Saturday 2nd April 2010 Fontaines to Fragnes. 5kms 3 locks

The first (or last) deep lock (over 5m), No 32,
on the Canal de Centre

Sunny and very warm after a chilly night. We set off at 9.30 a.m. with a couple of quiet kilometres to go before the first lock. There were misty clouds and the fields and trees were still damp with overnight condensation. Our VNF shadow for the day passed us about five minutes after we set off, driving down the towpath/cycle piste in his VNF car. He was collecting debris that had collected in the lock mouth when we arrived at lock 32 (5.12m) which had a sign board proclaiming it to be Fontaines. None of the locks from the summit down to the Saône were originally named, so this is a recent adoption by the village. Before the lock there was another old lockhouse, still inhabited, but no old plate on the wall. There were two VNF men on the lockside when we arrived. One came to chat as Mike pulled the cord. I asked him what time the deep lock, 34bis, opens in a morning. 9.00 a.m. OK we’ll be there Monday at nine. I took a photo of the last (or first, depending on which way you are going) deep lock on this canal as we set off on 1.8kms pound to lock 33 (3.17m). Down lock 34 and our keeper pulled the cord for us as there was a post on either side of the chamber. The lockhouse bore a new plate saying it was No 34, but over the door the old plate said it was 46 and indicated the next was 47. Lock 47 has long gone, (along with the other three), buried under a “new” road scheme in the centre of Chalon-sur- Saône, while the new deep lock (34bis) was built on a new route to the river avoiding the town. We carried on to moor at Fragnes behind two DBs moored there for the winter. No one in at the tourist info office but the sign said it was 6,20€ per night. Petrol for the gennie for eight hours running would now cost us 6,40€ so it was more economical to pay at the port. It was 11.00 a.m. Mike connected the electric while I got ready to go shopping. We went to Carrefour hypermarket at Chalons Sud on the far side of the river as we had a list of things to get.