Grey, overcast, chilly morning; sunny spells between dark clouds in the afternoon. Left at ten and followed The Big Boat up to lock 24 Anizy (2.02m). The Big Boat went up first. The guy who lived in the lock house worked the lock, he told M and D that the two lady lock keepers were bringing another boat up. They turned up in their van and helped the man from the house empty the lock for us and we went up, then they drove off to do the next lock for The Big Boat. Two hireboats arrived below the lock. Just as we left the lock our engine started making a strange knocking noise and puffing out blue-grey smoke! Mike went in the engine room to try and source the problem. It was running on three cylinders. He thought it was an injector and said we could manage to get through the next few locks and fix it at lunchtime.
1 km to 23 Saigne (2.64m) and the ladies worked the lock. I went up the ladder to do the ropes. The stern lady with the glasses had already told M that they couldn’t stop at Chatillon and he ought to turn round and go back to Decize and now she asked me where we were stopping for the winter and, when I said Chatillon, she said no, no, no, you can’t stay there we will be emptying the pound on the 9th November! She said go back to Decize. Yes, fine, well we might carry on. On the 4 kms pound I steered while Mike found the spare injector out. The Big Boat had already gone up the next lock 22 Bernay (2.43m) and was heading for Fleury for lunchtime. The new keeper had worked The Big Boat through 22 and had left a paddle up to empty the lock and gone up to Fleury to work the lock. I stepped off below the lock and opened the gate, took the ropes and closed the gate. The keeper, a younger bloke, came and said we were OK in the lock over lunchtime and he wound a paddle so the lock would fill. Mike started work on the engine; a crowd appeared from nowhere and watched through the open doors! Started the engine up and it still made the same noises. Rocker box cover off and he found that a locking nut on a tappet adjusting screw had come undone, which had allowed an excessive tappet gap and a push rod to displace itself - it was that that had been making the knocking noises! Mike finished the repair and started the engine up at one o’clock as the keeper came back from lunch. He opened the gate and we set off on the short, 1.5 kms, pound to the next lock. Fleury lock 21 (1.89m) was ready with both gates open. The lock house was now a café and doing a good trade, but they’d put a large metal fence all along the edge of the road blocking access to the lock so I had to cross the bridge over the tail of the lock and cross the lock gates that the keeper had already shut to get to the boat. Mike had climbed the ladder to sort out the ropes. What a stupid place to put a fence; there was no gate in it and the holes in it were kid sized, not adult. The keeper just jumped over it, I’m not that agile! I opened a top end gate for the keeper as there was downhill traffic. 720m to lock 20 Brienne (2.32m) and the keeper flew up the towpath in his van. The Big Boat was still in the lock and just about to leave. A DB came down (the crew didn’t help the keeper at all) and then we went up. Mike dropped me off on the right to close the gate as the keeper was on the left. It was his last lock, he’d done three. I opened the top end gate again. A France Afloat hireboat came down as we left. 2 kms to lock 19 Villard (2.39m).
A honey buzzard flew over and landed in a tree on our left so I had a good look at him through my binoculars. The sun came out from between grey clouds as we wandered around the big sweeping bends as the canal followed the river valley of L’Aron. Both gates were open so Mike dropped me off to close a gate for the keeper then grab the ropes. A new young man worked the lock. The lock house was derelict. Out through one gate. 1.9 kms to the next 18 Meulot (2.39m) and the keeper went past us in his van. One gate open for us. I stepped off below the lock and did the ropes. The grass along the right hand side was full of small bright yellow butterflies. It was our keeper’s last lock (he did two) The house was lived in and a typical keeper’s house, untidy and surrounded by stuff. A Canalous hireboat was moored above the lock on the start of the 3 kms pound. I made a cuppa. Lock 17 Eguilly (2.42m) had the right hand gate open (all the previous ones that had single gates open were on the left side). I stepped off to do the ropes. A very pleasant old chap worked the lock with a different technique to the others. A friend of his in camouflage gear arrived and crossed the gates to chat then went off to collect walnuts. The old man only had one lock to work today, he said his own lock was higher up the valley. 4.7 kms to the next. Through the open flood lock 16 Coeuillon and round wide sweeping bends with fishermen on both banks on the first one. Another old bloke worked the lock, 15 Chatillon (2.45m), with the assistance of another white haired gent. I got off on the steps and went up to do the ropes. The keeper asked if we were continuing and I said no, then he asked if we were leaving in the morning and I said no, I don’t think so. OK, he smiled. The world and his wife were doing their Sunday promenade around the basin and locks in the town. The Big Boat was moored on the canal bank beyond the basin and we tied up behind them. M and D came out to help and chat. It was 4.30 p.m. We connected into the electric box (16A split between three boats) on the corner by a British cruiser. M got his car going (there was a wasps’ nest under the bonnet!) and then gave Mike a lift back to Cercy to collect our car.
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