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.