Saturday 23rd May 2015 Corbie to Cappy. 23.9kms 4 locks

11.2° C Overcast, then sunny with white clouds later. Set off at 9.30 am following MR

Engine at the museum in Froissy

upriver. The flow was back to a reasonable 1kph. I phoned the booking office to get a keeper at Sailly lock for 11.15 am. Yellow water lily flowers were just surfacing and opening out, ox-eye daisies were flowering along the canal banks. We were a little late arriving at 11.25 am and explained to the lock keeper that there was a problem and that we’d stay on the quay above the lock to sort it out. Up 3.2m and passed a group of canoeists heading downhill who went into the lock as we left. Tied on the quay by several deserted caravans. A cruiser came up in the lock and carried on upriver. Mike and Graham got their heads together and couldn’t see anything else wrong so we got the welder out and Mike put the head back on the bolt (a temporary measure until G can get a new one to replace it). He refilled the water and started it to see what happened, nothing untoward.

Engine in steam at the museum in Froissy

We had some lunch then I phoned to get the next lock worked. Got the answering machine so I left a message. As we approached the lock, 12 Méricourt, I had no phone signal on SFR, so G loaned his phone, which had a signal on Orange, and I called the office – they said a lock keeper was already there. He was, and it was the same guy as earlier with his boxer dog. The boats were still roped together so Jill said she’d like to have a go at steering a “widebeam” into the lock. Hmm, needs more practise - better luck next time! We didn’t knock any paint off but we’re going to repaint anyway! The keeper’s dog was constantly playing and when we asked how old she was, he replied that she was only 18 months old – still a gangly great puppy. On upriver to lock 11

Moored at Cappy

Froissy. Same keeper. Work on the lock house roof had stopped for the weekend. We sat alongside MR to come up 3.20m. Just 2kms to our last lock and liftbridge at Cappy. Mike took a few photos as we went past the little train at Froissy as there was an engine in steam by the museum, churning out loads of dark brown smoke. Our keeper was there at lock 10 Cappy, which was ready for us, and a great crowd of gongoozlers to watch us. Said au’voir to keeper and his dog as we went through the liftbridge. Lots of cruisers at Cappy and a British widebeam called Moongazer was tied up just beyond the slipway. We went right to the end of the moorings, and tied up to some new metal bollards, all recently installed. It was 5 pm.