1999

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August 1

Sunday

Just above Lagarde to just below Hemming.

Sunday breakfast after Sunday lie-in.

Already hot, still and breathless.

Started about 10.30, but the canal is still waist deep in hire boats - there are thousands of them. First lock had a problem kept waiting in the sun. Probably a result of overuse by undertrained Germanic hire boaters last night.

Found ourselves sharing locks up front, but managed to push them into front place at second lock, and then tried to loose them alto-gether by stopping for coffee before 3rd lock - but dozens more turned up.

We actually stopped for coffee exactly where we moored up for hot chill-out day with AndrewandClaire, and were able to check out the gas cylinder. It was still there.

Set off again, under the delusion that we were on our own. No such luck - Sunday end of July/beginning of August!?!?

Country side now very English like, mixed farming, lots of green meilies, and combines everywhere. But big. What cattle there are look pretty scrub. Agriculture reasonably scruffy.

Wind rose, and we had another day of steaming sun and strong breeze. After the debacle with the brolly at Lagarde didn't dare leave it up, so took it down and got well warmed.

At the top of the set of locks "automatique" we have been on for the last few days there is one of the remarkables of the system, a 15 metre deep lock out in the middle of no-where.

Hit it behind 3 hire boats and in front of 2 more.

Tried to receive directions in bottom of 15 metre cavern, but with wife at front of boat, 2 load mouthed Huns next boat and 2 metres away, and L.K. shouting from 15 metres up in echoing cavern communication and understanding were poor, so went own way.

Rise very gentle and controlled - don't know what all the fuss was about. Floating bollards on one side only - the other side, but SS mooring pylons from bottom to top on our side at bow and stern precluded drama.

Continued across the summit - this looks on the map to be a series of lakes, and rather nice. However, the canal was dug with the spoil being put on both sides, so we were completely enclosed and saw nothing except the top half of a set of Hoby Cat sails over the embankments.

Bimbled through Gondrexange and Hemming looking for overnight moorings not flooded with the great German unwashed. Passed sundry cement works, motor ways and rly lines.

Finally got a nice spot under trees in shade (about 5.00 p.m.) but all canal along here bricked curved sides and bottom, where we cannot get the boat in, and even if we do, we grate all night.

Tried new mooring up method - 4 pegs, spring ropes pegs anchoring outside ends of gang planks, whose inside ends are wedged against boat side. that are wedged against boat sides. Keep boat out, and, hopefully, springs keep her rigid. Proof against all except Nicholls, Crown Blue Line, and Conoisseur, all driven by lunatic Huns.

Quiet, except for rly line behind trees. Motor-way audible in the distance.

Survived a peniche, but even so, attrition by horrible Hun hirers is telling.

 

August 2

Monday

Just below Hemming to 2 locks below Inclined Plane.

This stretch includes 2 of the "great wonders" of this canal.

However - to start at beginning:-

Quiet night in wooded country, except for distant grumbling of cement works. Fancy mooring up method worked fine, in that it survived 2 peniches, and many overheated hirers, and we did not grate at all.

The canal entered some rather superb heavily wooded but very pretty country.

Now conscious of German influence everywhere - it is no longer sufficient to speak Fractured French, Guttural German is also required. All the holiday makers, boaters, etc, are German, and if not French, one is assumed to be German.

The country side is no longer French, as seen earlier, but more "Bavarian" or "Swiss", with roof ends cut back, and lots of half timbering. Attractive.

Came to tunnels - 400 metres, and 2300 metres.

Traffic light system stops meeting other boats, and they have "street" lighting throughout, and are dead straight.

The interesting thing about them is that until 40 years ago, all boats were pulled through in long strings tied to each other, pulled by little electric donkey engines running on canalside railway. The railway is still there, as is one of the donkey engines, rusting away on the jetty.

When we came through there was some sort of diesel driven works machine on the line about 2 thirds of the way in, and sundry men doing something by torch light.

We went into the first tunnel solo - having waited some 30 minutes, but 2 cruisers came up behind us going like the bats, and as we have no stern light (all our navigation lights are in a plastic bag in the fore-peak) we were scared he would do a "Marchioness" all over us, so we held a torch facing backwards.

We let them both go in front of us through the second tunnel (they are only about 400 metres apart), to find the first one was English - Royal Thames Yacht Club - and didn't speak to low bodies like us, whilst in the second the crew - very female - was happily and unselfconsciously topless. Surprised she didn't get entangled in her mooring lines.

Let them get well ahead, until the Arzviller Inclined Plane.

This really is something else - a tank, the same size as the standard locks on this section of canal - 40m X 5m X the same depth. This is mounted on wheels on a railway track, and moves sideways down a dirty great ramp balanced by 2 enormous concrete counterweights, also moving on railway tracks (different ones)

The object of the exercise is to move boats up and down vertically some 40 metres, replacing the 17 locks that used to drop the canal into the Zorn Valley, where, because of the narrowness of the valley and steepness of the drop, some of the pounds were little bigger than the locks themselves, causing massive traffic jams in the days of 40 peniches a day, and they suffered horrendous water shortages.

We arrived just in time to miss the current trip - the 2 cruisers aforementioned (I failed to see if she was still topless in front of the crowds of gongoozlers)

However, we were able to watch them down, a penich come up - another immaculate boat - and the 2 trip boats to which the large crowd of gongoozlers belonged.

This was all intensely interesting and enjoyable, and clearly a major tourist attraction.

Our turn duly arrived, and in we went, squashed between 2 hire boats(!)

They then sealed the end of the canal, and the caisson separately, and discharged the water in between, and down we went.

It was so smooth and controlled it was almost a none event, the only excitement being a young girl in VNF sweatshirt want our "boat documents".

I offered her the whole file, she knew not what actual docs she wanted or needed! Gave her the SSR card which seemed to keep her, and another lad happy.

At the bottom was able to watch the seals on the caisson and canal being put in place, the 2 seal gates being lifted and the canal and caisson being re-connected.

We drove out, and on down the canal.

The actual time taken from arrival, to getting out, takes about 40 minutes instead of a minimum of 1 day, and 40 cu metres of water for 3 boats, instead of 17 locks full.

We started off down the locks below, still in rather beautiful narrow wooded valley - still very hot, but largely windless in the trees.

After 2 locks, it was obvious that there were such crowds of hire boats waiting and passing through each lock, we would get no-where, so made best of bad job, and moored up in shortish pound, with same curved brick sides as last night.

Did same kind of fancy moor-up as last night - once again having it intensely tested by a loaded peniche, and many hire craft.

Mooring was at least in shade, but also close to bust secondary road, and very busy railway line, all in trees, resulting in noisy echoes.

 

August 3

Tuesday

2 locks below Inclined Plane to Saverne.

Woken early by clatter of broom falling, and boat rocking.

Strong very cold wind, so checked mooring lines and went back to bed. Cold and overcast.

Got up, to find wind gone, but still overcast.

Started off down the myriad of locks hereabouts, with a rather bleak - German of course - hire boat, who kept threatening our back end. We are vulnerable behind, principally in that they impinge heavily on our tiller swan's neck, but our rudder isn't really well protected either.

The canal was still going along in narrow valleys, heavily wooded.

They locks are all automatic here, but not worked by zappers - one is entered into a chain of 5 or more by an itinerant lock keeper (a bloke in a van who pounds far too fast up and down the towingpath) and all the locks work automatically by radar. Not the best, as if someone stops for lunch, or to sleep over, the system stops for him too, and can only be re-started manually.

Third lock dow, very pretty village of Lutzelbourg.

S got off to go shopping, self to put boat - singlehanded, and dead easy - through lock.

Got green light and started in. Lock Keeper loomed - in van of course - flashing head lights.

Right behind was a peniche also coming up on the green light.

Reversed out, hurriedly, but wondered why peniche didn't hoot - reasonably obvious, as a green light is a green light. Suspect sloppy lock keeping - the green light should not have been given.

Apologised to peniche skipper, received head wag, but whether it was "silly little holiday boat getting in way of working boat" head wag, or "never mind, all lock-keepers are incompetent in the holiday season" head wag, I don't know.

About now it started raining, and got harder and harder until it was pissing.

S returned, and we teemed up with an English couple in a bought out hire cruiser - ex-yachties - who took it all as seriously as us, and with a very small plastic yacht/cruiser with a very serious and bleak German Ma, Pa, and small daughter (who all turned out to be great fun).

On and on through lock after lock, and rain after rain, couldn't see much except Count Dracular type steaming trees.

Into Saverne about 14.30 - no lunch, the team were too good to be given up - until we eventually got a sort of a mooring jammed more or less end to end with other boats, in the town basin, but against the jetty wall. Good!

Town is perfectly charming, the canal goes straight through the middle, and is obviously a focal point for the town, with big moorings, and a lock slap bang in the middle, with an open air cafe right alongside. (empty - rain).

Met neighbours on mooring on one side in ex English Dawncraft Narrow Canal dimensions cruiser. Slightly reserved, as is everyone till you start talking, then the flood gates open.

Lunch, followed by dash to super market - we are out of everything.

S. to Supermarket direct, self to "hole-in-the-wall" in opposite direction. (In fact there was one in the Super marchee, but we got wrong info.

Did heavy shop, but even with baggage trolley and rucksack, there was too much.

Filled rucksack - beer, wine, brandy, potatoes, milk, other heavies, tied to trolley.

Many bags still left over, so made a string of tied bags, and hung over ruck-sack. However, lady we met in paying queue - you seem to join a sort of club here when queuing to pay - popped S. and extra bags into car and took her to boat!

De-frosted fridge, and then Capitaine du Porte arrived to ask us our intentions, Had been to go and save fr50.00, but decided to stay, especially as other boat blocked by Albert was his, and so didn't matter.

Weather cleared up to a clear cold crisp evening - drinks on grass outside, lots of passing gossipers, but mostly German speakers, so communication nil.

Sat around and drank beer and wine, and S. cleared fridge and put shopping away.

 

August 4

Wednesday

Saverne to Ingenheim

Nice quiet night, although find we can never completely relax when other boat - and so many of them, are about. One is always conscious of them, talking, smoking, calling dogs, cats, children, each other. Causes some sort of internal tension/pressure - "what's going on - What are they doing - will it effect me - why - do they know something I should know - etc - etc.

Anyway - in middle of night weather totally clear and starlit - beautiful. When we got up thick warm mist had come in off the mountains and trees above and behind Savernne - weird, could hardly see across canal.

No point in going on, so went up town to see if it was worth taking. Treasures on an exploration - it was.

Decided to be positive about pilot jet of water heater. Burning bright yellow, and going out. Nasty.

Read directions - dismantle all - so in trepidation, took cover off. Looked, brushed around with old toothbrush, blew hard at it in knowledgeable way, put cover back on, and it was working beautifully - strong blue flame, as stated in directions. Bet it goes wrong to-night.

Also had our hairs cut. Why is it easier asking prices before committing oneself in a foreign language?

Back to boat, and concentrated cleaning session on hull - FILTHY - dust from strong winds, gravel from paths, rain and rope smears from filthy weather!

Got very hot, so about 1200 - 1230 pushed off in Strasbourg direction.

Were joined up with every kind of disaster for first 2 locks. 1 small plastic cruiser with small baby, large getto-blaster, gas bottle not properly secure protruding from stern, with gas pipe - rubber - just going through hull. 2 small yachts - petrol driven outboards, overexciteable, idiotic, and heavily smoking Germans knitting themselves to lockside in the midst of major domestics, and behind it another small plastic cruiser out for the first time - he came into the locks sideways. In the midst of it all one totally silent and patently obviously disapproving English steel narrow boat.

After 2 locks we pulled out in a sulk, and had lunch.

The trouble on this canal is that the locks are radar controlled in batches of 5.

Hence one starts off, and if one doesn't finish the flight, a snafu is caused - or it is claimed that a snafu is caused. We cause snafus - we stop, and when we start again we just ring control on the emergency phone, say where we are and what we want, and they either fix it by remote control, or send someone in a little van to do something mysterious in the control cabin - all dead friendly - an American boat gave us the tip!

Came on past various villages with German names, and look of Bavaria/Switzerland about them - charming, and beautiful.

The country side is still big, with the hills above Savernne covered with forest visible behind. Locally think it is virtually peasant strip farming - small fields with several crops growing or grown and harvested within the one field side by side - but apparently modern methods and machinery is used. Contractors? Know the French get most of the Common Agricultural Policy money from the E.U. (Good luck to them - the rest of us have got to be suckers!)

Got a bit hot - bloody hot - by 1630, so moored up where we reckoned there would be shade. It was overcast at the time, but we got it only partially right.

Shade on towpath for us, but Albert sizzled.

Read books, and greeted many people. We are on a great and popular well built, formal cycle route - bikers, walkers, roller bladers, the lot. Virtually all greeted, and many talked.

Came on to rain, went inside, but still very hot . After rain came out again, and had supper on cycle track. The passers all said "bon appetit" - I feel quite ashamed of my facetiousness up the Nivernais, when I meant to be sarcastic.

 

August 5

Thursday

Ingenhein. to Vendenheim (Just north of Strasbourg)

Regrettably, this day - amongst many was not written up in the evening, either through guests (playing computer computer in front of guests is unsocial) or it is too hot or too nice (weather-wise or view-wise) to do inside, and I get the hell in mucking about with the extension lead for the computer when it's battery is flat - which it always is)

My notes say uneventful - so a nice quiet day motoring through pleasant countryside and locks all working as they should.

The evening was memorable for the purchase of our 3rd French gas bottle (1st replacement)

Most large supermarkets and petrol stations sell domestic gas, There are 4 different suppliers, all using identical fittings, but refusing to exchange each other's cylinders. Hence we are with "Butagas" (we were told in England they were the most ubiquitous) so cannot exchange our cylinders - although they are identical - for Total, Elf, or any of the others. However, the suppliers mostly have all varieties, so it doesn't matter.

We were moored about 1.5 kms from hypermarket - could see it on the horizon, and it was marked on the map.

Stuck empty bottle on trolley and off down the road amongst all the cars.

Extremely hot journey, but find depot at near end of hypermarket.

Dreadful journey back, trolley now heavy, and hitting my heals at every other step.

Cars extraordinarily good - all did little deviation around elderly man in white hat towing gas bottle. One even slowed right down, and driver "bon jour, mon capitaine"!

Mooring was a bit close to industrial areas and flats, but both very neat and tidy, so we stayed put, and were totally peaceful - a good rest before the arrival of the Treasures in Strasbourg to-morrow.

 

August 6

Friday

Vendenheim to Strasbourg.

Hot and oppressive.

Into Strasbourg, feeling slightly nervous, and conscious that safe moorings could be hard to get, but still enjoying the run.

Entry to city clean and tidy - even industrial estates, and very nice looking flat complexes.

Passed European Parliament, European Council Building, and European Court of Human Rights, highly impressive, and a little small making - enormous buildings, very "modern", and I should imagine very expensive - never mind - we aren't tax payers!

Found and moored up at Koejac Yacht Station. Expensive - as warned - but very secure, and considering we were in a large cosmopolitan city very quiet.

Didn't like the look of taking Albert around city waterways - got very muddled with the various maps and co called "navigation instructions", so took trip boat.

Armed ourselves with bottles of ice cold water (we had walked into town) and fortunately the trip boat had a loo. (Cannot find public loos in Continental Towns)

Highly impressed with some of the old buildings - up to 3 stories of dormer windows in steep roofs, and marvellous half timbering styles.

Cathedral also marvellous, but so dark inside couldn't see anything except signs "Beware pickpockets".

Back to boat after resisting miriads of small cafes full of fat Germans eating their 5th meal of the day. It was so hot when we left the boat, and security so sure that we had left everything wide open, and the fan on.

Went up to green park opposite Koejac, taking chairs, and in due course Treasures arrived - skilfully directed by SMS messages on mobile phone.

Incredible, right place, right time, right side of canal.

Lots of talk, supper on bank above moorings, and to bed in hot boat with fan running (we had bought shore power - 10 francs!

Agent "Orange" in demand and use.

 

August 7

Saturday

Strasbourg to Vendenheim again.

Took Albert around Strasbourg waterways as much as we dared - River Ille right through the middle flows at 3 to 4 m.p.h.

Out to the River Ille cross roads, where the canals Marne au Rhine, Rhone au Rhine join it, and did "U" turn, but a bit inhibited by fishermen. Rather hairy turn heading for stone bridge sideways in river current. Enthusiastic use of throttle and rudder ensured we survived, but S. had a bad head-ache afterwards.

Went a short distance back, unloaded and re-invigorated bicycles. To our great astonishment, both were persuaded to work more or less as designed.

Treasures off on exploratory bike ride - Strasbourg traffic system is very bicycle orientated with a quarter of main traffic streets panted green or purple and completely given over to cyclists - own traffic lights, the lot. You don't even have to wear helmets.

Tied up at tee junction of Canal Marne au Rhine, River Rhine, and River Ille, right in grounds of European Council of Ministers. European Parliament opposite (the "extra" one whose cost and style has upset everyone so), European Court of Human Rights just 200 metres down canal. No security, and no one to chase us off or mutter "no mooring".

Halfway through lunch approached by English couple, who turned out to be on the Rhine Cruise organised by Waterways World. They were slightly surprised to see us, but took lots of pictures and talked!

Picked up Treasures at convenient jetty just behind Parliament Building after lunch, and set off back up canal - bit hot to do anything more touristy.

Moored up at 1830 below swing bridge at Vendenheim, bridge and lock keeper apparently gone home early.

Discovered next day that the scruffy string hanging from rly bridge was a tirette, and if we had pulled it, the bridge would have opened - as would the lock!

Found mooring in shade on towing path, but half way through mooring up process found it was the local dog loo. Went across canal to towing path, where although gravely, we weren't knee deep in dog crap.

Pleasant enough - quiet, looking on to field of meilies. Lots of maize grown here - but couldn't see if it was for grain or silage - all other grain crops harvested by now, but meilies still very green.

Computer session in evening to try and solve Crapuserve problem, and enable entry to www.

No joy - Crapuserve is more like a virus than a programme - we'll ditch it as soon as possible in the winter, and ask for our money back.

Rain in middle of night caused sudden bringing in of chairs that had been left out on the bows.

Bugs bad!