Here comes a lock. We’ve got the knack of them now. We bring the boat alongside at reduced speed with the bow angled closer to the bank than the stern. One of the crew goes ashore with the first rope, passes it round a bollard and throws the loose end back aboard to the crew-member at the bow. Next, he catches the second rope, thrown from the stern of the boat, which he then pulls towards the bank. He passes this second rope around a bollard, too, and climbs back aboard, holding the loose end. The ropes are flexible and we hold them without straining so that, as the water-level in the lock falls, we can feed the slack of the ropes little by little around the bollards. In this way, the boat is stabilized alongside the lock-wall till the water-level falls as required and the lock-gates open. The trick is to keep the boat alongside, just hugging the wall. Thus, we avoid drifting to the middle of the lock-chamber, where we would not only get in the way of other boats, but also risk being swept away by the current when the lock-gates open. Once the gates open, the ropes can easily be pulled aboard, and off we go again.

On entering a lock-chamber in which the water-level is at its lowest, we can’t jump onto the quayside, since it is too high above us. The problem is easily solved by throwing the rope to the lock keeper or someone else on the bank ; then we can carry out the same manoeuvre described above. It is easily done by three people, and even by two with a little practice. If the lock-gate is closed, then you have to come alongside and wait nearby (there is usually a small landing-stage). In this case, one person goes ashore, ready to catch the ropes once the gates have opened and the boat has entered the lock. After the manoeuvre, the ropes should be neatly coiled, ready for the next time.

Each time is a theatre event : half-a-dozen passers-by watch the manoeuvre, and we feel we owe them a good performance ! Not to mention our own pleasure as we approach neatly alongside the bank in our spick-and-span boat and tie up smoothly at our mooring.
The passers-by inundate us with questions : ‘ Is it really true you don’t need a licence ? Is it easy? Where do you come from? You look like real professionals! ’ No, don’t laugh! They really do say that! Our modesty takes a knocking.
Talking of locks, between Ayguesvives and Montesquieu-Lauraguais we go through the ‘Sanglier’ double lock, whose two stone-walled chambers reach an impressive height. You feel tiny on the boat. In order to get provisions, we make a short stop at Montgiscard near an old wash-house guarded by a trio of wild geese. There we meet a Scottish yacht, from Glasgow, on its way south to the Mediterranean. The Scottish couple aboard help us bring our boat alongside and start up a conversation. That’s another aspect of cruising : the people you meet along the way are often enthusiasts who have captivating stories to tell about their travels.