One year of sailing!

A year to the day since we left Nottingham and went to Plymouth to learn to sail. We left Reims at 1200 after sorting out the problem with the new phone and having at look around the cathederal. Had a few near misses today. First was leaving some non rechargeable batteries on charge all night. They both exploded this morning. Then while motoring along we moved over for an oncoming barge as he had overhanging trees at his side - and right of way over us anyway. While still about a metre away from our side and doing about 4 kts, we went aground on a shallow bit. It sounded & felt like rocks - I even went down after to check under the floorboards! The front stopped and the back skewed around a bit, but luckily we didn't hit him. We only use the port motor so there was no problem with the starboard one hitting anything. Hopefully the keel shoes took the knock, but we'll see when we get to the clear (warm) waters in the med. In this canal on the downstream side of the locks, the excess water from upstream is jetted out of a pipe at a 45 degree angle to the bank, causing lots of cross currents about 10m away from the narrow gap of the lock. The only solution is to keep lots of speed on until you are in the lock chamber and then put the motors in reverse to stop in time. In one particular lock the pipe was right before the entrance. We were doing over 4kts as we hit the cross current. The wheel spun from lock to lock to stop us hitting the lock head on and it took what seemed like ages to get control again as I didn't have enough hands to put the throttles into reverse - even Mayuri shouted. We must have been millimetres away from sinking the boat. Stopped at 1800 after 13 locks and another long tunnel as the one we've arrived has shut until morning. Spent some time making another rope fender as the edge of the canal here is under water and the normal fenders just float, then polished some of the scrapes & marks out of the side - luckily nearly all have gone. Thought we were quite isolated here among the trees, so I' thought I'd sit out in my bath robe typing away and eating a big bag of foreign crisps but some people have just walked past - so were probably quite close to Conde sur Marne

Berry au Bac to Reims

Set off at 0804 with nice sunshine but mist still hanging over the water. Arrived at Berry au Bac after an hour and started the first of 10 uphill locks. A German motor boat followed us nearly all day which meant we were at the front of the lock every time. After a couple of near crashes we rigged the stern line round a block to the winch which helped keep us off the lock gates when the water surged but it was still a real struggle.
After dinner we hit a patch of thick weed that stretched across the width of the canal and the engine nearly stopped. I put the motor into neutral and went onto the other which also bogged down straight away. We drifted to the side and did some forward & reversing and the props seemed to throw off whatever we had around them. Pleased I didn’t have to go in to sort it with the dead hedgehog that was floating next to us. The Germans overtook us and left but we’d finished the locks by then!
As we entered Reims, I noticed an Aldi, so we pulled up, had dinner then took turns going shopping - too much to carry in one trip. The sides of the canal that had been lined with wooden planks had rotted away leaving just rows of metal bolts sticking out which needed some careful fendering. A few hundred metres later we came across a Shell garage. We tried to moor up alongside but went aground on the rocky bottom so went across the other side. The bottom was still rocky but a fraction deeper so I ran across with the 25litre container before any barges came past and sank us with their wash. Another few hundred metres later we came across the marina we’d been hoping to spot and moored up. Although it was after 1630 we went into the town to look for a phone or simm card and found a shop with someone who spoke English and bought one. - although it doesn’t seem to work so back tomorrow! We also bumped into the Germans who’d been following us all day in the same shop. The marina office was open when we got back, so we paid our 10 euros for the night and plugged in to the electric ready for some hot showers.

Kingfishers and Herons

Slow start to the day as we didn’t see the lock keeper turn up until 0900. I made use of the time making another fender from some thick rope we nearly got caught up in on the second day. The Ash forest we were in yesterday had changed to having quite a lot of oak, and to make it even more like England we had lots of rain. The lock keeper gave us another remote control for the other locks and we did 13 in all up and down and another 2km tunnel in between.
These smaller canals seem like the land that time forgot as they go through the forests, as the edges are hidden behind undergrowth and fallen trees hang out into the canal and herons with their massive wingspans swoop around all over. We (I) saw loads of kingfishers, twice with fish in their beaks but still wasn’t quick enough to get a picture. We finished at 2015, mooring up to the piles at the side (after our first attempt left us grounded in a shallow bit again!) We’re in the middle of nowhere on a double bend as it’s really difficult to find a spot that’s suitable to tie up next to and we have to stop by sunset so I’m hoping any barges that come past will be paying attention.

18 locks to canal de L’Oise a’ L’Aisne

Must have been going uphill until yesterday as all 18 locks we went through today were downhill. It’s really easy compared to going upwards. We went through a couple of towns - St Quinton & Chauny but most of the day was through forest & countryside. Still seeing a couple of cormorants, loads of herons, kingfishers and swifts darting around the boat. I even saw the first lizard but didn’t get a picture - even at 4kts if the camera’s not ready your past too quick. Most points for the day was for spotting a beaver - and I did get a picture, although everyone will say it’s a rat as you can’t see it’s flat tail - but it did have one. It started to swim out to cross the canal, but realised half way across it wasn’t going to be quick enough to get past us and turned back.
We would have been finished by 1800 but for getting stuck in a shallow bit while looking for somewhere to tie the boat to. Luckily after shifting all the water containers and waiting for another boat to come past to makes some waves, we just managed to reverse off, but the engine took a real hammering. Now moored just outside the first lock gates on the canal de L’Oise a’ L’Aisne which we’ll be joining tomorrow - if we don’t get crushed by a barge as it’s really narrow and your not supposed to park here.

Locks and Tunnels

Late start this morning as I didn’t even wake up until 0800. We parked up last night next to the lock, so before we slipped the ropes at 0830, I pressed the remote control button to set the thing working, but it didn’t. In the end two red lights came on which meant it was broke. We went up to the control booth and pressed the remote intercom and tried to explain in French which lock we were at and the problem. A while later a man came to the lock while we were back at the boat. The lights changed to one red and he went again. When we pressed the remote it still didn’t work. While I went back to the intercom to explain again, Mayuri set it working somehow. I ran back down to the boat and just as we were going through the lock the man came back. I think he thought we’d pressed the button to go down instead of up but he wasn’t too unhappy.
The route is really nice and after a couple of locks, we were caught up by a German boat. We went further forward in the lock so he could come in behind us. Everything went ok in this lock but the next one didn’t have a mooring cleat in the right place and we were forced near the doors at the front of the lock. When the water started coming in to raise us the boat became cross ways on in the lock as neither of us was strong enough to hold it in place against the turbulence, and two new scrapes were added. The next lock was as bad although no damage was done so we decided to stop for dinner and carry on our own after and stay toward the back of the lock and choose the best mooring bollards for our non canal shaped boat.
After 19 locks we finally came across the German boat again. Him and about 6 other boats were all tying together in a convoy to be pulled through a 5.7km tunnel by an electric barge. It only goes twice a day so they’d been hanging around for ages. We threw him our ropes and set off. It took 1.5 hours to get through and we were freezing by the other side. We decided to stay at the next convenient place to moor up. An hour later we came across another tunnel. We didn’t know how to tell if there was anything coming through in the opposite direction but luckily saw a barge ahead of us going in. We went a bit faster to catch up and just followed him through. It was about a kilometre and after we came out this one we had to moor up as it was 2100. By 2110 we found a spot although we’re touching the bottom as its not very deep. Just hope not too many big barges come past in the night as it’s a concrete ledge which doesn’t go too well against a fibre glass bottom!

Hot water and electric again

Off at 0805 this morning. About a mile on from where we moored we saw two guys who we passed yesterday in a little boat nicely moored up against a proper quay for free - typical. They caught up with us in the first lock of the day and followed us until we turned off. They’re also off to the med, but the fast route through Paris as they only have enough cash for a 30 day licence - students.
A lockeeper gave us a better map so we decided to get off the canal du nord and onto one of the smaller ones. We end up coming out in the same place as we already planned - Chauny - but it’s more scenic although there are quite a few more locks. Half an hour after turning off I noticed a little bit of Shell petrol station sign through the trees, so we decided to pull up and fill the 25 litre container.
At the first lock on this smaller canal the wind was really blowing - it’s been hat & coat with the shorts all day today - and the lock was much smaller than the last few. After we were in - with a bit of translation help from some people who had passed us on the towpath on bikes - we understood from the lockeeper that this and the next lot of locks are automatic. He gave us a little remote control and went.
The big locks are so easy compared to the small ones. The entrance is 5m wide, we are 4.1 + fenders which doesn’t leave a lot for cross currents and wind. To minimize the effect of the cross current you have to get a fair bit of speed up to and past the lock gates - I just hope my aim stays straight through the next 31 locks. The turbulence is also a lot rougher as they fill up - sending the side that’s not got all the fenders on it towards the opposite wall.
At the next lock the lockeeper was there to see if we had learned what he showed us. At the third he wasn’t so we must have looked fairly competent. The rain had started by now so as it was 1725 we’ve pulled up just before the next set of locks ready for tomorrow.
We’ve filled our water tanks & containers at the locks and as we motor all day we have lots of hot water for showers and electric which means a proper cold fridge and computers etc..

Is it a lock?