Canal de Bourgogne, travel-report 2002: fifth day

This morning it 's cloudy, cold but dry. Today we are navigating back. As I go to the shop for bread this morning, I see that the water-level of the canal has fallen about 20 centimeters. The large hotel boat which pulled me out of the mud yesterday, is now stuck on the bottom of the canal itself. We are lucky to have changed position yesterday because under these circumstances we never would have been able to move. At nine o'clock we navigate into the lock. After a while the lockkeepers arrives on her moped to ask us to be patient. The canal has to be filled up first. In the section of the canal above the lock we are now, the water level has fallen about half a meter. From afar I can see the water bubbling through the slides in the gates of the next lock to raise the water-level.

The English have followed us and moor behind us in the lock. Their motor is repaired in the late afternoon yesterday. There are only two bollards in the lock. I solve the problem easily by pulling the rope behind a lock-ladder but when we are in the second lock it appears to be a bad move. The rope hooks behind the ladder and pull itself tight. Whatever I do the rope is stuck. Meanwhile the lock-chamber is filled and the water-level rises. I make a gesture to the lockkeeper. She understands the problem immediately and closes the slides and lowers the water-level. It 's easy to have an accident. We were lucky that the lockkeeper reacted so alert.

With the English in our wake, we navigate to the tunnel. This time Marga is going with us and fills up the necessary forms at lock 1. As the search-light and the lifejackets have been controlled, we can navigate into the tunnel. The English follow us at some distance. Just before the tunnel It seems they switch of their searchlights. I see just one light somewhat lower on their boat. We go on in the tunnel but we hear all kind of noises from behind. The English are calling at each other and their boat pinches and scrapes along the tunnel-walls. Because they have hanged some shelves at the outside of their fenders, we hear the noise of wood grating on stone. Because each sound is echoed, there is a lot of noise. I wonder if they need help. Maybe they are going back. As I find out they are going on and on in the tunnel and the noise and calling doesn't stop, we wait for them.

Their searchlights have failed and the woman is making some light at the front with a pocket-torch. As they are with us, we navigate together slowly. When Pepijn, who is at the wheel all through tunnel, increases speed somewhat, they bump and grape again at the tunnel walls. We have not finished a third of the tunnel.

In convoy we navigate slowly through the tunnel. When we are close at the end of the tunnel their lights suddenly light up.

We take a greater distance now. Some hundreds of meter before the end of the tunnel the searchlights fail again but they are close to the end. After the tunnel their boats do not look so brand new as before.

During the afternoon the weather brightens. I can go out during the lunch break and write in the sunshine on a bench. The boy are playing football for the first time with their new ball. Close to the port of Pouilly is the football field of the local club. The goals even have nets.

At a quarter to four we leave Pouilly. After some locks we arrive at the part of the canal again near the motorway but ignoring this we are navigating through a beautiful landscape. The Armançon meanders beside the canal and a see a fortified farmstead. At about six we arrive at the longest section of the canal. The canal has lost much of its charm here. De edges are fallen into decay, collapsed or replaced by steel constructions. I see two dead deers floating again. When they fall into the water here they have no chance to get out.

We plan to stay the night at Saint-Thibault. The mooring place according to the waterways guide offers no facilities except for a sign 'Mooring place'. I decide to navigate on to the next bridge which leads to Thibault. This place also isn't very special. We moor in front of the bridge. I am very cold and take a hot shower. Before me Charlotte had taken a shower while navigating and Maarten had a shower earlier this day. After Maarten Marga had a a cold shower again. We are still looking for the good way to cope with the limited quantity of water.

Saint-Thibault is a village of farmsteads and a special church. It 's remarkable that the church is higher than the tower. The church has been built during different periods but has a beautiful gothic entrance. Unfortunately I have forgotten my camera.