Monday 18th June 2018 Moret to Evry 59.1kms 5 locks

Hotel boat Meanderer in Moret

16.6ºC Overcast,  one short light shower of rain, sun out later. Hotel boat Meanderer came up lock 19 as we were getting ready to untie. The skipper off the UK replica barge came to have a chat, they were going the same direction as us and he said we’d probably meet again. Down lock 19 Moret at 8.15am and handed our zapper over to the young lady lock keeper and told her that it was the best system we’d ever come across, the zapper worked from a good distance from each lock and we knew it had worked as there was a flashing orange light. Excellent. 8.45am as we set off on the last bit of the River Loing

Gil on Tigris at Moret

. Many boats were moored, as always, both sides of the river and most of them houseboats. We spotted an old friend, on his peniche called Tigris!, Gil came out for a chat as we passed. 9am we turned left on the Seine heading downriver towards Paris. We followed a 67m long loaded boat called Europa down to lock 2 Champagne. A tug was pushing two pans, plus another tug at the front, going upriver and it was followed by a pushtow pair of péniches with Gracelands at the front. We sat in lock 2 with Europa in front and after a short wait a big boat called Mustang came in. The latter descended the 

Gracelands above lock 2 Champagne

2.6m drop ropeless, but the one in front did the usual and sat on one rope with his prop turning. There was a grand melée of boats approaching the lock to go up, Romantica was almost in the lock on our right before we had left it and Magister came in from our left, followed by a couple of empty péniches pushtowed, the rear one called Mexico. An exciting five minutes! Water bouncing every whichway from their wash. 17.5kms to the next lock. Took a photo of Chateau Effondre. Not long after a loaded peniche called Excelsior went past heading upriver followed by

Piling and bashed wall. Lock 2 Champagne

a cruiser. Lots of boats were moored at Valvins. Took photos of some of the mansions lining the road along the river before Samois-sur-Seine and its islands (site of a former lock). At the end of the islands we passed an empty péniche called Sitafil which had a brightly painted green, yellow and orange superstructure. Both banks of the river were lined with houseboats. A ski zone and more posh houses as we went through Chartrettes above lock 3 La Cave. We sat next to the waiting quay while four 55m long empty boats came up lock 3, then we dropped down a further 2.9m with a graveller

Following Europa out of lock 2 Champagne

and loaded péniche Cerriwen. 14.85kms to the next lock. An empty pushtow pair was waiting below. A bit further downriver in Melun another pair of péniches, Kim-Anh and Ja-Dy, were loading very dusty maize, clouds of dust billowing in the air. The island in Melun looks fortified until you look closer and realise it’s a prison. A DB was moored on the island quay. More houseboats on the left bank. A big pusher pair called Neverland went past fast and we bounced through his wash, washing our gunnels. He was followed by a big boat called Freedom with Point-P on the sides (a chain of big builder’s merchants). Two

The old sloping sided lock alongside lock 2 

yachts went past with banners draped along their sides saying “End the siege in Gaza” (?) Hotel boat Deborah’s sister ship Raymond was moored on the island. An empty Dutch peniche called Fant went past heading upriver by the railway bridge. Then there were trees both sides of the river and it was quiet, derelict boats – a row of them – were moored on the left. A Pénichette went past going upstream. There was a short light shower of rain, then a wagtail landed on on our

Romantica Magister and Mexico going into lock 2

boarding ladder. It didn’t stay long enough to hunt for spiders like we’ve seen them do in the past – first one for years. An empty péniche and two cruisers came up Vives Eaux lock 4 (which had had a makeover and now sported a designer lock cabin) and then we went down 2.9m on our own. The lock keeper came out and was taking photos of us! Work was going on below on the weir. An empty called Knaff was coming upriver to go into the lock and a bucket dredger was moving across the

Chateau Effondre

face of the lock to the weir. 14kms to the next lock. A little further downriver we passed a cruiser and a DB but the lock gates were closing so they would have to wait. A short way behind them was a pair of very elegant DBs with very large Dutch flags at the rear of each one. A short distance and we passed another Pénichette with a NL flag. At Pont de Ste Assis we passed an empty 85m called Diamond, a 1500 tonner. We met the next empty péniche, called Monegeux, by the island at KP123, followed

Bad TV reception in Chartrettes?

by 65m Mirabeau and a Belgian boat called Nilobstat. We passed a sailing club’s moorings and a fast ski boat was towing a lad on a ski-board who went side to side bumping over the boat’s wash effortlessly. The bank was lined with smart houses, each one had a ski boat moored on the river in front of it. We had a short wait for uphill traffic at lock 7 Coudray. The uphill boat left fast and we had green lights, a gravel barge pushed by a tug went in and, as we started to follow it, a woman came out of the tug’s wheelhouse to tell us there was another boat behind them (we couldn’t see it for trees) and a very well loaded 45m boat called Frantz followed them in and we tagged in behind. Down another 2.9m. A Belgian pusher pair Arsene and Deodate were heading for the lock we’d just left. Not far before we passed an empty 61.5m boat called Henny heading for the lock, followed by a loaded pusher pair called Ram and Capitaine, then a threesome Pueblo and Sam, plus one whose name we couldn’t see. Five minutes later in Corbeille-Essones another empty called Isatis went upriver. The banks had high rise blocks of flats and under the road bridge we passed empty Capricieux followed by a cruiser. By the flats there was a large group of youths, several of

Loading very dusty maize in Melun

whom stripped off to their shorts and were jumping in the river for a swim as Dutch cruiser Daisy went past. We moored on the quay at Evry in front of a big empty boat called Hildalgo, whose hull was being blacked by two workmen in overalls with big long handled brushes. It was 6.30pm. They’d refurbished the moorings by the tennis courts and removed most of the bollards. Later a big boat called Summer arrived to moor in front of us and Mike went out to see if we needed to move to let them have the bollards – nope they had a gadget that fitted the semi-

The prison island in Melun 

Designer lock cabin at Vives Eaux

The old lock cabin at Vives Eaux

Couldn't get any more sand in that without sinking it!

Reflection of Mike taking photo under gantry at 7 Coudray

Moored at Evry

circular supports for the new quay – they’d done that before! The skipper said they were leaving at 6am, but promised that they would go quietly. 

Sunday 17th June 2018 Nemours to Moret-sur-Loing 17.3kms 6 locks

Almost empty moorings in the weirstream of R Loing at Nemours
unused since the last floods - all boats now moor on the canal.

14.7ºC Overcast morning, clouds thinning by late afternoon and then there were sunny spells. We set off at 11.50am, most of the overnight boats had already gone. A tern was diving for fish in the canal. Mike zapped lock 12 Les Buttes, it filled and we went down 1.7m with a large audience watching from the locksides and on to a 2.4kms section of river Loing. A British replica DB went past heading uphill. A small tug called Iceberg was out on the bank by a mill house on the weir, then we went through lock 13 Fromonville, an open flood lock on to a 3.7kms canal section.  A trip boat was moored by the road bridge

Below lock 12 Buttes

at Montcourt. The towpath was well in use by walkers and cyclists. A woman walking (at a fast trot) a huge black mastiff dog had chosen to walk the non-towpath side – stops other dogs picking on hers! A short wait while lock 14 Bordes filled then we dropped down 1.9m after Mike had given the rudder trim tab a small tweak with a pinch bar. A lady who was out walking asked all the usual questions. 2.3kms to lock 15 Berville. Red cones had been placed along the right hand bank, marking where the piling

Flood lock at Fromonville

had fallen over into the canal. Another short wait before a 2m descent. A young family out on bikes stopped to watch. Another tern was catching dinner where the water had become very clean and clear. 2,4kms to lock 16 Episy, the deepest today at 3.20m, in the village of the same name. A couple stood and watched us lock through then asked where we were from in the UK in English! 2.9kms of canal followed. A small flock of Canada geese and their goslings were trimming the towpath

Chateau de Montecourt

grass. Fishermen were having lunch on the right bank and the picnic tables on the towpath side (left) were occupied with families picnicking. The water had turned murky again. Lock 17 Ecuelles was only 1.30m deep. A cruiser was moored at the lock waiting landing with chairs and table out having just had lunch. As we went down in the lock they were packing up to follow. More gongoozlers at lock 17. 2.7kms to the next. A chateau was hidden by trees in Ecuelles. Past a stone crushing plant whose product was over-spilling into the canal winding hole, it never goes

Pink waterlilies at Ecuelles

to Paris by boat these days. Next door was a silo quay whose boat loading gear was rusting away. A large DB was moored above lock 18 Bourgogne, it looked permanent. Down 2.20m with two cruisers (one a Locaboat) pirouetting below the lock. We thought they were coming in before we got out of the chamber. They were both in with the lock lights still on red and green – amazed that the gates closed behind them and the lock started to fill, still the lock lights were red and green! 800m to the last lock on the canal but we were stopping above it. Two

Moored above the last lock on the C du Loing at Moret

British boats were occupying the halte nautique (paying 7,50€ per day, they told us), a masted tjalk was tied to an old stone quay opposite, so we went on beyond the mooring, put our bows on the lock landing stage and Mike got off to knock pins in the jungle at the top of the high bank. 4pm and glad to stop. The sun came out as we packed all our maps and stuff away. Mike went to check we were OK with the keeper at lock 19 and tell him we’d see him next day. 

Friday 15th June 2018 Néronville to Nemours 15.3kms 5 locks

Lockhouse at 7 Néronville with herbage as far as the TV aerial

15.9ºC Grey clouds first thing, then sunny spells with fluffy white clouds, nice breeze. Set off at 9.50am. A short distance to the first lock, 7 Néronville which was a deep one at 2.9m. 1.1kms to the next. Chateau Mocpoix was having its gatehouse buildings renovated, took a photo. Lock 8 Egreville, by contrast to the previous lock, was only 60cms deep. 4.3kms to the next. A fully masted sailing tjalk was moored by the winding hole at Beaumoulin and started untying as we went past – he set

Below lock 7 Néronville 
getting on and off access now blocked by green railings

off going uphill with a big cloud of smoke from his exhaust pipe. Lock 9 Beaumoulin was just a 2.10m drop, then the canal below widened out and was much in use by fishermen. The railway was now close to the left bank and several gaily painted trains went whizzing past at death-defying speed. Factories appeared alongside the houses in Bagneaux-sur-Loing, one with three very tall chimneys that Fred Dibnah would have been proud of. Into lock 10 Bagneaux and down another 2.20m. Small fish were jumping out of the water, pursued by a nine inch long

Chateau Mocpoix - gatehouse under repair

perch near lock 11 Chaintreauville. Down 3.2m – deepest yet. 2.7kms to the next and lots more fishermen as we got closer to the big town of Nemours. Houses lined both banks, then there was another lovely line of plane trees along the left bank and a cycle path along the right. We tied up on the old stone quay at 1.45pm at the end of a long row of moored boats, who were not on the quay but had long cables and hoses to the electric and water posts. A guy off a Locaboat came to lend a hand with my centre rope. We

Lock cabin at lock 8 Egreville

moved the boat back so the front rope was on the concrete stump and moored the stern end to a ladder (not much to tie to on the old quay) and even after that Mike had to relocate the satellite dish on to the back slide due to the trees. The car was on the car park next to the Loca, ready for shopping when required. Lunch. Connected up to the electric, looks like it’s free here now, used to be coin in the slot. 

Muscovy duck below lock 8 Egreville

Chimneys at Bagneaux-sur-Loing.
Note: the 3rd chimney is hidden behind the concrete one.

Moored on the old quay at Nemours

Thursday 14th June 2018 Cépoy to Néronville 11.1kms 5 locks

Inquisitive Canada goose - no we don't want a pet goose -
we had enough trouble with the adopted duck who flew up
 the road to the pub to follow Mike (in a different life back in UK)

Modern "rusty" lock cabin at 2 Les Vallées

8.7ºC Sunny. Light showers. Mike decided he would move the car as we could get the bike on and off the front deck easily where we were moored at Cépoy. I was left with instructions to blow up the blue fenders – but I couldn’t find the adapter. Got on with other odd jobs, cut a new piece of mosquito netting for the side doors, then got the photos downloaded and up to date and finished catching up with blog posts. Mike returned at 2.45pm and I gave him a hand to get the moped back on board, with a nosey lone Canada goose watching every move in case

food was forthcoming! We set off at 3pm, 2kms to the first lock, 2 Les Vallées, which was full. In and down 1.8m slowly. No signs of life although there was a VNF van parked next to the artistically rusty modern lock cabin fascia. 800m to lock 3 Montabon. An elderly couple, who had parked their car on the towpath, walked to the lock to question Mike about the boat, where we’d come from and where we were going, etc, ie the usual questions. Down a further 1.3m. Below the lock there was rural auberge

Above lock 6 Brise-Barre

called Le Martin Pecheur (The Kingfisher) and a voice shouted “Good afternoon!” and it took me a while to locate the speaker among all the parasols – an Englishman and his dog. 2kms to the next. An unusual ULM – a helicopter – flew over following the canal/river. Trees lined both banks and the water was clean, with yellow water lilies and eel grass at the edges. A low hill in front was also covered in forest. A light shower of rain, but not enough to warrant a jacket. Lock 4 Retourne dropped us down 1.9m. A couple on bikes paused

Locking mechanism at base of lamppost
lock 6 Brise-Barre

to have a rest and watch us lock through. Mike hopped off to take a closer look at an aluminium boat shaft (about 6 or 7m long) which was attached to a tall lamppost on the lockside – no idea what it’s for – he took photos of the locking mechanism at its base, there had been one at each lock. Why would the mobile keepers need a very long lightweight pole? Obviously not intended for use by boat crews? Answers on a postcard. 1.4kms to lock 5 Nargis, in the village of the same name. A short wait while it filled and then we dropped down 1.7m. A British cruiser was moored below by the picnic tables, we chatted with the

Banana palm near Nangis

lady on board as we passed. 700m to lock 6 Brise-Barre. The first one of the automatic locks to be stubborn to activate, Mike zapped it several times before he got a little orange light to switch on to say it was working. Down 1.5m then 4.7kms to the next. Noted that the VNF had gone mad with fencing and fenced off the stepping on/off places at the tail of the lock – do they assume that everyone stays on their boat or climbs lock ladders? Below the lock the cycle path and the road alongside it were very close to the edge of the canal on our left,

Chateau buildings Nancay dated 1514 

so (we would guess it's for the cyclists’ safety) an ornate fence had been installed – green-painted wrought iron panels – under the beautiful avenue of plane trees - for the next kilometre. Wonder how much that cost and did the VNF pay for it? The river Loing was also very close to the canal on our right, the water was a very muddy dark brown colour. There was a chateau between the canal and river on our right, it was named Nancay and dated 1514. We moored at 6.30pm beyond the official moorings by the picnic tables in Néronville -

Moored at Néronville 

no TV there due to trees – so we went on under the bridge to moor next to piling with grass over a meter high. Perishing satellite receiver had lost all it’s memories for some unknown reason and we had to set it all up again including making a new favourites list. 

Wednesday13th June 2018 Montargis to Cepoy 5.82kms 3 locks.

Following a cruiser into lock 36 Buges

12.9ºC Grey overcast, brighter later, much cooler. Set off at 10am as we weren’t going very far. We hadn’t been going very long when we were overtaken by British cruiser, so Mike increased speed to follow it to 35 Langlée where we shared the lock. The lock was automatic, but not fully, so it was worked for us by a lock keeper using a large yellow hand-held control box. Mike told the cruiser’s skipper that we’d heard yesterday that the Seine was a flood and the navigation was closed. We must have passed him yesterday as he said he’d been moored in Montargis and he was on his way to Nemours. Mike asked the keeper if he knew about the floods,

The abandoned canal d'Orléans from lk 36

he didn’t and suggested that we ring the control centre. (Looked online at Vigicrues website and found that there were no floods on the Seine or the Marne, that's a relief!). 400m to the next lock, 36 Buges. A small Dutch sailing boat came up in the automatic lock, then we followed the cruiser round a sharp right hand bend into the chamber, off to our left was the start of the canal d’Orléans which is closed. Told the skipper to carry on and not to wait for us at the next lock as it was 2.2kms away. We slowed down to our usual 5 – 6kph. Took a photo of the house on the unusual angled quay where the canal changed to the Canal du Loing. The cruiser was going down in lock 1 Cépoy,

House on the angled quay

the first lock on the Canal du Loing, when we arrived. The aerials for activating the system are on the lockside cabins, Mike zapped and the lock refilled after the cruiser had cleared the lock. Down 1.8m slowly. The moorings in the small town of Cépoy were filled with live-aboards and dead boats. We moored next to the cycle path (also used frequently by cars) just beyond the last moored boat, knocking four pins in to tie to as there were no bollards and the passing traffic rarely slows down for moored craft. It was 11.50am. We had only just tied up when a VNF van went past, waving. Lunch. Mike looked to see where he could park the car. The area had been "improved" so there were new barriers and no parking signs, so he decided to leave the car at Chatillon another day and he’d

Moored by the towpath at Cepoy

probably move it on to Nemours tomorrow. 

Tuesday 12th June 2018 Chatillon-Coligny to Montargis 25kms 10 locks

Orange lilies growing wild along the canal banks

14.2ºC Sunny after heavy rain the previous evening, clouds gathering later and a few showers of rain. Just us on the moorings still. Set off at 9.40am.  3kms to the first lock. When we were 1km from lock 25 Lepinoy, two cruisers went past, a British one and a Dutch one. A large steel cruiser was moored above the lock. A man in a van worked the manual lock for us. Work was in progress on making the towpath into a cycle piste and the storm weir opposite and inflow from the

Tar sprayer - turning the towpath into a cycle path

river had a coffer dam around it so they could make the tarmac path across it. There were orange lilies growing along the banks, don’t think they are wild, just garden escapees. 2.3kms to lock 26 Montbouy where a young lady worked the lock. A little further on another large hotel boat was moored. A long pound of 8.4kms. Another British steel cruiser went past. 1.5kms from the next lock a Locaboat hire boat went past. The next four locks were automatic,

He will never swallow that!

linked, and the first lock 27 Montambert was activated as we passed through a set of sensors. There were cameras at each lock. I lifted the bar and we dropped down 3.70m (all four locks about the same depth) Lock houses were empty and one had all its windows smashed. Down 28 Chesnoy – a lizard raced down a wall into the grass. A man in a van turned up at lock 29 Moulin de Tours and the guy was very chatty and interested in the boat. He told us that the Seine was currently in flood and was closed – that might cause us a few problems. The water in the next pound was cristal clear but with lots of weeds, our man in a van said that they had stopped putting chemicals in the water. Next pound was back to mud coloured. Down 30 Souffre Douleur – what a name for a lock – suffer pain! Where did that come from? we asked – he had no idea. There were a couple of edible snails on the damp

Stainless steel pipe to put ropes round
in lock 28 Chesnoy

lock walls. Rain poured down as we headed for the next lock on a 1.9kms pound. Lock 31 Sablonières (soap maker) had been part modified, it had manually operated gates (our keeper had asked if we could get through one, yes no problem) but the paddles were operated using a heavy duty yellow control box. Our man in a van phoned to tell the next keeper we were on our way. 2.3kms to lock 32 La Toilerie (linen maker) where a more or less silent keeper worked the manual lock for us and asked if we were continuing, yes. 4.1kms to the next lock. On towards the large town of Montargis with some very posh architect-designed houses along the road alongside the canal. Where we had moored in the past by the maison de retrait (sheltered housing for the elderly) there was now a long line of mostly dead boats, some of which were looking pretty ropy, and a few boats with crews aboard. Lock 33 La Marolle was next to the VNF offices and a man and a young lady (under tuition) came out to work the lock and take registration numbers. The man handed Mike a controller for the automatic locks on the canal du Loing, the next lock was automatic then we’d have to ring the keeper at lock 35 when we set off to tell him were coming. A short distance to lock 34 La

An edible snail in lock 30 Souffre Douleur

Reinette (the frog) which was surrounded by crowds of people, including a bunch with a tour guide who was busy doing his speech. Gongoozlers everywhere. Glad when the lock gates opened and we could continue. More boats were moored below the lock – a very smartly painted blue and white péniche called La Petite Venise which was a restaurant boat. A tripper was heading for the lock we’d just left – with more crowds of gongoozlers. Under a bridge and past the police station where more old péniches and DBs were moored. We carried on towards

Chateau in Montargis

the end of a very long quay along an old railway track, which is used once a week by the silo. Two péniches, having just loaded at the silos, were setting off heading downhill towards Moret. It was 4pm. As we were tying up a town council van arrived and stopped by the boat - two young men got out ready to do some strimming, but one wanted to try his English and Mike and he conversed for a while, he said they each had to cut 10kms of grass a day – that’s a lot of grass. While I was putting stuff away and about to go in the cabin via the side doors, a young blonde lady started talking to me in rapid French – I hadn’t got a clue what she was saying, I lost it after she’d said she was sorry to bother me but.. so I replied in English to say I hadn’t understood, it turned out she was asking me for some drinking water. OK I filled a glass with cold filtered water from the 'fridge and got Mike to hand it to her, she drank it, said thank you and carried on walking. What that was in aid of we have no idea – maybe she was just thirsty? 

Moored in Montargis looking back at town

Moored in Montargis looking away from town at silos

Sunday 10th June 2018 abv 13 Javacière to Chatillon-Coligny 11.6kms 12 locks

Control rods and buttons. Lk 18 St Barbe 

13.9ºC Grey clouds, showers, then sunny again. Mike went to the lock and called on the intercom to get a keeper to set the automatic locks for us. A man in a van arrived and we set off at 9.20am, down lock 13 Javacière, all six locks were around 4m deep - they replaced the Rogny 7-rise staircase that dated from the time of Henri IV – work started to build the canal in 1605 but completion didn’t occur until 1642, the staircases were all replaced by singles in 1893. Our keeper was very chatty and we explained to him

Remains of the Henri IV 7-rise at Rogny

that there was no Internet on the summit pound so we were off to Chatillon. Down another 4m at 14 Racault, pressing a green button on the control panel to set the lock working. Down lock 15 St Joseph – our keeper was dead-heading the roses at the house. There were a lot of concrete bank repairs around lock 16 Chantpinot. Lock 17 Rogny, our man in a van was tending more roses on the lockside. Took photos of the remains of the seven-rise on our way past it to lock 18 St Barbe. The keeper asked if we were stopping at Rogny, no, it’s not raining we’ll carry on to Chatillon. Five minutes later it poured down. There was a Nichols

Wind vane? Lk 22 Briquemault

hirebase in the arm at Rogny and Meanderer, a hotel boat, was moored on the quay plus three DBs.  A pleasant 4.7kms pound to a flight of three at Dammerie.  The keeper had just emptied lock 19 Dammerie so we tied to a short wooden staging above the lock. A 5m wide Dutch cruiser came up and went past, sucking water out from under the boat with his wash – this tightened our centre rope taking a patch of new red paint on the handrails off down to bare steel. The keeper said the last VNF man hadn’t told him we were coming – must have thought we were going to tie up when it

Notice at lk 24 Chatillon asking pleasure boaters to behave!
fat chance of that!

 started raining.  He said we could go in the chamber and he’d be back at 1pm and drove off in his own car leaving his VNF van on the lockside. Back to manually operated locks, Mike closed one gate behind us and we sat in the cabin in the shade (sun now out again). Our man in a van was back at 1pm and we set off down the three locks, each one dropping 3.5m. Lock 19 Dammerie was manual as was lock 20 Picardie – a Locaboat came up and then we went down. Lock 21, Moulin-Brûlé, had been

Lock house 24 Chatillon

partly mechanised, the gates were wound manually, but the paddles were lifted and closed with a yellow hand-held control box. 2.7kms to the next group of three locks, passing the Chateau Mivoisin mostly hidden by trees. These were shallower at 3.30m each. A young lady keeper with a moped worked lock 22 Briquemault – there was an interesting wind vane on the cabin roof. She had to lift the Llangollen type lift bridge at the tail end of the lock up by a couple of inches to get our mast under it. A bearded man in a VNF van came to help at lock 23

Moored at Chatillon

Town streets Chatillon-Coligny

Gazon and they opened both bottom end gates as there was a Dutch cruiser waiting to come up below 24. The man in a van drove down to 24 Chatillon and worked the manual lock for us and we told him we’d stay at Chatillon until Tuesday morning as we had some shopping to do on Monday. A short distance into Chatillon, passing a slipway and a couple of boats on the finger pontoons, we went on beyond the smart capitainerie (water and electric free) and tied up at the end of the quay behind a large Dutch cruiser. It was 2.55pm.