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| Dawn at St Jean-de-Losne. Great photo by Terry and Jan |
Sunny and getting hot. Up bright and early. Chatted with Jan and Terry (who were delivering a hireboat to St Jean) before we set off upriver at 9.45a.m. 13kms to first lock. Still got a 1kms flow on the river. There was a lot of floating rotting weed, the sort that rises to the surface when it gets warmer and stinks. The entrance lock to the Doubs had sprouted a new construction partially over the tail end of the lock, a sort of covered observation gantry bristling with cameras and it looked like the lock was now automatic. We noted that the stone sand quay at Mailly-le-Port was now disused and there was a new sign board by the 20m long piled edge saying it was The Maillys mooring. We had a calm and peaceful trip upriver. No signs of life except the birds, fishes and us.
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| Below Auxonne lock. River Saone |
Under the new A39 motorway bridge at Tillenay and turned right into the lock approach at lock 20, Auxonne, (1.83m) I twisted the hanging piece of plastic tube to activate the automatic lock. It emptied very slowly and the gates opened slowly. Put a rope around the rungs of the ladder and tested Peter’s prototype bar lifter. I couldn’t do it, but Mike did it no problem. The water came in via gate paddles and tried to sweep us across to the left. When the lock was full Mike took the rubbish as there were two bins among the debris and tools on the lockside left over from lock refurbishment. The lock house was set back from the lock, inhabited, but no one around. Set off along the canal section at 12.40 p.m. and I went in the cabin to make lunch.
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| Gantry over first lock on Rhone au Rhin canal (Doubs) |
As we approached the busy town of Auxonne there were people jogging on the towpath and sitting in the grass by the bridge over the end of the canal. Back on to the river and through the town. A péniche houseboat was moored by the ramparts and the pontoons were empty of boats - but full of waving, shouting sunbathing youth. We ate lunch as we motored past. Beyond the battlements H2O had dug out a new basin, which was being managed by Carol and Roy off the Pedro, and had rows of (presently) empty pontoon finger moorings. Some DBs and a few cruisers were moored at the one end plus a tiny red narrowboat. There was no sign of The Pedro.
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| Sunbathing youth! Auxonne River Saone |
Nobody about on the river, which made a change as this place has been a nightmare to moor at due to passing water skiers and jetskis (better now with an offline basin!). Under a new TGV bridge just before lock 19 Poncey (1.52m). Again I turned the pole and the lock performed well, but slowly, and we rose ropeless. The incoming water changed pattern as the lock filled and took the boat from side to side twice. A VNF van went across the bridge over the lock but didn’t stop. A couple out walking stopped on the bridge to watch us lock through. Nobody about at the lock house. It was 2.40 p.m. as we left the lock on the short lock cut leading back to the river. Just before Lamarche there was a lovely little wooden chalet on concrete legs to keep it out of any floodwater. It was probably the summer residence of some city dweller. On past the houses straggling along the river bank, under the road bridge and past a yacht moored bows to the bank. The old concrete quay was ours, we tied up just as a small white cruiser went past heading downstream and a person on a quadbike came to the area beyond the mooring which had been set up for campervans, he turned and went back into the village. All quiet again.
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