Nancy to Toul

7 locks, 2 lift bridges, 21 miles, 6½ hours

Seems an age ago now, but probably only a week or less we set out from Nancy to back to Toul completing the ring.

We set off from the bank we had tied up on after being set adrift, only a few yards in and it was a call on the remote for a lift bridge.  Another strange design.  The whole road lifted up like a tail lift on a truck.

Then a mile of so past this line of live aboard barges on a more traditional one.

Apart from this rather unusual “boat”

This was a raft on oil drums with a garden marquee & outboard

we had the whole canal to the first lock to our self. Had we approached Nancy from this side the impression would have been totally different.  This piece of canal was rather pretty as was the buildings fronting it.

The reason we had the canal to ourselves was a boat jam at this lock.  Because we tend to leave late we had missed the early rush and subsequent queue for this lock.  We were just under an hour at this lock as we have to wait for a boat locking up that must have been some way away.  It gave us time to chat to the owners of the barge.  Janet & John have had it for 25 years and were on their way to their winter moorings.  It also gave us time to walk the dogs and take some photos.

About 8m drop to the next lock

The final lock to the River Mozelle

River Mozelle and we turn left to Toul

The river Mozelle here is really quite stunning.

The locks here are pretty big too as this is a commercial waterway. This was the biggest we saw on the day.

In the lock was our cruising companions for 3 locks on the Mozelle.

DB Janske

Lock times eventually beat us so we decided to wild moor on the Mozelle.  As Janske was in front of us I didn’t think we would make all the locks and liftbridge back to Toul this evening and I didn’t want to be stuck between locks.

This would do for the night.

Had we not stopped here I would not have got this shot of the ½ super moon rising. I am really pleased that the pylon is captured too.  To the naked eye this was not visible.

The following morning we finished the last 2 locks and couple of miles to moor here in Toul.

Unofficial moorings below Toul marina.

Later in the day when this photo was taken MR had arrived to join us again.

This was on Friday 5th September 2014.  Since then we have travelled back to the junction of Nancy and are now on our way to Metz.