Canal du Loing
At St Mammes we turned from the Seine to head South along the Canal du Loing. This Canal joins the Canal de Briare and then the Canal lateral a la Loire as a route to head south to the Mediterranean (though we have no intentions of going that far).
We immediately felt very much at home, transported back to our first experience with locks, on the Burgundy Canal last year. The lock sizes are very similar and preclude the huge barges which travel on the Seine. It is still possible for commercial barges which meet the Freycinet standard to use these canals as they fit in the locks and under the bridges. The "Freycinet Act" of 1879 set a standard for canals which would allow 300 ton barges (no more than 38.5 metres long with a beam of 5 metres, air draft below 3.5 metres with a 1.8 metre draft) to pass safely along them.
The country we passed was very pretty too and the River Loing was often to be seen near the Canal. Again there were herons and plenty of ducks, but fewer swans than we had seen on the Yonne. Our second lock in this stretch was automatic, the first we had operated. It is controlled by sensors so that the lock gates open as a boat approaches. Once set up, the barge driver pulls a rod which sets in train the normal lock process. It all went very smoothly and soon we stopped at Moret sur Loing for an early lunch.
Moret was established as a town even in Neolithic times and in more recent history was fortified with gateways, a Castle where Kings would spend time (later used as a prison, fortresses, an ancient bridge and mill stream. We enjoyed exploring the cobbled streets of old houses and visiting the 12th century church. The town was also quite modern with well stocked shops.
After lunch we continued to Nemours where our day came to a premature stop when the lock keeper didn't turn up to open the lock. This lock was around a right angle bend so, unusally, it was impossible to tell what was going on unelss one got off the boat to go to the actual lock. There was a sign there that the eclusier might be at another lock and just wait. For the first hour we reguarly visited the lock to see if anything was happening or if there was a contact number but over two hours later, when the locks closed for the day, he still had not come. By then we had given up and tied up to the pontoon intended for those waiting for the lock to open.
It was not a "big deal" because we were in a pleasant place to stop for dinner and over night.
Attached are photos (mostly of the Loing and Moret) but also one showing all the barges at St Mammas plus a couple of us moored alongside our "big brother" barges. The Moret photos show the river in the town (where the waters were used to power a tannery and a milkl). The famous painter Sisley worked and died in Moret and still today, there is an emphasis on painting.
Regards, Penny and Dave.
