Second day: from Paraza to Marseillette
It 's Monday morning now, the first of May. Maarten is feeding the ducks in the canal and Marga brings me a cup of coffee. I am sitting at a picnic-table nearby the lock. Yesterday we had our diner at this particular place. Today is a national holiday in France. Therefore the locks are closed. We are moored in Marseillette just up the lock. I just cycled with Pepijn to the bakery in Capendu which is tree kilometer ahead. I bought two baguettes and for all of us one chocolate or raisin bun. The weather is fine. The sun shines high in the blue sky and there 's some wind.
Yesterday was the first day we went through the locks ourselves. When we left I tried to find out the things of which I had thought in the night before. I establish that we have a left propeller. So mooring is easier at starboard-side. The gearing can be operated easily today. We go trough the first lock without any problem. Pepijn goes ashore before the lock and grabs the rope which is thrown from the front side by Marga, puts it around a bollard and returns it to Marga. Then the same procedure follows with the rope at the back. We find out that it 's to difficult for the children to throw the ropes on high. So Marga and I do the throwing. This way we are getting a permanent distribution of roles.
The double lock of Pechlaurier
The locks in the Canal du Midi have an oval form and are about thirty meters long. The second lock we passis a double lock (Pechlaurier). That is exciting. We get some problems as it appears that the front rope isn't long enough. A part of the rope isn't used because it's tied up to a clamp on board. It was no problem at a single lock. But in a double lock the walls rise high above us. Fortunately the lock keeper gives us time to rectify the mistake. The second step of the lock we take without any problem and that gives me a good feeling.
After the double lock of Pechlaurier we come by another double (Ognon) and two single locks. Right away the mooring and locking improve every time. The children are satisfied with their role: jumping ashore and putting the thrown rope around the bollard and give it back.
Lock
It is the paradox of every lock:
the water flows as always down,
and press itself in the chamber with wild roar
and lifts the boat so to a higher step.
At noon we arrive in La Redorte. We navigate along the beautiful Épenchoir d'Argentdouble. It's a long magnificent stone spillway which directs the remainder of water from the canal to the river Aude . With thirteen arches the towpath runs over the spillway.
The spillway of Argens-Double
In the afternoon we have a difficult road to go. We get three double locks after one another and one triple lock. I want to get to Marseillette this afternoon. When we arrive at the other side of the Marseillette lock we can navigate nine kilometers towards Trèbes tomorrow because there are no locks between Marseillette and Trèbes.
After the first double lock I moor with a German. Because of the oval lock he can moor at port-side and I at starboard-side. Then another boat arrives which moors behind me and the Germans. There are three elderly French couples in it. They are bungling in the lock. They moor fixed at the lock and are barely watching their boat as it moves in the lock. I feel myself an expert compared to them. After the lock the German let us and the French pass by. At the next double lock I decide to let the French pass by also. The spectacle, a inland shipper had warned me for, happens. The French are absolutely incalculable. Their boat looks damaged. The back is dented. As the front of their boat almost comes through our back window Marga grabs a broken piece of the metal protecting nose to one of the women. She looks with a face of 'sorry, I can't help it either'. When they navigate in- or outside the lock they bump from one side to the other. Also our boat is hit. I write down the number of their boat (LY16893) just in case and keep an eye on them at the next locks. When the water still has to rise half a meter, they unfasten already, roll up the rope and put it on the quay making a conversation with the lock-keeper. In the last lock I see the helmsman give full throttle while the boat is still buttoned up. When the last rope is loosened, the boat rushes forward and the man ashore must run rapidly to get on board. Because we have all planned to be at the same section of the canal on the first of May, we meet again and again at the locks. Also the German who stayed behind one lock, perforce has to correspond also.
Nevertheless the French are having a magnificent holiday. They are having a ball. They sound the ship-horn when they leave the locks. The French captain chats with me. As he hears we are going to Négra he looks for it in the map, while we are locking. They are so lovely careless but now I understand the anxiety of the professional inland shippers.
Meanwhile Maarten is catching for a fish and calls me to get it from the hook. Because Marga is using the bucket for the laundry, we put it in a large soup-pan. The fish is pinched in it. We give it its freedom immediately.
Maarten stops fishing afterwards. "I had my adventure yet", he says: "It 's pitiful when I catch it again".
Strictly spoken it 's unbelievable that anyone can navigate with boats a length less than 15 meters. I am convinced that I need more practice. The automatic way I act on a bicycle or a car fails. I have to think first about all the actions I have to make. It is very tricky when there are unpredictable boats in the neighborhood.
At the last lock today I let the French go in
first. I wait because I want them to fasten first before I go into the lock
myself. However the lock-keeper is clicking impatiently at his watch. It 's almost
half past six. Hoping they get their boat fastened quickly, I steer our boat
into the lock. This time, everything goes well with the happy French.
The lock of Marseillette
We moor right behind the lock. It 's a beautiful place. At the lock are picnic-tables and we look at a little village at one side and have a wonderful view over the hills at the other side.
The whole day we gain self-confidence. I am satisfied with the way things go. Just Marga has some muscular pain from pulling at the ropes at the end of the day.
In the evening we attempt the shower for the first time. I have little room but I manage. Marga and the kids also take a shower. Tomorrow we 'll have to find a place where we can bunker water.