Wednesday 4th May 2011 Abbécourt- Jussy. 21kms 10 locks

Moored boats at Chauny

A very cold night down to freezing, sunny with clear skies but chilly, fleeces on until mid-afternoon. Two loaded boats went past before we were out of bed at eight. An empty called Bonsaï went past heading uphill at 9.05 a.m. closely followed by Belle Orchidée, also empty.  We set off at 9.15 a.m. winded and headed uphill. The canal changed its name in Chauny to the Canal de St Quentin. Alizér, a loaded péniche came past heading downhill followed by a little VNF cruiser with two men in it who stopped at the site where they set to work doing some piling repairs. Anitjo loaded with sand went past at 9.35 a.m. A loaded pushtow pair of tankers called Calais and Samuur were waiting to be unloaded at a fuel pipeline in Chauny. 

Lock  gates 33 Viry. 

There were more moored boats along the left hand side on finger pontoon moorings than I remembered being there when we last came through in 2004, with a DB called Perseverance between them. The second of the two empty boats was still waiting to go up the right hand chamber of the paired locks, 35 Chauny (2.20m) while Les Deux (loaded) had just cleared the left hand side coming down. We realised the locks were automatic (Senior moment, had forgotten although we’d marked the chart in 2004) and saw that the left hand lock had refilled for Portland (loaded) to come down. The empty had cleared the right hand side chamber, so we got a red/green light indicating it was getting ready for us as we’d passed through a set of sensors. All around the lock was a high green mesh fence. 

Lock cabin at 31 Fargniers III

We were glad that they’d added a baffle plate to the water feed on the right, which always flows furiously into the canal from the Oise - that always used to shove the boat bodily sideways. Lifted the bar, gates closed and the noisy old electric motors opened the paddles. Above the lock on the left were several little houses; the end one (painted red) had Val Pariso on the gate and a péniche mast with flags in the garden, an ex-boatman by any chance? 1.5kms to the next lock. Just above lock 32 there was an arm and a lock with a liftbridge which leads on to the river. Now there were no entry signs, but the house still looked inhabited. Our old chart indicated that there was a large factory loading quay on the river. 

Loaded peniche Chrismi above lock 30 Fargniers II

Through a set of sensors 200m below lock 34 Senicourt (2.0m) as the intinerant VNF man in van drove past us heading downhill on the towpath. He waved. Up lock 34, noting that there was a water tap by the house on the right hand side with a notice saying “Batellerie” on it. As the lock had a big green mesh fence surrounding it there was no way for us to use it. We had enough water to last another week but were noting where the taps were now located as the one in Chauny on the quay by the car park had long gone, although its sign was still there. 2.3kms to the next lock. Loaded boats Bertha and Manna were moored in the pound by some houses. The VNF man in a van went back up the towpath. Three men were strimming the grass below lock 33 Viry (2.40m). 

Part of a family of lizards living in lock cabin 26 Jussy

Up lock 33 then 2.6kms to the next, lock 32 Targnier (1.4m). The van was parked by the next lock but no sign of the driver as it was getting close to lunchtime 11.45 a.m. The right hand lockhouse had a pen with three peacocks in it, all loudly squawking as we locked through. 900m to the junction with the La Fére branch. Carthage and Zen, two empties, were moored on the junction, doing some painting. A large no entry sign below lock 31 (2.90m) Fargniers III’s left hand chamber indicated we should head for the right hand one. Sensors on the left hand side activated the lock and we went in and up. The next three were linked and worked as we approached them. 970m to lock 31 Fargniers II (2.90m) and we went up the right hand side again. Above it a loaded boat called Chrismi was waiting for us to exit. 500m and we swapped sides to go up the left hand chamber of lock 30 Fargniers I (2.60m). 

Old house at Jussy

The gates had closed behind the downhill péniche but had reopened for us to go up. I made some sandwiches for lunch, which we ate on the 3.6kms pound to the paired locks at Liez. Idefix, another loaded boat, was just leaving lock 28 Voyaux (3.0m) as we passed the sensors. Noted that now we were out of the town of Tergnier there were no more green mesh security fences enclosing the locks. As we left 28 another loaded boat, Samarinda from Marchienne, was coming round the bend so Mike passed on the left to give him room to swing into the lock we’d just left. 600m to lock 27 Mennessis (3.30m) Water was pouring over the top end gates and we noted another water tap, this time in a brick built box with a green mesh front, also with “Batellerie” written on the notice. 

Moored on the silo quay at Jussy

A couple of fishermen were sitting fishing on the left just above the lock. 2.6kms to the next so I read Mike some more of Pillars of the Earth. The left hand chamber was working at lock 26 Jussy (3.00m) and the old “greenhouse” lock cabin had become home to a large family of lizards. It was 2.00 p.m. as we left the last lock of the day. Into the low cutting that crosses from the valley of the Oise to the valley of the Somme. A large enclosure along the right hand bank now contained goats, big brown ones with black horns. We tied up at the end of the silo quay at Jussy. It was 2.40 p.m. Mike fetched the bike off the roof easily as the cabin roof was level with the top of the quay. He went off to collect the car.