Maladrerie lock to Cuzy, via Villiers-sur-Yonne

16 kms, 7 locks, 1 lift bridge

Yesterday when Ian spoke to the lock keeper, telling him we would like to have service at 9.00 he said “OK, there is a boat coming down.  I’ll leave all the gates open and you can come in together” and roared with laughter.  Then said he would leave the bottom gates (our side) open tonight so we could enter and tie up before 9.00.  It turned out that that was really nice of him because the boat coming in the opposite direction was a hotel boat, L’Art de Vivre, who we met a couple of days ago.  Ian had a chat with the captain at that time who said the boat is just 5cm narrower than the locks, they cannot even use fenders, so manoeuvring into a lock really is an art. He had to be right in the middle of the canal to get his entry into the lock right and we crept right to the side, and felt the propeller hit something.  Didn’t sound too bad though.

A change in the weather today brought lowering skies, patches of drizzle and harder rain when we were in the locks, of course.

Ian's new gadget (copied from Shaun): a fishing rod set a fractionally higher than the bimini.  If the tip of the rod hits the bridge, reverse, fast.

A verdant lock

Waiting for the lock keeper, who was taking L'Art de Vivre through 2 locks before coming back to us. 

We were intending to stop overnight at Villiers-sur-Yonne, got there at 10.45, a walk around the town took all of 45 minutes, no boulangerie, epicerie or even a depot de pain, so we decided to move on.  

The mooring at Villiers-sur-Yonne

Ian had a chat to the lockie before he closed for lunch and arranged to be there at 13.00. 

Ian getting acquainted with a lock dog

Enchanting

Approaching a lift bridge, dock on the right where one of the crew must get off to operate the bridge

The operator - me!

and closing the bridge before getting back on board

The double staircase lock at Tannay, in the lower locker.

It's poppy time!

4 locks and one lift bridge later we arrived at a mooring near Tannay, some 2 kms away from the canal.  There is a La Boat charter base here but the moorings opposite are free, no services, good bollards.  

We watched a couple of new charterers trying out their first paces with an instructor.  I hope we are gone tomorrow before they leave because we are in the line of fire!