Vandenesse-en Auxois to Pouilly-en-Auxois

 Tuesday, August 19, 2025 – Pouilly-en-Auxois

Up at 7am and in lock #8 a bit before 9am. "L’Impressionniste" is leaving at the same time so we want to be out of their way since we can move a bit faster than a barge that size. Today we have just one lock keeper. We find the locks have only two bollards, very far apart which requires using the ladder railing for the bow line. With just one lock keeper Joan helps her with the gates. This entails lassoing the ladder railing as we enter, climbing up a few rungs of the ladder while holding the line, then going towards the back for Michael to toss up the stern line, then he takes over the bow line. Joan stays on shore using the bollard with the stern line. Helping out gives us a chance to chat since she speaks some English. This is her fourth season working the locks and is in school studying Architecture. She’s very pleasant and efficient. This will be her last season as she graduates next year. Bummer, she’s really good at this job!!

She lets us know two small boats are coming the other direction. So helpful to know what’s coming so we can be prepared. It’s the peniche size boats that can be a challenge to pass depending on where you are in the canal. It’s shallow and not very wide. When we get to the next lock we get a different lock keeper. He’s just as cheerful, efficient and helpful. Whew! He too speaks good English (Merci, Je suis désolé, je ne parle pas Français. ) He tells us he is in Med school, paid for by the government. He’s looking to be a physical therapist (Kinésithérapeute). We discuss how expensive it was for our son to become a physical therapist in the US. The lock keeper is thankful for how it works here in France! At lock #1, Escommes, he educates us on the working of the tunnel. We fill out two pieces of paper, they’re the same, with one in French and one in English. He takes the French copy and hands us a VHF radio. This will be used to communicate with the monitor in case of troubles and to confirm entry and exit of the tunnel. There are cameras or detectors throughout, so they are very aware of things.

We’re required to have a 40W light. Ummm, our spot lights on front of the boat are not working. We pull together all our flashlights, totaling four. A bit short of wattage…. Michael gets his MacGyver hat on since we have 1.5 hours before we can enter the tunnel. We have 12 volt outlets on the boat. We have a new 12 volt LED light fixture we brought over for a spare. There is wire on-board and electrical connectors. (the partners have had to do a fair bit of minor electrical work on the boat over the years.) He connects the light to the wires from the closest 12 volt outlet. We put the small table in the front cockpit, attach the light to a bin on the table – voila! We have a “spot light”. We also turn on all the lights in the salon area to help illuminate the sides.

With less than 2' per side. You have to keep the
center of the boat right on the dotted white line
created by the lights

As it turns out, the lights in the tunnel work great. Makes for a great photo op and much easier passage. Truthfully, this is not a surprise; but one never knows… We get through in just under an hour.

 

exiting the tunnel doesn't give us
a wide channel till we are in town

Return the VHF and paperwork to the lock keeper at Lock #1 Pouilly and request departure on Thursday at 9am. Wednesday is scheduled to be really wet; we also need to provision and do laundry, both of which are close to the canal here. She tells us no lock keepers available on Thursday. We depart Wednesday or Friday. Sigh. We’ll consider our options and come back to let her know. We decide it’ll have to be Friday and go back to tell her. Eureka – we can depart on Thursday at 9am!.

Wednesday, August 20, 2025 – Pouilly-en-Auxois

The Le Boat (a charter boat) and one other private boat that were here when we arrived depart towards the Saône this morning. Another boat heading our direction comes in today so we’ll have a lock partner. Nice man in a smaller boat.

One of the first electric tugs. Used in the tunnel

Another two boats arrive heading towards the Saône. They tell us the weeds are not a problem on the Yonne side, the direction we’re headed, but water level is low. They were told the canal may not be open all season. This would be a problem for Bill and Karen getting the boat back to St Jean de Losne.  We talk to the lock keeper and they say it all depends on the weather and it’s not looking promising. They may be feeding more water on the side of the canal we came up because all the hotel barges are running on that side. Time to converse with the boat partners!!!

Chatting with the boat partners to see what they are learning via their connections and incoming boats and the VNF, no one can determine whether the Canal de Bourgogne will remain open long enough for Bill and Karen to cross back over.