Having played with all the big boys toys along the Canal du Centre – Strepy-Thieu ascenseur, Plan Incliné de Ronquieres and the Canal Historique – we are heading back – towards Bruges where we are mooring for the winter again.
From Thieu we stopped again at Pommeroeul, the only boat there in howling wind! It took quite a while to moor up especially as the wind was gusting and trying very hard to push us away from the jetty. We ended up with 6 ropes to hold us – to be sure, to be sure…….
Adrian is cycling back to collect the car so we only cruise about 20 kms each day. Along the Nimy-Blaton-Péronnes Canal to Péronnes – but there is no party here now – just lots & lots of rain. Down the Haut Escaut but we couldn’t stop in Tournai as the town visitors’ pontoon had been removed! There is still lots of building work going on throughout the town – the canal side should be very attractive in a few years time. But not at present. So we had to keep going and moored below Bossuit lock for the night. The lock machinery was pretty noisy and the boat moved about quite a lot as the big boys trundled up and down the canal and / or turned into the lock. Busy place. Adrian had a 30kms ride to collect the car!
We had also noticed a new engine phenomenon during the day. Intermittently the revs would drop and then go back up. Nothing too dramatic, just for minute or so, but not what you want to be worrying about in amongst the big boys. We did some on line research and decided to change the fuel filter. Next day, as we cruised along new waters to Oudernaarde, all was well!
Autumn is now upon us, as witnessed by misty mornings. Not that it stops the big boys! I had great fun photographing the developing morning across the water at Bossuit…..
It turned into a beautiful day for cruising along the Bovenschelde to Oudenaarde
