croix Rouge. No boats on the moorings at Croix Rouge. Our next lock keeper, a younger bloke in his thirties, was sheltering from the wind in the doorway of the old lockhouse at lock 8 Chassenard, another deep one at 6m. We were five minutes late, arriving at 2.25 p.m. The lock was full with both gates open and no lights, it was automatic, but keeper operated using crane type controls on a cable. We dropped down slowly again. A short pound lead to lock 9 Les Beugnets 3.00m deep, and our keeper pressed the buttons again. It was getting colder by the minute. The wind was directly in our faces on the last pound and lifting small wavelets on the surface of the canal. Lock 10 Les Bretons 2.85m was full and ready. The young man had parked his ancient VNF open backed pickup (which was loaded with offcuts of piling) by the workshop. I got off and asked if I should pull the string, yes he said – the blue one, as I yanked it and the gates started closing. A crowd of French gongoozlers with cameras arrived to ask the usual questions. I left Mike to it and went to get the ropes attached ready for tying up. Down very slowly again. Said merci and au’voir to our last keeper of the day, telling him we would be at Digoin Monday at ten as we left the lock at 3.45 p.m. A short distance to the junction with the Canal Latéral à la Loire where we turned left for Molinet. 2 kms to the mooring. When we got there there were two fishermen, one on the grassy bank and one on the end of the quay. We moved to the far end to leave him enough space behind us on the quay (he caught a fish just after we finished tying up). He told Mike he didn’t think there would be any voyageurs about yet. They were the first fishermen we’d seen. It was 4.10 p.m When the fishermen left Mike moved the boat back along the quay.