Friday 12th April 2019 abv Toul lock to below Neuviller lock 39.7kms 9 lks

View back towards Toul

Peniche Egee went past loaded with soil as we got ready to move, its skipper asking boaty questions as he passed us. Cold wind again, clear blue sky. Set off 9.15am. Photo, back towards Toul from under road bridge. At 12.30pm we passed a UK cruiser going in opposite direction at Neuves Maisons. Camera facing downstream on board with red/green lights on, not noticed that before. There was a problem with Neuves Maisons lock, they couldn’t get it to make a level and open the gates. The keeper said the

Empty loading basin at Neuves Maisons

repair team would be there in half an hour. Photos of the empty commercial basin and of the boats in the lock. Two guys went in the lock cabin, Mike says they showed her (the keeper) which button to press to open the gates and away we went at 1.50pm. (He admits that wasn’t a charitable comment, but he was feeling a bit miffed).  Lock 46 had dozens of bees flying round Mike from where the mooring bollard was, coming out of holes in the ground, taking no notice of him and he took no notice of them. Arrived at mooring by KP43 near Neuviller lock at 6.30pm and 

In Neuves Maisons lock with cruiser Le Migrateur

tied to a bollard. Mike stepped off the boat then stepped back, straight into the canal between boat and bank. The water just a bit deeper than his waist level (fortunately).  I reached the boarding ladder (that Helen had rescued and given us years ago) for him to use to climb out of the canal. We finished tying up and then he squelched on board to dry out.