A little further upstream from Givet is a town called Chooz. Chooz is interesting for two reasons:
- The nuclear power plant lies in stark contrast to the rustic villages that surround it.
- Boat traffic bypasses the meander of the river where the power plant sits via a canal running through a long, dark tunnel!
I had never before driven a boat through a tunnel. Locks on either side of the tunnel ensure that traffic can only move one way at a time, which is just as well since the tunnel is not much wider than the boat. So after a bit of tinkering to get the navigation lights working (thanks to a blown inline fuse for which we had no spare), we set off into the tunnel. It's a bit like one of those Disney canal boat rides, except you're under your own propulsion. On the river, it's common practice to leave fenders out all the time, since you need them for the locks, so nudging the sides isn't a serious concern, and narrow canals and tunnels also have timber rails just below the waterline to provide 
further protection.
Below is a "Google Map" showing the entire course we followed - all the way to Sedan and then back to Pont a Bar.
View Larger Map
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