Barge Date:  07-24-2018

The Sarre and the Inclined Plane

It has been some time since I wrote about travels so perhaps that is a sign that not a lot of major places have been visited. But some interesting pictures perhaps.

East from Nancy, we headed for the Canal de la Sarre.  We went down the canal and headed north for the German border. Here are some pictures along the way.

Lorraine and Alsace are areas of Europe that have been home to storks.  But like too many birds, their number has gone dangerously low. So several towns have programs to bring the big bird back to their local area and buildings.  You have to look up to find them but often if you look down and see large white areas on the sidewalks you know to look up. Saint Nicolas du Port and Sarralbe are two such towns.  In particular, for Sarralbe, they have created a city trail  by placing brass stork medals in the sidewalk that you must follow and then look up to catch a view.

Saint Nicolas also has a nice church which is interesting because the inside is very bright. Normally you go in and you work to see things.  Have seen several this year that are inviting.

July 14 is the national day for France but we were treated to fireworks the night before, all from the comfort of our boat.

And still some very nice farm land with a touch of the 21st century in harmony.

Our travels down the Sarre ended at Sarreguemines. We just stayed overnight but found some sights to see and a nice restaurant.  And Marianne found her first WOB (Women on Barges) in some time.  We ended up being with them for several days. This town had been a factory town years ago and some of the buildings seen here were part of the recreation facilities offered to employees.

And proof that we have yet to see it all, how about this boat?

Another fine person we met is John W.  He single hands a 25 meter barge, Johanna, and does "self-catered" trips in this area. But many years ago he traveled to India and began helping the tribal population in the southern area of the country.  By training, he is a nurse, and and he established what is now called a NGO.  His work can be reviewed here:  http://www.nwtws.org

So part of the year he is in Europe then he packs up and goes to his work in India.  We offered some financial support and if you would like to help John's good work the information can be found on his web site.

This is the season for hire boats and in this area they greatly outnumber owner boats.  This is a good way to experience canals in France.  Certainly not a barge experience but you travel the same waters. They range in size for a family of 2-4 to very large with 10-12 people on board.  Very little training is offered so you see these boat "armorized" with fenders.  A boat that has been around for several years show the scars from people just out having fun and doing so too fast.

Going east now on the Canal de la Marne au Rhin we are faced with the big drop. We are somewhat in mountainous area but not big mountains.  This is a problem for canals. Too many locks require too much water and the solution was to build the inclined plane lock, the Saint-Louis-Arzviller inclined plane, and not waste a drop.  Used the hand-held video camera to take some video.

A few years ago there was an accident at this operation.  A larger tour boat that gives rides to people wanting to experience the incline was entering at the top when the caisson suddenly moved causing the boat to be nearly cut in half.  No one hurt, I think, but put the facility out of action for almost 2 years. So much extra water poured into the lower section of the canal that there had to be some evacuation downstream.

The inclined plane replaced 17 locks and a great quantity of water, always in short supply. The drop/lift is about 44 meters (compared to about 3 for the surrounding locks).

As you enter at the top you have a great crowd of people looking at your every move.  A time to look good or perhaps look bad which is always good entertainment.  More details here:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint-Louis-Arzviller_inclined_plane

Our next interesting stop is at Lutzelbourg.  You know you are in Alsace by the German names and most of the boaters are now German. Tied up in town and made a hike up to an old castle ruins that sit high above the town and the canal.  Good pictures, taking time, a long walk, lost then found the trail and a steep decent.

Marianne before learning we must also walk down.

Lionel

Finally, this post ends in Saverne. The canal comes right through town and a big drop lock - 5 meters - is located by a busy restaurant.  Another opportunity to look good or bad. The town has an old castle that many think looks a bit like Buckingham Palace.

A couple of social comments.  We noticed last year and also this year the great number of eye glasses stores.  Far too many it would seem for the population.  In this town I counted 4 in a two-block area with 2 being side by side.  Maybe they all knew that President Macron would push for all French people to be entitled to new glasses every 2 years, I guess paid for by the people. It is now the law.

Clothing - lots of stores which I don't go into but we did find ourselves in a store for babies. Note the pair of Levis jean, shorts in fact, for a baby.  50 Euros. Makes you wo nder what adult sizes might cost.

It has been hot.  Taking some fun out of boating.  Winter project - make screens for all the cabin windows.  Most sunny days in some period of time since 35 years ago.  Today they say global warming;  I don't know what they said 35 years ago.

On to Strasbourg.

Barge Date:  07-19-2018

Working the Locks

I have this fancy video system on the barge for several reasons.  I am hoping it makes me better at doing some things because it give me views that I can not have just looking out of the wheelhouse windows. It gives me a chance to review moves I have made or to see things that happen fast, like the little dog falling into a lock.  And it might be a deterrent to those that might want to jump on the boat at night or while we are away.  I will need to add one more camera next year to do the security correctly.

But here is something else I can do.  Below are two videos that will show you how I handle the barge and work a lock.  Each clip has been processed to show fast motion.  You don't want to take 10 minutes or so to watch in real time.  The process is slow but "things" can happen quickly if one does not pay attention.

The first video shows the barge entering a lock low and what is done and what happens as the process continues to where we are high in the lock.Whether we are coming in high or low, the best way to enter is with some speed.  The rudder works much better if the prop is passing water to and around the rudder. Quick adjustments can be made if the prop is turning; if not turning, you can still change the orientation of the barge but you must make more turns at the helm and it takes longer.  So come in with some speed and the prop turning, but not too fast as there are lock doors at the other end.   And if you are coming in high, what you see at the other end is a big drop off.  You don't want to go there.  It takes some practice and also confidence that the barge controls will work when you want them to.

Coming in low, you need to get a line on a lock bollard.  We prefer to come in and attach on the starboard side.  This is because the prop is rotating clockwise (as seen from the stern) and what I will be doing after a line is on a bollard is allow the engine to work very slowly - called tick over - driving the barge forward against the line. So the barge goes forward  but is stopped by the line then the stern will swing to the right wall and will stay there during the period the water is rising.  In this clip we are on the port side because that is where the control is for closing the lock doors and filling the chamber. But left or right, it still works, but works better on the starboard side.

You have to put the line on a lock bollard at the right distance from the bow and far end of the lock so that, as you rise, the boat does not go too far forward. The line must be strong enough to handle this stress.  Some of this can be controlled at the throttle. If there is another boat to the stern, we will put 2 lines on in such a way that the boat can not move forward or back and into the other boat.  If two lines, we will stay with them and adjust length if needed. We always prefer to be the first boat in the lock.

I think you can see in this video when the water starts to enter the lock.  This can sometimes be gentle or it can be a big rush and toss you about.  We will want to be pushing tight on the line as this happens.  But after the first rush, a current develops in the lock that tends to hold the boat without the use of the line.  When possible, I will turn off the engine and ride it out.

Leaving a lock is handled at about the same speed as the entry.  Too little speed or without the prop turning tends to lead to some bumping going out.

The second video will show how we handle the boat when we are being dropped in the lock. Whether up or down, both can have dangerous "things" happening.  Going down is generally seen as being more of a problem normally due to inattention.

Again, we come in with some speed and with the prop turning.  Will want to be eyeing the lock bollards for the right one to work but will also be looking at the edge of the lock wall near the bollard we will use. Ideally, you want a smooth edge.  The line will be moving over this edge and you want to prevent it from getting caught in a crack or some rough spot.

Here is what happens if you don't pay attention. As in going up, you want to control the barge in the lock.  The line is attached to a bollard on the boat and is looped around the lock bollard (there are, in fact, several methods but this one demonstrates the potential for problems).  As you go down you are letting out line from the loose end of the rope.  It would be better if we had two bollards at the middle so we could keep the lines separate. The line has to be smooth as you release more.  Water goes out of the lock at the bottom of the doors on the down river end.  This is normally gentle but each lock is different. Should your line get locked in a crack on the edge of the wall or at the single boat bollard, you will not be able to release more line and the boat will begin to hang from the line. And this is not good.

We have learned that with a drop less than 4 meters we will put the rope lope on the lock bollard with the loose end around the single bollard at the middle of the barge. Much safer as the only point of rope problem is right at boat bollard with is right at your feet.  We have learned to flip off the rope this distance and it is some what of a challenge to see if you can do it on the first attempt.

It has never happened to me but it does happen on a regular basis. The remedy is to cut the line.  We have small hack saws on the boat near where we work the lines and it does not take much effort to cut the line because now it is very taut.  A couple of cuts and it will break and the boat will drop.

When going down you can not walk away from your line. You stay with it, watch how it is moving.  Prevent the line from catching on the wall or at the boat bollard.

Once the barge has reached the top or bottom, the doors will open and you leave.

At larger locks there will be an operator and they will monitor what is done and there may be different ways to secure your boat.  With some of the locks on France's older canals, you use a radio controlled clicker to start the lock process. Once in the lock and ready for the up or down, you must lift a rod to close the doors and start the process.

(The red color you see in the video is not correct.  I needed to adjust some setting to get a clear view of the two sides. The actual red on the boat is dark candy apple red.)

Barge Date:  07-06-2018

Nancy and Metz

After leaving Verdun, we moved south to the end of the Meuse River and then turned east on the Canal de la Marne au Rhin.  Our last stop on the Meuse was the town of Commercy.  This is the home town of the Madeleine, a small cake that can be done up in any number of ways and was made famous by Marcel Proust in "A la recherche du temps perdu" ("Searching for Lost Time").  The town was enjoyable too. 

This is not Commercy but the stop before, St. Mihiel.  When a boat ties onto another, it is called "rafting on".

Pictures of Commercy:

Made me think of LA. 3 bridges.

Then it is on to Toul, a location that I had hoped to use as our winter mooring. Not to be.

For excitement, this leg of travel has us going through a series of locks that quickly follow one another.  They are automatic locks and we were able to set a pattern of work and movement that allowed each approaching lock to be ready for us and all had us dropping.  If my memory is correct, about 11 locks and all done in a morning.

We tied up in Toul and toured the town.  Small, but nice.  For smaller boats a nice marina.  But there was no reason to remain as I want to get to Nancy to secure a safe tie-up so we can make a return trip to Strasbourg for the residence papers.  Marianne was able to make a phone call and spoke with a person at the Prefecture who seemed to give us hope that we might be able to slip in and get the process going. Here is Toul.

Do you see the stork?

We started in the morning thinking a 2-leg trip to Nancy but locks were few, we were on the Moselle river and travel  could be fast and where we wanted to tie up was not in our favor.  So we ended up just short of Nancy but in a perfect location for re-stocking the galley and getting to a Brico. (not sure I have used this term before;  think of a Lowe's).


Saw this new French innovation in this  parking lot.

Yes, now you can do the wash and not leave the car (almost).

In the morning we moved into one of several lagoons in Nancy but not before we added to our crew. The night before, a lady was taking pictures of our boat and a conversation developed and soon we suggested that Zao join us for the short jaunt. She is French but lives out in the Indian Ocean on the island Reunion.  Thinks it would be fun to have a barge so she got a taste of the good life. 

Nancy is a fine city and the center of it all is Place Stanislas.  It is a very large square bounded by identical architecture with a statue of Stanislas in the middle. It is here that every night a laser light show takes place at about 11PM. We sat at a table with some drinks and mini burgers and watched the show. Very nice and different than the light show we saw last year in Amiens.

Here are some short videos of the light show.  Enlarge to full screen to view better.

We took a train to Strasbourg, picked up some documents sent to the marina and made our play with the prefecture.  It was not as we hoped.  Same large crowd we saw the first of June.  Same disappointment by many.  At one point the security person told people to back off the steps or the police troops would be called. We left for breakfast and returned.  Fewer people, but we were still told that we have to make an appointment online, which has proved so far impossible, and could not be seen otherwise although we now have all the required documents.

Took a picture of the office as proof we were there.  What a system; what a way to run the process.  I am prepared to see what happens in September if it continues to be impossible to make an appointment .

Took the train back to Nancy, saw the light show again, then took another train to Metz which is down the Moselle a short ride.  Also a nice city and perhaps more interesting than Nancy. Crazy street layouts and always had one confused about where you are and how to get somewhere else. I would like to come again with the barge but the present crew did not like the idea.  May return as part of the loop going down the Sarre river into Germany then back south between Germany and Luxembourg and up the Moselle.  Will see.

We are now off to the east again, a section of the canal some people call a very rural, few-cities/town- stretch of water.  We have re-stocked the galley and are ready to go.

NOTE:  For you lucky few that actually read to the bottom and so may be interested, I will have an opportunity to take on crew after Marianne returns in August. If you are interested for a period of several weeks, give me an email and I will see what can be done. Would require you getting to the Strasbourg area for a meet up.  Email is all run together but here I break it up to fool the robots: tim.horchler     @    gmail.com

Barge Date:  06-20-2018

On to Verdun

A bit of traveling as we continue up the Meuse River towards Verdun.

Mouzon is a stop along the way.  Found an easy tie-up.  Marianne is set on seeing the felt museum.

Polish Mountaineer's Suit

  This was the industry in town for nearly 100 years but felt is no longer made in France.  Given our background we know a lot about felt making but there were some interesting touches.  Also took the opportunity to have a nice lunch in town. 

We are in a section of the river that does not have automatic locks so at this time of the year they are manned by college students.  Doing 8 or more locks a day, it is nice to have someone to take your line as you enter and drop it on a bollard.  We have also experienced for the first time locking up with another small boat to our stern.  This is made easier with the lock help.  While our supply of Belgian chocolate lasts we leave some with the help.

 This area has some wonderful farm land decked out in wheat, oats, corn and hay.  The fields can be very large and the contours are gentle rolling hills. In terms of scale and equipment, these farms are the equal of many American farms.

Along the way we have been seeing large works on the river and the canal. The French are finally replacing very old and low tech weirs with concrete and movable water control installations. The old relied-on wooden stick was used across the flow to raise and control flow, diverting water into the canalized part of the river.  Think of a little dam at each lock.  These modern weirs will not only help keep water in the canal parts but control flow on the river sections.

Hope you can see the sticks strung across the river

We do 40 kms on the last day to get to Verdun.  We are able to take the last spot on floating pontoons.  Another good mooring move by the crew.  Space, water and electricity are free in this port but this fact causes some to never leave.  The last two nights we have boats tied to our river side and this is common during the summer months.

Notice right away that Andrew, a UK barger first encountered in Liege, is tied on to the opposite side.  He passed Lionel while I was in the US. We learn that he and his dog Sam have been getting a lung full of engine smoke on their travels and he is working on a small wheelhouse.  As it is, he uses a large tiller at the stern, exposed to all the elements and the smoke.

Most Americans know Verdun as one of the French cities that saw months of fighting during WWI. The heavy fighting began only in 1916 but both sides made up for lost time and saw their way to killing more than 500,000. However, more recent calculations of fatalities may have been as high as 975,000. This over a period of about 8 months. The fields still give up the dead.  A large ossuary has the bones of more than 100,000 "unknown".  From the air the remains of many of the trenches can be seen.

In town we visit the underground bunker of the citadel. There are more than 4 kms of arched and bricked tunnels used to store all sorts of war material.  These tunnels were installed prior to WWI and were used during that war. A tour of the site has you on a robot cart that takes you through the site and presents information along the way.  Nearly a Disney ride. Nice.

We were able to meet some very nice people during our stay.  Peter and Ellen from down under as well as Peter and Jo from down under too.  Shared some treats and meals with them and Andrew.

The port is in the middle of town and is the focal point for downtown activity, cafes, and restaurants. For the summer solstice there were 5 bands playing in the downtown areanand lots going on. The following night an impromptu performance by a African drum group and local dancers was a big hit.  Saturday night also more music and fun.

Here are some pictures around town.

We think we now have all the documents needed to apply for French resident permits.  Marianne was able to get through by phone to ask some basic questions.  The problem has been making an appointment.  This must be done on-line and it seems impossible to get a slot.  They suggest we just show up and beg for mercy.  Will do.

Peter and Jo mentioned that when they did this (in another city) things went much faster when their income situation was made known.  We have been told that all of this could take months but perhaps when they see we are on the up and up the permits may come faster.  Will be making another trip to Strasbourg soon.

Don't forget Marianne's photo collection on Facebook.  You do not need a Facebook account. Search for "Barge Adventure".

Barge Date:  06-11-2018

From Givet to Charleville-Mezieres and Sedan

 .... and How We Saved a Life in a Lock

The weather since our arrival in France has been wonderful. I, for one, like global warming and that has been the weather. With blue skies and darkness coming at about 10pm each day.

The boat seems to have handled my absence very well.  A couple of hours of work had everything in its place. We used this time period to see some more of the town, now with Marianne along for the ride. A visit to the food store, a walk up to a landmark above the river, a meal at a restaurant and we were ready to head upstream.

A couple of notes about the boat.  It has been about 5 weeks since I last plugged the boat into shore power and even that was not needed.  For some reason the systems like to have the batteries charged to a set level and it will not accept the sun as the source.  But when I have plugged in, the system has not reset itself. It is working correctly but the dumb measure of "percent remaining" has gone to zero and will not come back to 100%.  If I just ignore it I am fine but would like all systems to be giving good data.

The engine continues to sound great. Still burns some oil as all DAF engines do, I am told, but moves us through the water with ease.

No more plumbing problems.

Have been able to mount all four cameras to give us a view to the stern, port and starboard sides and a look just in front of the boat. The stern and bow cameras will be most useful when mooring in tight space between 2 boats; the bow and side cameras will be used in locks.  With a few tries it is obvious that I must also train myself to use the views; not pushed, I have found I ignore the views. Practice.

With a few refresher comments about locks and lines Marianne is game for pushing up river.  On this portion of the river most of the locks are automated but at the beginning we have a short tunnel to cut through a small ridge so the locks one and two will have workers on site. The lifts tend to be reasonable but we see a lot of wall in addition, so the distance between water and bollard is somewhat more than we expected.  The lock workers lower a hook to take our lines. Passing through the tunnel is fun and we immediately come to the next lock.  This is where we save a life.

As we come into the lock the doors close behind us and we see the lock worker coming down the steps to take our lines.  With him is his wire haired terrier, name unknown.  Having reviewed the video tape for the view, it is possible that when the keeper was picking up his long pole that is used to snag our lines he may have goosed the dog to the edge and over. About 15 feet or so. This happens behind the worker and Marianne is getting the lines and also misses the mishap although she hears the splash. Quickly everyone knows there is a problem.

The dog is swimming but has no idea what to do. First time for everything.  What to do?  The worker rightly chooses not to jump in.  There is a wet, slippery ladder but not a good option. It is up to us. How can we save the dog?  With a bit of encouragement we are able to get our new boat hook under her and guide her to the side of the boat.  Only by lying on the deck at the low point am I able to reach the scruff of her neck and take a grip.  I am lying prone and not sure I can make the move to get up with dog attached. But somehow it works and she is on board.

Water is added to the lock, the boat comes up and dog and master are reunited.  For eight years the four-footed lock assistant has been coming to work and this was her first tumble.  In all the confusion we failed to get her name but here are some pictures.  And it all gave a chance to use the cheap headline.

 

 This year we resolved to take each day slower. We have the new advantage of not needing to find a place to "plug in". And I think I have figured out the water system so that we can have all tanks full and not causing any floods.  So when we see a nice place to tie up, we will (famous last words).

We have seen the town of Haybes from the train and make that our first stay. Little town, nice mooring with low prices, a baker, a nice restaurant.  Meet a few other boaters and relax.

The next day we move up to Montherme.  The marina is full but luckily we decided to pull over and tie to a guardrail with several other boats before the marina.  Two local girls give us their best interpretations of English speakers and I have an equal conversation back in French. We can not see it from below but had we been up on the ridge above town we would have taken a picture of the river nearly circling the town as it meanders around all high obstacles. On the postcard it looks neat.

The next mooring is Charleville. Found space at the marina, but just barely space.  Cameras were helpful in fitting in the only slot available. Real pleased with how well we did.

We are seeing our first day-long rain.  Notice from somewhere that this has been the wettest June in France in some time.  On the Canal des Ardennes the water got the best of one lock.  Somehow a channel worked behind a lock wall causing the wall to fall into the lock.  Canal now closed for through traffic until December 1. Hope we can get through the Meuse OK.  The river is high and muddy and flowing very fast.  We have held up for 2 days to let things settle.

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Our "Big Muddy"

 Charleville is really Charleville-Mezieres but we are only visiting the Charleville side. The centerpiece is the main square or place. Large enough for 2-3 cities. Among our activities is eating, visiting the tourist office, a tour through the Museum of the Ardennes, visits to book stores and eating ice cream.

The stone you see in the Place is common throughout the city and region. All the buildings around the Place have the same basic design.  What is different is the style of roof.  Similar buildings continue all around the Place.

The VHF radio is broken.  Will not turn on.  Checked the power and is fine. Not a great need where we are as the locks are automatic but talking from boat to boat is sometimes needed. Order a new hand-held unit which is shipping from the UK.  Will  need to catch a train back to Charleville when it arrives at the tourist office.

On the way to Sedan we overnighted just at the entrance to the Canal of the Ardennes then on to Sedan. We have driven stakes along a stone wall and find we have a front lawn.  This city is known for the role in WWI but even before this was land that the Germans have vied for over the past 150 years and maybe longer.  This being the 100th anniversary for WWI, you see special events and displays.  Also saw a good number of WWII pillboxes along the Meuse.

The largest castle fortress in Europe is near the downtown area.

Downtown Sedan is a bit rougher than some other French cities we have been to. But it has the normal count of cafes and parks. Everything is an easy walk from the mooring including this one.