After a week in Dijon, It was time to head back to St. Jean-de-Losne – through 22 locks.
The two photos below show how tight it is as we enter a lock. There’s just a few inches clearance on either side – between our barge and unyielding stone walls.
While I have to (somehow) get Aleau safely into the lock, it is Jeannie’s job to help by guiding me. She stands at the bow and, using headsets, tells me how many inches of clearance I have on each side. (Not many!) I can’t see the sides of the barge – my vision is limited to the white areas. That leaves quite a bit I can’t see. That walkway on either side is totally invisible to me – as are the sides of Aleau. And it’s that part that is in danger of hitting the sides of the lock. Aleau weighs 44 tonnes. (Add in the fuel and water she’s carrying and it’s a lot more.) Slowing or changing direction take time.
Once we’re safely in the lock, Jeannie has to get a rope around a bollard at the top of the lock. While they are visible (the red and white posts) on the left in the top photo, that’s only because it was taken from the starboard side. As you can see (Well, can’t see), it is impossible to see the bollards when you’re standing on the same side as the bollards. And that’s where you have to be in order to get the rope over the bollard – and back down to a bollard on the barge. It’s challenging. While Jeannie is getting a rope around a bollard at the bow, I am doing the same thing at the stern – struggling to get a rope around the lock bollard and back to a bollard onboard. The techniques – and the dangers – are different depending whether we’re going up or down. We’ve already had two bad experiences – once going up – and a very scary one going down.
No shot of either of us trying to get our ropes around bollards. But I do have a photo of Becky on Wanderlust, standing on top of the cabin roof, making what looks like a successful toss.