Today's the day of the "big" tunnel... just under 4.9km. We apparently get towed through by an electric barge, according to the pilot book and notes handed to us by a "itinerant" lockkeeper/VNF man who finds us en route. Freinds have told us that last year, they were allowed to motor behind the tow barge... ...we shall wait and see.
But before the tunnel,the staircase of 12 locks. The weather is kind, and the scenery pleasant.. until shrieks of horror from Sylvia. I wonder what's happened.. have we hit something or run aground?
No! Sylvia, on putting on her glasses has realised that what she thought was a little scab of unknown origin is actually a tick, with its head buried resolutely in her thigh. Tick removal kit and alcohol duly located, we tie up in the next lock to perform the emergency medical procedure (or thats what it sounded like by Sylvia's shrieks).
Phew! Tick removed and all is well.
We arrive early at the Mauvages tunnel for the 3.30pm slot, so sit and wait for the tow barge. The LED display repeats a summary of the information we have already had, including the compulsory nature of the tow. Seems like it will be being towed then.
Around 3pm, along comes a VNF man on a bicycle, and beckons us forward round the corner to the tunnel. No sign of any tow barge, but, instead we are to motor through and be accompanied by two men on bicycles. Quite a difference!
All goes well for the first kilometre, and then my heart sinks. The engine exhaust starts making that hollow booming sound that indicates that we are running short of cooling water. Bugger! Its very weedy up here at the top of the canal, so perhaps i have sucked it a bunch of weed. Nothing for it but to keep on going, motoring slowly and watching the engine temperature gauge creeping up, with my heart in my mouth.
We go 2km.. 3km, 4km... still OK but getting hotter. The temperature warning light comes on about 100m short of the end of the tunnel. I decide to continue to creep out and moor immediately outside. PHEW!
Clean out the filter...Yes, its some weed, and part of a dead fish, which is exceedingly pongy (not shown in pic, as I dispatch it quickly before stinking out the boat).
Weed in the engine filters seems a constant concern.. not the first time we have had to clean out the filter.. but an unfortunate moment to suck this lot in. Still, no harm done.
With some relief we motor to Demange Aux Eau and... ... find the lock closed. The VNF men must have thought we were stopping there, as they have shut the system down for the day. Fortunately there is a nice mooring just above the lock, where we can stop .
Of course, another disappointment.. the restaurant shown on the village map is closed... not just for the day, but seemingly for good.
Ah Well, there is always tomorrow.
The dogs love it here... seems like more dead fish have been removed from the canal, and are littering the bank. Oops... "Eau de dead fish" on shoulder does not endear them to us, and tea tree shampoo does not endear us to them...
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