From Reims South to Vitry-en Francois
30th September to 2nd October 2024
Canal L’Aisne à La Marne
Courcy
We had been waiting on this canal for 5 weeks, due to the canal closing upstream of Reims for maintenance on a lock. Now, with our son aboard to help us make up time with longer days of cruising, we were off from our mooring at Courcy towards the fine city of Reims.
It was a bit of a grey day when we left next morning.
It was also a slow start; after about 10 minutes we saw ahead of us. in the distance, a very slow moving working barge. It was definitely in no hurry – maybe waiting for its turn on one of the commercial quays ahead.
We followed it at almost tick-over speed for half an hour, slowly catching it up. To be honest it was rather frustrating! After being held up for 35 days and being ready to ‘speed’ forward at out usual 6-8 kph, we were now traveling at about 1 kph!
The Captain decided we should ask barge Syldo if we could pass, so using the VHF Channel 10 (ship to ship channel) I called up and asked if that was ok. “Bien sûre” came the reply, and he pulled over to the right to let Calliope overtake. Now we could get going.
As we entered the outskirts of Reims we passed the long working quay, quite likely the destination of our friend Syldo.
The canal widens here, with an island in the centre, allowing barges to turn or pass each other by. Maybe we could have passed Syldo here, but we are not sure of the depth to the right, and how much that channel is used.
Going back a few weeks we had been hurrying towards Reims to avoid a 5 day holdup for the demolition of a bridge. That work was moved to night time only so would not have delayed us; we got caught instead by the 5 week closure!
The evidence of the bridge demolition was still very evident. It may have disappeared from its position over the canal, but huge limps of concrete and roadway were still being broken up and removed.
The whole area is destined for regeneration and should look a whole lot better next time we are there. In fact large swathes of Reims are being redeveloped, especially canal-side areas including the old port. The plans look good and should add to what is already a largely beautiful city.
A kilometre and a half further through the city and we arrived at our first lock of the trip. There are three close together in Reims – Fléchambault, Chateau d’eau and Huon. All are less than 3m deep so we were through them quite quickly.
At Huon there was a good clear notice telling us about the opening hours of the next 12 locks, up to then summit at Billy-le-Grand, and down the other side to Condé.
Despite our hold-up it was still Haute Saison, and to be honest we wouldn’t normally travel outside of the winter hours of 7h30 to 17h30.
Here we are at the top of the Huon lock, off towards the summit.
I do have one more photo from the south easterly outskirts of Reims however.
I have seen bridge steelwork painted blue, green, black, and white …..
… but never before orange!
We carried on through Sillery and its marina where Calliope had spent the winter a few years before, and on to one of my favourite lock names – L’Esperance meaning The Hope.
On this occasion it was not so hopeful as the lock did not respond to my turning of the pole. I called up asking the VNF for help and we managed to tie Calliope up at the side.
After a while I went up to the lock to see what was happening, if anything. The éclusier (lock keeper) arrived more or less at the same time; hooray.
And who did I find in the lock but our friends on Piper Boat Plan B! We hadn’t seen them all season.
They were coming down the canal as we were going up; their pole had responded and the lock had started to work again. They had been held up the other end of the maintenance work. Sometimes it’s a small world on the waterways.
Now we were on our way again; next lock Beaumont where all the maintenance work had been happening for the last 5 working weeks.
And was still happening!
Although the lock was officially open once more it was being operated manually by two éclusiers, whilst other VNF workers were in full swing tidying up and making good.
The Captain had decided that we would stop in the summit bief (pound) at Sept-Saux, just a couple of kilometres from the tunnel. So the rest of our journey that day was quite high and quite windy.
Way out across the fields and through the grey mist are hills covered in vineyards.
We are still in the Champagne region, although not a drop aboard Calliope. Made an error there somewhere!
Sept-Saulx
We arrived at the Sept-Saulx basin with a strong wind blowing us off shore and not making it at all easy to moor up. But within a few minutes we had the boat secure.
Ashley set off for a bike ride to explore the local area while Stu and I relaxed! It was a quiet pleasant evening together, eating one of the meals I had prepared and frozen a few days before (Luxury Fish Pie I think).
In the morning we were off before 0900, wanting to make a good day of it along the rest of this canal, including, of course, the tunnel.
It seems an odd thing to say, but Stewart calls it his favourite tunnel. I think it is a blend of its length (quite short), lighting and general ease of navigation.
We were at the entrance within 15 minutes of setting off that morning.
The Captain made the tunnel seem easy – in about 20 minutes we were out on the Marne side of the ‘mountain’ and stating to head downhill. Locks going down always feel like less work as you are not throwing ropes upwards towards bollards.
It wasn’t long before we saw a sign telling us that we were approaching the first écluse (lock) down. There would be a pole hanging over the canal waiting for a quarter turn. It seems experience either direction works.
It was Ashley’s turn to turn, so he made his way bow-wards and got the lock ninth operating mode as soon as possible.
By the time we reached the lock he was back bye the wheelhouse managing the aft rope.
The lock was beautifully modernised with a flat concrete inner wall and a rounded metal edge that allows ropes to run across them smoothly.
Older locks often have stone quays with gaps between the stones and ropes can get caught in the cracks. Crew must always stay alert to this possibility, and have a sharp knife ready to cut any rope that gets really stuck – otherwise the boat can get ‘hung-up’ at one end, fill with water the other, and sink!
No such danger here.
An hour later we were hung up, or rather held up, in a different way. We had successfully come down through 4 locks since the tunnel and now as we came towards Lock 21, Fosse Rode, we saw then 2 red lights that signifies a ‘broken’ lock.
We found a bollard that we could tie up to in a makeshift manner and I phoned for help. In a matter of minutes the VNF van arrived and sorted the problem for us. We were on our way again, and almost at the end of this canal.
Three kilometres later we were at the lock at Condé-sur-Marne, where Calliope would join the Canal that runs lateral to the river Marne.
While we waited for the lock to fill for us I jumped off and took a photo of this new deer escape ramp.
Deer often fall or jump into the canal and then cannot find a way to get back onto the bank.
But they swim well, so escape steps or ramps are included along the canal to facilitate their exit. This was a very modern one – more smooth concrete.
One last point of interest on the L’Aisne à La Marne – the Billy tunnel that we had come through earlier has narrow gauge rail tracks along one side. These are left from the time when barges were towed along the tunnel by the little green traction engine now parked up at Condé lock. This continued up until 1970 when ventilation was installed ot the tunnel and barges were allowed to pass along under their own power,
Canal Lateral à La Marne
Normally we stop at Condé. It’s a good quiet mooring, with a handy boulangerie in the village. But this time we were focused on longer cruising days, especially while Ashley was with us.
So Calliope was turned to port towards Chalons-en-Champagne to start following the Marne right up to Langres, near its source. That meant after coming down through locks from the Billy Tunnel we would now be going upstream again.
It was just 16 kilometres to take us to our stop for the night at Chalons, just about our favourite French town or city to visit in the boat.
It’s 16 kms through the countryside, with no bends or curves until the outskirts of the city, and with just 3 locks. So three poles to turn, three sets of rope to throw and three levers to raise.
The first one went according to plan, with enough peaceful time in the lock to photograph some local fauna, still out and about on the first day of October.
On we went through the sunshine.
I know its just another photo of Calliope on another straight canal, but the colours were so vibrant that day.
Stewart and I were looking forward to showing Ashley why we like Chalons so much. We have stopped there 4 times before for periods varying from a night to 5 weeks.
At this rate there would be plenty of time for a walk round the centre in the afternoon sun, and later a beer in yet another Place de La République.
As it turned out we were not to arrive there quite as soon as expected. As the next lock, Juvigny, came into view we saw that there were no lights on outside the lock. We normally expect to see a red light, which is accompanied by a green light once we turn the pole. This lets us know the lock is preparing for us.
When there are no lights at all it usually means there is something wrong and that the VNF are working on it. We moored up and Ashley and I went to investigate. We found one boat in the lock waiting for the lock to fill and lift them to the next level, and another the other side of the lock waiting to come down.
We also found a VNF van next to the lock and a friendly lady éclusier in the office sorting everything out, so we returned to Calliope.
About half an hour later it was our turn.
We went into the lock under gradually greying skies, hoping that there would be a return to blue for our evening out later.
Ashley was given the helm for the remainder of the day, giving the Captain a bit of time to catch up on his crosswords.
Chalons-en-Champagne
By 1500 we were on the outskirts of the city with the impressive cathedral roof in our sight. Our conversations with Kati, the Capitaine at Chalons, had let us know that we were to moor outside her office, just above the final lock of the day.
It is a perfect position for us. Normally it is reserved for passing hotel barges, but none were due for a couple of days so we were able to use the space.
Previous years we have. moored further forward, just round the curve and under the chestnut trees – which at this time of year rain conkers down onto the boats.
With a metal roof this sounds like giant hailstones descending!
Now to explore – and to do a quick food and wine shop as well. I regret that this time I have not taken lots of photos of the wonderful old buildings, little waterways, churches, parks and streets of Chalons.
For those interested in seeing more of ‘our’ Chalons have a quick look at our stay there in 2018.
For this trip there is just a Place de la République beer photo of Calliope crew at rest.
And as a homage to the name of the city and the region, here is a photo of crew and the port Captain, Kati, enjoying local wine!
Such a lovely place to stay but we had to be off again next day, making up for the time lost earlier. It was a rather grey and misty day as we left Chalons, down the next straight section of canal towards Vitry-en-Francois.
Not long after starting we could see through the mist and the binoculars a boat that seemed to be blocking the canal.
As we got closer we could see than it was two craft – one dredging at the edge of the canal and the-other being loaded up with the resulting sloppy mud. I remembered that I had read an Avis (notice) from then VNF informing all boats in the area about the dredging operation.
They soon noticed us and the big blue barge in the centre moved ahead to allow us to pass.
There was not a lot of room to spare!
But we passed by, with a friendly wave from the Captains of both the dredger and the barge.
Calliope continued on her day’s journey, with the weather becoming progressively wet weather. On we went through Pogny and Ablancourt, by now all wearing wet weather gear!
Luckily we only encountered a few showers and they did not impeded progress, out even dampen spirits. We had lunch as we travelled, including trying out one of the desserts we had bought on Chalons-en-Champoagne.
This one was an alarmingly pink confection, but bore the Champenois label, os had got be tried.
To be honest it was not very special. It was sugary, almondy, and overall a bit sweet for me.
Soulanges
The original plan was to reach what we call the old quarry quay for the night, just outside Vitry. However by the time we were close to Soulange the Captain was feeling easy for a beak, and wd rather like Soulanges..
We knew we could probably moor near the lock on a wonderfully isolated quay.
All we had to do, once tied up, was to sit back and enjoy our supper, watching the constantly changing colourful skies, often a feature at the Soulanges mooring.
The team were prepared to get going quite early next day, but a commercial barge came through the lock as we were getting up and it seemed polite to let it carry on a bit. We therefore left our mooring half an hour later.
Four kilometres on and we reached Couvrot écluse – and saw the previous barge still in the lock.
Closer binocular inspection revealed that she was taking on water – normal procedure for a working barge – so, with our tank running a little low the skipper decided to follow suit when it was our turn to enter the lock. That would give the slow commercial boat a 15 minute start on us.
Within a kilometre of Couvrot is a dividing of the canal with a lock in each fork, although only one of them is still in use.
This is the point where there is a drop down to the Marne river, used exclusively in earlier canal times to move trade in and out of Vitry-le-Francois. The river became too shallow for modern vessels and a wide by-pass canal was built. This is what we would follow.
I hope the division is clear in the photo – the lock on the left where Calliope would continue, and the footbridge over a lock to the right, towards the river.
In the middle is the original lock keeper’s house. He (probably was a man) must have had a busy life with locks either side of him to open and close all day!
Through the lock and round the end we came past the previously mentioned ‘old quarry quay’. It is one of our favourite moorings, tucked away from houses, roads etc and sometimes with a kaleidoscope of butterflies.
Certainly there has been a lot of industry here in the past, but whether it was to transport stone from a nearby quarry or not we don’t know.
For this year it had just to be a sail-by and a photo.
Another bend in the canal took us into the last écluse (lock) of this canal.
The lock gates open I’m mediately onto a ‘pont canal’, a water bridge taking the canal over something.
In this case we were going over the river Saulx, one of many rivers that flow into the Marne.
The 115kms long and winding Saulx comes in from the SouthEast, originating up near Joinville which is on our next canal.
Not far to go now on the Canal lateral à La Marne. We completed the last two kilometres down to the outskirts of Vitry and the junction with the Canal de la Marne au Rhin.
Calliope turned to starboard for just one kilometre off the Marne au Rhin, and we were off onto the next stage of the Hivernage journey on the Canal Entre Champagne et Bourgogne – a whole new blog post!
And to sign off, photos at the old quarry quay mooring from a previous year showing a kaleidoscope of butterflies on our ropes.
À bientôt – see you at the next post!
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