The Canal du Centre Part 3: Montceau les Mines to Montchanin

Friday 2nd June 2023

Today was the day that the lads were traveling home. Matt had Cup Final tickets for tomorrow and, while he was enjoying the boating life, he didn't want to miss the match.

By 9.30 they had set off on the long drive to Calais, taking with them the things we're not using at the moment, mostly winter related.  Have I mentioned how warm it is?

Igor and I had to do some boat related stuff before we left, topping up the water and paying for our mooring, only 13.60 euros. French marinas seem to be a lot cheaper than English ones.  One thing to mention, quite a few of the marinas don't accept cards so bring cash, it makes life easier.

We got away at 10.20, towards Lock 9 Montceau.  There was a low road bridge over the canal as we approached. I could see a green pharmacy sign flashing above the shop on the adjacent street which said that the temperature was 28C. Hot.

Once in the lock Igor pulled the cords to activate it. And then again. And again. They never seem to work first time.  Finally the gates ground shut and we started rising up the chamber, then waited for the other gates to open.  A couple of people who had been watching started asking me questions as I was making ready to leave. Not only were they speaking in French (naturally, or should I say naturellement) but I couldn't hear them over the sound of the engine. Eventually I risked appearing rude and just ignored them.

We started moving forward and a harassed older woman appeared from the VNF office next to the lock. She asked our destination and then started peering at the back of the boat which was now on the move, probably trying to get our registration number.  We've already given it to VNF on numerous occasions so didn't slow down. She didn't realise that it's written on the inside because we're a British Part 1 registered vessel, not a French boat.

The next lock, 8 Mireaux, was quite deep. The handle was at the far end, by the exit gates. Igor had to jump from the stanchions and climb up to the top of  the lock to pull it.  There was a long drop to the deck to get back on. Since then, when he's had to exit the boat to pull the handle he's waited for it to rise up the chamber as it's safer. My job, as always, is standing with rope in hand controlling the boat.  

A cloud of midges gathered in front of my face. Luckily they didn't bite. You rarely seem to see midges in England now. In France there are tons of insects. Driving down the motorway from Calais to Digoin the car was splattered to the extent we had to take it through a car wash. Yesterday and today we have seen countless dragonflies, mating on the wing or just hovering about, plus lots of butterflies. Maybe the farming methods here are kinder to the environment.

We've seen a lot of different lock keepers along the way too. When we paid for our vignette to travel the French Waterways back in March we thought it was a lot of money. Travelling up the Seine and the Loing we wondered what we were paying for as they really weren't in evidence, apart from the young woman who gave us the remote control entering the Loing. As soon as we hit the manually operated locks we found out. The lock keepers are mostly friendly and helpful and when things go wrong at an unattended lock they are there within minutes. There are so many people monitoring things that it's actually very good value for money.

Lock 7 Roche was similar to Lock 9. Again Igor had to climb up the wall to pull the handle.   I wonder how other, less able people manage. A lot of people hiring boats are older and not so nimble. I certainly couldn't do it. I suppose they would have to motor to the end of the lock, pull the handle and then drop back quickly before the water comes flooding in (and in some locks the influx can be quite violent).

The water duly entered the chamber, rising and rising. It carried on rising until it was within an inch of the top and we wondered if it would spill over to the surface.  When the water level is this high the fenders rigged to protect the boat rise above the kerb of the lock's edge so don't provide any protection. Igor had to push the boat away from the side so that we didn't get scraped.

Lock 6 Brulard was a lot more conveniently arranged. The young woman lock keeper asked where we were going and we said Montchanin. We left the lock at 11.51.  The question for us was would we get to Lock 5 Planche Galard before lunchtime at 12.00?

The answer was 'yes'. We got there at 11.58. Again, a very awkward arrangement with the handle at the far end of the chamber. There was a ladder by the lock entry gates so we dropped back and Igor climbed up, walked to the end and started the cycle. We were out by 12.08. As always, as long as you enter the chamber by 12.00 it seems to allow you through.

We didn't stop for lunch, just cruised the 2 and a bit km  to lock 4 Parizenot very slowly.  Again, Igor had to clamber up the walls to pull the lock handle.

There was a tree in the water as we exited, luckily it was floating parallel to us rather than across our path.

Lock 3 Favee was a couple of km further on from here. The same lock keeper was there and pulled the handle for us, saving Igor from having to do more acrobatic tricks. A field of Charolais watched us, unimpressed.

Lock 2 Brebots was very similar, same arrangement, same lock keeper but no cows. As we left a gust of wind from the port side blew us against the side of the lock but no harm was done, we just had to slow down and reposition. Because the bows of the boat are so light we are very vulnerable to crosswinds, especially when moving slowly.

The lock keeper was there again at Lock 1 Ocean and we told her that this was our final lock for the day.  Travelling along this canal all the locks included the word Ocean in their name plates. This confused me slightly as we are a long way from any salt water, being right in the centre of France.

The answer was provided when we were back in Genelard. I read a tourist information board which explained that the Canal du Centre is a summit level canal. One side climbs from the Atlantic Ocean, the other from the Mediterranean Sea reaching a summit over 300 metres above sea level. It is part of a network of canals that ultimately joins the Rhine, Seine and Loire to the Saone and Rhone, built to allow French traders to travel all over Europe without risking meeting pirates on the high seas back in the day. Also it was much safer for them, of course. The Ocean section climbs from Digoin to where we were now, near the town of Ecuisses. From here on we descend, on the Mediterranean section, all the way to where we meet the Saone in Chalon.

The French Waterways website said that there were decent moorings near Montchanin bridge, just past Lock 1 Ocean.  We motored slowly but the only pontoon we saw was outside the VNF offices. It was exposed and there was no electricity or water so we decided to carry on, thinking we may not have gone far enough.

We saw a massive building that looked like a train station but no railway anywhere near.

We saw a group of men fishing. They don't seem to like having to move their tackle away to let us pass. We don't much like passing them either.

It was very hot. We just wanted to stop and cool down. As we continued we saw what we thought was a long quay but was actually some sort of supporting wall for the road high above. It looked like there was a path at the base but it was stone or concrete so we wouldn't be able to drive a stake in to moor and there were no cleats.

We reached its end and saw the lock ahead. Our choices seemed to be to call VNF and continue, which would mean a flight of locks one after the other, not what you want when you're hot and tired, or to turn back to the moorings by the VNF offices, but the canal wasn't very wide and we didn't want to backtrack. As we slowly approached the lock we noticed that the weeds had been cut back on the starboard bank and there were two bollards. Yes! Perfect. We approached and tied up.

There were tall trees beside us providing green and welcome shade. Behind us was a bridge carrying the TGV rail line from Lyon to Paris. Every few minutes there was an ear splitting roar, quickly replaced by silence and birdsong. I grew up next to the M1 motorway and the main railway line to the north of England so I have a very high tolerance for traffic and train noise. It was blissful to just sit quietly in the cool shade.

We took a walk a bit later on. As we approached the lock we saw a control tower covered with murals.

At the back was a short flight of steps with a door at the top, slightly ajar. Nobody was around so we decided to see what was going on. I knocked on the door. No answer.  Igor opened it and we went in.

The side window was broken and the power cables to the sockets had all been cut, but dominating the room by the main window overlooking the lock was the hulking shell of an old computer which would have been used to control traffic through the canal.  There were as many buttons as on the deck of the Starship Enterprise, and I imagined the pride the eclusiers must have taken in having this state of the art machinery at their fingertips. Now it's obsolete, replaced by mobile phones which have orders of magnitude more ability.

Chastened by this demonstration of the ephemera of technology compared to the permanence of the canals, we carried on to have a look at the locks we'd be doing tomorrow. They were deep and close together. By one of them there was the oddest statue I've seen in a long time. Any guesses as to what it is?

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