Arose at 7 to get through the lock at 8pm. Unfortunately the keeper took a day off sick so we waited till after 10 for a relief operator to arrive! No skin off our nose but the commercial bargee was a bit pissed!! Performed a text book mooring against the small pontoon in the scary sloping lock. Two other barges arrived and there were now four of us in the lock. They accounted for 1200 tonnes, us for 14!
Proceeded this way to the next lock which was thin but long enough for all of us but were told to wait our turn at the next lock. Barges get priority. We went into the lock and tied up against a barge, the owners of which were very friendly and let us tie up at every lock after this. They had a lovely large hunting dog which got on well with Jeannie.
Whiskas has been allowed out of her room to walk around the boat when we are moving but is locked away or tied up in locks. She seems very lost as is meowing all the time.
We stopped at Cannes lock for lunch, (had to drop that in somewhere), which was idyllic and then carried on towards St Mammes past Monterau.
When we reached St. Mammes we tied up at Johns pontoon by the main promenade and sneakillly plugged into a main power board we had been told about. We were able to take hot showers which was very welcome, and clean up the boat and get some dinner.
Today has been lovely and sunny and I hope it carries on this way for the next few days.
That night the locals of town, below the age of 25, spent all night on the wall by our boat making noise, drinking, screaming, rocking the pontoon even at one point and I think we managed about four hours sleep.
