Ittre to Thieu

This morning we woke to pouring rain, and yet, for some reason, both of us were up early and we left the mooring at 8.15.  We are now beginning to retrace our steps and will eventually end up back in Diksmuide where we will leave the boat over winter.

By 9.00 we had arrived at the foot of the Inclined Plane of Ronquiéres, in very murky light.

I have given up speaking to locks and bridges in hesitant French, hoping they will change to English when I don't understand their reply!  I've even tried speaking in English, but still get answered in French. So, in my best French I requested permission to ascend the inclined plane, and  understood that we would be ascending in the 3rd "bassinet".  There were two big barges ahead of us.  The bassinet takes about 45 minutes for each trip, total 1hr 30 minutes from bottom back to bottom, so we knew we had a long wait.

One exiting, the next one waiting to enter.

Many of the commercial boats have a dog on board.

Note the number of on-lookers.  The audience changed throughout our 3 hour wait but there were always at least 5 or 6 people watching and photographing the movements of the boats in and out of the bassinet.

There was also another "bateau de plaisance" (leasure boat), waiting when we arrived - the chap who made such a mess in the lock at Ittre yesterday afternoon!  Seeing we had such a long wait, and presumed we would be going up in the bassinet with them, we got chatting to him and his missus.  He had not even called in to say he was waiting to go up the Incline. He reckoned next time a smaller barge was lined up he would just dash in as soon as the light turned green.  Hmmm. 

While we were waiting 2 more commercial barges arrived.  Thinking they would always take precedence, I called again to ask if we had to wait.  No, was the reply we would be going in the next bassinet.

When our turn came, J...., the other bateau de plaisance, rushed in even though the lights were still red.  Against our better judgement we followed him in, to find him in heated conversation with the very nice operator who was pointing back out of the bassinet.  Didn't look good.  I asked what the problem was and he said there was a "bateau marchant" (commercial barge) travelling in the same bassinet and he had to come in first.  Well, we did feel like twits, should have obeyed the red lights, and reversed out and tied alongside again.  Meanwhile J.... was zig-zagging his way out and got all crossed up in the path of the commercial boat trying to enter the bassinet.  But worse was to come.  As soon as the commercial had passed him he followed close behind it, and as the commercial put his engine astern , J.... got caught in his prop wash and ended up sideways across the bassinet, banged his bow on the side of the tank, banged his stern on the side of the barge, and did so time and time again.  I lost count of the number of collisions.  The audience of lock watchers were in hysterics! He has an interior driving position and at no time was anyone, he or  his missus, on deck to ward off collisions or be ready to throw a line around a bollard.   He ended up snugged up tight to the barge, which meant that the barge had no room to manoeuvre when he exited and banged his bow attempting not to hit J... - they must hate pleasure cruisers!   

Beware the prop wash, it will bounce you around!

Once we had all exited the bassinet, there was a commercial barge and a tiny electric powered cruiser waiting to enter.  J.... waited for the barge to pass then cut across right in front of the electric boat! What a nightmare - and he flies a British flag which made us cringe with embarrassment.

It was 12.50 by the time we exited Ronquieres and took us 2 and a half hours incontinou pouring rain to reach the Ascenseur de Strepy-Thieu. 

Thank goodness for interior steering!

At the Ascneseur again we had to wait with a stream of commercials.  There were another three behind these four.

What would have been a fabulous photo op if the weather was better.

It was an hour later that we could enter the bassinet, behind another commercial boat.  Ian hung back, not wanting to repeat J's disaster, and got called on the radio, at first in French, but repeated in English, to tell him to get a move on.  So they do speak English!

Two days ago when we went up the Ascenseur everyone got off their boats and walked around.  This time Ian got off to take a picture and was sternly admonished over the loudspeaker, in French and English, to get back on the boat!  But the picture was worth the bollocking.

Part way down: the big black oblong is the gate where we entered the bassinet

The supports for the aquaducts leading to the bassinets.

We finally exited the Ascenseur at 4.45 and tied up at a free mooring just 1.5 km further close to the entrance to the Ecluse de Thieu into the Historic Canal du Centre. 

And the sun finally put in a appearance.  A view from the top of the historic canal towards the Ascenseur.  

This is a wonderful mooring, no facilities but close to a town centre, and we are thinking of spending the day here tomorrow to take a ride along the old historic canal.

I feel a whole lot more photo opportunities coming tomorrow!