Chilly start after a cold night, but warm in the sun. A light mist covered the surface of the river, but no Autumn fog this morning. The Big Boat followed the French cruiser into lock 30 Cercy (2.47m) and I walked up to give the keeper a hand, leaving Mike to finish untying from the pontoon. The keeper (a large chatty bloke, fiftyish) said he had four locks to do today. Chatting as I gave a hand to wind the gates, he told me he used to steer the Aster (wooden péniche owned by the department of Niévre and used as a trip boat, now moored at Decize) but not for the last seven years (because the boat didn’t meet current ‘elf and safety conditions for transporting the public). He asked if we were OK with one gate and I said yes, no need to open two for us. Emptied the lock and I wound the left hand gate open as there were three bollards that side and only two on the other. Then closed it behind the boat and sorted the ropes out. The keeper filled the lock, opened the gate for us then drove off in his VNF van to work the next lock for the two cruisers. 2.7 kms to Chaumigny 29 (2.0m). The lock emptied as we got closer and the left hand gate opened, so we went in. The keeper took the ropes for us and worked the lock. He asked if we’d open the gate as he was off to work the next lock for the others. 3 kms to Isenay 28 (2.3m) Another VNF van drove down the towpath/cycle piste, not our keeper - must be the chef keeping an eye on things.
A new wooden fence had been erected either side of a spill weir where excess water from the canal ran over a lowered section of towpath and into a channel to the river. The fence was another health and safety item for the cyclists, although why the authorities thought they would fall in the canal there is anyone’s guess. Mike took a photo of the little château du Temblay on the hill before the first Nivernais lift bridge. This one is left permanently open to boat traffic.
The lock was empty but the gates were closed. I got off on the stone edge before the bridge over the tail end of the lock and walked up the stone steps to open and close the gate and take the ropes. I lowered the bottom end paddle and wound half a top end paddle. Our keeper returned and carried on filling the lock. He said we could stay in the chamber for lunch and he would see us at one o’clock. I asked if we could run up to the next lock and he said no it was full – could we work it ourselves? No, interdit, not allowed – and if the Chef saw us then the keeper would be in trouble (well, we knew that anyway, but it was worthwhile asking!). OK. At one o’clock we carried on up the 2 kms pound to lock 27 Moulin d’Isenay (1.96m) the last lock for our keeper. Passed through the remains of the stone base of an old lift bridge, now long gone. Into the lock and I got off to close the bottom end gate and take ropes again. Our steerer of Aster asked where we would winter and I told him we were hoping to moor at Chatillon. We said thanks and bid him au’voir as we set off on the 4 kms pound to the last lock at Sauzay 26 (2.45m) where we would have a new keeper to work the lock. Spotted the Charollais cows in a field adjoining the canal were licking big salt blocks, hadn’t seen any of those in years. I got off at the bottom of 26 and did the usual with the ropes. The new bloke was very cheery, another large chap. He’d been burning some garden rubbish and the smoke was blowing across the lock chamber. The house looked empty but the garden was well looked after, so perhaps the keepers here do gardening while waiting for boats. Told him we’d stay in Panneçot for the weekend to watch the F1 from Japan. He said our friends were there waiting for us. 1.5 kms to go. Through the flood lock (the pound is fed by the river l’Aron) and round the corner to the mooring above the river weir. The Big Boat and French cruiser were moored on the wooden edged quay. M came out to tell us it was shallow on the left side, he’d touched bottom. There wasn’t enough space for our 18m on the quay so we took the right hand side of the square basin and threw ropes round bollards. There were reeds along the edge so we couldn’t get right next to the grassy bank and Mike put our short plank out. He checked that we could receive satellite TV and discovered we could get digital French TV for the first time in ages. Signs on the electricity boxes said 8€ a night, but we’d been told that no one collects the money out of season. Mike lit the Refleks central heating as the temperature was dropping.
A new wooden fence had been erected either side of a spill weir where excess water from the canal ran over a lowered section of towpath and into a channel to the river. The fence was another health and safety item for the cyclists, although why the authorities thought they would fall in the canal there is anyone’s guess. Mike took a photo of the little château du Temblay on the hill before the first Nivernais lift bridge. This one is left permanently open to boat traffic.
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