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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