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Sarthe locks are museum pieces, with gate sluices, and this means turbulence when you are going up. When the chamber is set in a short cut, separated from the weir by islands, this effect is minimised, but when the weir is adjacent it can be powerful enough to snatch a rope from your hands.
The lock signalling system is unique to this region’s waterways. There are no traffic lights, just blue, yellow or red discs displayed. Yellow means a keeper is operating the lock, blue means you operate it yourself, and red means it is closed. From the end of March to the end of September, keepers are generally in attendance from 0900 - 1200 and 1400 - 2000, and you announce your arrival with a toot on the horn.
Most locks are set up for pleasure craft, with a civilised waiting pontoon and, inside the chamber, ropes hanging down at convenient intervals.
This is an ideal starting place for newcomers to French inland cruising, because it is wide, not over crowded and has no commercial barges.
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