Trip. 7kms Departure
9am. Locks 8 of 434
We were waiting in the lock by 9 having pulled away from the mooring and snapped a quick picture of the towns delightful array of roofs.
The teams were on time, we had 4 young eclusiers ensuring a rapid smooth transition along the 8 locks over just 3 Kms. We exited the first by 9.05
At lock 5 the chief informs me that there is a problem in the tunnel after last nights storm and we may be delayed. They are trying to repair it.
Ecluse number 4 is spectacularly decorated with a mass of agricultural gear covering the ecluse walls. I go to take a picture. What a bloody time for the camera battery to go flat.
At the penultimate ecluse before the tunnel my man informs that all is fixed and we should not be delayed long.
We reach the the last lock. I am asked to show life jackets for each passenger plus a spare. Working spotlights and I am given a hand held VHF. I sign for a 10.30 tunnel entrance and transit. We drop the radar arch and moor to wait for the tunnel to clear and the green light for go.
At 10.40 we are radios green for go. The first km is a very narrow but lovely approach.
We spy the 3.3 km tunnel entrance and don life jackets and turn on nav and spot lights
the tunnel is majestic. Low and with no towpath, a little claustrophobic as far as steering is concerned. I realise that the radar arch would have been hitting on the outter extremes and every 100 m or so, a surveillance camera takes off another 10inches from the airdraft and I find myself ducking.
We note hanging cables the length of the tunnel and wonder what they are for and are pleased the spotlight works as we go through the centre 1 km with no tunnel illumination and looking behind reveals just how pitch black it would be and impossible to steer the boat in.
we finally exit the tunnel which has been a brilliant experience. Weirdly I immediately remove my life jacket and sweatshirt. We slip down the very narrow exit canal and into the basin which has a handful of boats in. I spot the port moorings over in the corner and we moor in a nice corner right outside the capitinnaires office.
I plug the electric in. It blows. The office is closed until
2 pm. We have a big ton of ravioli to keep us going and I strip out above the aft cabin to check out the mains input plugs. All looks dry but this is the second time after rain, I am having trouble with electric so!
We head off to look at the old tug which was used right up until 1987 to pull barges through the tunnel. Housed in a glass house next to the canal, we also discovered the reason for the cables in the tunnel. The tug was electric and had tram style overhead wires.
Could not believe i helmed Doucette down this narrow canal earlier, t just did not look big enough.
A ride round pouilly before hitting the supermarket for vittals. Back at Doucette, I pay the capitinnaire and get the electric sorted. Top up with water and open a bottle of rose.
We have wifi so spend the evening catching up on loads of Internet stuff before I make a gorgeous fish Passanda with onion rice. Top meal!
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