Thursday 4th March 2004 Pinon to Abbécourt

Vauxaillon lock 5 Canal de Oise a l'Aisne

A mild night. Overcast morning. Showery. Five boats went past early. Bill went shopping at the Champion before we set off at 9.35 a.m. following a craneboat being shoved along by a little tug called Compiègne. We dropped down lock 5, Vauxaillon, to find the next resting place of Le Camargue, the wreck that had been rotting away in the corner of the “large” at Berry-au-Bac for years and years. It was interesting to note that it now had a Belgian registration at Marchienne-au-Pont. The first of a series of showers started as we went along the next pound. Select from Douai passed us, heading uphill, just before we reached lock 4 Leuilly, where we discovered we’d caught up with the crane boat. 

Lock cabin Crecy  lock 3 Canal de Oise a l'Aisne

A loaded boat came up, Welland from Douai (one of a fleet owned by a M Dubrulle), then we went down. Another loaded boat, Da Capo from Nijkerk, was in the next lock, no 2 Guny, coming uphill. When he cleared, we went down. The next loaded boat was not far behind, Deo Juvenos from Conflans, it passed us on the long pound. I flung ingredients together to make a quiche. We had lunch. We passed the next loaded boat, Picaro from Oss, at KP 6. Ronita from Gent went past at KP 5. We had to wait above the last lock, N°1 Abbécourt, which was keeper operated. 

 Flowery gates Guny lock 2 Canal de Oise a l'Aisne

Thursday 4th March 2004 Pinon to Abbécourt

The back half of the pusher pair Rolibert 2 was in the chamber. Something was going on, but no one said anything. We waited. The crane boat (which we’d overtaken earlier as it had been tied up for lunch) arrived and moored before the aqueduct. Its crew went off home, finished for the day. There seemed to be lots of paperwork filling in going on down at the lock. Eventually Rolibert 2 went out of the lock and moored immediately below it, opposite Rolibert 1. The keeper refilled the deep chamber and we went down. The skipper of the pusher pair was making a very animated ‘phone call as we passed the moored pair. To Like, an empty from Douai, had just moored at the upstream end of the quay, we moored with our stern rope on the same bollard as he had tied his bow rope to. Bill moored in front of us and Fanny had a good romp on the great open space of grass by the quay. It was 3.15 p.m. Mike unloaded the moped and went to get the car from Berry, just as the rain started at 4.00 p.m, it was still raining when he got back, I gave him a hand to replace the bike and planks on the roof.  

(Note: due to lack of photos from 2004 I've added ones of the same trip done in 2011, sorry if you've seen some of them before.)