LOST IN FRANCE

PART 6: DOWNHILL ALL THE WAY :Don and Marjorie Walker experience sweltering conditions and a stormy conclusion to their French odyssey

- Don and Marjorie Walker

Our three-day dash to reach the Vosges canal summit before water shortages made it impassable was over. But as we motored out of the top lock, our relief was short-lived. The relentless pinging of our depth alarm confirmed that,even mid-channel, we had less than a foot of water below our props.

We were exhausted after a 10-hour day in 35°C heat, so when we found an isolated pontoon we seized the opportunity to stop for the night even though it was hanging from the bank at a crazy angle. It was bliss to be tied up and we would be better able to watch for hazards in the shallow water after a good night’s sleep.

Next morning there was no rush but seeing that our pleasant rural surroundings offered no prospect of finding croissants, we cast off and almost immediately were into a deep rock cutting. Picking our way through, keeping a careful lookout for underwater obstructions, we emerged to see a sign confirming that we had reached the Partage des Eaux. We were 370m above sea level, more than twice the altitude of any UK canal and definitely a record for our Broom 33 La Strega.

From here it was downhill all the way and as soon as we reached Lock 1 on the Mediterranean side of the summit, water depth returned to normal and the alarm stopped. We breathed a sigh of relief – now we could relax and enjoy the scenery.