Chambilly to Artaix

3 kms, 2 locks, 1 hour

We had a late start today because we were not intending to move very far and the first lock was just a few hundred metres from the mooring.  

A whirlpool close to the gates of the lock.  Very difficult entry.

The quay at the Artaix halte, in a wide basin alongside the canal

By 10.45 we had cleared both locks and Ian decided to make a pit stop at the quay near Artaix, which has free water and electricity, so that he could continue working on Rust Fix project.   He did all the grinding on Tuesday while we were underway and when we stopped at Chambilly he applied a coat of rust stop stuff hoping to be able to put epoxy filler on yesterday but  it rained on and off all day.  Today he had to reapply the rust stop and get the filler done, hence the stop in Artaix.  We had a mixture of sun and clouds in the morning and then proper sunshine in the afternoon.  Job done for today.  Sanding, refilling, more sanding, priming and painting still to come.

Rust spots ground out and waiting for filler, on the fore deck...

... and the aft deck

I went for a walk to an aquaduct which will cross later and found an interesting story:

When the canal was built in 1832-38 an aquaduct was needed to cross the valley of the river Arçon, a tributary of the Loire. It was too narrow for the barges to pass each other and was widened at the end of the century.  This structure was of bricks and mortar. In February 1933, during a thaw, a 100m section of the aquaduct collapsed releasing all the water in the 18 km long section between locks 3 at Briennon and lock 4 near Artaix into the valley.  Many barges were stranded on the canal bottom, 1 person drowned and all the barges in the port at Roanne were cut off.  It took just 4 months to design and build a much stronger aquaduct of reinforced concrete.

Photo of the destroyed aquaduct in 1933...

... and as it is today

We were intending to travel to Melay, a further 4 kms, but the free electricity here is too much of a draw (very useful for drying wet shoes with a fan heater) so we stay for the night and will leave half an hour earlier tomorrow.