We were passed by the barge Anita entering the lock, as we were eating our toast this morning, so we deduced that opening hours had commenced. Sure enough the lock opened at our command with the response of OK, OK, OK on the controller screen. We followed the barge through a series of six automated locks before seeing it stop at the only turning place at Ribemont and return downstream - rather a frustrating morning we thought. Two more locks and it was time for us to stop for lunch and provisions at Origny Ste Benoite. It is obviously fairly unusual for pleasure boats to pass this way as the charcutier asked straight away if we were off a boat, expressing some surprise that we had crossed the channel to get to France.

The afternoon yielded a new challenge in the form of manual locks. These are tended by a series of lock keepers who are either based at the adjacent cottage, or who follow your progress along the canal in their van, opening locks as you arrive. Although we were relieved not to be doing the winding ourselves, the lock keepers have a variety of eccentric places to put your mooring rope, none of which secure the boat very efficiently. It is also a bit disconcerting to wave goodbye and thank you to a lock keeper only to see them pop up again five minutes later at the next lock.

By mid afternoon the threatening rain appeared in force, and we opted to take cover and moored up at Vadencourt for the night. The main attraction here according to the Navicarte is the Carpentry Museum, although with the rain persisting through the afternoon and evening we sadly had to forego this rare pleasure.

Cruising Statistics

Distance: 15 nm

Total to date: 1756 nm

Avg Speed: 5 knots

Duration: 3 hours

Diesel: 20 litres (est)

Mooring: Free

Electricity: N/A

Locks

Brissy

Hamegicourt

Berthenicourt

Mezieres sur Oise

Chatillon

Sissy

Ribemont

Thenelles

Origny Ste Benoite

Bernot

Hauteville

Macquigny

Noyales

Longchamps

Vadencourt

Min headroom: 3.5m

Min draught: 1.8m

Charts

Navicarte 24