We had a bit of a day in front of us today as it was baking hot and we were going to work through some 14 locks. After the first three locks we were once again experiencing a trip over a river on a viaduct.

In this photo you can see the trees etc piled up on the left hand side of the river bank and after heavy rain these will float off down the rivers, and any of these meeting ones boat would certainly spoil ones day. This is why I was keen to get up the Giroronde before any heavy rainfall.

Most of the locks today were automatic, but we then hit a chain of about four in a row that had lock keepers. Now these guys don’t take your lines, are mainly surly in the extreme – which seems strange because if no boats used the canal they wouldn’t have a job – and they could learn a lot from the British Waterways guys on the Forth & Clyde, Crinan and Caledonian canals that we have gone through in previous years.

We manoeuvred the boat into the lock, Sara nipped up the ladder, I threw up the stern line and then the bow line so that we have both lines ashore. Now before we have even secured one rope, the lock keeper is closing the lock gate, we barely had both lines tied before they pressed the button to open the sluice gates. Some of these were again opened far too quickly. The following photo doesn’t capture the extent of the water flow, but will at least give you an idea.

Question I have is; As all the lock keeper did was press a button (something we have been doing all along) why are they there?……in truth it’s much easier without them……and safer. I could see the point in being so quick if the canal was busy but we were the only boat going in our direction! As our American cousins would say…….. “go figure”

The day was sweltering as the temperature hit 35 degrees, and I was pleased when we left the last lock and got tied up in Montech, and hit the showers for a long cold revitalising and refreshing shower.