Thursday 3rd May 2018 Chazelle to Fragnes 42.1kms 2 locks.

Empty 900 tonner Barres eading upriver at Chazelle

10.2ºC Overcast with a cold north wind. A cruiser went past heading downstream and a 900 tonner called Barres went past heading upriver. Undid all the knitting, fetched the quant pole in and untied, reversed out into the middle and set off downriver again at 9.15am. A troupe of Charolais cows were watching every move. A 4kms river reach then into the lock cut leading to lock 22 Ecuelles. A Le Boat had just come up so we went into the big lock chamber and dropped down 3.20m – 56kms to the next lock (not going that far, only

Both old lock chambers at Verdun-sur-Doubs

about 31kms). Winding gently, river still wider and then past the old locks at Verdun-sur-Doubs, a péniche sized lock and a bigger one, both now disused. We turned into the river Doubs at Verdun and went upriver to see if they’d improved the moorings, nope, a bunch of cruisers were moored at the pontoons and nothing on the quays below the houses further upriver. We went through the road bridge and turned before the silos and went back through Verdun on to the Saône. The Swedish cruiser we’d locked

Old lock at Verdun

with the day before was fast catching us up and a péniche sized hotel boat went past heading upriver, the steerer we noted had no wheelhouse, strange for a boat that size. A small Danish speedboat cruiser went past heading uphill at Chauvort bridge, making a fair bit of wash, our boat bounced about for ten minutes in its waves. VNF tug Neptune went past, also uphill, pushing a pan with a crane, they had a good collection of tree branches. Busy all of a sudden. A little egret sat in a tree, ignoring the passing boats. The moorings

Riverside houses in Verdun

at Gergy were empty. A Le Boat overtook us and was soon out of sight. I made a cuppa to warm us up. Took up the rubber-backed mat on the front deck to dry it out, it was wet underneath from water sloshing in through the scuppers. On a big area of water lily pads a heron and a little egret were hunting for frogs. At 2.30pm in Chalon-sur-Saone we turned right off the river into the canal du Centre. A fast speedboat with two fishermen aboard went past – we wondered where they were going - they tied to a

Closed down boatyard and rusting boat

mooring dolphin and started fishing. The first lock on the canal is a deep one, lock 34bis was emptying and then the guilllotine gate went up. We attached our centre rope to a floating bollard inset into the wall and the lock filled gently lifting the boat 10.76m. The keeper came out of his portacabin to ask where we’d come from and where we were going. Pleasant chap, he even tried some English phrases. On up the canal, under the restaurant belonging to the Leclerc supermarket alongside the canal, noted

Silos at Chalon on canal du Centre

they’d added new mooring posts for floating shoppers to tie their boats to and had banned mooring under the restaurant (for safety – don’t want boats setting on fire under the building!) We pushed on, Fragnes is a popular mooring and had been extended since we were last here. Boats come up off the river to moor overnight as it’s an alternative to the large pricey marina on the river in Chalon-sur- Saône. We didn’t need water or electric so we continued beyond the moorings (and the kindergarten) to moor next to the busy towpath below lock 34. A

Old boats by the silos in Chalon

hireboat came down the lock and went past fast – Mike waved him to slow down, which he did. The lock stayed empty with a green light on. We hadn’t been as far as the sensors so maybe VNF were doing remote control. Once tied up I helped Mike get the moped off the front deck and he went to get the car from St Jean-de-Losnes so we could do some shopping next day. 

Below lock 34bis

Lock chamber 34bis

Bottom end guillotine gate. Lock 34bis