Canal du midi: Sailing without a license

With a mad desire to cast off but also a good dose of apprehension (how to control this big boat?) we embark on the boat which will serve as our floating house for a week and which bears its name well: the Magnificent.

Each cabin has its own small bathroom, bed linen and towels are provided, the kitchen is functional and well equipped. As soon as the food for the first few days (you never know if you'll find open groceries) stored in the small kitchen, the instructor comes on board for explanations.

Engine, pumps, electricity, handling of locks; everything is reviewed before the freshwater sailors meet on deck to learn how to tie the knots: a loop, a figure eight and that's it; the more the boat pulls, the more the knot blocks. Not too difficult. This is where the technician turns on the engine for the navigation and maneuvering lesson… Forward, backward, half-turn, it doesn't seem too complicated.

After a “good trip, you'll see, it's great” , the technician leaves on board… Here we are alone… Who gets the first lap at the helm? The beginnings are a little tricky: it's not easy to keep the boat straight. It doesn't drive like a car, the reaction time is much longer and as a novice captain, impatient and anxious, I tend to push the helm too much. Quick, quick, you have to countersteer to prevent the boat from spinning!

The first lock

Barely mastered straight driving, the first lock looms. It is automatic, so it is up to us to make it work. Reduce speed, approach the shore to allow two "sailors" to jump ashore: they will press the button which will activate the lock and grab the ropes to moor the boat. While waiting for the green light, I try to put his boat in the axis. Not always easy, especially when a small stream entering the canal constantly pushes it back. Once in the lock, you have to throw the rope forward and aft to the two “sailors”. Already the lock gates are closing and the water is flooding in. Impressive ! You have to constantly tighten the ropes to prevent the boat from being tossed around and dancing a crazy jig.

On this section, between Narbonne and Trèbes, the locks follow one another. On the first part, there are ropes every 600 or 700 m and the two rope attendants end up taking the towpath at a run: when I arrive with the boat, I just have to enter in the lock. At each lock, a new discovery awaits us, especially when they are inhabited. The lock keepers take care of small gardens, flowerbeds; others exhibit their sculptures, sell the fruits of their orchards, willingly explain their work. “ We don't just push buttons! In the winter months, when there is no navigation on the canal, we maintain the banks, repair… ”.

Each member of the crew quickly finds its marks and even the maneuvers of the boat, when it comes to mooring, are done without too much difficulty. The journey continues peacefully, at a slow pace, far from the daily stress. A pure happiness !