Baye to Clemency

Week 5 – September 22nd to September 30th (Sally) 

Autumn is coming slowly to France, the canals are all lined with trees and daily we see the fall of walnuts, chestnuts and acorns. The Virginia Creeper blazes brilliant red on walls and buildings, the blackberries and rose hips are thick in the hedgerows and huge orange pumpkins are in all the shore-side gardens. The trees are still a palette of green, only the beginning of yellow and brown showing, but a cluster of leaves falling and the stacks of firewood at every door to warn us of colder times to come.

We are enjoying this wonderful Indian summer, it is 7.30pm and so light outside almost tempting us for a walk, but we might have done enough of that today and a glass of red and dinner sounds a better alternative.

The climb to the summit at Baye was an interesting experience. One can say everyday is an experience. We left Chatilon en Bazois and at our first lock we both commented that the lock was very high, almost overflowing. Well in hindsight it seems quite obvious that if the water is high then the gap between water and bridge is less. Oh dear, we could see it coming but no way could we stop, even though going very slow, so we watched in horror as our mast went BOP (Bob said he had intended to shorten it anyway) then feared for our wheel house… phew, a scrape and that was all. A stunned silence as we surveyed the damage, when we got to the next lock, consternation on the faces of the eclusiers who by now realised someone had stuffed up big time, leaving a lock valve open all night. The lock keepers have a fairly responsible job of keeping all things equal, and obviously in letting one stage of the canal overfill it meant the next stage was too low. We quickly learned some new French words, ”Il n’est pas l’eau suffiance.” Discussions, inspections, quick trips to the next lock, everything but apologies and we stayed put for two hours while the canal refilled and we were able to proceed. Tony productively employed the time trimming the 180 mm shattered mast base. Eventually we got to Baye, the summit of the waterways system where there are two huge ponds built to feed the canals. What a magic spot, you literally felt that you were on top of the world.

We continued the next day with the descent to the Yonne valley. Three tunnels then a staircase of 16 locks in a space of 3,200 m. Not helped by having to share the lock with 5 Belgium boys out for a good time. They had stocked the boat with the beer, but were light on food…. We entered the first lock at 10am, they entered their first beer at 9am. And so we proceeded down the locks. For some unexplained reason these locks are only 30mtrs long and Sable at 19.88 and their boat at 10mtrs made for “Close Encounters”. However we made it and when they elected to stop we decided to carry on to the next stop at Chitry le Mines where we all boarded our first barge eleven years ago. Well, it was a long day, 28 locks in all and when we arrived at Chitry there was Ted Johnston, from Nerang… but even better there was his sister in law, who now runs a café, and she whipped up Steak and Frites in 10 minutes flat. Heaven on a stick…  

Since then it has been a trip down memory lane, and as we expected not a lot has changed. Still the same beautiful countryside. Little villages, farmhouses, tranquil and peaceful scenes. I stand at the front of Sable at least once a day and say,”How beautiful is this”

Friday, we arrived at Clamecy, an old town with the medieval centre still preserved, steep, narrow winding streets, overhanging half timbered houses and a cave where we managed to stock up our wines. We had already decided to have a rest day there but that was extended to two days as the overnight rain raised the river and officials closed the canal to all traffic. We used the time to do some exploring of the countryside on our motor bikes and some cleaning and maintenance.  Saturday and Sunday were as perfect, weatherwise, as could be possible. We were enjoying a leisurely lunch out on the foredeck but then hurriedly prepared for departure as soon as it appeared the canal was going to be re-opened in the afternoon and soon found our way down the river, well on the way towards Vermenton by nightfall.