The Journey -
Rosy Joins a Strike!!

Last Tuesday we left Neronville, and pottered down to Nemours.  Last time I was there was with David Long on Falcon, some three years ago.  We had stopped for lunch, and afterwards passed a delightful young lady on the banks who was quite overcome at the sight of a narrow boat.  I had hoped to see her again, but, sadly, she was no longer there.  The mooring in Nemours is pretty ghastly.  There is a single pontoon, no electricity or water, and a big rubbish bin that hasn't been emptied this millennium.  The mooring is beside a park and a children's playground, and children and young men and older men all gather there in groups and shout at each other.  I was looking forward to leaving early on Wednesday morning ...

But, unfortunately it was raining hard, so I stayed where I was, and learned a bit about endurance.

Thursday dawned bright and sunny, and we had a lovely cruise down to Moret sur Loing.  A quite delightful town, with a most convenient mooring.  The English impressionist painter Sisley lived there, and large reproductions of his paintings are hanging up in the old town.  It was three years ago, at Moret, that I carried out my last crime.  My gang leader at the time persuaded me, whilst (in my defence) I was in state of drunken stupor, to assist in the theft of a poster that was advertising an exhibition of Sisley's paintings.  The next morning I renounced criminality and made a determined effort to go straight.

Several friends were already moored at Moret when I arrived, so Thursday night was particularly convivial.

I was up early on Friday morning, and rigged the anchor - there is some river work to be done.  We cast off at 0715, and pottered off down the River Loing, passing many peniches and other barges.  At the junction with the river Seine, we turned right, and headed up-stream, away from Paris.  There was some barge traffic - I saw half a dozen barges underway during the day - and one big, but gentle lock.  I always feel a bit vulnerable on these rivers.  They are so ...  BIG.  At about lunchtime we reached the confluence with the River Yonne, at the town of Montreau, and immediately moored on the pontoons at the Port de Plaisance.  They are there, and are free, as is the water and electricity.  However, there is not much room, as they are full of elderly, apparently abandoned craft, with only a couple of spaces available for visitors.

Another early on Saturday, heading up the Yonne.  We seemed to be the only boat on the river.  At the first lock I was told that there was a little problem at the fourth lock.  'Pas de problème pour moi' as I wanted to moor after the third lock at the Port de Pharges, shewn clearly on my map.  So, just before lunch, I cleared through the third lock.  Then it became apparent that Port de Pharges is a chimera - it doesn't exist - AND I was getting hungry AND it was raining.  Lock 4 came into view, surrounded by a great press of boats - both peniches and cruisers.  I moored just below the lock, alongside a penichette, and went to investigate.

Lock 4 on the Yonne is the first Yonne lock, the previous three are under the control of the River Seine.  The Yonne authorities have cut the lock-keepers hours down to 35 hrs per week, as the new French laws require of them, AND have cut pay proportionately!!!  The éclusiers (lock keepers) are most unhappy and are on strike.

The situation at Lock 4 was exacerbated by the battaliers (the professional, peniche boatmen) who decided they would rather be marooned inside the lock (with access to electricity, and water, and (if the lock was full) easy access to their hulls so that they could get on with a bit of hull painting and the like).  So they produced their private sets of keys, opened the control boxes, opened up the lock, went in, and invited the pleasure boaters to join them - which several did - and filled the lock with water.  (I think they then pocketed some fuses and relays before closing the control boxes, to frustrate any attempt to open or empty the lock).  To the striking éclusiers, this was strike-breaking and they weren't happy.

Nothing is likely to be resolved before Monday.

Shortly after I arrived, one of the pleasure boaters in the lock said he wanted out, and to return down the Yonne.  No problem.  The battaliers got out their keys, fuses and relays, drained the lock, boats backed out, and those who wished to sailed off down-stream.

Backing out.  It was a joy to watch the battaliers back out their peniches.  They used zero physical effort.  A touch of reverse with the engine and a rope strapped around the right bollard on the boat and the right one on the land, gave them complete control.  Hardly any words were spoken.  Crews (i.e. wives) knew what to do, as did the crews and skippers on other peniches who came along to help.  Then the pleasure boats.  Shouting, roaring engines, bow thrusters whirring away, and still they backed bump, bump, bump out of the lock.

I declined an invitation to enter the lock.  If the problem is resolved, I'll be able to pass through it.  If it isn't, I can go back.  I have to run the engine for about 1.5 hours a day to keep the batteries topped up, so I'm happy here.

Except there is a rumour that the Nivernais and Bourgoyne canals are both now closed through lack of water!!  Still, I'll be able to get up to Auxerre, which is on the river Yonne, just before the start of the Canal de Nivernais

Washing day today(Sunday).  I am on an 8 pairs of knickers cycle, which, on the basis of one pair of knickers per day, means that my wash-day progresses one day each week.  A 7 knicker cycle leads to a routine washday, whereas my system gives a bit of variety, with a different wash-day each week.  Unfortunately, today, as I threw the dirty water over the side, along went a pair of knickers with it!  Fortunately the boat-hook was to hand, so they were retrieved.  Top-marks to them for initiative and adventurism.  Low marks for loyalty and duty.  Mind you, I'd probably make a break for freedom if I was doomed to live in close proximity with my crutch for any substantial length of time.

Toodle pip!!

Bill