The Canal de Vosges runs for125km from
Neuves Maisons, near Nancy, to Corre at the upper navigable limit of
the Saône, rising steadily to an height of over 330 metres, with 46
locks. After an excellent meal in Charmes, which did much to lift
our spirits, we continued up the locks towards Epinal, a port we were
unable to visit when we passed in 2005 as the water was too shallow
for the boat we were then in. The Vosges was a textile producing
area, and intermittently along the canal there were abandoned mill
buildings, as well as attractive towns such as Thaon les Vosges.
At 1630 we arrived at the canal branch
leading to Epinal, only to find it closed because of lack of water.
There had been no mention of this at any of the preceding locks, or
in discussions with VNF staff, or on the VNF web list of closures..
It seems everyone knew – except us! Once again we were forced to
pass on, spending the night between locks next to an industrial
estate instead of the attractive port we had imagined.
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| After the storm - Chaumousey Pontoon |
As morning broke, so did the weather.
Colin had to return to Luxembourg, while despite the wind and showers
we decided to push on up the lock flight in search of a more
attractive mooring. As the rain cleared, the wind increased further,
and manoeuvring a flat bottomed boat into narrow locks became
increasingly difficult. Once on the top we encountered gale force
gusts which slowed us to under 2km/h and threatened to drive us into
the banks and overheat the engine, and so we decided to tie up for a
while until the worst was over, moving on to the quieter mooring at
Chaumousey in the early evening. The restaurant was closed, and David
bashed his nose on his bike. Not our best day.
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| Stranded at Selles |
Now only three days from the Saône,
we pushed on through driving rain for the next day and a half,
relieved only by another excellent restaurant (Le Moulin de
Battembroise at Charmois l'Orgeuilleux), and a lunch at the
Auberge de Coney . After weeks of not being able to find
anywhere to stop, we were beginning to find it much easier, probably
because of the fleets of hire boats based on the canal, like the ones
at the historic village of Fontenoy le Chateau where we stopped for
the night. Next day - our last - a gentle thirty kilometres and six
locks to Corre. As we motored along the beautiful canal, with
woodland and marshy edges, we spotted a Great White Egret just before
the log moved on to 1000km for the trip. At lunchtime we stopped at
Selles, and visited the brasserie just past the swing bridge. While
we were there a thunderstorm broke, and unknown to us, 2 km further
on a tree fell across the river Coney, bringing down the power lines
and cutting the electricity. So it was that after leaving Selles we
found ourselves stranded next to an automated lock that was out of
action for the next eighteen hours, only a few km from our
destination! We ate the last of our food and went to bed.
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| Corre - On the Saône at last |
The following morning as the fog
cleared, the lights reappeared on the lock. One hour later we were
using the quant pole to reverse De Jonge Jacob into her berth at
Corre Marina. Then chicken and chips, pack up the boat, arrange the
train home, (with much help from the Swiss Marina owners). After 1027
km and 240 locks we had finally reached the Saône.
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| The Marina at Corre |
AFTERWORD
I know that a few of the readers of
this journal are planning to make their own trips in the future, so
here are one or two tips I can pass on.
Fuel – was a problem throughout
the trip. We only saw working diesel pumps next to the canals on the
first and last days of this trip. Usually this meant taking a bike to
a garage and transporting fuel in 20 litre containers. Without a
bike, or a sack barrow, we would have been stuck.
Maintenance – It was a problem to
get repairs done under way. With our 24volt batteries not charging
properly we had to make do without bow thruster, autohelm, fridge
etc and save current for lighting and the log. The batteries were
working when we left, but in the Marina they are not subjected to
the loads encountered on a trip without regular shorepower.. Luckily
I did have a spare fan belt when it broke.
Services. In Northern France the
canals were mainly adapted for large commercial barges. We seldom
found facilities for smaller boats (under 35 metres). Very few
showers, toilets, electricity, food or fuel. Bollards, if any, were
40 metres apart. After 15 September the few facilities that existed
were often closed. Take your chances for shopping, food, fuel,
showers etc when you see them. There probably won't be something
better round the corner.
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Equipment. We made sure we had two
large (50cm) round fenders before we left. We could have done with
two more, one on each quarter. On the way we lost one smaller fender
and another was damaged. We did not use barge boards to avoid them
scratching the leeboards, so fenders take a lot of punishment. We
also bought a couple of extra 15 metre mooring lines. We bought two
folding bikes which were excellent.(Apollo Transition from
Halfords). Often moorings are one or two km from shops, villages
etc, and bikes allow you to see more of the country. (See also fuel)
A couple of large metal stakes and a sledgehammer would have come in
useful on occasions for improvised moorings.
Information. Research the web before
you go. Times of lock working etc change a good deal. Our books were
often out of date and it is hard to find information under way. A
French road map also gives you a good idea of sizes of towns.
Internet. We have a French 3G
connection which was useful when it worked.
Time. Most things take longer than
you think. The whole trip took a week longer than I had estimated.
You simply cannot be in a hurry, and mishaps like lock breakdowns,
barge traffic delays, power cuts etc just have to be accepted, since
there is no alternative.
Overall, a successful and enjoyable
voyage. We have learned much more about handling the boat There have
been very few breakages and we have been able to get on with
maintenance jobs on the way. We now look forward to exploring our new
cruising grounds over the next few years.
