A short bike ride took us down to the next lock in search of more detailed information: there wasn’t a great deal of detail on the web page.

The kindly keeper informed us the projected timeline for the repairs was ten days, but that could be indefinite.

On making a comment about taking the Dender instead, he recommended against. With it being a dry summer, the water levels were low and we could find ourselves high and dry he said. It looked like an early start to a season another year.

In the meantime, at this stage we would definitely be taking the Bovenshelde and meet up with the Dender/Dendre at the other end where the main issue was. Once there, Bob and I intended heading out for a bike ride to suss out the lay of the land.

With a possibility of water levels at Halle falling further , resultant from the lock closure, the decision was made to forgo further time there and commence the return journey that afternoon. We would have to return so as to complete this canal trip another year.

The highlight of the motor today was watching this swan undertake the duck trick. That of taking flight away from the boat for a short distance, only to find itself in the same boat soon thereafter, whereupon the bird followed the pattern time after time. For a while there, we thought he was going to precede us into the lock!

And then there was the goose!!!