July 3 and 4 on the Petite Saône

Juniper at Scey-sur-Saône

July 3 – Friday: Michael makes his croissant and bread run while Joan and Julie enjoy some coffee. It’s been so hot we switched to making cold brew. Quick and easy cuppa in the morning. We make a trip to Netto Groceries and stopped by the Tourist Office. Found a great map that shows walks, hikes and tourist places. Depart Port-sur-Saône at 12:02 pm right into écluse (lock) #5. Two écluses and 10 km later we arrive at the dock/campground in Scey-sur-Saône. Michael stays on board so we can keep the boat open while Joan and Julie walk town. New homes as well old homes that you can only guess how old they are and how much they may or may not have been modernized. Cool evening and a breeze, thank goodness, as we had no power so no fan. Campground next to the dock was busy with campers and bike tourists in tents. A couple guys were having a ball, jumping off the dock to cool off. Back flips and all.

Château Rupt-sur- Saône

July 4 – Saturday: Happy Independence Day! Praying we get to keep our democracy. Got the bikes down and rode to Rupt-sur-Saône hoping to see the Château. No such luck. Info on line was confusing on whether you can visit or not. At arrival we just see Privé – Private and no mention of visiting days/hours. At least we got a nice 11 km bike ride in! Passing through a restaurant (literally) on the way we decide to stop for a coffee on the way back. Tables on one side of the road/path next to the canal with main restaurant and patio on the other side. No uncommon here. Next we stop at a Parc with a Château, some animals, (wallabies, goats, deer, horses, peacocks) and a pony club. Walking the grounds it’s underwhelming, but a nice 4km or so walk in mostly shade.

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  Stopping for a café au lait on our ride

 

 

Château at Le Domaine du Parc aux Daims

View of the harbor at Scey-sur-Saône from Juniper

On the Petite Saône June 30 - July 2

Manual swing bridge near Corre

June 30 – Tuesday, Corre:

Lay-over day today. We walk Corre, make multiple trips to the Intermarché (grocery store), do laundry in the machine in the Intermarché parking lot. Their version of a laundromat in many small towns. Dinner is at a small restaurant; good but of no significance.

July 1 – Wednesday, Port de Fucécourt:

unidentified tower in Corre

It rained from 6:40 – 7:20am. It’s 66°. We felt bad for the two couples bike camping just above the dock. Michael heads to the boulangerie for croissants and lunch bread, unfortunately it’s closed on Wednesdays. He runs into the couple from Australia on his way, they had moved to the picnic shelter to eat breakfast and let their tent dry a bit. We see lots of bike tourists with panniers, some camping, some not. Lots of accommodations for them along this route.

Joan needs a trip to the pharmacy so Julie goes to the Intermarché (again!) for bread while Michael preps the boat for departure – fill water bottles, water tank, engine check, etc. Depart Corre at 10:28am.

Julie activating the écluse while Joan handles the boat.

We are on the Petite Saône cruising through farmland with trees along the river. Beautiful. We no longer press a button on our electronic écluse opener. Now we must slowly pass by a pole hanging, usually from a wire. You then grab it and turn it counter clockwise to activate the écluse. At 11am the temp is 73° with humidity at 58%. We cover 24km and three écluses (only 3!) and arrive in Port de Fuchécourt at 2pm. Actually see a couple boats on the water now that we’re on the river. The marina is going through renovation. No one to check in with. A charter boat arrives and Michael grabs their line. It’s cooled off a bit so we get the bikes down and have a nice evening ride. When we return there is another charter boat in right next to us. Nice family from ??? with Grandma, three adults and a young girl. Spoke English but didn’t get much opportunity to chat with them.

Port-sur-Saône as we walk to town from the marina - photo JC

July 2 – Thursday, Port-sur-Saône: 7am and it’s 66°. The temp had dropped enough last night we didn’t need the fan on for a change. We depart Port de Fuchécourt at 8:45am. When doing the engine check Michael found disconnected wires that may be the cause of our tachometer not working and the engine and domestic volt lights flickering on and off. Fingers crossed. 10am and the temp is 72° on it’s way to a high of 84. We arrive in Port-Sur-Saône at 11am. Tachometer is still not as it should be, we’ll clean the connectors tonight to see if that helps. We walk the town, pretty quiet since it’s lunch time. We’re in a rhythm on the boat with all three take turns at the wheel and handling lines, shopping and cooking. Yes, we’ve done this before. Not for two months, but hey, what’s another six weeks. 

June 27 -29 Still Hot, as we work our way down the Canal des Vouges

June 27 - Saturday: Temp to be 99°-102°. Departed at 8:25am and right into écluse (lock) #19. Le Julian had already departed, so had to wait for the water to come up again. Arriving at écluse 21 Le Julian and another boat are there, écluse appears to be out of order. Fifteen or so minutes and it's up, Le Julian and Juniper carry on. The other boat was not departing yet. With a VNF office there at the écluse they may have wanted Le Julian and Juniper to share the locks. Before we arrived in France we heard they were requiring this.

Shade and a beautiful spot to ourselves.

Michael & Julie 

June 28 – Sunday: Departed 8:15am and it’s 76°, thunderstorms are predicted. We get through écluse (lock) #25 and #26 and it feels like we’re going to make good progress. Enter écluse # 27, the doors close. Then nothing. We wait and the water is not dropping. Joan goes to the hut and pushes the call button. It rings and rings and rings. No answer. Calls the VNF number on the hut and gets “leave a message”. The call button continues to ring. Michael checks the lights at both ends of the écluse, they are red/red. It’s out of order. Pondered options for about 15 minutes when the VNF man arrives to rescue us. Merci beaucoup!!! Ten écluses and 10 km (kilometers) brings us to Fontenay Le Chateau at 11:40am. We have power and water – yay!!!! We are drinking liters and liters of water so we need to refill often. We walk town and find a boulangerie, closed now but opens tomorrow at 7:15am. Another yay!

We do NOT find a grocery store. Rummaging the cupboards we find Cous Cous, garbanzo beans and corn. (Thank you again Karen & Bill!) Toss in our leftover veggies from the refrigerator and we have dinner. Tasty even! Sure hope we find a grocery store tomorrow though….

Joan on the bike path next to the canal

 

June 29 – Monday: Rain and thunderstorm last night as they predicted. Neither lasted long and the thunderstorm didn’t seem too close. 7am and it’s 68°, high will be 80° and it’s a bit overcast. So much better than 100°!!!!

Le Boat manages the marina we stayed at and they arrived just in time for us to pay 15€ for moorage, water and power. Can’t get by for that in the US for an 11 metre boat! Departed 8:45am. Stopped at Selle to walk town, then lunch on the boat since we couldn’t find a restaurant. We three are getting our boating mojo now. The break in heat and some better sleep makes us feel human again. We even got a bike down so Julie and Joan could take turns riding between the locks. That felt great!!! Eleven écluses (locks) and 20 kms (kilometers) takes us to Corre. At the last lock we turn in the remote used to activate the écluses by dropping it into a metal box. We dock at Marina Corre visitor dock at 3:45pm. We are off the Canal des Vosges and on the Petite Saône now. Off to re-provision at the Intermarche about 1km away. Good size store and we did a great job remembering 90% of the items off the grocery list that is still on the boat. Another sign we’re recuperating. 😊

Looking forward to dinner at La Marina Restaurant only to find it’s closed Monday and Tuesday. Sigh. Having re-provisioned, dinner onboard is just fine.

From the top of the staircase to Girancourt where we were ablle to provision

June 25 - Thursday: Had to sleep-in a bit to recuperate some, but it worked against us as the heat wave had settled in with a vengeance with temps in upper 90s. We made it to Girancourt, 8 kilometers and one écluse (lock). There was power and water – which meant we could use the air conditioner. Power was from a kiosk by the quai. Karen and Bill had used it and left the card for it on the boat. Thank you!!! We used up the remaining balance then had to figure out how to add more money. A nice lady from a camper in the car park and a VNF lady who stopped by helped us figure it out. We had to have Karen, who created the account, add money through the app. The VNF lady had come by to confirm we knew we had to be through écluse #24 by the evening of the 28th. That section was closing. This update took some pressure off now that we don’t have to be all the way to Corre by the 29th. Relief with this heat!!! Karen and Bill’s notes on this route have been very helpful and very appreciated!! Including info on the grocery store only a short walk. Unfortunately no electrolyte beverages to be had – would have been a huge help… Heat and jet lag were taking a toll. Dinner was enjoyed in the shade at a picnic table, much cooler than on the boat since our air conditioner is pretty minimal. The boat was hot and sleeping was a challenge but the fans helped a lot. We couldn’t run fans and the air conditioner at the same time because it popped the shore power circuit breaker

June 26 – Friday: Departed Girancourt at 8:45am right into écluse (lock) #2 going toward the Soâne. A boat went through before us so we had to wait for all the locks to come up, a much slower go. We’re headed down now, much easier, especially in this heat. Tied to a quai just after écluse #18. Short day 17 écluses and about 9 kilometers. Another boat, Le Julian, was already in. He came and grabbed our line. Lovely, quiet place, no power or water. Moved small table and chairs to the grass and enjoyed the shade and breeze.

At last, cool enough to sleep

So begins the final journey and adventure on Canal Boat Juniper June 22 - Aug 16, 2026

June 22 - Monday: Joan, Michael and Julie (Joan's sister) Flew via Aer Lingus Seattle to Dublin THEN to Paris (Charles de Gaulle). All connections and flights went smoothly. The new Entry-Exit-System now active in the Schengen Countries also went smoothly; passport and face scan but no fingerprints this time. 

 

June 23 - Tuesday: Took a taxi to the Hotel D’Alsace across the street from Gare de L’Est (train station). Dinner at an outside table at the restaurant next door.

June 24 – Wednesday: We’re up early to catch the 9:11 TGV (fast train) to Épinal. Caught a city bus to the marina. Arrived about 1pm, checked in at the port office, hurried to board Juniper and dumped our baggage in our staterooms and were underway by 3pm. We had to have the boat out of the Embrachement d’Épinal by 7pm that evening because it was closing that night for the remainder of the season due to lack of water. At this point we thought we had to have Juniper off the Canal de Voges by June 29. Juniper was the last boat at the port. 3.3 kilometers to the Canal des Voges and 6 kilometers on the canal with 14 stair-step écluses (locks) going up to the top. It was helpful the stairstep écluses all were ready for us, but also meant we couldn’t stop for a much-needed break. Around 6pm we finally wild-tied (pounded stakes into the side of the canal to tie to) not by choice. The first dock we passed was too high for us to use with the water so low, the next was taken up by Syrah, a Peniche about 20 meters long. We were EXHAUSTED from jet lag and the temp was in the 90s. So thankful Karen & Bill left groceries aboard as we had no time to provision in Épinal. Dinner was a bag of potato chips (craved the salt) and mushroom paté on crackers. Hard to drink enough water in this heat!

Julie puilling hard on our bow line as the water level rises

Sunday, Sept 7, 2025 - St Jean de Losne

 Sunday, September 7, 2025 – Ranchot to St Jean de Losne

Ranchot écluse. The river and canal are separated by a cement wall

Sunday morning is sunny and warm. High will be 83. We also have wind, 9-12mph with gusts to 23. The gusts come frequently. We’d hoped to go to Dole for a night, we have power there, but the wind is so strong there is no way we can dock. There are very few private boats tied up and no one visible that might lend a hand. At this point the wind blowing in the 20s with lulls of 12mph. We continue on. There is an industrial area where you’re not allowed to tie up and there are no other ports that have power. Hoping to stop at Abergement-la-Ronce to have lunch. Two boats take up the whole dock because they didn’t tie close together, another boat wild tied just downstream. It’s not worth asking them to move just so we can have lunch, so we continue on and eat while underway. The wind is strong and warm all day. Takes a bit of edge off the sun. It reminds me of the mistral wind in south France on our bike tour so many years ago, just not quite as strong.

"Juniper" back at St Jean

We arrive in St Jean de Losne, check the gas pump, still out of order, and tie up at 6pm. It was eight hours of running not stop. With the sun and strong wind, it was exhausting. Time for a G&T, or two! 8:30pm and it’s still around 70 degrees. Shower and bed coming up sooner than later.

Wed Sept 3 - Sat Sept 6, 2025 Rachot, Weir at Torpes, Ranchot

 Wednesday, September 3 – 4, 2025 - Dole to Ranchot

Americans are welcome

We’re heading out of Dole at 8:57am up-stream to Ranchot. A favorite place of Michael’s. Three boats pass us going downstream while underway. We arrive at 1:30 and find the quai empty. Two boats pass us going downstream in the afternoon. We get out for a short walk and half expect to see a boat on the quai when we return since that happened to us twice on the Bourgogne, but not this time. We have the place to ourselves for the night.

Thursday we wake to rain and another thunderstorm. We knew it was coming and it’s predicted to rain all day so had decided to hunker down for the day. Lots of reading. A break in the rain so we take another walk to see the village of Ranchot. Walked up to the train station, hadn’t realized they had a stop. Not a lot to see, very quiet. By evening, three more boats have joined us. A full quai!

Leaving the port of Dole

Friday, September 5, 2025 – Ranchot to the Weir at Torpes

School group watching us transit an écluse

At 10am (yes, not 9am!) we head up stream to the weir Michael has wanted to tie up at for the night since he saw it. Gary (one of our original partners) had marked it in the boat chart book. It’s past Osselle, just past écluse de gard 57 N Torpes (Flood gate). Across the weir is a factory, which we thought was closed down. But we saw steam from a couple chimneys and there were lights on/in some buildings at dark, so some of it appears to be in use. We think it was a paper or stationary mill at one time.

Our moorage for the night

Right after we tie up, about 1:30pm, a Hotel Barge comes downstream. So glad we’re tied up already!!! The canal from Ranchot has some narrow, one way stretches and blind corners. It would not have been fun to meet it underway. A charter boat coming down stream stops for lunch around 2pm. Later in the afternoon, a private almost peniche size boat also coming downstream pulls in and stays the night. It was amazing watching them bring it in between Juniper and the rock wall at the end.

High water on the Doubs

When wild tying we keep an eye on the house batteries. We find they’re not holding a charge, even with the fridge on 2 and nothing else really running. OK, the bilge pump does occasionally as it seems we have a slow leak – Michael thinks it’s the stuffing box. I’d say it was a quiet night, but the water running over the weir is ever present.

The canal water levels on this section were often higher than the upper écluse gates. It was different entering an écluse that sounds and feels like the valves have already been opened.

Saturday, September 6, 2025 – Weir at Torpes to Ranchot

In the morning our battery volts are too low, they’re not holding a charge. We hurry to get underway instead of the leisurely morning we had planned. We depart at 9am so they can recharge as we run. Power at Ranchot comes on at 6:30pm and goes off at 8 or 8:30am, so we’ll still have to wait to plug in but hope the run downs brings the volts back up enough.

Gîte in Ranchot on the croissant route

Arriving in Ranchot the boat Aperose is tied at the end. We had seen the boat in Dole. It’s distinctive with it’s bright red hull and it’s in very good shape. We tie up at the other end of the quai. Our walk today takes us across the bridge into Rans looking for a trail Michael had sorta found. Never found it so wandered up the hill, appreciated the view and wander back to the boat. Surprise, another boat is on the quai, tied next to Aperose. We move our boat further to the end so another boat could easily fit if needed. No other boat joins us. A young woman from Freiberg, Germany (we’ve been there!) is cycling to Balboa, Spain by herself. She asks if we can charge her phone while she eats lunch. She saved up her money, quit her job as a school counselor and is doing her month-long ride. Then she’s not sure, maybe something with music, she plays guitar and sings. Counseling with kids was stressful.

Boys fishing at the Ranchot Quai

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Sunday, August 31 – Tuesday, Sept 2, 2025 - Dole

Collegial Notre Dame is the backdrop for the Dole marina

The boat tied next to us at Abergement la-Ronce takes off around 9am. We follow behind a lock. Reach Dole in the early afternoon. A cross current is flowing, making docking a bitch. Juniper doesn’t steer in reverse which really doesn’t help. It takes a few tries and the couple on the boat Victoria next to us, come grab our lines. Thank you!! While we finish tying up a man on the boat on the other side of us asks where we’re from, turns out they’re from Whidbey Island. The couple who helped us are from New Zealand and pleasant to chat with. Meanwhile, Michael, I and others on the dock help other boats coming in because it’s a struggle for everyone, even those with bow and stern thrusters.

Robin Maxime in concert

We’re moored below the Collegial Notre Dame as in years past. It’s beautiful and the old town around it is amazing to just walk the streets or follow the Circuit du Chat Perché (Perched cat) which takes you to historic sites around town. Having done that before, we visited the Tourist Office to see what else there was. Walking back to the boat we see a sign for acoustic guitarist Robin Maxime in concert in the church at 7pm. Why not! He plays a few pieces we are familiar with, and then some lively ones we are not; and needless to say, the acoustics in the church are amazing. We would never have thought a solo acoustic guitar could fill a cathedral by itself. Fun spur of the moment event, which we don’t do often enough.

Le Sanctuaire Notre-Dame de Mont-Roland

Monday we head out on a 8km round trip walk to Le Sanctuaire Notre-Dame de Mont-Roland. Some roads, trails beside agricultural fields and through some woods. Mont-Roland sits atop a hill. The first thing we see on exiting the woods are 14 large cement crosses, Stations of the Cross, lining the road. Just past these is the church. “A place of peace and intercession of the Virgin Mary since the 11th century.” There is a wonderful view of the area between the Saône and Jura massif. We could even see the Collegial Notre Dame in Dole.

Trail to mountain top.                     Stations of the cross.                        Joan and the church organ

Nice walk on farm roads, no cars

Tuesday we need to provision since we’re heading out tomorrow. We walk to the E.Leclerc for groceries and the Bricomarche to replace our syphon to transfer gazoil from our 20 liter jerry cans to Juniper's fuel tank. Our experience with trying to pour 20 liters of ggazoil into a funnel was a bit on the messy side.In the afternoon we do the other walk the gentleman in the tourist office told us about - 3km that takes us up the canal a bit then we turn off to walk through agricultural fields and woods, then back to the canal. The sky is blue with some puffy white clouds. It felt good getting out and walking a bit more!

Saturday August 30,2025 – St Jean de Losne to Abergement la-Ronce

Sunday August 30 - Underway again

40 liters of gazoil transported a kilometer

As usual, we head out at 9ish. Goal is to top off fuel and head to Dole. As we pass a boat down the dock from us they inform us the gas dock is not be working. It’s not far so we go out to double check and confirm they’re correct. Head back in to Blanquarts. Michael talks to David, who says he didn’t know about it (but later we hear it’s been down for two weeks…), and offers his cart to us to haul gas cans. The cart is great. The syphon is missing the original hose, but a regular piece of hose is with it, so we try using rescue tape to attach it. Works with some drips until it doesn’t. At that point we pull out the funnel and pour. No big mess(!), just a little to clean up from the drips. It looks like one fuel can will do us, so the other is in the upper locker for later.

Cruising the Rhône au Rhin is beautiful

We head out about 2:45 after returning the cart to David. We get to Abergement la-Roce at Lock 72 around 5pm and Michael recalls it being a nice place. Quai is full, but one boat is about to take off and tells us to give them 5 minutes. No problem! Tie up and listen to a group of young, 10 or 12 year olds, riding motorcycles in circles trying to pop wheelies in the area next to the playground. A bit loud, but not crazy. Doesn’t last too long and then it’s just a few kids playing at the playground and people out walking. Pleasant. The bigger challenge was the mosquitoes. Oh, and the church bells ringing all night long. Right next to the canal practically. A bit of distance is my preference. 

Thursday, August 28, - Friday, August 29, 2025 – St Jean de Losne

 

Thursday, August 28, 2025 –  Longecourt to St Jean de Losne

All 3 tucked into an écluse

Tham enters the lock before us around 9:30am. It’s bigger than Juniper and the éclusier tells them to let us pass once through the écluse so we can share écluses with the two boats that were waiting below the écluse. All three boats have English speakers on board who are pleasant and help each other. The couple on the Le Boat are from Australia and have purchased the boat.  Being the last of the three we had nothing to tie a sternline to and Joan's bow line couldn't keep us from moving backward. We had to keep a close eye of the sill on the uphill end of the écluse. If our stern hangs up on that as the water goes out, it wouldn't be a pretty sight.

The éclusier informs us we’ll stop for lunch after écluse 74 Brazey. No bollards, but two wood poles gets the sailboat and Le Boat and our bow secured to shore. We pound a stake in for our stern. After lunch we finish our our cruising day to Saint Jean around 2:15.

The sill we had to make sure we were clear of as the water level lowers

Joan’s right eye has been itching for the past week plus; and today started tearing and getting pressure in the sinus below. Time to get it checked. Nathalie at Blanquarts recommends going to the local Medical House. It's a short walk. The young doc is the receptionist and billing department as well. He takes Joan as a walk-in after patients with appointments. It’s a short wait! He speaks pretty good English, but we use the phone to translate a little. The exam and writing of prescriptions go quickly. His bill, 30 euros. We pay him and he gives us a facture for Joan's insurance company. We walk around the corner to the pharmacy and they are out of one of the prescriptions. He tries to call the doc about a substitute, but no answer. His colleague says we need to go back and talk to the doc. We walk into the waiting room, a mom with two young boys are waiting. The doc comes to get them and Joan asks if he has just a moment, the mom is very gracious about our interruption. Doc makes a note on the prescription confirming the substitute med and we’re off back to the pharmacy and get the replacement. My charge at the pharmacy is 26 euros so far. They also give me paperwork for our insurance. Fingers crossed one or all of these helps!!

Friday, August 29, 2025 – St Jean de Losne

Joan's dessert at lunch

Trip to the pharmacy for the eye drops to fulfill the prescription is 23 euros. Less than 100 euros all total. We spend the day provisioning, washing clothes and general housekeeping. Michael’s favorite lunch spot is open so we make a point to go. They were closed earlier in August when we first arrived. Another wonderful lunch – wine, gazpacho soup, Joan has salmon and Michael has pork chop. Dessert tops us off.  Happy to say by the end of the day there is some improvement in Joan’s eye.