Wednesday 20th June 2018 Vaires to Meaux 21.9kms 3 locks 1 tunnel

Moorings at Lagny

12ºC Sunny with clear blue skies, white fluffy clouds later and very hot again. 23ºc already when we set off at 9am heading upriver, 10kms to the next lock. A little sports boat went past – a bateau ecole – driving school for boats. A cruiser called Avalon (German from Kiel) which was  moored at Lagny, untied and followed us – it soon overtook us and disappeared into the distance. Bank repairs were being done at Dampmart, maybe putting some moorings in while they were at it. We could see the cruiser had gone into lock 14 Chalifert and

Derelict péniche Antie in Lagny

the gates closed behind it. We trundled on and the keeper reset it for us to go up 3.2m. Round a right bend into Chalifert tunnel (294m long, cutting off another long loop of the Marne) and another sharp right bend to lock 13 Lesches, where a lady keeper pressed the buttons which lifted the boat 3.10m. Another canal section 11.5kms long with a thick belt of trees on either side. We saw our first coot this year. We were passing to the north of Disneyland. The canal water was olive green and had weeds along

Railway bridge at Chalifert

both edges which were ideal for the masses of dragonflies and damselflies to lay their eggs. Under a railway bridge and there was a long quay at Esbly (which looked un-used) and a parked VNF van. Mike called on VHF Marine channel 10 to check we were OK to pass a VNF work boat just before an aqueduct. Someone replied OK and we passed a large group of VNF men working on the bank by their péniche work boat called Massabielle lifting dead tree trunks out from below the aqueduct. Back into the jungle and it was getting

VNF work boat Massabielle

very hot. I made sandwiches for lunch on the move. Called the lock keeper at Meaux and he got the lock ready for us – lock 12 had a lift of only 0.5m, then we turned right on to the river opposite a big boatyard and lots of moored boats and tied next to the piling in front of the Usine des Eaux. Their grassy frontage was being mowed by a family of Canada geese who went and sat under the trees while we tied up. It was 2pm. Mike got the bike off and he went to collect the car from Nemours at 3.30pm after checking with the water works

Moored by the Usine des Eaux in Meaux

office to make sure it was OK to park our car on their car parking area, OK, but it’s not secure. Fine, that worried us a touch – it was OK last time! Two péniches arrived and went down the lock, one at 2.30pm an empty Ste Therese and at 5.15pm loaded Zambesie.