Set off from Fragnes and dropped down the deep lock, 34bis, with two cruisers back on to the Saone. Upriver to Verdun-sur-Doubs, passing lots of traffic - mainly hireboats and cruisers, hotel boats and one or two commercials. In Verdun mooring space was not freely available for our 18m long boat where everything is designed for 6 - 8m holiday boats and what little there was - a short length of quay wall - was occupied, (yes, you've guessed it!) by 6 - 8m long boats. We looked a little way up the Doubs river, but wild moorings are not easy with high banks and thick vegetation. Back through Verdun and out on to the Saone again, passing a moored barge with no wheelhouse but its owners had added a Scania lorry to act as motive power - it still had steering wheel and wing mirrors! (see photo) We went up Ecuelles lock with a catamaran and a yacht behind a large pusher tug called Europa (20m long) pushing an empty pan called Gaillon (82.4m x 11.4m, 2,710 tonnes) with loads of room as the lock is 185m x 12m. Fishing is very popular on the Saone and many fishermen set up camp and fish for weeks from the same spot, so an unoccupied fishing place made an ideal mooring for one night's stop. Once the traffic stopped it was a very calm and peaceful place.
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