Conde sur Marne to Vitry le Francois

51 kms, 11 locks

We left Conde at the junction of the Canal de l’Aisne a la Marne and the Canal Lateral de la Marne at 8.30.  It was heavily overcast but a lot warmer today.  After 3 mornings of minus temperatures today it was 10 degrees when we got up!

We immediately turned left onto the  Can.Lat/Marne and found an arrow straight waterway ahead of us, km after km after km.  It is not unattractive, just very straight.

Lots of turbulence immediately before the lock entrance, needing some deft manoeuvering

An interesting bit of dock grafiti: Sylvia is a good kisser

The poles that activate the locks can be very slimy

A veritable waterfall over the lock gate

The lovely town of Chalons en Champagne

But today was not without its dramas.  As we entered one of the locks Ian used the bowthruster (propeller in the bow of the boat to move the bow from left to right) to line the boat up and it made a loud “Thwack” sound and - nothing.  The bowthruster was not happy, and neither was Ian (to put it mildly).  Somehow he managed to position the boat exactly at the push rod to activate the lock and get us off the lock wall and out into the canal when the lock gates opened. But we had to stop and examine the damage to the bowthruster. Eventually we found a very low dock with bollards and we tied up there with a very long line on the aft cleat and the bow pulled well into the dock so that Ian could reach the bowthruster from the shore. It was about 15 degrees air temp and the water temp substantially lower but he stripped off his t-shirt to work under the water.  He discovered that there was something like fishing line wound up in the propeller so with a knife he cut away at it (and his fingers) for 40 minutes and eventually managed to get it free.  I told you he was a hero Action Man. It was in fact polypropylene rope that had managed to deconstruct itself into a fibrous mass around the propeller.  

A small portion of the offending poly rope

Freezing cold and trailing blood all over the deck we got underway again.

Entering a very different landscape

If only walls could talk 

These too must have a few stories to tell 

and these

Crossing yet another aqueduct

Heading for the junction of the canals

 At 5.30 arrived at the Port de Plaisance in Vitry le Francois at the junction of 3 canals: Canal Lateral de la Marne coming from the west,  Canal Marne au Rhin going towards the east and into Germnay and the Canal des Vosges going south.

The entry into the port was quite a challenge, and it is really shallow with weed growing up to just below water level.  

Squeesing between an overwintering barge and a bushy bank

Not great but after 9 hours underway it was time to stop for the night – and there are showers here.  Hoorray!  It is €10.50 for boats up to 15m including water, electricity, showers and wi-fi.  We were greeted by the capitaine of the port, Pascale, who took our lines. 

So here we are among the flower petals.