log blank 2000

July 15 Sunday
Richardmenil to Toul.
Day started - almost as usual these days - with rain!
Fortunately, without a breath of wind, so put up sun brolley to become rain brolley.

Through 3 locks and out onto the Moselle canalisee. S., very wisely as it turned out, insisted on watering in first lock

Watched with trepidation through the gates of the 3rd standard sized lock an enormous (to us) ship turning round in a winding hole that when we got to it turned out to be several hundred metres long, and the same wide (the winding hole). - a large lake, in fact.

"Popped" across, and into the Neuve Maison stretch, past the steel works.
Fascinating - as far as one can see, enormous ships come from all over Europe loaded to the gunwales - quite literally, their freeboard is only a few centimetres - with scrap, which is cooked in huge pots, and re-loaded as rolls of steel.

Took masses of photos, but will have to treat them - light very poor and raining.
Arrived outside Neuve Maison Lock - refer to it as one of the 100 acre locks - and waited outside with trepidation.
Gates duly opened, lights turned green, so in we went.
Down like a lift - 7 metres, 22 foot drop.
We kept to our custom of not sharing locks - we had it to ourselves!

Weather cleared up, but not enough to eat out on the little pontoon at Maron where we had lunch.
Very pleasant run - this length is very wide river, with forest on both sides. In fact there is a lot of settlement in the forest, but it is not visible from the water.

Started meeting red and green buoys, and, as usual couldn’t remember which had to be left on which side when going up or down river.
Whilst trying to sort it out large ship loaded right down came charging down from behind, so pulled into side and let him show us.
The figures painted on him were 100 metres long, 1108 tons.
Soon lost him in distance ahead - much faster than us.

Into Toul, and left up to P. de P. 4 locks up la Marne au Rhine.
P de P full - some sort of aquatic gala/feast day - saw water jousting (a favourite French sport) for the first time. Looked good fun. Half the P. de P. given over, so moorings short.
Stayed below Last lock on lock moorings. Aesthetically poor, although we were still able to put chairs out and have evening drinks properly on the grass - but security and quietness far greater than in the P. de P. - and of course, free, although no electricity or water. (See comment on watering up this morning).


July 16 Monday
Toul to Liverdun

Visited to Toul Cathedral in the morning.

Lunched in Toul.

Left 1430.

Tried P. de P. in Liverdun. A bit grubby, like last time, and this time taken over by thoroughly nasty, obstreperous, and hyped up children, - drugs?
Left again, and spent night on dolphins in the river at Liverdun. These are very good dolphins - there are 2 sets, one of which is completely isolated from the slightly ordinary riverside park - for pleasure boats, being the right distance apart for us. Most dolphins are a relic of peniche moorings, and so are far too far apart.
uite comfortable, but area above where we would like to have put chairs faintly sordid.
This is the second time we have stayed over at Liverdun, and sincerely hope it is the last - the last was quiet and undisturbed, but it is a fairly horrid place.

July 17 Tuesday
Liverdun through Nancy to St Nicholas de Port.

Diesel. Favourite garage that used to run hose through fence not only refused to do hose, but didn’t help with cans. Landed ourselves with having to fill and carry and pump through 6 cans, but never again. There is another place at the other end of town - will go there next time.

Super Market - again not the same. The smooth ground we ran our trolleys over has grown houses, and the building rubble has been left everywhere, so almost impossible to get trolleys to boat.

Went on - mild argument with L.K. over 2 way "zapper" - ours is one way, lets us go up, but not back. Idea is that if we want to come back all we do is phone them, and they come out and swap zappers. Heard that one before, but really could not be bothered to go on about it. Suspect problem is they never bought any more zappers when hey increased the automatics run all the way through Nancy.

Stopped at noisy overnighter near soda factory. Right next to main rly line - but couldn’t care less!
Very late, very tired - just crashed.

July 18 Wednesday
St Nicholas de Port to beyond Einville.
Continuous showers.

Got rope loop for catching bollards up on the edge of the locks when going uphill working properly, having looked incredibly foolish going through a number of locks, as rope fell off into water.

Lunch at Crevic, nice straight sided moorings, in a cutting, protected from the all pervading wind. Unfortunately, the moorings are on a bend, and the canal is relatively narrow, resulting in the whole being a totally blind bend.
A lunatic German in a brick passed us going at least 20 km/h, with enormous bow and stern waves. Peeped after him, but his engine was roaring so loud, we were wasting our time. If anything had been coming the other way, there would have been a most interesting crash.

Stopped early, found a nice spot with a view, that was fully wind protected, and had sufficient trees for really secure tying up. Mooring pins - even 4 hammered well in - are totally inadequate for holding the boat against these people.
Settled down to quiet domestic afternoon sitting out - books and knitting.
Along comes superb narrow boat Elizabeth. Original iron butty hull over 100 years old, mahogany top, mid 1930s (?) in form of yacht of that time, and Gardiner Diesel of 1935!
Skipper and owner Jim McDonald, who seems to have picked all the hairier parts of the system to "explore". He used to partner Hugh McKnight in Avon Bay so he actually knows his way around extremely well.
Stopped, breasted up, and came for a gossip, which eventually extended to a curry supper of gargantuan proportions on Elizabeth.
Bed midnight - poor Jim, setting off early on his own to-morrow.


July 19 Thursday
Einville to Lagarde.

Weather cool, showery, very windy, and altogether pretty horrid.

Just heard Elisabeth creep away at 0650. Her Gardiner is quite incredibly quiet. What an amusing interlude - even if we did have to make a run for the Alka Seltzers in the middle of the night.
The day was spent - other than moving along the canal - by putting on and taking off wet weather gear, and removing and replacing the cockpit cover.
We hoped to get onto decent wind free moorings at Lagarde for lunch, and stop over there - but everything conspired to delay us, and we tied up for lunch 30 minutes down the line, cold, wet and hungry!
Into Lagarde about 1500 to a nice jetty - as opposed to pontoon - mooring.

July 20 Friday
Lagarde to Rechicourt Deep Lock.
A most satisfactory mooring in Lagarde - Ffr30 mooring fees, but worth it!
Electricity on all night for computer, kettles, toasters, hoovers, charging things like telephones, without having to think, and remember to switch the inverter off.
One of the troubles of boating in constant wet weather is the ever growing state of squalor in the boat, as clothes are flung on and off, muddy feet dash through the boat, wet clothes litter (between showers) and drip everywhere.

Not quite as bad as that, but getting on that way. Should point out that we have eschewed wheelhouse or cockpit canopy - so far!
Watered in morning, and thoroughly hoovered boat out.
It was great to clean up.

Very gloomy morning, really dark and horrid, strong wind again but rain held off until about mid-day, when a short hard burst had us moored up (including springs on a tree to spite the terrorists) for lunch in record time.

(Picture actually belongs to Tuesday, but there has been so much rain and gloom, this part of the log is blank picturewise.

This is the area and length of canal on which we entertained A. and C. year before last. Then it was look for shade, blob out and read books in full summer heat.
This year, in almost the same week, the countryside is a rich spring green, the small grain crops are largely lodged, everything is squelchy, the hire bases seem to have a quarter to a third of their boats moored up - although wouldn’t think so from the numbers pounding up and down the canal - and all the bricks and terrorists are flapping their windscreen wipers.

Spent day concentrating on not sharing locks (! all automatic on this stretch), or at least waving people on so we stay in the back.

Arrived on Etang de Rechicourt, just below Rechicourt Lock (dead fox lock to Paul, and where we saw the eclipse in weather conditions very similar to to-day’s 2 years ago), at early tea time. Yet another rain storm hit us, so it suddenly became mooring up time. Fiddled about going up and down the shore of the lake, but everywhere was too shallow - even the moored up hire boats with their round bottoms couldn’t get in.
Came right down to the lock, and found a stretch of high revetted piling, and shortish grass.
4 pin moor up, and hope terrorists don’t rip us out before we want to go to-morrow morning.

Incredibly quiet - either all life has been drowned by the rain, or there are no railways, roads, or human habitations anywhere near us.
In fact, a thoroughly spooky mooring.
We are within earshot of the lock, which is confined in an enormous hollow cavern 15 plus metres deep, with superb acoustics that reproduce, enhance and echo ghastly shrieks, groans and moans as of every tormented boater that has ever waited for a lock since the canals were built.

We hope they don’t continue too late to-night, or we will undoubtedly have nightmares.
Meantime, the rain has stopped, cold evening, but forecasted, apparently to improve.
Last thing - a penichette terrorist joined us on our mooring.


July 21 Saturday
Rechicourt Deep Lock to just below Arzviller Incline Plane.

Weather sunny, and occasional overcast. On the whole cool, although we did look for shade at lunch time.

S. is having ants re her catching a train in Strasbourg, to catch Eurostar in Paris, to catch an English train (dangerous) to get to Southsea next Wednesday.
We have 3 pages of Navicarte to complete to Strasbourg, and at the rate we have been going for the past 6 weeks, we won’t make it.

So, early start - coffee at 0715, then panic as the hire boat started fiddling with his mooring up knitting - is he going to bag the lock (there is actually room for 4 boats) and leave us? A major disaster, as the cycle in this lock - it really is 15 metres rise and fall - takes a good hour.
Watched lock cabin - L.K.s usually give incomprehensible signals out of their windows - but right in glare of - believe it or not - sun, and couldn’t see anything, so watched terrorist, but reckon he was having us on.

Did engine, started up, put tiller on in purposeful manner, and moved to end of moorings, to show L.K. - if he looked out of his window from his cabin about 20 metres above us - that we were interested in coming up.
Doors screetched open at 0815, and in we went, to find enormous waterfall issuing from a fault in the concrete chamber wall, ready to pour down all over any boat tied up properly to the floating bollards. Went to opposite side, and looped ropes round pipes instead.

Hire boat entered, and we guided him to the floating bollard furthest from the waterfall. Mrs did her best to commit suicide, but failed. Shutter doors closed to yet more maniacal shrieks, water entered by ground paddles - nice and smooth after first few seconds - and up we went.
Did flicking act with mooring ropes as we rose, but managed to lose short mooring rope during scramble for camera - they sink like stones - rope, not camera. No worries, it was an old piece from Ratty days, rise so smooth, rope redundant.

Issued forth into sunshine, wandered along canal, till found suitable spot to stop in sun/shade for breakfast.
Bought bread in Gondrexange - dreadful spot to stop, canal has sloping sides, so boat bottom catches well out from side, and difficult getting bike and self off.

All this length of canal appears to us to be dead dull, reed or stone sides, too low to see over the banks. In fact, if one can get above that level by just a metre, the country is an attractive mass of lakes and forests, with lots of water sporting facilities tucked away.
However, no hanging about permitted, so off again as soon as breakfast finished.
Stopped for an hour at Hemming in a peniche mooring with deep water, straight sides and bollards, to make use of phone. First time we have had any signal at all for the best part of a week, and now we have 4 blocks.

Waited for promised calls from Carol, and got last weeks log away at last. (Wretched thing has been awaiting a signal for transmission since Monday).

Then on to Niderville just before tunnels. Several little moorings along way full of private boats, but few terrorists about on a Saturday - change over day. Indeed the Crown Blue Line base at Hesse had some 27 boats moored up.
Moored up for night just before tunnels entrance - on canal side (2 trees, 2 pegs, and extra fenders) short of official overnight mooring.

Made good permanent job, and took chairs ashore and had tea.

Much hassled by occasional hire boat (there were still some about) going much too fast, and ripping us off our mooring. Every time one went passed (actually only 3) got cross as Albert ducked and fidgeted.
Felt cool, fit and refreshed after tea, and re-worked arithmetic of arrival at Strasbourg.
Just had time to get through tunnels and Arzviller inclined plane before closing time, if we hurried, which would mean we would be - hopefully - ahead of the mass of terrorists issuing forth from their bases on Sat evening, and blocking everything inextricably on Sunday morning.
Ripped up moorings, through all ropes, pins etc, into boat and left.
Found green light waiting for us at first tunnel, and drove past dozens of boats on the pontoons and moorings, all with that look that says they know something - almost certainly deleterious - that we don’t.
Through tunnel - the short one - and found green light waiting for us at 2nd tunnel. Life was never like this.
Emerged from 2nd - long - tunnel.

We hadn’t even stopped to couple head light up, but used the flashing orange beacon. Tunnels were both lit, anyway, and beacon far more use to warn others of our presence than a headlight.
Once again, a green light showed for the approach to Arzviller length. It was now 1800, and last descent was advertised for 1830. Allowing for propensity to ensure all work - including tidying up - must be finished by advertised knocking off time, we were pushed.

Made it!

Lovely slide down inclined plain, to very neat and comfortable (except for road traffic noises) moorings at the bottom.
A most enjoyable, and successful day.

The picture on the right is of the caisson, looking up, just after starting the slide down. The caisson is, of course, Freycinet or standard lock size - 39m X 5.5m - give or take.