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A lot of this section twisted back and forth and must have been slow and awkward for commercial 38m barges, we had to take it slow and concentrate on getting the turns right so that the propeller and rudder didn't get too close to the outside of the bends.
Another bend in the canalised river and another flowering hawthorn bush.
While we were concentrating on the bends, Tilly is concentrating on us!
At the last French lock before entering Belgium, the lock keeper said that he would be surprised if the canal was repaired by the promised 2014, or at all. He thought there were not enough boats using the canal to justify it. This is slightly reverse logic as we were told by a woman, working on the board campaigning to re-open the canal, that before the canal was shut at Vadencourt there used to be around 700 boats a year going through. Since it is now a dead end, the traffic has all but stopped. Our conclusion after this demonstration cruise is that there is little will, on the part of the VNF, to repair and re-open this canal and that it will gradually silt up and stop being viable, unless attitudes change. However, we do feel that the demonstration was worthwhile and we were told that the message has been heard by the VNF that boaters want the canal to be repaired and want to use it. We will navigate the High Sambre again this summer and try to re-enforce the same message.
Back at the home moorings I indulge in my morning ritual of a cup of tea on deck in the early morning (when the sun shines) and on this occasion Tilly joined me.
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