CANAL DU NORD

A new canal for us. Last time we were in this area there was a strike and the canal was closed so a detour down the Canal de Saint Quentin. This time here we go. With our numerous changes to route as a result of canal maintenance and natural events we are eventually heading north at last on the aptly named Canal du Nord.

One of the many deep locks.

There are a lot of locks and lots of waiting as there is serious commercial traffic who have priority. On average with the short pounds, the waterway between a lock and the next lock, which were between one and two kilometres, we were averaging a lock per hour. Of course we had a tunnel. This one is 4.354 kilometres long and you have to do it at speed about 8 kph, which is fast in a confined space with 80+ tonnes of steel.

South entrance to 'Le souterrain de Ruyaulcourt'.

The tunnel is almost unique in the fact it has a passing place in the middle. All controlled by traffic lights. You hope they've got it right as the rest of the tunnel is definitely one way at a time.

Passing a small pleasure boat. 

Whilst we are in a convoy of large commercial boats, the boats coming the other way were all small pleasure craft. The journey up the Canal du Nord takes 2 days and involves long hours. We were up at 6.00 AM and off into the first lock at 6.30 AM!! Mad or what? The trouble is that you have to lock with commercial boats and if you find one that can fit with your boat you're best to keep together. Octopus (the commercial in front of us) was on a mission so we decided to keep in tow. Long days. Recently we have had our longest day, our earliest start and our greatest distance in a day.

Les deux ponts d'Hermies.

As the canal is so busy we have to make full use of our AIS (Automatic Identification System) to track what other boats are up to and estimate when they will arrive at the lock, hence when we will be allowed in. As there are few mooring places this is important as you don't want to be hovering in the waterway waiting for an hour until it's your turn, so you control your speed to estimate when they will be coming out. All very tricky.

Screen shot of the traffic.

We got through and it looks like we should make the Ghent rally. Assuming no more canal infrastructure breakdowns or natural disasters.

Getting close.