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Bricked up lock house 18 Longeaux |
Set off at 9.50am – not raining yet. Made it through
lock 26 Nançois-le-Petit before the man in a VNF van went past, waving and he went
on down to 27 Chessard (which we’d just come up) A little British yacht went
past heading downhill, that was a surprise. Lock 23 Vileroncourt lights went to
red/green as we left 24 then red then double red went off, back to red/green,
double red, red/green and started to empty. It finished emptying, lights went
double red, lights off, lights went double red, lights off gate light started
flashing, then the gates started opening at last! (all the locks at this end of
the canal are controlled by the VNF at Bar-le-Duc). Weed filled the filter on
the engine cooling system so Mike had to stop in the offline basin at Ligny to
empty it all out. Loads of reed stems in the pipe but he managed to clear it all out
using a hook. Set off again at 12.15pm setting the next lock 22 Ligny by
zapping as we reversed out back on to the canal. Surprised that the water level
above lock 19 Givrauval was down by about 18” – wonder where all that water has
gone? Loads of water pouring over the bottom end gates of lock 18 Longeaux –
that should keep the next pound full?? The top end gates of 18 didn’t close
behind us as we left. Round the bend under the railway and lock 17 Menaucort
was empty with bottom gates open and green light on – all by magic,
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Aqueduct and lock 17 Menaucourt |
didn’t have
to zap? A VNF man in a van worked 17 from the cabin and went on to do 16 Nantois
too. The locks 1 – 17 used to be chained. Our man in a van suggested we didn’t
stop at Naix-aux-Forge and went on up another four locks as they were having
trouble with water levels. The water in the pound above lock 15 Naix was down
by about 18” so we went on and moored above lock 11 Trévenay next to a sloping
quay wall – sank tyres to protect the boat (they go under the bottom to prevent
the edges of the bottom plate from rubbing on the sloping stones) It was
4.55pm.