Wednesday 11th April 2018 Tronville to Naix-aux-Forges 12.4kms 13 locks

House with steps by Villeroncourt lock

1.8ºC Sunny with white clouds but a chilly strong breeze after a cold night. Workmen started grass cutting at 9am (not right by the boat though), we left half an hour later. Past a large factory on the short distance to the first lock. Washing machine on. Lock 27 Chessard was full, so we had a short wait while it emptied. A brilliant yellow wagtail flashed past, must have a nest somewhere near the lock. Lock 26 Nançois-le-Petit was empty and ready as soon as Mike zapped. Into the small town of Verlaines. I made a cuppa as we went up lock 25 Verlaines. We had competition for smoke – the gardener’s bonfire beat our simmering coal fire hands down. Lock 24 Maulan was full of cabomba weed and the water in the pound above was beautifully cristal clear – we could see all the fish. Up lock 23 Villeroncourt and Mike took photos of the house up above the lock and its long flight of access steps. Under the N4 bridge carrying the busy road traffic in and out of Ligny-en-Barrois and up lock 22 Ligny. The water in the pound above was back to the usual murky stuff. The big basin in Ligny was empty except for one tjalk, noted there were two campervans parked there, campers outnumbering the boats. Lock 20 Gainval was

Moorings at Ligny-en-Barois

emptying before we arrived at the zapper post – we must be getting a helping hand from the VNF controller! He/she must have gone for lunch as the next lock 20 Grèves was full, with water cascading over the bottom end gates, so we had a short wait while the lock emptied. Above lock 20 on our left was a huge newly ploughed field and a pontoon for mooring on the right. Another fisherman – unusually we could count the number of fishermen we’d seen since Condé on the fingers of one

Lock 21 Gainval

hand. Lock 19 Givrauval was also full – another short wait. A bank of white clouds was forming in the direction we were going. The ladder and rods were on opposite walls, so Mike got off up the muddy ladder and threw our centre rope across to the other side, then he walked round to lift the rod and start the lock working. A VNF van went past as we continued along the longer pound to lock 18 Longveaux, which was also full. Mike took photos of its bricked up lock

Old church by lock 19 Givrauval

house. Zapper no longer needed, as we went under the road and rail bridges before lock 17 there were sensors to activate the locks from here to the top lock. The locks are linked so that exiting a lock causes the next one to be activated. Up lock 17 Menancourt, lock 16 Nantois prepared itself as we left 17, likewise lock 15 Naix was ready when we got there. I called on the lock intercom to remind the VNF that we were stopping overnight in Naix-aux-Forges. It was 2.15pm as we tied to bollards next to bins and a picnic table.

Clouds forming

Bricked up lockhouse at lock 18 Longeaux.

 Lock 17 Menaucourt and aqueduct over Ornain.