All around, Nancy

So we start from Metz towards Nancy. We haven't even picked up speed yet, and we already have a freighter in front of us. Memories of Pieter come up right away, but after the first lock, we realized that we had picked up quite a brake there. Fully loaded with coal, it drifts in front of the locks until it finally finds the right position to enter. In his surge, Gustav was hardly to hold, at the second lock we had to turn around our own axis to not pass through the lock gate sideways. Fortunately, he docked after the 3rd lock and we were able to move away. However, we had already lost so much time by then that we decided to drive through Nancy. I had spotted a beautiful harbor right in the middle of Nancy. So we didn't follow the Moselle at the junction, but ventured into the adventure of navigating the canal through Nancy.

It started off tough right away, at the first lock my 1st Officer, 1st Radio Officer, ....... were handed a black box. This is supposed to be the key for the next 19 or 25 locks. Open sesame, here we go. The second lock, within direct sight of the first, went quite normally, let's see what lies ahead for us.

The approach to Nancy was rather unspectacular and when we reached our harbor there was plenty of space. We moored and, of course wanted to get rid of our alms, far from it, it didn't cost anything until 5 days. The bakery was on the opposite side of the street.

That was all we had planned for now, the expectation before the first lock cascades was too great, which would follow the next day, they had our full concentration.

Morning at 7 o'clock the obligatory walk to the bakery.

Baguettes and a sliced bread, the next days were secured.

After breakfast, then the departure and after a few kilometers the first sign with the red and green lamps appeared. But this time only a bridge and the entire traffic on the road had to stop because of us. In the meantime, I had become somewhat suspicious and behold, our calm harbor was not in the middle of Nancy, we had moored a few kilometers before.

Doubts arose immediately with the planned 19 locks, whether we would make it to Richardmenil. We had the information that sometimes the bollards are missing at the locks, the remote control doesn't work, the lock gate doesn't open ...... .

To make a long story short, none of this happened, only after the first lock we still had company, two gentlemen of our age who were transferring a charter boat, they were a little impatient and were able to convince my first officer that it would be better if they would drive in front. Well, the idea wasn't that great, but the problem was solved before the next lock, because they took a different route.

So we reached Richardmenil around 4:00 p.m. and could then prepare for the ascent that lay ahead of us. Five stars to the VNF for today, hope it stays that way.

And just when we arrived in Richardmenil, we received the disastrous news that the Canal des Vosges is closed behind Épinal until June 30, 2023. The call to the VNF confirmed the information that we already had in writing from the VNF's Friday briefing.

In the meantime, a Swiss boat also moored and last but not least a French charter boat arrived.

But first, we had to digest our frustration because we had roughly calculated that we had about 200 km more to navigate on the canal and about 150 more locks.

A few bottles of Franziskaner Dunkel and a bottle of Hammels' best red wine were a good help.

Now the circle closes on the title, the next day we drove back on the Moselle to Toul, where we turned into the Canal-Marne-Rhin.

And right away with an overheated engine, you'll hear more about that tomorrow.