Day 17 & 18 France 15th November 2021

Yesterday started at a very slow pace. The canals were still well behind schedule due to the long weekend and commercial vessels were given priority. Whilst we left the dock in Sains Les Marquion at 0800, were were promptly told there would be a two hour delay until we could join an appropriate ship in the dock. Most of the canal ships are made so two of them can squeeze into the dock, therefore if you have two regular sized ship in a row, or a ship and barge combination we were put to the back of the que until a slightly larger or smaller vessel entered the dock and there was room for a pleasure yacht.

Finally at 1000 a ship of appropriate size came to the lock and we were notified we could enter. Im glad Emilie speaks fluent French as I would not have a hope in communicating with the lock keepers or other captains.

At 1245 we arrived at lock 2 and told there would be at least a two hour wait. Luckily this lock was close to a town with a laundromat and had a fresh water supply close enough for our 40m hose to reach. Emilie went to town to do some washing, I filled the tanks with fresh water and then pulled the engine compartment apart to search for leaks.

I had been finding some mirky liquid in the engine bilge over the past few days and I wanted to know where it was coming from. I found a leak in the Jabsco water pump, and another leak in the engine governor. Both these leaks could not be repaired at the time, however we would take measures to slow the leaks down until we have a few weeks in one place and I can get to a machine shop to get some seals and o-rings for repair.

I had just finished mopping the bilge clean, and checking all the other bilges at the same time when Emilie returned onboard, and we got a call from he lock keeper advising we could enter the lock.. Perfect timing! We entered lock 2, and then carried on to the entrance of lock 3 where we were required to tie up for the night because pleasure vessels can not operate in hours of darkness on the canals.

We awoke to a cold drizzly morning and we were ready to leave the dock at Sunrise (0800!) Again we were told to wait for a suitable boat we could join in the locks. At 1000 we were asked to enter the lock behind a ship called Homer. This ship had a very good captain who used little wash in the locks making it much easier for us to tend the lines and prevent our yacht from being scraped along the lock wall.

We had a good run with Homer for the next three locks, and then followed her into the Ruyaulcourt Tunnel. The Ruyaulcourt Tunnel is 4.6km long, 5m wide, 5m high and passes under raised farmland and a village called Ytres. The tunnel is at 130m above sea level and is the summer of the Nord Canal. It is a once and a life time opportunity to for a family of yachts to sail their 45ft yacht through a 4.6km tunnel! What an experience!

I’m happy to say that I have now seen the light at the end of the tunnel!

This evening we are tied up prior to lock 8 at Moislains ready to enter lock 8 at sunrise (hopefully) and carry on down the Nord Canal towards Paris. We aim to be in Paris in 5 days time.