Cruising with the Carters: Sens to Joigny

35 kms, 7 locks

Waiting, waiting and waiting yet again – it was a frustrating day today.

We set off at 9.00. When we got to the first lock the gates were open, I called on the VHF but got no answer, so we went in and tied up to the floating pontoon (on this waterway most of the locks have sloping sides) and waited. After about 15 minutes the lock keeper appeared, waved hello and activated the lock. A little frustrating but nothing to get upset about.

At the second lock the gates were closed with the lock full and the gates at the top end open so we tied up to a tiny waiting quay. A fisherman told me that the lock keeper was not there because he looked after a few locks. So we waited.

10.00 am we arrive at the lock, lots of fishermen, no lockkeeper

From time to time I called on the radio, no answer. I searched for a telephone number but didn’t find one. After an hour the lock keeper arrived and spoke to Ian who gathered that he had been held up at another lock with boats going both upstream and downstream. If only there had been some form of communication we would have been happy to wait patiently, but no news is very frustrating. We presumed that a boat would appear upstream of the lock at any minute. 15 minutes later we were still waiting when another cruiser arrived behind us, the hire boat with the fellow who used our hosepipe yesterday, and dashed ahead to tie up at a low quay in front of us. We explained that we had been waiting for ages already, the lock keeper was here but still nothing was happening, so they went off to talk to the lock keeper. And still we waited.

Almost 11.30, still waiting, fishermen have left, the hireboat has arrived

Eventually a solitary pleasure cruiser appeared upstream and finally the lock keeper set the wheels in motion. A full hour and a half after we had arrived the lock was at last preparing for us to enter.

That lock keeper travelled to the next lock and operated that for us as well, no delays this time, and explained that the next lock would be closed between 12.30 and 13.30 (which we already knew) . So we ambled along slowly to the next lock, in no rush to get there before 13.30, meanwhile the hire boat dashed ahead. When we arrived at the lock the gates were open but he had tied up at the waiting pontoon some distance from the lock. We went on in and tied up to the floating pontoon.

Waiting inside the lock for lunch time to end, the hire boat is way in the distance in the top left hand corner.

Shortly before 13.30 the lock keeper arrived, greeted us, stared at the other boat on the waiting pontoon, and began closing the gates but stopped them half closed and again just stared at the other boat. Eventually they woke up from their siesta, waved frantically at the lock keeper and set about getting themselves in motion – but it was a full 10 minutes before they actually got into the lock. We were grinding our teeth in frustration by this time.

After that everything ran smoothly, thank goodness and we finally made it to Joigny and tied up alongside Lynn and Shaun on Elle at 17.15, a full 2 hours later than necessary!

Fortunately there were lots of good things to look at along the way.