We had been slowly making our way North, just across the border into Belgium, for blacking at the end of this month. However, we’ve now learnt that the trolley to pull us out won’t be available until the end of May. There are quite a few stoppages and closures behind and around us so we have decided to pay a trip to the seaside and visit the Somme.

Left Abbeycourt in glorious weather and Muttley and I set off on foot 20 minutes ahead to walk the 6.5 kms to the first lock where they picked me up and we continued onto Pont L’Eveque. A pretty little spot and used as a workshop for peniches so with that, and the moorings being next to the little road, it wasn’t the quietest of moorings. Also meant a night in for Daisy cat which never goes down well; especially when the weather is glorious.

We left the next morning at 9.30, hanging a right onto the very busy Canal du Nord with deep locks (up to 5.8 metres) that are twice as long; although they are all manned. It also means that a lot of the commercial boats are twice as long and some have unarticulated ‘push pans’ on the front that are the same length again. At the 4th lock we waited for a ‘normal’ length peniche to come passed us and go in so that we could go in behind it, but they dropped the guillotine on us and put the light to red. They did turn it round for us afterwards though – I thought they might make us wait for oncoming traffic. We had another small wait for a peniche and a cruiser to clear the short tunnel before we could enter – as is normal here, the tunnel was dry, well lit and well maintained.

We moored through the tunnel on the top pound for the night before dropping down 2 more of the big locks today without any hold ups and are moored on a wide stretch of water tonight where we shouldn’t get washed about by the big stuff.

Being a grand prix weekend we’ll be staying until Monday. Both cars have been recovered so we’ll need to get fuel and food tomorrow.