Tuesday 16th May 2017 Boussières to Besançon 16.7kms 6 locks

Heron on his favourite rock in the weir at Boussieres
I love this photo taken by Mike.

10.1°C Sunny all day but with a chilly wind. Set off early at 7.40am so we could continue beyond Besançon if we didn’t fancy the moorings in the river loop around the city. A short wait for lock 56 Thoraise to empty and we went up 3.7m (another deep one) Mike put our centre rope on to a recessed bollard in the wall. The bell sounded and the flashing yellow light flashed to tell us the gates were opening, then everything stopped. Mike called

Columbine

on the lock intercom and was told someone was on their way. It was 8.20am. A hireboat was moored on the pontoon above the lock - there are getting off places above and below the locks for crew to get off (or back on) to work the locks and all of them have notices to say that they are for lock working only, as did the one that the hireboat had obviously been tied to overnight. Two men in a van arrived at 8.45am. They went into the lock cabin and opened the top end lock gates for us. We s

Thoraise tunnel

aid thanks, only got a scowl in response, and we were on our way again upriver. Through the tiny tunnel (185m long) at Thoraise which cuts off a long un-navigable loop of the Doubs, round a sharp right hand bend, along a short canal section with very steep banks on both sides, then through an open flood lock and we were back on the river again. Cliffs among the forest along the left bank. 3.9kms to the next lock. The hireboat overtook us on the river section, so we slowed down so he would

Line of moored houseboats above Rancenay two-rise

clear the staircase two-rise 55/54 Rancenay before we arrived. The hireboat was in the top chamber, so we had to wait until it had left before the two-rise would reset itself. (The bottom chamber emptied but the gates wouldn't open). Up another 5.1m. By the lockside we noticed a set of post boxes, about twenty of them, the sort of thing they have for a block of flats. A sign said 5kph for the next 500m. Ah! A row of houseboats on the right hand side of the narrow canal. Most were converted péniches with a couple of old DBs and one sparkling

More goosanders 

new-built UK barge. After the moorings there was a 400m long narrow one-way section. The canal continued to the flood lock at Avanne, where we collected an abandoned fender, salvage – probably ripped off a hireboat that can’t steer through a 5.2m wide flood lock! A beautiful river reach with forested hills and cliffs. Lock 53 Gouille had only a 1.3m lift then we were back on the river, passing islands to our left. Took photos of ducks and the weir plus factory and silo beyond it. 3.7kms to the next lock. Up 52 Velotte just 2.10m.

Silos at Avanne

More islands as we entered the outskirts of the city of Besançon. Up lock 51 Tarragnoz (1.9m) between buildings. To our right was a lock inside the tunnel under the citadel which cuts off a big loop of the river, which in this case is navigable - we intend to cruise around the city on the river and come back through the tunnel later on the way back downriver. Turned left and found two new pontoons linked with a footbridge that went up to the towpath. No one else moored there so we tied up and closed the

How long has this graffiti been there?
Make love - not walls - surely not Berlin??

gate at the top which said “For waterways users only”. Great. Mike went to look at the quay we’d tied up on last time, about 100m further upriver, opposite the weir. There were trees growing out of the vertical stone quay wall and the rings to tie to had gone. OK, we’re

Citadel at Besancon

OK where we are. It was 12.30pm

New pontoons on the river in Besancon

Moored in the shadow of the citadel