Monday 4th April 2010 Fragnes – Chazelles. 40kms 2 locks

Sunken old boats below lock 34bis on the Canal de Centre

Thick grey clouds and chilly after overnight rain. We left at 8.20 a.m. and had a very pleasant run down to the lock. There was mist on the canal, two fishermen just before the St Gobain arm were the only human life we saw. As we went past the Philips factory we noticed a thick layer of black oil on the water and an aroma we hadn’t smelled since leaving the BCN behind. There were two VNF men in green overalls leaning on the fence at the end of lock 34bis so we mentioned the oil slick and they said yes, they knew about it. No one was putting absorbent stuff out to gather it up though. The sun came out as we went into the chamber. The lock keeper, an older man than the two in overalls, took the boat name, etc. 

It's going to be a very large houseboat!
River Saone nr junction with Canal de Centre

I asked if all the stoppages were now finished on the river, he said yes but there was still one ongoing on the d’Heuilley (Marne à la Saône canal). Ow! Must find out about that. We dropped down 10.76m in rapid time and left the bottom at 9.15 a.m. At the end of the arm we could see a loaded big boat (1,500 tonnes plus) going past heading uphill on the river. Took photos of the two old boats semi-sunk by the oil refinery. Twenty minutes later we turned left and headed upriver on the Saône. At the chantier on the corner there was a large commercial that had been there a number of years since the boatyard who were repairing it went bust. It was now being converted into a very large houseboat! The first cuckoo of Spring announced its presence. 

Tug Belier pushing two pans of sand.
River Saone

A little tug called Belier (the ram) went past at KP150 pushing two loaded pans (called La Cygoniere) of sand. Swans were nesting among the island on our right just above Alleriot village. Carol, a large UK steel cruiser went past very slowly at KP153. An egret was fishing in the shallows at the back of islands on our left. A loaded thousand tonner called Macarena went past heading downriver at KP164.5 near Chauvort. We had lunch before we reached Verdun-sur-Doubs. Narrowboat Oxford Blue went past heading downriver while I was in the cabin doing a few chores. I made a cuppa just before we got to Ecuelles 185m x 12m (3,20m). The keeper was hiding in his tower with all the blinds drawn. 

Wild mooring at Chazelles.
River Saone

Up with the centre rope to a bollard recessed in the lock wall which Mike helped swap over until we started yo-yoing (the lock fills at the front and the water rebounds back and forth up and down the long chamber, aided by the keeper, who I’m sure lifts the paddles syncronously with the swell) then he went back to control it using the engine. It was 3.45 p.m. when we left the lock. Just a few more bends of the river to our wild mooring across a fishing hole. To our dismay there was a fisherman there with four lines out, but fortunately he wasn’t in our usual spot, he was in the next one downstream of it, so we tippy-toed past very gently and Mike got off with ropes. It was 4.30 p.m. Several small trees were stuck across the bank and into the river where our stern needed to be so Mike dragged them further up the bank and we tied the stern to a tree. Sent the long green line out off the fore end across the shoal, where more of the bank had fallen in, and sank a tyre under the chine to pull on to in the mud. The fisherman carried on fishing and didn’t say anything – probably thought “all the river to moor in and they have to come and moor next to me!” Well, it’s not that simple - we spent a long time in years gone by finding somewhere that was deep enough here where we could get on and off – and that was it, nothing else for miles and miles. Chazelles’ village quay was sloping stone and too shallow, as were most of the quays on the river.  Tired, must be all that fresh air.