Le Guetin

After a few days of really hot weather, the heat wave broke with some wonderful rain.  We settled back into moderate temperatures, so we shoved off from Decize.  Getting out of Decize takes a bit of time, one lock to get out the Nivernais canal where we had moored, a bit of cruising on the Loire River, and then two locks to get back onto the Canal Lateral a la Loire.  The water is low right now, and boats are being convoyed through, so we had a few holds, and then the locks are closed for lunch from noon until 1:00 pm.  We made it onto the Lateral a la Loire at 11:45 am and stopped along the shore for lunch.  We moved on intending to spend a day or two at the anchorage in Fleury-sur-Loire, but were advised by the lock keeper that it was a bit shallow and boats had been grounding in the port, so we stopped short of Fleury near the village of Avril and spent a lovely evening staked out - just tied off to the shore using big mooring pins pounded into the ground.
We pushed off the next morning for a long day of cruising.  This year we've been traveling about 4-5 hours or so a day when we move, but we wanted to get to through the stretch of canal near Le Guetin, where the canal becomes a viaduct over the Allier River, at the end of which is a double lock.  That meant an 8 hour day at the helm for Randy, with a lot of activity, crossing the viaduct into the big canal, all at the end of the day.  Added to that, it was windy, and the wind would be coming from our starboard side as we threaded the needle of the viaduct and then the locks with our 70 ton barge.

Approaching the viaduct

As we approached Le Guetin, the canal took a sharp turn to the right under a bridge.  Access to the viaduct is controlled by a traffic light, and we had the green so we were good to go.  The canal narrows to a one lane viaduct, at the end of which are the locks.
I went forward to get ready for our approach - Randy does a great job of maneuvering the boat but it helps to have another pair of eyes on the bow.  I pulled out the binocs and saw the lock, and the crowd of spectators waiting to see us cross the viaduct in the wind and maneuver into the lock, hopefully without bouncing off the sides in front of an audience!

On the viaduct

Looking down over the River Allier

Into the first lock

 

The crowd!

Randy kept the power up just the right amount to get us across in the wind, slipped us into the lock and I tied us off to a round of applause from the bystanders.  Lots of pictures were taken as Alouette is looking quite pretty with our overflowing pots of flowers and herbs.
The first lock actually empties into the second lock as we dropped down a total of 9.2 meters - over 30 feet - to return to the canal on the other side of the Allier.  Another round of applause, we took a bow and eased the boat out of the lock and onto the quai at Le Guetin!

Gates opening into 2nd lock

Descending the 2nd lock

A quiet evening moored at Le Guetin