The distance between locks ranges a third of a mile to about a mile and a half. Mileage between locks is posted inside Daniele so that we can calculate how far we want to walk.
This morning, our skilled captain passed through the first lock without bumping the sides of the barge, a remarkable feat considering that the barge is nearly as wide and as long as the lock. It's a tight fit to say the least.
Transiting each lock takes up to 30 minutes. There are 21 locks along the 30-kilometer (18-mile) stretch between Dijon and the Saône river.
Though Daniele is capable of nearly 20 knots per hour, her pace in the canal is about walking speed. There are escargot that can outpace the barge. Thus, we can easily keep ahead the barge on foot or on a bike between locks.
Despite the slow speed, the pace of the barge is one of the appeals of this type of travel. Life is relaxed, and we can be as active or inactive as we like for the most part. On the many barge trips I have hosted, I've not heard a single complaint of the pace being too slow.
The 242-kilometer (150-mile) canal itself is fascinating. Construction started in 1775, a year before 13 colonies declared independence from its British overlords. The canal was finished in 1832, completing the link between the English Channel and the Mediterranean, via the rivers Seine and the Yonne to the Saône and Rhône.
Were it not for the canals, there would be no barge trips in France. The canals are to barging what Zodiacs are to expedition cruises. Both allow intimate encounters and exploration.
You'll see few, if any, cargo barges on the stretch between Dijon and the Saône. Nor will you see many on the other French canals. Railroads, rivers and highways are much more efficient at transporting goods. Still, the French government maintains the canals for touristic purposes, through the navigation authority known as Voies navigables de France. Those who have experienced barge travel are grateful to the French government for maintaining the canals.