Adrian Stott wrote: > On Thu, 24 Jun 2010 20:36:40 +0100, "Neil Arlidge" > <[email protected]> wrote: > >> Following our brief trippet en France, my vote for mothballing is >> for the Scarpe Superior, followed by the Somme. > > Poor choice. > > The SS goes to the magical town of Arras. Last I heard, the top lock > of the Scarpe was closed, so you can't at present get into Arras > basin, but there is pressure being put on VNF to fix this. > > The Lower Somme is one of the most atmospheric navigations in France, > and is in reasonable nick, being run by the region and not by VNF. > Perhaps you're confused, because the *Upper* Somme (from the Nord to > St Quentin) is closed at present, due to the recalcitrance of VNF. Too > bad -- it would be very useful for cruising. And its quite historic. > > In any case, at present (i.e. until BW takes over VNF), BW isn't > spending money on either of these waterways, so closing them wouldn't > do much to help e.g. the Trent & Mersey. > > Adrian
err...good choice, and example of what happens elsewhere. There is no commercial traffic left on the Scarpe Superior, apart from the first lock (Corbehem, china clay for the paper works). The Courchelettes Lock keeper got rather miffed, on our behalf, playing "hunt the telecommander" (lock zapper), so we could operate the Scarpe Superior locks. The visitor moorings are derelict/overgrown. The channel above St Nichs Lock into and including Arras Basin is silted up so badly that it would be the hanut of just Wilderness boats. We were advised not to go above Blangy Longueville Lock, due to silting, but we managed to get up to St Nichs Lock, but had to reverse a quarter of a mile to find anywhere to wind (20m x 1.1m draught, compleatly sited up in the wide by the large wharf). The limited VM at Blangy Longueville was occupied by long term moorers, including a bloody narrowboat!!! The only boats moving on the Scrape Superior, above Corbehem, was us and a couple of converted Dutch tjalks (with the normal friendly Dutch crew), who were peed off that they could not get above Blangy Longeuville, so were were escaping with us that night (we made it with less than 5 mins before Corbehem Lock switch off time). The Somme was as good as empty, with just a few of the Locaboats out plus NB Wandering Snail, Sagar Barge Laura and another Brit barge that favoured long term (well long term by our standards) just above Long Lock. The boatyard above Amiens has gone kaput (so only Locaboat and St Valery left). We hit the silt in a good few places coming off the Nord on the approach to and downstream of the VNF managed Sormont Lock No7, so nothing with much more draught than a metre will be getting on or off the Somme. The Somme staff seemed very dispondant and not as enthusiastic (like needing a 2 hour lunch break) as when I was last there (2006). Yes it was fairly well maintained, but shallow in places, but how long before the Somme Dept and its initial enthusiam for their waterway, waivers? Yes the rest of the Somme was as nice as the section I had already done and some bits of the Scarpe Superior were rather pretty. With the over manning and rescourcing of VNF, I would think they would be a good candidate for taking over BW? :-) -- Neil Arlidge Barge Maurice A / NB Earnest TNC http://www.tuesdaynightclub.co.uk/tour.html
