Mons to Antoing

Yesterday, 25th May:

42 kms, 2locks

We left the marina at Mons at 8.00 with the sun already glaring intensely.  We were in for another hot, sticky, unpleasant day. 

The Canal Nimy-Blathon-Peronne which runs from Mons to its junction with the Schelde River south of Tournai, is a purpose built canal which links East and West Belgium and we saw quite a lot of commercial barges.  It is wide but not unattractive.

The junction with the Ath-Blathon canal

There are 2 big locks just before the junction with the Schelde, one has a 12.5m rise/fall and the other is 5.6m.   When I called in to the first lock we were told we woud have to wait a little for a commercial coming behind us, which went in first.  The lock keeper specifically told us to moor fore and aft and switch off our engine – even came to check that we had done so.  

The commercial didn’t bother, fore line only and engine in gear the whole time!  This 12.5m lock has floating bollards so it was easy, and we didn’t slip our lines till the commercial had roared away with a huge roiling wave from his propeller.  The second lock, just 1.5 kms away, does not have floating bollards, and they are not spaced close enough together for a small pleasure cruiser so we hooked onto the ladder and just had to put up with the commercials prop wash.

Approaching Antoing

This looks interesting - needs some investigation

We stopped in Antoing, where there are 3 other pleasure cruisers.  One of them, Silk Purse, spends the winters in Diksmuide so we have met before.  The other is called Summertime, owned by New Zealanders John and Joanne. 

Now we are back in familiar waters that we have cruised many times before it really feels like our trip is at the end.  Next year we would like to start earlier in March and be back home by the last week in May to avoid the heat.  Today it was 28 degrees, tomorrow and Sunday in the 30s again.  Not our idea of fun.