Peaceful villages in the French countryside
One unusual feature has been the number of "mobile bridges", bridges that are too low for a boat to pass under so have to be lifted or turned. There are sixteen of these, fifteen on the Northern section from Vitry le Francois to Langres. Most of these bridges rise from one side to become vertical (or almost so). One other raised the whole span so that it allowed us to pass underneath. The most unusual pivoted from the centre of the canal and swung to be parallel to the banks, allowing just the minimum space to clear on one side. The chart told us to keep to starboard, but as we were going upriver we worked out that we probably had to keep to port. We're glad we worked out which side to go or we would have been squashed between the bank and the bridge. Looking back, there was not room on the other side for us to get through. The amazing manually cranked turning bridge
We noted one such "manually operated" bridge in our last blog. Fortunately we did not have to provide the manual labour. Most of the locks on this canal are operated by a remote control device or else by radar controls, so we rarely see lock keepers except at the beginning and end of the day when they do their daily check. Many bridges have been marked "automatic" and we expected that they would be controlled by our "telecommander". Not so. In almost every case a lock keeper has appeared to operate the bridge. This was particularly confusing on several where we had a red light even though the bridge seemed to be up. Cars and trucks were lining up waiting. Then we noticed someone waving his arms for us to go through, so we set off, hoping that we had correctly interpreted his signs and that the bridge would not start coming down on us as we passed. What a crunch that would be.
In the two exceptions where a bridge was left to work without assistance, they failed miserably. In the first, the bridge followed directly after a lock. As soon as the lock was full, the moment when the gates would normally open to allow us to leave the lock, the bridge beyond rose to vertical. We waited for the lock gates but were dismayed to see the bridge coming straight down again, at which point the lock gates finally opened. Just as well we had not anticipated that the bridge would stay up to let us out! This was the moment for David to practise his best French on the phone supplied at each lock to summon help.
We have been "programmed"!
The second failure also needed David's French. This bridge was supposed to be operated when we passed through a radar beam, but it obvioulsy did not repsond to our passing. After a short wait, Dave used his mobile phone to ring the number we had been given, told his story, and was told by the cheerful woman on the other end that "you will be programmed" in three minutes. As we have been married over 40 years and there are no signs of my success in programming him, I thought that was a tall order but was happy to accept just that the bridge
would open for us, and that it did, by some remote over- ride. As we looked back from a long way down the canal it was showing no signs of closing again so we wondered if the waiting cars and trucks had to make a similar phone call and also be "programmed".
It is clear that we need to keep our wits about us and take nothing for granted. This was the case also with the Balesmes Tunnel, 4.8 kilometres long. This is probably one of the longest tunnels we have negotiated and we expected that as usual we would be made aware of strict controls so that we would not meet a boat coming the other way. We have read of someone waiting 10 hours to go through this particular stretch. As we approached there was a narrow stretch preceeded by an explanatory sign and an unlit traffic light. We proceeded into this section and became aware that it led directly to the tunnel, no more stopping, no turn- around spot. What if the light was out because the bulb was blown and there was a huge peniche approaching us? We were both visualising what to do if we met someone in the middle- Anja will not steer in reverse.
Once into the actual tunnel our eyes quickly became used to the dim surroundings and we became aware of a pinpoint of light ahead, growing bigger as the light from our entry became smaller. This was very reassuring as we decided that an oncoming boat would obscure that tiny light, the far end of the tunnel. So we proceeded, very relieved to finally get through over an hour later (speed limit 4kph). Looking back we could see no evidence of any lights stopping traffic coming towards us, so the mystery remains. I must note here how accurately David drove Anja. He had only 40 cms to spare each side, and yet only brushed a fender once, very lightly, in this long, dark tunnel. The tunnel must have been a very dark and dangerous place in the times of the horse drawn barges.
The very large pulley, sideways on the top of the lock wall, is from about 140years ago when horses pulled the barges. When you came to a lock, the rope was put around this pulley and the horses were sent in the opposite direction.
All the best,
Penny and David