March '05
On the hard to allow work recommended by surveyor to be completed.
Very impressed with the way that we are being treated, work has started exactly when it was promised.
Unfortunately the weather has decided to intervene, first there was rain and wind, and then snow.
We spent one night aboard when it was minus 10 outside - but were comfortable and dry.
This weather does mean that the outside painting can't progress, and poor Patrick (the excellent engineer) has caught
the flu epidemic that seems to be affecting half of Holland.
However the weather does provide a different view of the lovely scenery around here, its so nice to
be able to get up in the morning and enjoy a cup of tea and views of the trees covered
with snow from the warmth and comfort of the wheelhouse.
The parts for the central heating have finally arrived and been fitted. We have had a couple of short cruises to get
the feel of Luna and are ready to leave. We are just 902ckm (crow kilometres) and a couple of locks away from the bottom
of the Rhone - although we are estimating travelling about 1300km and a little over 200 locks.
Our first leg was down to s'Hertogenbosch, just 20km and one lock. As we were anxious to get started, we were prepared
to suffer a force 5 wind on the nose, which provided a bit of a lump on the Maas, but Luna handled it like a lady.
We had the first lock all to ourselves, just about enough room for us after this small boat (on the right) had left it empty for us.
The following day in s'Hertogenbosch was marred by really foul weather, so we sat tight.
We left on friday and after a mixed start, experienced some refreshing sunshine. The night was spent at
Aarle-Rixtel, our first mooring in total isolation.
The weather continued to be on our side and we made our way to Weert, where we had to stay for the Sunday as the Belgian
locks are closed. At the end of our first week we had covered 87.5 kilometres and negotiated 12 locks in 14 hours
of very enjoyable cruising.
Monday 11th April. We cross our first international boundary into Belgium!!! Unfortunately no longer able to buy red diesel, so we bunker on white (over twice the cost). A second black swan is sighted, but the camera fails to capture it, why is it always the camera that gets the blame? Neeroreteren provides us with a very pleasant overnight mooring, just one other boat and the ducks to keep us company. Tuesday takes us back into Holland where we spend the night at an (expensive) Marina near Maastricht. Wednesday starts off a bit windy, but we cross once more into Belgium (after a lengthy wait at the lock for commercial traffic) and cruise down the big and busy Albert Canal before rejoining the Maas (or la Meuse as it has become) and spend the night (rather exhausted) in the centre of the city of Liege. Tina's latest pictures (David Bailey watch out). We have now left the dutch speaking part of Belgium and start to torture the local population with our version of French. The wind continues and conspires with rain to keep us harbour bound for four days, so at the end of the week we have only had three days cruising, during which we logged 86.3 kilometers and 5 locks in 15 hours 35 minutes.
The
17th looks a bit more promising weather wise, so we leave for Huy. Visibility is a problem and several times we consider
cutting the journey short, but we arrive safely in Huy,which is a very pleasant little marina which a friendly harbour master.
The following morning we watch a flock of about 30 comorants fishing, then follow them up river. Disaster strikes when a pair of
Alan's jeans fly off the washing line and are lost. We continue on bravely and arrive in Namur, where a further disaster
occurs, no bank ATM will accept our cash card!!! We drown our sorrows with an excellent meal at the local chinese, one of the best
that either of us can remember. Next day we do manage to get some cash and proceed upriver.
Disasters occur in threes, and we encounter our third when we are stuck in a malfunctioning lock.
Despite heroic endeavours by the lock keeper,we remain inside the lock for over 40 minutes.
The crew of the thousand tonner sharing the lock with us very stoicly adjust their satelite dish and spend the time watching television!
As a result of this delay, we pick a mooring on the river, a really beautiful spot where we spent an evening being entertained by the antics
of the local flock of geese,who virtually knock on the doors of the residents who feed them.
Wednesday takes us a little further south to the town of Dinant where we are able to do a little shopping. We leave the following morning
and just after the last Belgium lock are forced to hold position in the river while a surveying party work their way (slowly) across.
After a false stop at the now totally disused customs control point we enter France. This was where we felt
we might encounter delays as Luna is still Dutch registered and we are British, and lo, we do encounter a delay, but
only because the lock keeper's computer crashed! We spend the night at Givet, enjoy our first cup of french coffee, but the halte fluviale is
not yet set up - so there is no water or electricity. The following day sees our first tunnel (only half a kilometer but with a splendid roof),
and our first automatic lock.
We overnight in Haybes where once more there is no electricity, but we do get water and find some rubbish bins.
It has been a hectic week (140.7 kilos, 20 locks and 29 hours cruising) so we feel a couple of days rest with full facilities are called for, and
travel round the corner to the beautiful village of Fumay. Here there seems to be all we require, plus a wine tasting at the local cave where we purchase
some excellent Bordeaux for 4 euros a bottle. We settle down (with the wine and the excellent produce of the local butcher) for a couple of days rest and relaxation.
Monday is a write off due to heavy persistant rain, but Tuesday looks a bit more promising and we continue southwards past the beautiful Rochers des Dames de Meuse and we stop at Laifour. Here we meet a dutch boat which has been stuck for almost a week with engine problems, which were fixed only this morning and we watch her depart. Once more the moorings do not start in business til the beginning of May and we decide (after a cuppa) to push on a bit further ourselves. The weather has decided to favour us and we stop at the small and crowded mooring at Chateau Regnault. Here there is electricity, and the dutch couple we had met earlier move their boat forward to make room for us - but forget to disconnect there shore line which results in shorting out the whole pontoon! Tuesday takes us to Charleville-Mezieres where the new (and empty) marina provides a comfortable nights rest despite the heavy rain. The first lock of the following day causes us some concern as due to a language problem the lock leeper starts to fill it before we are secured. Some quick rope work saves the situation and we continue on and leave the Meuse river to go up the Canal des Ardennes to fuel. Once more it rains during the night and when we rejoin the Meuse the following morning we are pushing against 3kph of downstream current. We stop at Sedan which is a very restful place, adjacent to the town and a couple of supermarkets. The week ends after 87kms, 20 locks and 18 hours cruising.
We celebrate Tina's birthday on Saturday with an excellent meal in the local Vietnamese restaurant, only to discover that her birthday is actually the following day (the Sunday)! This is not the first time we have lost all track of time - is it boat-lag or alzheimer's? The next few days are spent with some provisioning and organisation - including fetching the new generator. At least the humidity is now a bit lower.
Having set up and tested the generator, we set off south again on a misty Sunday morning. The derivations from the river are becoming longer, not just bypassing the weirs with a lock, but becoming canal sections several kilometers long. The mist clears and the sun shines with occasional showers and we spend the night at Mouzon. This is a pleasant little halt in a small town with some old fortifications, one of which we climb. The town also has three patisseries, and we obtain two enormous meringues - so large that they could not be eaten at one sitting! The next day takes us to Stenay, which has some useful shops and a supermarket. We stock up with food and acquire a shopping trolley. The second lock the following day has us wondering, there is no remote controller and no lights. The problem is resolved when a travelling lock keeper arrives in his van. Having seen us through one lock he drives on to wait for us at the next. We eventually decide to stop for the night in a very remote bit of countryside, on a canal section with the river running alongside us - the only real sign of life is a distant tractor. The night is beautifully clear and we see the new moon in the arms of the old. The following morning we watch two hawks flying, their nest is in a tree less than 30 yards from where we are moored. A radio call to the VNF saying we will arrive at the next lock in half an hour is unacknowledged, we arrive nearly ten minutes early and start getting anxious. Eventually our travelling lock keeper arrives and accompanies us through the six locks to Verdun (including a peculiar one at Consenvoye which has sloping sides). We decide to stay here for a while after a week of 100km and 17 locks in just under 20 hours cruising.
On Sunday we decide to leave and ask for a lock keeper to following day. The helpful VNF man offers us one for the same afternoon, so we leave Verdun at 4pm. Unfortuneately our lock keeper is called away to attend to a problem elesewhere and we spend a night in a totally isolated area just short of Dieve. The following morning our lock keeper is waiting for us, bang on time and we continue, in superb weather, to La Croix. This is a nice enough little town but everything, including both cafes, is closed because it is bank holiday Monday - although the general store does open at four thirty in the afternoon. Tuesday the good weather continues (although the previous night had produced a frost) and after saying farewell to our travelling lock keeper (back to remote control locks) we stop at St Mihael, a delightful little town with some good shops. We plan to stop at the moorings at Euville the next day, but when we arrive we find nothing. We moor anyway and discover that the moorings are actually on the other side of the lock. After careful study we conclude that it is the chart which is at fault - not our map reading. Thursday takes us to Pagny-sur-Meuse, a lovely little halt with crystal clear water. We meet a dutchman who is taking his boat all the way to Croatia! We are about to reach the end of the Northern Branch of the Canal d'Est and note that we have climbed 246 metres above sea level. Friday morning we approach the Foug Tunnel, on the canal de la Marne-au-Rhin, now going downstream so the bouyage is reversed. After the tunnel we descend through 12 locks and arrive in Toul. During the week we have travelled 73kms and negotiated 31 locks in just under 20 hours cruising.