We started the day after breakfast with a walk around a lake just to the north of the canal at Roset. Not particularly beautiful, but a nice way to wake up the senses. We departed Roset a little after 0900h, just after the locks had officially opened (actually you can go through these locks with your Zapper from 0700h onwards, but we've rarely if ever seen anyone moving that early, and the VNF staff don't start work until 0900h, so if you get into trouble you're on your own till then). We made a short stop at a stone mooring in la Veloupe, because it had looked interesting on previous trips. But it's very close to the road (favoured by motorbikes) on one side and a hydro power station on the other. So not a great spot for overnight mooring. So we then continued on to one of our favourite moorings, by the barrage at la Maroc.

On arriving, it looked just like it had in previous visits, with swimming in the river on one side and the old paperworks chimney on the other side.

But as we moved closer to the front of the stone quai, we could see that things had changed. A major construction project was underway, with earthworks equipment, a large coffer dam and pumping equipment in operation downstream of the paperworks (we later learnt it was for expansion of the hydroelectric generation capabilities of the paperworks).

So we backed off from the front of the quai and moored at the back end of the quai, which had the dual advantage of providing shade from the overhanging trees and also blocking sight of the construction works. The barrage also blocked the noise of the pumping works, so from the back of the quai there was not that much difference from previous years. We just hope that the construction will not affect the long-term beauty of the place. Despite all this, Rita still managed to go for a swim from the front of the quai, but noted that the water was still quite cold at this time of year.

During the afternoon, we saw a big blue boat approaching from the north, and initially thought that Daniela must had done a very quick turnaround for a return trip. However, as it got closer, we realised that it was Jeanine, the sister ship of Daniele. We wondered just how many boats in this fleet were on the Doubs.

In the late afternoon, another boat moored on the quai, in the shape of Antonia, skippered by John and Frances, an English couple from Cambridge. After we helped them with their ropes, John came back and introduced himself, and suggested we get together for drinks later in the day. So around 1900h, we went forward to their boat and had drinks, with some nibbles, and we chatted for a couple of hours, before we agreed that they come to our boat tomorrow for dinner. Such is the way that friendships develop on the canals.