Riqueval Tunnel to Saint-Quentin

23 kms, 2 tunnels, 5 locks, 6.5 hours – a long, rather tiring, but very satisfying day today.

We woke up to piddling rain.  The day we had to take down the bimini top to go through the tunnel!  Fortunately it was only 1km to the tunnel.  We thought the tow was going to arrive at 9.00 but it was bringing a barge through from the other side and arrived shortly after 9.30.

 

We were all set up with 2 long tow ropes (min 30m each) but the tow barge provides the line to the first boat in the convoy – or in our case – the only boat in the queue. 

Right, here come the photos - lots of them.  The tunnel is 5.67 km long.

Under tow

Approaching the tunnel in pouring rain

The tow barge enters the tunnel

and so do we

Bye bye daylight

A tow path on one side (when first completed a gang of 8 men would take 12 to 14 hours to pull a barge through the tunnel

Tunnel wall on the other side

Millions of bricks

An air vent through the roof of the tunnel

Light at the end of the tunnel

The towb arge exits

The entrance to the tunnel from the south 

The tow rope is cast off

The chain mechanism that pulls the barge through the tunnel

The tow barge

 The tow is supposed to travel at about 2.5 km and take just over 2 hours.  But with just one small boat under tow it took a little more than an hour and a half.  We had read of some people having a dreadful time, but our passage ran as smooth as silk.  The most noticeable thing was the noise. 

During WW1, the Saint Quentin Canal was occupied by the Germans.  The Riqueval Bridge, 1km south of the tunnel, was the main supply route to the German troops on the western side of the canal. In September 1918 as the Allied forces were approaching, they placed explosives along the bridge, prepared to destroy it to stop the Allied forces crossing.   But the German sentries, who were supposed to detonate the charges, were sheltering from the British bombardment when Captain Charlton and 9 of his men arrived at the bridge.  Captain Charlton cut the leads to the explosive charges as his men surged forward, overwhelmed the German sentries and captured the bridge. 

There is a famous photograph of the troops who captured the bridge.

Today as we passed under the bridge, I took a photo of the same site, but from a much lower angle seeing we were on the canal.

1 km before the second tunnel, Tronquoy, at Pont de Houcourt, there was a red light. 

So we stopped. There were no bollards so we tied up to a barrier.   

And waited.  Half an hour later the light turned green.  We think this is a timing thing, you are not expected to arrive at that point until a certain amount of time after entering the first tunnel, and because our tunnel passage was shorter than usual we ended up having to wait for the next tunnel.

1.1 km long,you can see all the way to the other end

The man on the tow barge also gave us a new remote control for the locks.

Only 2 buttons, Up and Down, which you press as you approach the lock so that the gates open and you can enter. There is no button to activate the locks once you are inside.  This is be done by lifting a pole set into the side of the lock.

There are 10 kms and 5 locks between the Tronquoy Tunnel and the Port de Plaisance at Saint Quentin.  It was 4 o clock by the time we tied up.  

There are visitors’ moorings with a telephone number to call, electricity points, and water taps.  So I called, presuming that someone would come and collect money from us.  But, no, all the lovely lady on the other side wanted to know was the boat’s name and how long we are staying!  The electricity and water are free.  So far, in France, we have not paid anything for moorings, and we have stayed in 2 places where electricity and water have been free.  We have not really needed the electricity, we generate enough with our solar panels, but it has been great to top up with water.