Cambrai to Valenciennes

35km, 8 locks

Quite a long day today. 

The first 12 km down Escaut “de petit gabarit” (small guage)  from Cambrai to the lock at Pont Malin  was as delightful as always.  Two houses beside the canal:

Looking at the charts, and consulting numerous blogs, it seemed there are few places  to stop on the Escaut river when it becomes “grand gabarit”, part of the Liason Dunkerque-Escaut (i.e. the main canal system between the coast at Dunkirk and the main waterway to the Belgian border)  until Valenciennes .  It was a matter of 35km, not so far, and 8 locks - well, on a major canal highway we might be required to wait while the big commercials go through.  

Hah, we struck a piece of luck!  When I called in as we approached the lock at Pont Malin  to ask for service to go down the lock we were told to wait until the commercials that were on the way up had passed by and then we could enter. 

Three barges exiting the lock at Pont Malin

The wait was almost half an hour but, while those commercials (3 of them in a 144m by 12m lock – this is the”grand gabarit” canal) were on their way up

a big commercial loomed up behind us and we heard much chatter on the vhf about “deux bateaux de plaissance”.  Not sure of the protocol I called the lock keeper again and asked if we should go in first or behind the commercial. Go in first was the reply.  Great!  We don’t like being behind big commercials in a lock.  And so we continued through the next locks all the way to Valenciennes: Njord and Elle right at the front of the lock and the very large “Vaya Con Dios” behind us.  And sharing the lock with a big commercial we did not wait for any more locks.

Old walls at Bouchain

On this busy waterway the lock keepers keep a beedy eye on the boats in their locks, not relying on computer screens!

Enjoying the activity on the commercial canals again

A big barge turning through 360 degrees right in front of us

Going down in the lock, with 2 barges waiting to come up.

Finally at 16.15 we tied up at the Port de Plaissance in Valencinnes: brand new, open only a year.  

The port de plaisance at Valencinnes

The days of free moorings in France are behind us!  This one cost us €11.00 including 20kw electricity, 50 litres of water, and 2 showers. 

Tomorrow? Not sure yet, we may go all the way to Tornai in Belgium, or we might make a detour into the Scarpe Inferiere (depending on weed!).