The locks on the river Seine are big by any standards. Commercial barges still ply the river in reasonable numbers; sometimes a barge will be pushing up to three other barges like a train pushing carriages. On other occasions we have been faced by a tug pushing two pairs of barges tied together. The locks have chambers large enough to accommodate a single shunting barge, pushing along two strings of four barges i.e. 180m long by 11.4m wide. We felt very small and vulnerable when moored in a lock and, even though we tried to stop near the back of the lock, the inrush of water made Jomima lurch and pull strongly on her ropes. On one occasion a rope caught on a ladder and I had to whistle loudly (something I can still do fortunately) to attract the attention of the lock keeper high up in his tower. Jomima was leaning over dangerously but I managed to free the rope and this resulted in a violent rocking motion and a bent hand rail.
We were always going up in the Seine locks so our usual procedure was for Ann, firstly, to temporarily tie us to the wet and slimy ladder in the lock wall. Then, secondly, I would climb the ladder with large bowlines (loops), over my shoulder, attached to the ends of two 25m ropes secured fore and aft. I would then put the loop of the front line over a bollard as near as possible to the front of the boat and then hold the second rope around a bollard near the back of the boat. However, because the bollards were designed for the large barges, these bollards were frequently some distance apart. We then had to keep pulling in these two ropes as Jomima rose up the lock as the water rushed in.
We will both be very glad to start the journey south where we will be using the smaller locks of the Canal de Bourgogne.
We were always going up in the Seine locks so our usual procedure was for Ann, firstly, to temporarily tie us to the wet and slimy ladder in the lock wall. Then, secondly, I would climb the ladder with large bowlines (loops), over my shoulder, attached to the ends of two 25m ropes secured fore and aft. I would then put the loop of the front line over a bollard as near as possible to the front of the boat and then hold the second rope around a bollard near the back of the boat. However, because the bollards were designed for the large barges, these bollards were frequently some distance apart. We then had to keep pulling in these two ropes as Jomima rose up the lock as the water rushed in.
We will both be very glad to start the journey south where we will be using the smaller locks of the Canal de Bourgogne.
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