St Mammes to Joigny, the Seine and Yonne rivers.
Saturday 30 June, fete day at St Mammes. The fete activities were a little disappointing: the “fashion parade” on the jetty by the boat was just some of the local girls dressing up and the aquatic display was the local kayak club and a couple of guys hooning about on jetskis. We got the laundry done and watched the locals at play. The highlight of the fete was a marching band of African drummers with players ranging from 10 year old kids to grey-haired old ladies, very entertaining with an infectious rhythm. In the evening we dined on board and then took in the entertainment. Judy and Denis danced at a traditional “Guinguette” to the tune of an accordion and guitar (with a backing track from a laptop computer, after all it is 2007!). At the other end of the quay was a quite reasonable rock band playing classics from the Chuck Berry era.
Sunday 1 July, Woke to rain. The regular market day at St Mammes in addition to the fete. Very good fruit and veges on sale so we stocked up the boat. Then the four of us shared a taxi to Fontainbleau, about 10km from St Mammes. Entry was free as it was the first Sunday of the month and we took an audio-guided tour of the royal apartments more or less as they were in the time of Napoleon. Very interesting, but not as impressive as we recalled Versailles. During lunch at a local café there was a short heavy rain storm then after lunch we walked in the gardens until it was time to meet the taxi to return to St Mammes. Dinner on board. We watched with interest as the guests arrived for the next week’s cruise on the Bonne Humeur and were given the introductory champagne and lecture.
Monday 2 July. Topped up the water tank and got under way at 9:30. The Bonne Humeur had already cast off and was refueling on the other side of the Seine. An interesting run up the Seine past moored barges, industrial sites and river-side residential properties. Arriving at the first barrage and lock at Varennes we had to wait for flotilla of 3 peniches, a pusher tug and a pleasure cruiser to emerge as this lock is immense, about the size of a football field. Eventually we entered and ascended all by ourselves, feeling rather dwarfed. We turned from the Seine into the Yonne at 11:50 and moored for lunch on a quay near Monterau-fault-Yonne, just behind a wrecked peniche. Soon after, a working peniche arrived and moored outside the wreck. Then a double peniche rig arrived and moored outside him. These double rigs consist of 2 standard 38 metre, 400 tonne peniches lashed rigidly together, bow to stern and a worked by a man-and-wife team the same as for a single peniche, so saving on running costs. They use a single engine when cruising but use both engines and rudders to great effect when maneuvering, with the man driving one boat and the wife driving the other. They must have a very close working relationship!
Just as we were finishing lunch the first peniche departed and the double rig wanted to pull in alongside the wreck, so we had to get under way too to avoid getting boxed in or crushed. We caught up with the peniche again at the first lock on the Yonne, called Cannes. This was our first “sloping sided” lock and we moored alongside the peniche, which we found is actually the best way of handling these. You enter the lock after the peniche is moored up, the battelier will help you tie up alongside and then you exit the lock first to give the peniche plenty of room. You then pull to the side to let the peniche past as they do the full 12km/hr allowed in the river sections while the best we can do is 9km/hr. without the engine over-heating.
At the next locks, Labrosse and Barbey, we moored alongside the double rig we had seen at lunchtime and had a chat with the battelier. Eventually at 16:00 we moored up at a little concrete jetty at the village of Misy-sur-Yonne. This afforded some shelter from the fresh westerly wind which had persisted all day, which had been mostly cloudy with threatening rain, not too cold. There was very little at this village but the church was very old and we found a large run-down and unoccupied chateau which could have been a setting for a novel or film.
Location for Misy-sur-Yonne. N48º21.461’ E003º05.310’ Altitude 62 metres.
Run for the day, 28km and 4 (big) locks.
Tuesday 3 July. Morning very wet and depressing. Everyone slept in late. Under way about 10:20 in misty rain. First lock, Reynard, vertical sided, and we tied up as normal. The second lock was at the start of a canal section and was sloping sided with a floating pontoon. These run on rails up the side of the lock but are rather rickety and difficult to see from the Madame Ashley helm position when manoeuvring alongside. After this lock the rain was so bad we switched to using the inside helm position for the first time. The canal rejoined the river at about 12:00 and we stopped for lunch at 12:30 at Bordeau on a concrete jetty with mooring but no water. We continued after lunch through locks and small villages looking out for a mooring with water until we came to Sens where there was no room at the recommended quay. However we passed under the bridge and found an old jetty at the very end of the island which divides the river, berthing at 17:00 and were pleased to find water was available.
Location for Sens. N48º11.723’ E003º16.463’ Altitude 66 metres.
Run for the day, 27.5km and 4 (big) locks.
Wednesday 4 July. This was a lay-day in Sens. The weather was cold and squally with fresh SW wind and showers. We did sight seeing, laundry and shopping. Dinner at an excellent local Italian restaurant, La Giardino.
Thursday 5 July. Morning cold with fresh SW but not raining. Watered up and under way at 9:00. Smooth run to the first lock where while we were waiting a very nice boat called “Biggles”, flying RAF colours, caught up with us. We locked through with him and at the next lock there was a tricky moment when a laden peniche leaving the lock signaled that we were to pass on the starboard side, while at the same time a peniche which had been discharging on the left bank did a 180º turn and came up behind us to go into the lock first and we had to get out of the way. Madame Ashley and Biggles moored up to the peniche which is the best way with these sloping-sided locks and we followed the peniche through the following lock as well before he stopped to reload with gravel. We continued in company with Biggles until at 12:15 we moored for the day (and night) at Villeneuve sur Yonne. Had coffee and chat with Irish couple on Aquarelle. Dinner on board.
Location for Villeneuve sur Yonne. N48º05.028’ E003º17.592’ Altitude 72 metres.
Run for the day, 16.5km and 4 (big) locks.
Friday 6 July. Rain and strong winds overnight but rain eased by 7:00. Under way at 9:20 for smooth run on the river with little other traffic apart from a double peniche until we reached the lock at Villevallier where we were joined by 2 other pleasure boats. At 12:30 we arrived at Joigny and found a vacant berth at the jetty of the Cote St Jacques restaurant, where we had made a reservation for the evening to celebrate Terry’s birthday. The other boat on the jetty belonged to the hotel of the same name. Better still there was water and power available. In the afternoon we explored the town which has many ancient buildings and was the home of St Vincent de Paul. In the centre of the town there was an area of new buildings where there had been a gas explosion in 1981. I was interested to find an “artisan” printing shop where they still set type by hand and had many old trays of type in a wide range of fonts.
We dressed up for dinner as the Cote St Jacques is a very classy restaurant and we enjoyed an outstanding meal.
Location for Joigny. N47º58.980’ E003º23.134’ Altitude 77 metres.
Run for the day, 18km and 3 (big) locks.
Notes on navigation on the Yonne.
The river is mostly broad and deep and the maximum speed is 12km/hr although Madame Ashley only makes about 9km/hr continuous running at 1950rpm without overheating. Steering however is much easier than in the narrow and shallow canals where only 6km/hr is possible.
The banks of the river are mostly over-hanging trees with numerous fishing huts and jetties with license numbers. There are also creeks and wetlands and the river winds gently through the landscape. There is much wild life, including swans, ducks, swallows, terns, cormorants, cranes and apparently plenty of fish.
Every few kilometers there is a “barrage” with a lock on one side. These were constructed in the 1860s to allow barges to navigate up and down the Yonne and to control flooding. The barrages consist of fixed spillways and adjustable sections with wooden “needles” which can be inserted or removed to control the flow. Some barrages have been equipped with electrically operated gates and there are several sites where work is in progress to install these. There are also some stretches of the river which must have been too difficult to tame and these have been bypassed by canal sections of a few kilometers with a lock at the down-stream end.
Saturday 30 June, fete day at St Mammes. The fete activities were a little disappointing: the “fashion parade” on the jetty by the boat was just some of the local girls dressing up and the aquatic display was the local kayak club and a couple of guys hooning about on jetskis. We got the laundry done and watched the locals at play. The highlight of the fete was a marching band of African drummers with players ranging from 10 year old kids to grey-haired old ladies, very entertaining with an infectious rhythm. In the evening we dined on board and then took in the entertainment. Judy and Denis danced at a traditional “Guinguette” to the tune of an accordion and guitar (with a backing track from a laptop computer, after all it is 2007!). At the other end of the quay was a quite reasonable rock band playing classics from the Chuck Berry era.
Sunday 1 July, Woke to rain. The regular market day at St Mammes in addition to the fete. Very good fruit and veges on sale so we stocked up the boat. Then the four of us shared a taxi to Fontainbleau, about 10km from St Mammes. Entry was free as it was the first Sunday of the month and we took an audio-guided tour of the royal apartments more or less as they were in the time of Napoleon. Very interesting, but not as impressive as we recalled Versailles. During lunch at a local café there was a short heavy rain storm then after lunch we walked in the gardens until it was time to meet the taxi to return to St Mammes. Dinner on board. We watched with interest as the guests arrived for the next week’s cruise on the Bonne Humeur and were given the introductory champagne and lecture.
Monday 2 July. Topped up the water tank and got under way at 9:30. The Bonne Humeur had already cast off and was refueling on the other side of the Seine. An interesting run up the Seine past moored barges, industrial sites and river-side residential properties. Arriving at the first barrage and lock at Varennes we had to wait for flotilla of 3 peniches, a pusher tug and a pleasure cruiser to emerge as this lock is immense, about the size of a football field. Eventually we entered and ascended all by ourselves, feeling rather dwarfed. We turned from the Seine into the Yonne at 11:50 and moored for lunch on a quay near Monterau-fault-Yonne, just behind a wrecked peniche. Soon after, a working peniche arrived and moored outside the wreck. Then a double peniche rig arrived and moored outside him. These double rigs consist of 2 standard 38 metre, 400 tonne peniches lashed rigidly together, bow to stern and a worked by a man-and-wife team the same as for a single peniche, so saving on running costs. They use a single engine when cruising but use both engines and rudders to great effect when maneuvering, with the man driving one boat and the wife driving the other. They must have a very close working relationship!
Just as we were finishing lunch the first peniche departed and the double rig wanted to pull in alongside the wreck, so we had to get under way too to avoid getting boxed in or crushed. We caught up with the peniche again at the first lock on the Yonne, called Cannes. This was our first “sloping sided” lock and we moored alongside the peniche, which we found is actually the best way of handling these. You enter the lock after the peniche is moored up, the battelier will help you tie up alongside and then you exit the lock first to give the peniche plenty of room. You then pull to the side to let the peniche past as they do the full 12km/hr allowed in the river sections while the best we can do is 9km/hr. without the engine over-heating.
At the next locks, Labrosse and Barbey, we moored alongside the double rig we had seen at lunchtime and had a chat with the battelier. Eventually at 16:00 we moored up at a little concrete jetty at the village of Misy-sur-Yonne. This afforded some shelter from the fresh westerly wind which had persisted all day, which had been mostly cloudy with threatening rain, not too cold. There was very little at this village but the church was very old and we found a large run-down and unoccupied chateau which could have been a setting for a novel or film.
Location for Misy-sur-Yonne. N48º21.461’ E003º05.310’ Altitude 62 metres.
Run for the day, 28km and 4 (big) locks.
Tuesday 3 July. Morning very wet and depressing. Everyone slept in late. Under way about 10:20 in misty rain. First lock, Reynard, vertical sided, and we tied up as normal. The second lock was at the start of a canal section and was sloping sided with a floating pontoon. These run on rails up the side of the lock but are rather rickety and difficult to see from the Madame Ashley helm position when manoeuvring alongside. After this lock the rain was so bad we switched to using the inside helm position for the first time. The canal rejoined the river at about 12:00 and we stopped for lunch at 12:30 at Bordeau on a concrete jetty with mooring but no water. We continued after lunch through locks and small villages looking out for a mooring with water until we came to Sens where there was no room at the recommended quay. However we passed under the bridge and found an old jetty at the very end of the island which divides the river, berthing at 17:00 and were pleased to find water was available.
Location for Sens. N48º11.723’ E003º16.463’ Altitude 66 metres.
Run for the day, 27.5km and 4 (big) locks.
Wednesday 4 July. This was a lay-day in Sens. The weather was cold and squally with fresh SW wind and showers. We did sight seeing, laundry and shopping. Dinner at an excellent local Italian restaurant, La Giardino.
Thursday 5 July. Morning cold with fresh SW but not raining. Watered up and under way at 9:00. Smooth run to the first lock where while we were waiting a very nice boat called “Biggles”, flying RAF colours, caught up with us. We locked through with him and at the next lock there was a tricky moment when a laden peniche leaving the lock signaled that we were to pass on the starboard side, while at the same time a peniche which had been discharging on the left bank did a 180º turn and came up behind us to go into the lock first and we had to get out of the way. Madame Ashley and Biggles moored up to the peniche which is the best way with these sloping-sided locks and we followed the peniche through the following lock as well before he stopped to reload with gravel. We continued in company with Biggles until at 12:15 we moored for the day (and night) at Villeneuve sur Yonne. Had coffee and chat with Irish couple on Aquarelle. Dinner on board.
Location for Villeneuve sur Yonne. N48º05.028’ E003º17.592’ Altitude 72 metres.
Run for the day, 16.5km and 4 (big) locks.
Friday 6 July. Rain and strong winds overnight but rain eased by 7:00. Under way at 9:20 for smooth run on the river with little other traffic apart from a double peniche until we reached the lock at Villevallier where we were joined by 2 other pleasure boats. At 12:30 we arrived at Joigny and found a vacant berth at the jetty of the Cote St Jacques restaurant, where we had made a reservation for the evening to celebrate Terry’s birthday. The other boat on the jetty belonged to the hotel of the same name. Better still there was water and power available. In the afternoon we explored the town which has many ancient buildings and was the home of St Vincent de Paul. In the centre of the town there was an area of new buildings where there had been a gas explosion in 1981. I was interested to find an “artisan” printing shop where they still set type by hand and had many old trays of type in a wide range of fonts.
We dressed up for dinner as the Cote St Jacques is a very classy restaurant and we enjoyed an outstanding meal.
Location for Joigny. N47º58.980’ E003º23.134’ Altitude 77 metres.
Run for the day, 18km and 3 (big) locks.
Notes on navigation on the Yonne.
The river is mostly broad and deep and the maximum speed is 12km/hr although Madame Ashley only makes about 9km/hr continuous running at 1950rpm without overheating. Steering however is much easier than in the narrow and shallow canals where only 6km/hr is possible.
The banks of the river are mostly over-hanging trees with numerous fishing huts and jetties with license numbers. There are also creeks and wetlands and the river winds gently through the landscape. There is much wild life, including swans, ducks, swallows, terns, cormorants, cranes and apparently plenty of fish.
Every few kilometers there is a “barrage” with a lock on one side. These were constructed in the 1860s to allow barges to navigate up and down the Yonne and to control flooding. The barrages consist of fixed spillways and adjustable sections with wooden “needles” which can be inserted or removed to control the flow. Some barrages have been equipped with electrically operated gates and there are several sites where work is in progress to install these. There are also some stretches of the river which must have been too difficult to tame and these have been bypassed by canal sections of a few kilometers with a lock at the down-stream end.
