Now the yachties amongst us might be used to mud berths and water dissapearing down the beach and rolling back again with predictable if somewhat inconvenient regularity but we canal boaters find this kind of behaviour rather unusual and low tides tend to last a long time around here! In keeping with a programme of annual maintenance many sections of canal are drained in winter to allow for pilling works to be done, masonry to be repaired, locks to be overhauled and lengths to be visually inspected. Fortunately these works are planned well in advance and boaters usually have plenty of warning to move from their moorings to another pound for the duration of the works. Of course all this is reassuring for the upkeep of the canals, a subject that is closely monitored by the cruising associations.

This photograph was taken on the Canal du Centre where lock gates and sluices were receiving the attention of VNF maintenance staff. One has to admit that whilst there is a fair (or unfair) bit of criticism of the VNF maintenance policy the chaps on the ground might spend the warm summer season chatting to boaters and attending the locks but in the winter months they find themselves in the bottom of the cut up to their waders in it. Keep up the good work chaps. Now all we boaters have to do is wait for some warm cruising weather and the tide to turn!