The Val de Saone (10 - 22 May)

So on Friday we motor down 11 kms and 11 locks down to Fragnes, where we have water, electricity and a clothes drier. 

We don’t stop at Rully as we had originally planned as the moorings earlier in the week were full, and they do look limited, but the town and its wine vintage look quite interesting.

Rully from the Canal 

Approaching Fragnes a beautiful little chapel tells us we are on the point of arrival.

The isolated chapel as you approach Fragnes

Everyone is there!! We moor at a slight angle between the Ariana and the Renaissance, and as well as Celine who runs the port Margaret (we finally exchange names) who is our Belgian friend from the barge at Genelard, Montceau and Montchanin, come to help us moor.  Margaret (definitely not Marguerite!) says she and Alain in the Duck Story will be off soon, and so we can have their place.  They have to get to St Jean de Losne for some works, however strong the river.  It is off Orange alert and the Duck (for short) has a good engine and keel.  So we move into an excellent mooring during the afternoon.

As well as Margaret and Alain who have been good companions as we have descended the canal, Celine is amazingly helpful.  We were washing clothes on the way down, knowing that we could dry at Fragnes.  But the first wash sticks and the machine won’t pump out the water.  It is absolutely full of water which would spill everywhere, but in any event we can’t open the door.  But it does spill from the pump outlet.

Water, Water, Everywhere

We try everything.  Scour the instruction manual, and when we are both totally foxed we give up at 4pm and ask Celine can we use her washing machine and drier for the second load, but more importantly does she know where we can find a washing machine repair man.  She makes three phone calls for us and locates Mr Primey who will come today if he can, but it may have to be Monday morning. 

Porte Verte at Fragnes

In fact he arrives before 5pm. He finds ingenious ways to empty the water.  He is sure it is the pump.  Our hearts sink.  Then as he finishes emptying the water he says “wait, there’s something in here” and after fiddling for 5 minutes produces the tiniest piece of grit – the sort used on the tow path surfaces.  “I think it will work now” he says, and it does.  He was prompt and efficient but call-out charges in France are what they are in England.  This was a very expensive piece of grit.   But at least problem solved.  When we tell Celine later she is amazed how quickly he came.

Having had an anguished afternoon we decide to eat out that evening in the excellent Fleur du Sel on the waterfront (just 10 metres from the boat) and have an excellent meal.

Sweating over When to Take the River (Saone)

Saturday and Sunday are “reflection and discussion” days.  All the boats in port (ourselves, the Carpe Diem, Ariana, Renaissance, Naxa, Windbuil and others) want to descend to the Saone and go upstream, but though the flood is receding the water is still very high, and it is flowing very fast.  Going upstream will be a slow and slightly hazardous business. So we are all talking to each other, looking at our favourite meteo / weather stations, talking to Celine who reports on how the flow and water levels are at Verdun (sur-le-Doubs) where the quay is still under water, and become avid web readers of Vigi-Crues, a French website which tells the height of water at all key places and also the “debits” or flow of water in m³ per second.  At Chalon this has come down from 1500 midweek to just under 800 by Saturday.  But the normal level is 500 or less.

We ourselves consider our options.  Our plan before we left England was to start the trip up the Saone on Tuesday.  This still remains an option.  Option 2 is to delay to next weekend, but then we will under pressure preparing for the return to the UK, but it is just about feasible.  Option 3 is just to leave the boat here until we return in June.  Celine, ever helpful, says yes we can do that if necessary.

By Sunday the water height and flow are going down well, though Verdun quay is still under water and the outflow into the Saone is very strong.  We decide that if we can go on Tuesday we will bypass Verdun and go straight to Seurre.  Sunday evening the two Terries on the Renaissance decide they will go upstream on the Monday and go down to the hypermarket mooring at Chalon to take the deep lock into the river first thing. 

On Monday morning the Ariana and the Carpe Diem decide they will go.  With various other movements there are only a few of us left by Monday afternoon.  The weather is glum and not inspiring.  Glyn certainly has his anxieties about the weather on Tuesday though the forecast is good.  So we stick to Plan A. On Monday afternoon we arrange moorings at Seurre for Tuesday evening, and book with the deep lock at Chalon that we will go down at 0900.

Moored now almost alone at Fragnes (but the restaurant is not too far)

Sunshine on the Saone

Tuesday morning is bright and sunny, and so off we go at 0830.  At the lock someone has gone before us 

(we think this is the Naxa and this seems confirmed later on).  We are out of the lock at 0920 and on the river. 

If there is a God he is smiling at us today as he did those four days at Genelard.  It is a little cloudy and fresh but bright and the river is calm.  And the more we progress the brighter the day becomes.  There are plenty of logs and other flotsam coming down the river, but all easily spottable and avoidable.

Blue Skies on the Saone 

We pass Verdun before 1230.  A boat is coming out of the Doubs but we hold well to the right (port side) bank.  We can feel the stream from the Doubs a little, and the outcoming boat certainly has some extra speed, but it is not too bad.    By 1330 we have reached the lock at Ecuelles.  The VHF is clear and lock keeper responds clearly, we will have to wait a little for a downstream boat, but other than that we are swiftly through.  Coming out of Ecuelles is a dream ,as we remember the nightmare of last year in wind and lashing rain.

We reach Seurre by 1530.  Not bad for 52 kilometres with an hour for two locks and against the flow of water, though we estimate this is now down to below 2 kms/hr.  And now the sun is very strong.  It’s warm like real summer.  We need our sun not our rain hats. Finally, has summer arrived?  This was a working trip, and it was a pity that we could not take it more slowly, but so much easier than last year’s trip. It has become a beautiful day.

Grand Theft at Seurre

The quay at Seurre has a mooring taped off.  A boater already moored asks if we have booked, and when we say yes he says “well that’s for you”.  We moor up easily and then take the girls for a good long walk.  Poor things have been cooped up since 0830.

When we get back to the boat after a relaxing hour the lady from the Capitainerie comes across.  That mooring is not for you! But we agreed with your colleagues yesterday and he reserved a mooring against the quay for 18 metres.  Well I need it for a 26 metre boat.  You’ll have to go on the pontoons.  But the pontoons are only 11 metres.  Yes, but they can take 17 metres.  But we are over 18.  So! It will take 18 then.  You have to go there.

We tell her we are not amused, having pre-booked, but we seem to have little option.  We manage to fasten to the pontoon using the extra bollards and midships cleat we have added to the boat, but the bow is still sticking out into the stream of the river with no attachment.  It will do for one night.

But when she comes over she says assertively if not aggressively, you see you are well fastened.  Of course we are well fastened, we say, but no thanks to you or the mooring.

Right she says, for 18 metres that is €22.  Hang on, we say.  We don’t have 18 metres, we only have 11, and we are not taking any water or electricity, and we are off at 0830 in the morning.  It’s still 18 metres, she says.  Come on, we say with a chuckle, that’s not fair.  That’s the rules she says.  This lady does not give an inch, and certainly not a smile or any sign of humour.  Will we have to speak to the mayor, we jest.  The mayor doesn’t have any say, she says.  Oh! Isn’t it a municipal port?  Yes, but it’s not run by the Town any more.  You can’t complain to the Mayor.  Even humour doesn’t work.

Eighteen into Eleven Won’t Go (Moored at Seurre)

We pay up but think not too much of this.  We really feel we’ve been shafted.  And when we compare this with how Celine helped at Fragnes this is from the sublime to the ridiculous.

It’s Those Skies Again

Any way, life’s too short, so we have a walk around the town, which is quite interesting, with quite varied architecture.  Then we get on with our evening chores. 

Different Architectures at Seurre

We are happily sitting down to supper when suddenly at the stroke of 8 there is a pitter patter.  It’s raining!  And within seconds it’s pouring, and then the thunder and lightning.  We batten the hatches.  We are tucked up and warm.  It softens after 15 minutes and then softens again to intermittent drizzle.  But it rains all night.

We are off as promised at 0830 and raise the lock on the VHF.  He wants us to wait 20 minutes but then we are on our way.  The “derivation” (cut) of canal from Seurre to Pagny is 5 miles, the first mile like a corrugated bath tub, and not too much better after that, where the only distraction is the four bridges which come roughly at mile intervals.  The sky is grey but lightening a little.  We do the 5 mile cut in an hour, and the same distance again almost to St Jean de Losne under the same skies.  Not a boat to be seen.

The Derivation Seurre-Pagny – Efficient but Not Decorative

As we approach under the St Usage we see our first other boat and we wave merrily.  But the sky suddenly blackens, and behind equally suddenly a Le Boat cruising as only Le Boat’s can (either they don’t have or don’t know there is any position for the throttle besides full on).  He passes as the skies begin to open again.  He’s not heavy but his wash is significant.  We start to cross behind him to the canal (de Bourgogne) entrance, when now there is a big boat coming downstream from the Town quay.  Are we far enough ahead not to need to change course?  We maintain speed and direction.  He can see us clearly even in the rain and we should make the canal entrance before we are close, which turns out to be easily true.  But we pass not too far apart.  It’s the Amaryllis hotel boat again, again!!  We wave heartily to them and they wave back, as they head downstream for Seurre and Chalon, and we head off the river.

At the canal entrance there is no sign of the Le Boat as he has heltered into the marina, but his wash is chopping in all directions.  We laugh, after full speed ahead there can only be full speed reverse engines!!!  

We saunter in the canal lock, beep the horn gently, and within 10 minutes are up on the canal.

We’ll moor here the night and then complete our journey to Auxonne tomorrow.

The rain continues and although it is not very hard it continues off and on all afternoon, evening and night.  We walk the dogs, do some shopping, wander down to the quay, chat to Lorna on the Ariana, and then hunker down for the night.

In This Weather We Only Want to Stay in Front of the Fire

New Waters

It’s wet next morning, but beginning to clear a little.  We head for the lock for 0915 but too upcoming boats require us to wait a little.  The front boat seems to be swaying in the lock, and then touches the lock gates.  No real damage but the lock keeper is concerned.  Finally, both boats come through, the first heads straight for the docks, while the second is the Ariana headed for Dijon.  We wave our “bons voyages”.  After the lock we stop to pick up fuel as we think best to have a full tank before we leave the boat.

By 1015 we are on our way.  We have 15 kms to the next lock.  We don’t know this stretch of water.  There is not a lot on this stretch, but after 5kms or so we pass the village of St Symphorien in the distance, and then the entrance to the Canal du Rhone au Rhin, which takes you to Mulhouse and then the Rhine.  It is quite pleasant from there up to the little village of Mailly, but thereafter, although the scenery is fulsome it is rather long boring sweep up to the Auxonne lock.   

St Symphorien Tower in the Distance

The Canal du Rhone au Rhin (Destination Mulhouse and the Rhein)

The lock comes upon us more quickly than we thought.  This is a moderately new challenge for us – an unmanned lock on a river.  The “perche” to open the lock is easy to see, but the instructions as to what to do with it less so.  After pulling it to no effect we manoeuvre around to learn we have to twist it.  Linda has to climb the ladder out of the lock as there is no other way to attach our ropes, but it all goes well.

The cut into Auxonne is beautiful and peaceful.  At the other end the weir is very visible beside the channel, but the separation is sound.  But you would not want to get caught near that weir.

The Weir and Canal Channel at Auxonne

And we arrive at Auxonne port, for now the end of our river journey, until we go further upstream in June.

Auxonne, Napoleonic Inspiration and Capital of the Val de Saone

We are welcomed by Roy and Carol who are the harbour masters.  This is quite a big marina but fully exposed to the river.  But it seems well-designed and well managed.  All the moorings are on pontoons, which are not always the best for us, but Roy gas sussed it so that we get a good position.

 The “Port Royal” at Auxonne – All Pontoons but Well Managed

The river is still quite wide here, and it makes you appreciate what a significant waterway the Saone is.  It is an excellent view, but can be grey and threatening if the weather turns against you.  Otherwise it is no more 

trouble than a mill pond.

The River Saone from Auxonne Port

We have a good look around the town.  It is the headquarters of the Army Logistics Regiment, fascinatingly called the “Regiment du Train”.  Napoleon was trained here, as are many new recruits to the French army where they receive their first basic training.  That it is a garrison town is unmistakable – more uniforms than in Colchester.

It is proud of its Napoleonic heritage and the main square is called Place Bonaparte with a tall statue of the imposing man. 

The Statue in Place Bonaparte – Can You See the Wreathed “N”?

The iron works in the band stand outside the Mairie are also famous, but we have forgotten whose they were!   The dove cote nearby is also impressive, but one pigeon thinks he should the main window not the pigeon hole.

An Impressive Band Stand of Pedigree 

And a Pigeon Who Thinks (S)He should be Emperor

The Port “Royal” itself sits right underneath the main barracks buildings.  Surely you must feel safe here, at least landwards.  There is only the river to worry about.

The Port Under Surveillance of the Logistics Regiment

So here we rest until we get back from GB in June.  On Friday Glyn goes to get the car from Migennes, a not too difficult journey by train via Dijon.  Though at Migennes the river Yonne has only just been opened to pleasure craft and is still flowing very strongly at 4 kms plus.  It reminds you that the rains and high waters are still around.

Indeed it is still raining at Auxonne, though not too strongly on Friday and Saturday.  Saturday for us is a tidying day, and Sunday a washing day.  Thank God we have a launderette to dry clothes as Sunday afternoon the skies start to open again.

Monday we take a day out to drive up to Langres (our next destination in June) and “recce” the Canal de Marne a Saone (now haughtily renamed Champagne-Bourgogne).  It rains solidly all day.  The canal is closed until 27 May and it is odd to see so many sections of a canal -in the rain - without water.  Langres looks a fascinating town, but more of that next time.  Moorings and locks will present their issues, so we are glad we have taken a little peak before we go.

So Tuesday is our last day.  It has rained all day yesterday and all night.  Some of the tributaries to the Saone have now doubled their width and height.  Is the river going to flood again?  It rains most the morning, though increasingly lightly, and is little more than “Welsh mist” by the afternoon.

For us the obligatory visit to the Vet is the first thing so that the girls will be allowed back into England.  Although it is still raining the Vet goes extremely well (it can often be a trial) so makes a good start.  Then swabbing out and trying to clean thoroughly in the rain.  And finally the packing up, hoping you don’t forget something vital.  Tomorrow we head for the channel.

As we leave we see that the Saone has risen and as boats come down she is now flowing quite fast.  By evening when we check Vigi-Crues from Normandy she has gone on yellow warning.  Some time surely this rain will stop.