Nederlandse versieSecond day: across l'Étang de Thau to Vias

The next day the weather had changed. It is clouded and even a little misty. It is calm so we can cross the Étang de Thau soon.

Half an hour later I can't see Sète anymore. It is foggy. It may be calm but in this circumstances we can't cross the Étang de Thau. Later in the morning the fog lifts a little and we decide to go. We navigate to the red lighthouse (Roquerols) in a narrowing of the étang. After that we find it difficult to orientate ourselves. I can just see shades of the oyster beds in the far distance where we can focus on. 

 

Étang de Thau

I peer forward but don't see much,

the fog is dense and surrounds me,

water and air are one this day,

infinity is close to me.

 

We navigate about hundred meters parallel to the oyster beds. Soon I can see the village Mèze. There is some wind now and the sight is better.

Sometimes we see fishermen at work with little boats in the oyster beds. When we are halfway the wind blows much harder then I like. A cold strong eastern wind blows in our back. Yesterday the wind came from the west. I see froths on the waves and the boat is lifted sometimes from behind by the waves. I am happy to see the lighthouse at the beginning of the Canal du Midi. We forget our plan to visit Marseillan, one of the ports at the Étang de Thau.

The first five kilometers of the Canal du Midi still has the atmosphere of the coast. On the left and right side we are seeing little étangs. Also the flamingo's are present again. After the first lock, called Bagnas, the atmosphere changes. The canal has the well known some intimacy again as we know from last year. We are back home. Plane-trees are standing at the left an right side of the canal. They are already having leaves. Last year the foliage was not so serried. We are navigating in a beautiful part of the canal. After a sharp curve we pass the lock of the Hérault. This lock is only closed at high water of the river Hérault. The gates are open now. We navigate on the river. After the narrowness of the canal the wide river is thrilling. We navigate down a few hundred meters and see the tower of the church of Agde appearing above the trees. Just after a shed of the local rowing-club we bend to the right into the intimacy of the Canal du Midi again.

We are approaching the famous round lock of Agde. The gates are closed and a we go ashore to look. Another boat is just locked. The round lock is fascinating beautiful, very special this round shape. The lock is a three-forked waterway. The Canal du Midi runs straight ahead but you can also go port-side by a short canal to Agde. Agde has a connection with the sea by the Hérault. We are not allowed to go in that direction with our boat.

As we navigate out of the lock we see a water supply point on our left side. We stop to fill our water tank. We are moored in front of a solemn but deteriorated building where the VNF has an office. It is Sunday now and the office is closed. 

At the beginning of the afternoon it gets cloudy. We stay in Agde the entire afternoon but navigate at the end of the day four kilometers further to Vias.

The so called 'Ouvrages du Libron' is situated nearby, a structure that leads the river Libron over the canal. It 's a complicated construction. Because of the little difference in height - we are just a meter and a half above sea level- there is no possibility to lead the river under the canal. A crossing on the same height causes all kind of problems. The river Libron is staying dry almost all the time but can transport a huge amount of water and slick in autumn. The solution is found in a double executed construction of four large metal gutters which can be pushed over the canal. In times of a great quantities of river water the gutters are pushed from two sides to each other so the river water stream through in the constructed gutters. The main problem is that when the gutters are used, no boats can pass through the canal. By building a same construction thirty meters further and by transporting the water by slices through the first or second series of gutters, the navigation in the canal can go on.

On the way back I see a meadow with horses. Cattle Egrets are sitting on the back of two of the horses. They are cow-herons. It looks strange.

A field where three French boys are playing football is close to our mooring place. Pepijn and Maarten pantomime that they want to join them and they can play to their hearts content for the rest of the afternoon. Football is international.