Saturday 14th April 2018 Pagny-sur-Meuse to Neuves-Maisons 39.4kms 18 locks

Leaving the pontoon at Pagny

5.1ºC Overcast but sunny later, rain after we’d tied up. Set off at 8.30am an early start as we wanted to clear the industrial Moselle. Through Foug tunnel to the top of the long flight down into Toul. A lovely lady keeper worked the top lock for us, a deep one, number 14. All 15 locks were less than a kilometre apart and we had only two problem locks, 15 which filled but didn’t open and I was just about to get off and walk down to the use the lock intercom

Foug tunnel

when Madame opened the gates for us from her control panel at 14. Lock 18 had failed completely and had two red lights (en panne – broken down). This time I was almost at the lock when Madame arrived in her VNF van and she worked the lock from 18’s cabin. We had already noted that vandalism must be a problem here as the usually large lock cabin windows had been bricked up and now had only tiny windows, not big enough for a vandal to climb through. Just after lock 24 was the Port de France in Toul, a majestic

Lock cabin on Foug flight - note tiny windows

mooring basin which was pretty full of boats of all shapes and sizes. On past the Vauban fortifications and under the former railway bridge which is now a footbridge where we spotted two kids sitting in the window hole, their bikes leaning on the wall behind them. Took their photos in case they were thinking of doing any mischief. They didn’t. A short distance and we came to the automatic lift bridge. There was a queue of cars waiting to cross it as we passed through. A couple more locks and we arrived at 27, where a chatty man in a van arrived to ask us which way we were going, Neuves-Maisons, OK, and

Rods and intercom with funny face Foug flight

he booked Toul lock on the Moselle for us. Straight on was the continuation of the Marne-au-Rhin that had been abandoned in 1978 when the navigation was modified, we turned right into the lock 27bis and dropped down on to the canalised river Moselle, turning right to head uphill. A huge gathering of swans took flight as we approached Toul lock, the first of three big locks (180m x 11.4m) built to take very large cargo boats to the industrial area alongside the upper Moselle in Neuves-Maisons. The first lock had a pair of chambers,

Lock 14 chamber with bottom end gates open

plaisance use the “small” lock – péniche size 38.5m x 5.05m. Up the wall with recessed bollards, lifting the rope higher as the lock gently filled lifting the boat 4.4m. The canal above the small lock winds past Toul. I made some lunch but Mike found a problem – no cooling water – the filter must be blocked. He took it apart and the pipe leading to the big metal filter was blocked with weed and bits of twig, picked up on the Marne-au-Rhin. Tapped a pin into the bank and he cleaned it out, glad he noticed it before the river, but annoyed it was delaying us. Ate our lunch as we went on up the canal and then straight out on to the Moselle. Lots of four-man (mostly women) coxed rowing skiffs were flying up and down the river with two orange RIB speedboats keeping an eye on them on the 8.5kms reach to Villey-le-Sec. No small lock this time, up the wall gently, this time rising 7.20m. A very pleasant 13kms meandering through forests, with an old railway track on the left hand bank. Noted trees that had been felled

Boats in Port de France Toul

and stripped of bark by beaver below the next lock. Neuves-Maisons lock was a trifle less deep at 7.10m. When it was full the keeper came down from his tower to hand us a new zapper. We asked what time the locks closed on the canal de l’Est Sud. 6pm. It was gone 5.20pm and would take fifteen minutes to reach the next lock! We were going to moor two locks higher, so we asked if we could moor above his lock and move on in the morning. Not a good idea, there was already one big river

Kids hiding in bridge window Toul

barge at the quays above and another one due early tomorrow. Moor below the next lock was his advice. We did, passing the heaps of scrap and a German 2,000 tonne boat called Luma from Trier, then a steel works producing coils of steel wire which was stacked along the canal bank and on lots of railway wagons. There were bollards and old trees to tie to on the piece of wasteland below the lock. We tied up just before 6pm.

Church at Toul from the Moselle

Moored  in Neuves-Maisons below  lock 47 on canal de l'Est

2,000T river barge at wharf in Neuves-Maisons

Coils of steel wire on wharf at Neuves-Maisons

Friday 13th April 2018 Demange-aux-Eaux to Pagny-sur-Meuse 31.6kms 13 locks

Moored at Demange

2.4ºC Overcast and chilly after a cold night. Set off at 9.30am. Lock 1 Tombois was ready for us. I walked up to the lock with a short boat shaft to hook the mooring line, and when the lock was full we topped up our water tank. Several VNF men were buzzing about. One collected the zapper and one said he was our support cyclist (he makes sure we’re OK as he cycles along the towpath in the tunnel with us and checks in at designated intercoms to call base to say we’re all OK – Health and Safety gone a little bit OTT). It took us and our attendant cyclist an

Top lock - 1 Tombois

hour and ten minutes for the passage of Mauvages tunnel 4887m in length on the summit level of the Marne-au-Rhin canal west branch, at a height above sea level of 281m. We were now out of the Seine basin and into the Meuse valley. Started downhill at 11.30am following the valley of the little river Mèholle, down a flight of twelve linked locks (each lock activates the next) each lock drops the boat 2.9m and the pounds between are all under 1km in length. The first five locks, Mauvages, Villeroy, Chalède, Grande Charme and St Esprit, no longer had lock houses. All the rest had lived in houses except for lock 9 Biquiottes which had no house and lock 12 Void whose house was bricked up. We had lunch on the move as we carried on down the flight. All the locks were easy to work, just lift the blue bar and each one worked a treat. Mike spotted lock 10’s control cabin (only used when there are problems) was full of flies, thousands of them and more hovering about outside wanting to get in – had something died in there? At the last lock a

Old engine shed abv Tombois

charming, chatty VNF man in a van came to ask which way we were going, we told him towards Toul – if we’d gone north on the canal de l’Est we’d have had a new zapper, but on the route we’re taking we don’t need one for a while. It was 2.35pm when we finished the flight. The sky was a hazy grey-blue with flat clouds and the light was weak like you get at the start of an eclipse, I took photos as we followed the N4 on an embankment looking down on all the traffic. Under the N4 bridge and out into quieter countryside. Dust came across the canal in great clouds as vehicles moved in a cement

Old tunnel tug now in retirement

works on our right, fortunately not as we were passing. Mike paused on the aqueduct over the river Meuse to take a photo of the weir, which looked like it was about normal water level. At 4pm we turned right at the junction with the canal de l’Est, following the railway which was high up above us following the contours of a hill. Round meandering bends into Pagny-sur-Meuse, where we moored on a pontoon at 5pm behind a ginormous Belgian three-decker cruiser (no one on board must have been left there for the winter). The alternator belt had been

Entrance to Mauvages tunnel

squeaking, so Mike changed it, and was surprised that it was a lot more damaged that he had suspected

Exit to Mauvages with barrier and safety boat

Church at Pagny-sur-Meuse

Old towpath traction engine

Another old engine by VNF offices and workshop at Void

Church at Void 

Pale sky overlooking N4

Weir on river Meuse from aqueduct

Thursday 12th April 2018 Naix-aux-Forges to Demange-aux-Eaux 14.3kms 13 locks

Muddy walls in lk 13 St Amand

7.7ºC Hazy cloud to start, soon turning to blue skies, sunshine, but a cold wind. Set off at 9.45am. Up lock 14 La Barboule which had been sitting empty with a green light overnight. The entrance sensor was stubborn, it hadn't "seen" the boat, so Mike had to back out close to the sensor and try again, then it worked. Nice to have dry walls – no sticky gooey mud. Another load of washing on as there is a tap at lock. Out of lock 14 on an aqueduct over the river Mèligny (tributary of the Ornain) 1. 2kms to the next lock. VNF had been doing bank protection work using rocks, with a sacking cover, eco friendly to encourage plant growth, but it looked like work had stopped. Up lock 13 St Amand which was empty. The top end gates didn’t open so Mike gave them a bit of manual persuasion (a little push just to awaken the magnetic reed switch). Our VNF man in a van was checking for weed blocking the gates at lock 12 Charmasson. From here the canal does some interesting sweeping bends and some of the locks have repeater lights when the lock itself is around a blind bend. There was a little old foundry and lots

Marsh marigolds

of casting boxes along the bank before lock 11 Trèveray. Our keeper wearing a red woolly hat (not a diver or a follower of Captain Cousteau – Mike had asked him) was at his control centre. All the locks 1 – 17 can be worked remotely from here (hence lots of empty locks with wet muddy walls) and Mike had a guided tour (again – he did that when we were here last year). No cameras, he said, too expensive. He told Mike to expect an empty péniche, which was coming through the tunnel and he reckoned we’d see it around lock 5. Up locks surrounded by very pleasant scenery, 10 Charbonnières, 9 Petit Forge, 8

Huge mat of dead weed abv lk 5 L'Abbaye

Laneuville, 7 St Joire, 6 Boeval (the wind was a pig here and blew the boat to our right – the rods and ladder were on the left and it was hard work wriggling back to the other side. (A bow thruster would have been useful here) 5 Abbaye de Evaux, 4 Montfort (no signs of the commercial yet) 3 Bois Molu and then two VNF vans went downhill and we spotted empty péniche Burnaout coming out of lock 2 Demange. Our last lock of the day. Bugger it! Mike was fed up of muddy ladders so I lifted the rod and we rose ropeless. The gates stayed shut again – gave them a tiny little nudge

Below lock 4 Montfort

with our bows - that woke the sensor up and the gates opened. A short distance to the pontoon below lock 1 Tombois. It was empty, just us. Moored at 2.55pm

Black kite - lousy photo

Joire village from lk 7 Joire

Bank protection work below lk13 St Amand

Empty peniche Burnaout below lock 2 Demanges

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.

Monday 9th April 2018 Fains to Tronville 14.5kms 15 locks

The nerve centre of the Marne-au-Rhin canal West.

9.9ºC Overcast and chilly, jackets back on. Set off at 9.50am. A VNF van passed us en route to lock 42 Fains where our VNF man in a van worked the liftbridge for us. A very chatty elderly lady, with a big bagful of bread for the ducks, waved as we went into the lock. Lifted the rod to work the lock as the liftbridge closed behind us. The towpath from Fains uphill was tarmacadamed. A couple out walking the towpath wished us a bon voyage. Lock 41 Grand Pré worked OK, on to lock 40 Le Pont Canal de Chantereines which had

Our man in a van about to set off

the ladder on the opposite side to the rods. Mike got off up the ladder, threw the rope across and I shoved the boat over. Cyclists and walkers went past. We left the lock, crossing over the river Ornain on an aqueduct with a sign to say cyclists must walk – wonder if any of them do? Into the large town of Bar-le-Duc, passing the central control office (waves from some of the staff) and our man in a van set off to work more lifbridges for us, there was quite a queue of road traffic waiting to come out of the town, only a couple of cars waiting to

Bar-le-Duc from the canal

go in. On up lock 39 Bar-le-Duc. No signs at all of the old lock house that was here when we first passed through here. It was within a meter of the edge of the lock walls. Two cruisers and four campervans were at the halte fluviale, the cruisers looked permanent, the vans didn’t. A bit further on a nicely converted péniche called Commodore was moored. Mike took a photo of the parked trains –SNCF were having a two-day strike. Our man in a van worked the double liftbridge for us and the liftbridge at lock 38 Marbot, which was not

Railway gantries - wires and more wires

far from the double bridge. Lifted the rod to work the lock. A short distance to lock 37 Popey where the occupants of the former lock house were selling eggs at 2€ a dozen, tempted but we’re going shopping tomorrow anyway. Factories and commercial premises spread out along the road and railway to our left, then we followed the winding course of the canal under the railway and we had a short wait while lock 36 Savonnières emptied. Water was cascading over its bottom end gates. A jogger went past. The next lock, 35

Moorings in Bar-leDuc

Longeville, was empty. The former lock house still had a notice asking people not to feed their dog – no signs of any dog today. Above lock 35 the scenery changed as we left the town behind to large open fields on our left, backed with wooded low hills and more low wooded hills bordering the canal on our right. Lock 34 La Grande Chalaide was empty and easy to work as the walls and ladder were dry and ladder and rod on the same side. As we left the lock we noticed a fisherman walking the banks of the Ornain fishing as he walked. Wonder if he catches anything.

Parked trains. SNCF on a 2-day strike

Lock 33 Maheux was full, so we had a short wait and were back to muddy ladders and rods. Mike fished a couple of mating toads out of the lock and put them into a tiny bywash not far from the lock – they wouldn’t have got out unaided. More cyclists. The last four locks were all empty which made life easier. Up 31 Silmont, 30 Guerpont (a few spits of rain started and stopped) 29 Bohanne (ladder and rod on opposite walls) and finally lock 28 Tronville and more mating toads but thankfully not in the lock. Dark clouds were gathering

Wonder if anyone does?

over the hills, hoped we would be tied up before the rain started. Above the lock we chatted with a man who was collecting dandelions for his rabbits. He also wished us a bon voyage. Tied up at 3.10pm in the layby with bollards. A van was parked at the far end of the empty moorings, its driver fishing in the turning basin. Before we’d finished tying up our man in a van went past, waving, followed by another VNF van, finished for the day and heading back to the control

Spring is in the air - mating toads

centre. No signs of rain. 

Saturday 7th April 2018 Contrisson to Fains-les-Sources 14.5kms 14 locks

9ºC Sunny and hot. We set off just after 10am, a strong chilly wind blowing the boat off the bank,

Peniche Feeling waiting to load at Arcelor Mittal

I had a hard job hanging on to our centre rope while Mike untied the boat and getting back on board. The locks were now very close together, often less than a kilometre apart. Through the last set of sensors which set lock 56 in motion and we were soon up Braux. The two péniches who passed by the day before were at Arcelor’s factory, Fantagaro unloading coils of steel (we think) and Feeling waiting to load finished articles. This is as far as most of the commercials go up this canal. Next lock 55 La Haie Herlin was the first of the zapper operated locks. After all the previous locks having water pouring over the

Peniche Fantagaro unloading at Arcelor Mittal

top end gates, this was the first one that had no water over the gates. Mike took photos of the lock house and the goat, one of two that live on the lockside. The water level above 55 was down by about 6”. Lock 54 Damezelle worked perfectly but the post below lock 53 Notre Dame de Grace didn’t work. Mike phoned Bar-le-Duc control centre and within minutes the red and green lights came on and the lock gates started to open. On our left across open fields the houses and factories of Revigny appeared. Had to get very close to the receiver post at lock 52 Revigny before it would accept the signal from the

Four-legged grass cutter at lock 55 La Haie Herlin

telecommand, but it worked OK, lock empty. It was getting hot, so off came the jackets as we worked through lock 51 Bois de l’Ecuyer. Wood anemones and ladysmock were in flower along the towpath leading to lock 50 Petit Fraicul. As we were approaching the next lock, 49 Grand Fraicul, a VNF man in a van went past heading for our lock to work it for us, must be faulty. He worked the next too, lock 48 Neuville also faulty, he said one paddle was slightly open on both locks which upset the automatics. Brimstone butterflies were

Lockhouse at 55 La Haie Herlin

skimming over the towpath grass as we carried on to lock 47 La Doeuil, which worked OK. Our man in a van had gone on to lock 46 Mussey to raise the liftbridge for us. Did the lock ourselves. Our VNF man bid us au’voir as his section finished but not before quizzing us as to where we were going today and at what time we would be setting off tomorrow and to where we were going next. A pair of storks flapped across the canal. Lock 45 Chacolée, OK, lock 44 Varney was full so we had to wait while it emptied and Mike took photos of passing freight trains right alongside the canal. Strangely the railway was built at the same time as the canal back in the early 1800s. Rather surprised that the canal was ever built at all. Up lock 43 Rembertcourt. Lots of

Freight train passing by lock 44 Varney

motorbikes went past on the road below the canal embankment and suddenly there were cyclists about on the towpath. Round bends with woods on the slopes to our right on our way into Fains-les-Sources. At the start of the houses we saw the first fisherman since we left Condé! Tied up at 3.10pm next to piling before the official port (pay) in Fains below lock 42 Fains (The three boats moored there filled the concrete key and looked like they had passed the winter there). Set up the TV and Mike

And one going the opposite way

went to sleep watching the Bahrain F1 qualifying session.

It was only a malicious rumour. (Ed)  

Moored at Fains