Thursday 19th April 2018 Thaon-les-Vosges to Girandcourt 19kms 20 locks

Church at Chavelot

5.9ºC Sunny and getting hotter. The empty graveller, that moored on the same quay as us the night before, set off around 7am heading downhill. The other two, now loaded, went past heading uphill before we set off at 9am. The Dutch couple were off shopping on their bikes, wished them a good run back to the Netherlands and a good time at their daughter’s wedding. All the rods and ladders were on the left side (easier for us) all the way to the top, except for lock 13. Up lock 19 Usine de Thaon after it emptied. The third graveller had loaded and was below the lock (following us) as we left the top. The top end lock gates seemed to take ages to close behind us. We caught up with the graveller in front of us at lock 18 Chavelot, he was still in the lock going up, so we had a short wait for him to clear and the lock to empty. The gravel boats unload below the next - lock 17, Prairie Gerard. Took photos of Mica being unloaded by a bucket digger. Nice lock house at 17. A converted péniche called Nora, German from Leer, was waiting above to come down. Looked like a load of schoolboys on board, maybe with their teachers. Noted that they didn’t wait for a green light before entering the lock, silly, they paid for it – lock 17 went en panne and VNF had to be called out 

Empty graveller heading downhill below lock 17

to sort it out for them. We went up 16 Le Chavelot (another of the same name as 18) there was a centre commercial alongside named La Pré Droué Chavelot. We could see lock 17 still had two red lights. Up a deep one at 15 Côte Ollie (another nice lock house) with blue plastic gates which were experimental years ago and seemed to be still working OK. Now into the Golbey flight, all the next 14 locks were linked. Passed the VNF workshops at the junction with the Epinal branch and went up lock 14 – its grand house, with a double set of steps

Graveller loading below lock 17

to the front door, was boarded up and covered with graffiti, shame, must have been the boss’s house once. The towpath was still metalled and was in use by a great many walkers, cyclists and skaters, we even saw a recumbent hand-pedalled three wheeler. At lock 13 the rod was on the wrong side, but the wind conveniently blew the bows across, so I lifted the rod from our bows and saved Mike a walk. A pair of lizards played chase down the walls of the empty, but renovated, lock house. Lock 11

Mike testing new gloves

had a derelict house. Lock 10 was en panne, two red lights. It was empty with the gates open so we went in and I phoned VNF. OK someone would be there soon. I threw some chopped pork and frozen veg into the crockpot for dinner later. A pleasant young man arrived about fifteen minutes later and worked the lock from the cabin. Mike asked what the problem was and he showed him on the panel there was a light next to where it said there was insufficient water in the pound

Start of the Golbey flight

below. OK, more than enough depth for us! There was a railway bridge over the top end of the lock and the lock house (nice, but not lived in) was just a bit further on up the towpath. From lock 10 onwards each lock had a big side pound on the left, very reminiscent of the Grand Union flight at Knowle. 10’s house was shuttered and empty. Lock 9 had a lived in house, there was an empty moored péniche called Biarritz on the far side of the big wide pound. Lock 8’s house hadn’t been lived in for a long

Elegant steps - must have been a grand lock house once

time, but despite having a new housing estate at the back of it, there was no vandalising or graffiti. Locks 7, 6 and 5 all had lovely houses, 4 was shuttered and its front door bricked up, 3 had a conservatory extension all along the front with its shutters all down. No 2 had no house and the top lock was lived in (most likely still VNF). It was 1.45pm when we set off on the 11 kms winding scenic summit level. The water level was low by about 25cms. Had sandwiches for lunch on the move with big cold drinks. Took photos going through the

Apple tree by lock 11

summit cutting of the bad state of the walls, crumbling and falling down in places. Here we left the Meuse catchment basin for the Saône and Rhone. Down lock 1 Trusey and moored on the long quay by an open grassy area in Girancourt at 3.45pm. A small yacht and a small DB (lived on – had a fire going, smoking chimney – in this heat!) were moored at the far end almost by lock 2. Mike went off on the moped to move the car from Nomexy to Corre on the Saône at the end of the canal de l’Est. 

Bank protection - VNF watering newly planted reeds

Crumbling walls - summit cutting