2001
  BACK TO CALENDAR 2001
 
 
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September 16                      Sunday
Parroy (near la Garde) to Nancy, Canal Marne au Rhine.
 
Away at decent time, but if anything weather even fouller than yesterday, with biting cold wind dead ahead of us, frequent heavy rain squalls, and hail.
 
There was no point in stopping - we had to get on and face it, but it was not fun.
 
Lunch on a lock jetty, defeated by usual heavy squall.
 
Pulled in, after a singularly foul, but reasonably profitable, day at about 1700.
 
 
September 17                  Monday
Nancy to Richardmenil.
 
An incredible day.
 
Discussed between ourselves yesterday, just in passing, if it would be worth asking VNF 1220_canal_de_jonction.jpg (43431 bytes) to let us use the Canal de Jonction, or the Nancy Embrochemont, as it is more usually known. i.e. the short canal directly from the East end of Nancy, going South and West to Richardmenil at the head if the Canal de lEst, Branch Sud. A 4 hour run, through 18 locks.
 
This bit of canal cuts off the whole long grind against the current on the river Moselle right round by Toul - for us 2 to 3 days hard graft - and the first 2 locks of the Canal de lEst.   In other words - could we swap 4 hours fun run for 2 days hard and dull graft over an unfavourable current?
 
The Nancy Embrochement, since time immemorial - has been available to commercial boats only.
 
However, we found a notice in the Nancy Capitainerie stating that recently, resulting from a stoppage on the main route round at Messein, near Neuve Maison, private boats -  as an exceptional privilege(!) -  would be permitted to use Embrochement in controlled convoys, so long as they didnt exceed a certain size. 
 
This was now out of date, and when we hopefully rang the number given we were told very firmly "non".
 
Reckoned, as there was now a precedent it would be worth trying further.
 
Went into Nancy VNF office, and the whole thing was laid on in 20 mins by extremely competent and helpful1223_c_de_jonction_by_nancy.jpg (59383 bytes) young lady at the reception desk with 2 telephones and a gift of command.
 
To digress - have noticed before in France, that reception girls are very much part of the executive management team - so if visiting a large organisation tell the girl on the reception desk the whole story from the beginning - she'll probably sort it all out.   It is much easier understanding French when spoken by a female! Also, of course, it is much more fun - even at 69!
 
Had to be at Lock 25 Laneuville at 12.30 - some 45 mins away.
 
A quick visit to Auchan S.M. for food and gas appeared apropriate, so we did.   Both the SM on this side of Nancy - which used to be just a wander across the fields and bring your trolley back to the boat, have now been cut off by building sites and new roads - arkward!.
 
Down to lock by by 11.30,  At 12.00 L.K. duly arrived, and, to our unbelieving joy, summoned us - there was no oneelse!
 
Off we went.
 
The canal is - apart from the recent use by cut off pleasure boats - unused from year end to year end, as far as we know.
 
The rule that it is reserved for commercial traffic, is, according to the L.K.s who saw us through,  nonsense. There is no commercial traffic, and hasn't been for some 15 years (I quote)!
 
It was quite spooky going on it. The countryside - although right close to Nancy - is remote upland, until you go under the Motorways at the South end. It was incredibly quiet and still.
 
All the equipment, obviously very old and in many parts dangerously eroded, worked, and was well greased. A new cycle track is being built on the towing path giving the impression of investment and use - but the impression is, currently, false, and looks suspiciously like British Waterways' efforts to baffle local government and the electorate that they are doing something sensible and profitableZfor the community, thus ensuring the safety of their o1n jobs.
 
We have been promised, since Hugh McNights time, that it wouQd be opened to pleasure boaters within the next couple of years, but looking at all the equipment, there is a massive amount of work needed just to 1224_gate_canal_de_onction.jpg (5110 bytes) makevit safe, let alone resistant to regular use, so future opening appears doubtful.
 
There are 16 locks - 11.up, and 5 down, over 10 kms, which, with 2 extremely competent and jovial L.K.s we completed in about 4.5 hours, getting into Richardmenil about tea time, y days before we would have done if we had hd to go round.<d>
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6xb>

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Boring!
 
Slope interfering with sleep comfort, so got up and once again got away early - waiting for automatics to be switched on at 0830.
 
Fine day with sun getting warmer through the day.
 
Gentle run down through forests of Canal de lEst on our own, and out onto the Petite Sane.
 
Lunch at Core, and moored for night at site used on 4 previous occasions at Jussy, against the bank in the open.
 
Plenty terrorists about still.
 
Sat in sun in evening, but too cold to remain outside for drinks. It is still only 5 weeks since we were mooning about Saverne thinking of nothing but collapsing in the shade.