Barge Date: 29-04-2017 

How we named our barge — and a little of its history

Naming a boat can be more difficult than naming a child. At least a child is born nameless. 

Our boat was named Rouge Corsair when we bought it, but we quickly learned that two books had been written about it and that at the time its name was Lionel. After we read both books, Tim felt that we should go back to naming it Lionel whereas I thought we should come up with our own creative name — something we would agree on. I suggested many (too many) names; some were meaningful to me (connection to Belgian or French culture, songs etc) but unfamiliar to Tim. In the meantime — it took months — we learned the following about our barge:

Built in 1920 or 22 in the Netherlands, it was used as a bunker boat at one time. No idea of its original name.

In 1982, it was purchased by Hart and Melodie Massey, a Canadian couple, through a Paris broker, Alphonse Dufresne, while it was moored at the St. Cloud marina in Paris. The previous owners, Corinne and Jean-Luc Dandurand, a French couple, called the boat Pijarro (or Pizarro) from what we can gather from a hand-written note by Massey.

In Travels with Lionel, Hart Massey describes his own experience naming the barge: “We had considered the possibilities at great length, rejecting all the trickier ones, and finally settling on Lionel, the name of my brother who, we thought, would have liked the idea. It has the advantage of being the same in French and English”. So Lionel it was for the Masseys who kept the boat until November 1991.

We had no history for the barge after that until July 2014 when it was owned by a French couple from Normandy, Jaky and Lili Hours, who had named it Marie-Suzanne. 

Noel and Jackie Parry (he from Australia and she from the UK) purchased the barge from them in 2014 and kept it for 2 years. They named it Rouge Corsair after a favorite horse. 

As we were debating the merits of various names, someone miraculously came to the rescue. 

A French woman, Danielle Foglia, contacted us after she discovered some pictures of her previously treasured boat that she called "notre cher bateau, ce bon vieux et beau bateau" (our dear boat, that good old and beautiful boat). She explained that she and her husband Michel had purchased Lionel from the Masseys in 1991 and sold it to the Hours in 2007, so we were able to account for those missing 16 years and we learned that during all that time the boat had retained its name of Lionel. Danielle Foglia wrote: “Le bateau était baptisé Lionel par Hart en mémoire de son frère aviateur, en service commandé, et malheureusement descendu sur les côtes de France par les Allemands… Pour nous il était hors de question de changer le nom par respect et honneur pour ce combattant !” (The boat had been named Lionel by Hart in memory of his brother who was a pilot on an official assignment, and unfortunately shot down over the coast of France by the Germans… For us, to change the name was out of the question out of respect and in honor of this fighter!) 

This email, plus some old blog posts and pictures sent very kindly by Danielle Foglia (we learned that she had hand-painted the name — see below) convinced me that Lionel had to be at least part of the name, since it had been the boat’s name for a total of 25 years!

The name we finally agreed on, and which now features prominently and proudly on the bow and stern of our barge is Lionel d’Antan, which means Lionel of Yesteryear. 

“d’antan” is my personal literary addition; in French, it is a direct reference to a 15th century poem by François Villon (Ballad of the Ladies of Time Past) with the refrain: “Mais où sont les neiges d’antan?" = "But where are the snows of yesteryear?” 

If you want to know the whole story, the English word “yesteryear” was created by Dante Gabriel Rossetti when he translated Villon’s poem into English in 1869. And, more information still, the refrain of the poem is featured in D.H. Lawrence’s Lady Chatterley’s Lover, Joseph Heller’s Catch 22 (Referring to a man named Snowden, Yossarian asks "where are the snowdens of yesteryear?” which he translates into "où sont les neigedens d'antan?”), and even in Bob Dylan's album The Times They are a-Changin' (« Ah where are the forces of yesteryear ? »)

There are a lot more references to this refrain in English and other languages, from Cervantes to Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie, from Jack Kerouac to Umberto Ecco, from Quentin Tarantino’s film Inglorious Basterds, to Mad Men, and Downton Abbey. 

Poetry survives, even in translation. And so does our boat, who managed to let us know what name it wanted.

by Marianne

Barge Date: 27-04-2017 

Meet the Mentors

On a venture such as ours, with a barge and traveling around Europe, it is helpful to have people that step up and offer assistance. There is much to learn about owning and operating a boat that is to be used on the canals and rivers in Europe.

We have been fortunate to have 2 godsends. The first is an organization on the Internet called the DBA. Originally this was called the Dutch Barge Association but with growth and interest by others who had other types of canal boats, the name was simply changed to DBA. Find them on the Internet at this address: http://www.barges.org/

There is a nominal membership fee and for this, you get access to all parts of their online site. They also publish a monthly magazine called the Blue Flag which can be read in print or on the site. We joined immediately upon learning of this group and its members have been very helpful. There is a busy user form on this site and by becoming members, you can post questions. If you are only interested in reading and developing some knowledge about barging and using the canal system in Europe, just read.

Our other lifesaver for this venture is a couple of boating enthusiasts pictured here. Barrie and Carole have been

living on boats for the past 30 years. They were active in all aspects of boating on the west coast of North America and, about eight years ago, moved their operation to Europe to begin barging. They purchased a metal shell of a boat and have transformed it into their European home. Barrie got his start by joining the Canadian Navy and becoming an engineer. Carole is the founder and the principal of the online Facebook site called Women on Barges, or WOB for short. This very active group of nearly 1800 women (which includes Marianne) is for women to discuss various "things"with other women and for all to learn. Together, Barrie and Carole have fun living on their beautiful Silk Purse.

When I arrived in Belgium in early March, I was followed quickly by Barrie and Carole. They have their boat at the same marina and we are stern to bow along the dock. I have been able to go to them with simple and silly questions and concerns about serious matters on my boat and in its operation. Sometimes you just want somebody standing next to you as you turn something on or off for the first time. They have come on board when I wanted to do some practice on the river here, and they have been available each time I have come into my small berthing slot in the marina. Both boats will soon depart the marina to begin the 2017 cruising season. I will follow them for some time just to have them close by and at some point, in the south of Belgium, we will go our separate ways. But by text or phone or through the WOB's group, I know they will always be handy and helpful. I can only hope to be as well informed as they are at some point in the future. Thanks!

by Tim 

Barge Date: 24-04-2017 

How we found our barge

With the blog now going live, we have received some questions about how we selected the boat, people wanting pictures of the boat and some wanting comments on how the boat operates. So we will get to all of these topics in the coming weeks but this post will be about how we came to own this barge.

It all began with our desire to spend more time in Europe and particularly southern France where it is warmer. From our past domestic moves in the US, our direction has been decidedly southern. We like it warm. Snow, mud, slush, ice, freezing this, freezing that, grey skies, cold winds: we like none of this. Not that we would be getting away from all of this even by being in the south of France but other factors could perhaps overcome the negatives.
 
Last summer, Marianne arranged to house sit and pet sit in the city of Aix-en-Provence in the south of France. Take care of two cats, one bird, some fish, and a hedgehog should it appear in the garden (it never did). The house was typical French, with a small, charming walled garden at the back, and very near the center of Aix. We would be there for three weeks. Once there, we tried to live as if it were our house, were retired and doing what we wanted to do. We enjoyed our new lifestyle: the markets, the numerous restaurants and cafés, the pleasure of being able to walk everywhere, the daily croissants and baguettes from the local bakery. Upon returning home, we began to look at real estate in the south of France, getting an idea of prices and the types of locales we would be happy with. We wanted to be near or in a town with several restaurants, stores and bakeries. A typical French village, at least in our mind.

We spoke to one party that was selling a house built into the stonewall of a medieval village. It had some features that made it extremely appealing, though perhaps not perfect, but got us excited. Tim was ready to fly back and look at it when the owner informed us that they had received and accepted an offer. Back to square one. We continued our search and even had an agent in France looking for us.
 
There are a number of major downsides to purchasing a house anywhere and perhaps more so in France. Where would be a good area to live, what type of location did we want – in a small town, in a village, outside of village, very rural? How would we know that we had picked the perfect location? Having sunk a good amount of money in this “someplace”, would we be happy? What if we discovered we hated our neighbors? Or the bread from the bakery was terrible? (highly unlikely in France...).
 

Amazon is a great source of inexpensive used books, and Marianne ordered a few coffee table books about southern France that were available for a few dollars plus shipping. One such book was The Most Beautiful Country Towns of Provence (by Helena Attlee). While we were perusing the pages, we came upon a large photograph of a canal beside a medieval tower and a fortress. Various colorful houseboat type barges were moored on either side. Tim suddenly said: "Why not a barge?"


Back in the 70s, Marianne's parents' home was on the Meuse river with a view on many commercial barges from various countries. Marianne had grown up watching them go by and always wondered about the life of the people on board. Where did they come from and where were they headed? Tim always liked to look at these boats and secretly wanted someone to step out and say “Hey kid, come on board” and travel with us. Well, of course, no one ever did but the idea always appealed to him.


We had often talked about cruising the canals in England or France aboard a barge but when we had researched the companies offering this service, we had found the cost prohibitive. Until now we had never thought of owning a barge ourselves.


If we wanted a place in Europe and we didn't want the downsides of owning a house, living on a barge that was very transportable presented some great options for us. We would never have to worry about our neighbors; we would just move the boat. We would not have to worry about the quality of the bread at the local bakery; we would just go to the next town. If we did not like the weather we could move north or south easily. We could do this for whatever time we wanted and return to America as needed. Or tie up the barge for a week and go off to Venice. Owning 2 houses in 2 far flung areas is probably not a good idea but owning a barge at a price much less than a house and much easier to sell made this idea viable. The only big downside to owning a barge was in how they operate; we knew nothing about this but began to study the set-up of a typical barge, how it is operated and where we could buy a boat.


This is the type of research that Marianne can really jump into with both feet, but this was completely new territory for both of us. How can you compare models, motors etc. when you have absolutely zero knowledge of boats? Of course with things like this, sometimes your emotions get far ahead of where you should be and you make the wrong decision which you come to regret. But in our case with this barge we think we made the right choice.


How big a barge should we get? The one thing Marianne gathered from extensive online reading was that a barge less than 20 meters would be to our advantage for a number of regulatory reasons (higher fees for longer boats, easier to find mooring etc). We definitely wanted a barge that had some age on it; replicas are manufactured today but we had no interest in them. We wanted a barge that was in good working order and would have everything we would need on board; we did not want to furnish or repair a boat. As the saying goes with barges, it is usually the barge that picks the people, not the other way around, and in our case we believe that is what happened.


There are a lot of barges for sale and almost all of them are posted on the Internet somewhere and we became very familiar with these sites and began to compare and contrast different boats. Where there would be a number of possibilities, we would find a negative that would rule out a boat. Everything needed to line up for us before we could get excited. We were both looking at these lists hoping to discover just the right barge. One night in early August, Tim could not sleep and was up late surfing for boats in Europe and a post came up that got him pretty excited. The barge was completely renovated and looked great, it had a wheelhouse (this had become a prerequisite), was within our budget, was a type of boat (Luxemotor) that was supposed to be easy to operate, had some age (built in 1920) and, as we would discover later, had some interesting history of previous owners (that got Marianne’s interest). At that time, it was located in Belgium and of course Marianne has family there.


In the middle of the night for us, Tim wrote an email to the owners: "Is it still for sale?" By five in the morning our time, they responded and said yes. So in the morning Tim told Marianne: "I found the boat". What do you say to that? "OK. Let's go look at our boat" seemed the appropriate reply. Scrolling through the pictures online, we both got a sense of thoroughness on the part of the owners. First, there were a lot of pictures — nothing is more frustrating for a prospective buyer than a scant number of photos when you are miles away. There was also an abundance of information regarding the engine room, contents etc., not just a list of specifications. The owners were professional mariners (from the UK and Australia) who had travelled on sailboats around the world, had owned the barge for 2 years traveling with it through France and Belgium and now, after renovating the boat, were ready to move back to Australia for their next adventure. It was obvious to us right away that this boat was very much the type that we wanted and we made up a list of questions and emailed it to the owners.


Nothing is ever easy however, and in their first response, the owners told us that a Dutch couple who had already viewed the barge ("he adores the boat", we were told) was expected to make them an offer within 48 hours. So the boat was not "the boat" after all? This seemed too much like a repeat of our experience with the medieval house. We were very disappointed. Fortunately it turned out that the barge had picked us. The owners soon wrote that the Dutch couple was dithering and the boat was again available.


Cut to the chase. I (Tim) dropped what I was doing, flew to Belgium and went to visit the boat. What was I doing? I called Marianne from the airport before departing with an empty gut feeling saying this is crazy, we haven't thought this through, what am I doing going off to Belgium looking at a boat? We still have children in college and high school. How could we pull this off given these kids who still need parents close by? Could we own a boat and still keep our house which we like very much?


Crazy? Yes


I was able to locate the barge in a small village in the French speaking part of Belgium. It looked beautiful tied up at the dock. I met the owners and began to inspect the boat. Again, what the hell did I know about a barge? The scariest part was the engine room (see some pictures below). In this small, cramped, no headroom space was a large diesel engine, a central heating system for the boat, an old, one cylinder diesel powered generator, solar power panel controls and wires and pipes and thingamajigs squeezed into every corner and space. Way over my head was the first thought. What am I doing here?

These are the engine room "things" that concerned me.

But everything else was just right except for headroom in the wheelhouse. I could stand up straight, just barely, but looking forward over the wheel I could see nothing; I needed to squat a bit to look out the window. I was concerned about movement about the deck for Marianne as someone needs to be on the deck forward to work the lines going through locks. The deck looked slippery and I was wondering whether she would be comfortable moving quickly about the boat. The design of this boat did have a railing along the outside edge as well as a grip rail in-board. So one could walk and be holding on with both hands as necessary. Should I be buying a boat without Marianne seeing it before we spent some money? Did I have the judgment to make this choice by myself?


I spent some time with her family and was able to be on the phone and talk this over. I was very concerned. Not so much about the boat; if we did not like it, we could sell it. Simple as that. I was more concerned about our two youngest daughters and attempting to be away from them when we should be at home and available. I remember when we moved from New York to North Carolina, it was like we were abandoning our older kids. Aliénor was still in college in New York and Andy had just moved from Princeton to Cleveland and Case Western. We were moving 800 miles south. Was that the right thing to be doing?


Now we were in the same position, or worse. Jinglei still had two years of high school; LiQiong was just beginning college. What were we to do? In these types of cases, you develop excuses for why you should or should not do something and I am sure that we created some of the excuses for this decision. But of course we went ahead. We purchased the boat and we began planning how we would work everything out. I am in Belgium now by myself and we are still trying to work things out.


Prior to going to Belgium, we had worked out most of the details for how we would purchase the boat. Our local bank worked with us and found a way to get us some temporary money until we had sold our commercial property in town. It was under contract and looked good and in fact in the end we sold the property and were able to pay the bank back and have a bit of money left over. So while I was in Belgium, I was able to sign some documents and transfer some money to Australia for the purchase of the boat. It was ours. For better or worse.


The barge would be taken to the town of Diksmuide where I had arranged for it to be in the marina for the winter. I also arranged for someone to prepare the boat for winter so that there would be no problems. And it worked out well. See my first post below where I arrive in Belgium in early March.


Only time will tell whether this decision was wise, whether we enjoy traveling on canals, whether this type of move to Europe is better than buying a house. We studied all winter long to get ready and now we are putting the plan into play.


If you would like to think about a barge, what it might cost to purchase one, here are 2 good sites or just Google "barge for sale" and see what comes up.


https://www.dutchbargesforsale.co.uk/barges_for_sale.html

http://barges.apolloduck.com/

Barge Date: 23-04-2017 

Family Visit & Outings With New Friends

I had a visit today from my Belgian family. My niece Morgane, her fiancé David (they met in Congo of all places) and my nephew Maxime arrived Saturday night to stay aboard and do some traveling on Sunday. We had dinner at a local Chinese restaurant which I found to be similar in some ways to those we see in the US. David has some experience on a boat that was owned by his family, and he did sailing mostly in the Netherlands. As a boat warming gift, he brought me an orange life ring from his previous boating times. I also received two other boat warming gifts, and these were special cookies and a large Easter egg in chocolate (note to future guests – consider my waist line please). 

Early on Sunday morning, I walked two blocks to a bread store which I knew to be open and I joined a queue to buy bread. Six croissants and six hard rolls. We had breakfast on the boat and about 9:30 we departed so that my guests could get their first experience with being on a barge.

As is typical in Diksmuide, we must go up the river before we can go down river so we proceeded about a mile and made a turn to come back through town and head towards Nieuwpoort. With no destination in mind, we took our time and everyone took time at the helm. At one point we must go

through a controlled bridge and to get it lifted we must call to the people that control bridges and locks. At this location, everything is done remotely. There are several cameras which allow the operators to see what is going on and when it is safe to stop road traffic and to raise the bridge. I told them that we would be returning in approximately two hours but that we would again contact them for passage. 
The weather was very nice for a change with lots of sunshine. Time spent on the deck was enjoyable with the warmth of the sun. We returned to Diksmuide so that my guests could return to Brussels for other activities they had planned for this Sunday.

As readers may know, bringing my boat in to its berth is always a bit of excitement. My first attempt resulted in bad placement of the boat and somehow I was able to do a 180° turn to head down the river again for another turn and another attempt at docking. This attempt went very well and I think I learned a few things.

On Monday, I spent most of the day doing a simple connection of electrical wires on the boat. Why something simple takes all day is always the question. I am working with 220 V here on the boat sometimes and I have to be careful. Also the European fittings are different than what I am used to. There are no diagrams of the existing electrical system and there are also large bundles of wires visible in the engine room where connections to batteries in the solar system are located. To make a long report short, let me say that I was able to correct a wiring problem for an outlet and to add additional plug-in ports at the helm, all 220 volt.

Later in the afternoon I was invited to go along for a trip to Ypres to get propane for the boat. I had just noted some gas smells on the boat and I had been told that when this is noticed, it is probably time to change the tanks. As it turns out, I don't have propane tanks but rather butane tanks and this may be a factor in the future. Butane tanks are readily available in France, but in Belgium it seems propane is the gas of choice. So my fellow travelers were able to get a tank of propane and I was out of luck. But I have a total of three tanks on board and I should be good for some time and hopefully until I get to France.

To top off the day we stopped at a café on the square in Ypres and enjoyed drinks and food. It is

not unusual to be invited on board other boats or to be included in an outing as I had today. In just the past several days I have been invited to 3 other boats for drinks or a bite to eat. Being a bachelor on my boat, I find I rather enjoy inviting others on board for a morning coffee or afternoon goûter.

Barge Date: 17-04-2017 

Washing clothes onboard etc.

This coming weekend I will have my first guests on board. My niece and her fiancé who live in Brussels will arrive Saturday night and stay on board. On Sunday, my brother-in-law, his wife and their son, who also live near Brussels, will arrive in the morning. I hope to be able to take them for a canal ride. But now I must work on cleaning the boat and there is much to do following the water tank project.

We have on board a small washing machine. Small as in: I can put in 2 sheets and 2 pillowcases and that is the load. It is typical European design meaning that the door is on the front side, uses very little water and has a very fast spin cycle. So clothing and other items come out just damp, not wet. I need to buy rope to have the ability to hang laundry outside. Thus far I have resorted to hanging clothes on a small rack we have on the boat and also laying clothing on the upper deck. This has worked pretty well but takes longer since it is not hanging in the air.

This week I finally sat down and set up a proper blog location for these ramblings. To make it clear, I am doing most of this for myself, as a way to record what I am doing. It also will give me a chance to inform friends and family if they care to visit the site. I am not known for great editing and I am receiving some professional help in this regard. And when she is finally on board, she might actually make some posts to this blog herself. I will try to add more pictures as I have also learned how to get photos from my iPhone to the PC. Progress. If you call working with a PC progress.

Barge Date: 15-04-2017 

Guess what is under the bed...

I have spent the last several days working on additional water storage on board. When we purchased the boat, it came with three plastic water tanks that fit nicely underneath the double bed in the front berth. I was developing plans on how to hook everything up but first wrote the former owner and asked several questions. I'm glad I did.

Some of the work had already been done by him. It seems in the original set up of the boat there was

a 700 liter tank in the bow. But during renovation it was removed. I can see references to it in some documents from the past and as long ago as the 1980s, people were urged not to use the water from this tank. It was rusty and perhaps that is the reason. I thought I would need to run pipe or hose from the rear part of the boat to the new front tanks. In fact, the line from the original storage was still in place and a fitting had been attached to its end. I just needed to attach fittings to the tanks and attach hose to the existing fitting.

Also installed was a vent line to the outside of the boat that is used to signal that the tanks are filled up and allows air to come in as water is removed. I needed to break down the bed to gain access to the tanks and to be able to work. Most of my time was on my hands and knees. But progress was made and after a day and a half, the job is complete. My only concern is the location of the new tanks.

All three sit to the port side of the center-line of the boat. Will the boat have a list to the port side? I will have to wait until I put water in the tanks to see how it affects the boat. While working under the floorboards, I did spot a large chunk of solid steel obviously placed there to balance the boat. Perhaps more ballast will need to be placed forward and to the starboard side.

Speaking of ballast, when I was cleaning the hold at the bow, arranging ropes, fenders and assorted

"must have" things I noted stacks of steel bricks just at the bow.  This, along with a lot of chain for the anchor, was what someone put there to trim the boat.

Note steel bricks

Barge Date: 14-04-2017 

Manure is in the air

In the weeks around Easter, students were on vacation and you could see them in great numbers in organized groups doing something during this time. A lot of them visited the peace tower across the river. Others I could see in groups of bikers, campers and in kayaks. It seems that for Easter vacation, it is typical for students to do something in a group, perhaps an organized group or club.

One Saturday, a large number of people came down the river on kayaks. I would estimate 200 or 300 during the day. For some of this time the weather was very nice and I am sure they enjoyed getting some sunshine here in Belgium. There is a business in town renting the kayaks. We have a dingy on the boat and I have toyed with the idea of replacing it with 1 or 2 kayaks.  What do you think?

It is also spring time and with that comes the smell of farming. Yes, they are spreading manure. It is always in the air and in some cases being transported through town in large tanks or wagons. There is no bypass around Diksmuide so all traffic, small and large, comes through town. A lot of hauling is done in wagons pulled by farm tractors. What we would typically see hauling stone or dirt, a dump truck, is here pulled by a farm tractor. Hundreds going through town each day.

Do you see a difference?

Barge Date: 13-04-2017 

Underwear, sheets, and stores in Belgium


In one of my earlier posts, I noted that I traveled to Europe with no underwear. You might ask yourself why does he want to talk about this again? Well, it is all about economics.

True, I did find underwear but for an old man they were just not my style. So I watched and I looked and finally I spotted boxer style underwear in a store not far from the boat. I put off this purchase for some time but gave in as the need was important. (I don't know why this picture appears as a video.  Some day I may learn the iPhone).

What would I pay for underwear in the US? Well, I know I can go to a Walmart and get six pairs of Fruit of the Loom underwear for about $10. OK, maybe I should have asked the price first, but I did not. I selected two packages a total of four pairs and proceeded to make the purchase. In Belgium, this underwear cost me €12 EACH. Buyer beware.

But my entry into Belgian economics continued. I needed just one sheet for a bed on the boat. OK, off to buy one sheet. I should have asked the price first. This is just an average, run of the mill store here in town; nice display windows, nice people working inside. But one sheet cost me €43. Is there not an alternative to these stores on Main Street?

I was told about a store at a distance of maybe 15 km that was primarily described as a large hardware store and with better prices than the local store here in town. I tried to get directions to the store as I did not know the actual name or the town it was in. But thinking that I would be able to find it, I took off and traveled, to and from, about 30 km and no store. I returned to the boat to do research.

And I found it. In fact they have two stores, one nearby and another in Bruges/Brugge. With better directions, I took off again on the bike and realized that if I had traveled just 2 kilometers further during my first trip, I would have found the store. It is out in the country for some reason, sitting all by itself. But inside was a lot to see. I would say it is a marriage between Walmart and Lowe's.

From garden supplies, tools to some lumber to clothing and baby toys, it had a range of products to keep me exploring for an hour or more. Some of the items were of a better quality and some not so. I did take note that they sold sheets that I could have purchased from them; 2 sheets and 2 pillowcases for €33. Lesson learned.

As I left the store, I asked the cashier why the name “Stock America”. She says that the store was designed in the format of stores that we might find in the US, hence the name. I have been back several times.

Barge Date: 12-04-2017 

Diksmuide

My pace of work continues but on a recent Sunday I took the entire day off to visit the town I am in - Diksmuide, a small town with a history that includes both world wars but more so the first world war. This area of Belgium was the fighting ground, the front line for the war from almost day one till the end.

Diksmuide, Ypres, Mons and other Belgian towns were completely leveled during the war. One picture that you may see shows a landscape barren of all living things. Had the Belgians not been able to flood a polder north of Diksmuide, it is likely the Germans would have made significant advances and might have forced and early peace.

After the war those still alive returned and in many cases rebuilt their town as it was prior to the

destruction. They also built a large monument to call for no more war. This monument is just across the river from our boat. In fact there are two monuments. The first survived, interestingly, through WWII. Why didn't the Nazis blow it up? But in 1946 a group of Flemish fascists destroyed this monument. Perhaps most towns and the people that live there would have simply thrown up their hands and accepted this. But people that have had their town destroyed twice within 30 years and still choose to live here are not likely to walk away from their call for peace.

A new monument was planned and sits behind the destroyed remains of the first monument. It is quite striking in its appearance of strength, built to last I might say. You enter the grounds and take an elevator to the top of the monument. From here you can see the flat lands of northern Belgium and how easy it must have been for armies to travel quickly. But you will also notice that the land is low and wet and the ability to flood the lands north of the village created the stalemate that was the signature of this war.

After the view from the top, it is requested that you descend floor by floor as each floor has a significant display of the history of the war. This is the war that first used mechanized forms of killing such as the machine gun and the tank. This is one of the reasons why on some days during this war more than 60,000 people could be killed. Around the base of the monument in four different languages are the words “No More War”.

Barge Date: 10-04-2017 

First real boat ride - Ypres

In my mind, there is only one thing to report with this entry but no doubt I will stumble onto other things that I remember.

The big event was taking the barge out with me totally in control. I had one crew member on board, Artur, the man from Poland that I met here at the marina. See previous post for some details. I had arranged with Artur to depart this last Saturday, April 8. I wanted to take the boat from Diksmuide to Ieper, or as some know it as, Ypres. This is about 18 kilometers away and we would be passing through one bridge and two locks. This should give me some good experience.

We departed a bit late and I overestimated our time of arrival at the first obstacle: a movable bridge.

We arrived early and had to tie up and wait for the person who operates the bridge. He arrived some 20 minutes later and we pushed off and passed through the bridge to make a turn to port and into the canal to Ypres. The canal varied in width and depth but was interesting in all aspects. From the bridge we estimated how long to the first lock. We arrived and the doors were closed, but using my phone, I contacted the correct person and they pushed a button to get things started. Almost no wait.

This first lock has a lift of about 3 meters. So we were sitting in a deep canyon and needed to attach lines fore and aft. Fortunately, the lock operator was very helpful by using a hook on a pole to pull our lines up to the bollards. The lock was perhaps 10 to 15 m longer than our boat so we had the feeling of being in a big hole. The keeper pushed the button and we rose to her level. I informed her that this was my first trip as captain and she was understanding. With the doors open, we proceeded to the next lock where the same keeper would travel to bring us through.

The second lock was not a problem and we proceeded to Ypres. I could see how the canal would end because on board I had saved Google Earth images for our trip. It dead ends at a small marina but the question was could we turn around there? I chose to turn the boat early so we might tie up to the opposite side from the marina to guardrails along a road. Perhaps not a pretty turn, but with Artur’s help we secured the boat.

With the boat locked up, we walked to the center of the town. This has been a week of school vacation here in Belgium and there was a lot of activity going on. I think someone was shooting a movie or doing some type of video and they were drawing a large crowd. Sailors, as we are, we were just looking for a place to eat. After several false starts, we ended up in a café for coffee and a pastry. A group of American teenagers were also in the café and they were easy to identify.

The lock and bridge people operate during set hours so it was important for us to return before they stopped working. We timed everything just right and the 2 locks were open for us and the bridge man was just ready for us. Only one “obstacle” remained. Bring the boat back into her berth.

Let me explain. Our boat is 18.5 m long. The space at the marina is about 23 m long. I have to fit the boat into this space without hitting the large rudder of the boat in front of me and not smashing the plastic boat behind me when my stern swings in. Perhaps out of self preservation, the owners of the boat in front were on the dock to assist. Everything went very well and I was pleased with the results.

I thanked Artur for his assistance; it could not have been done without him. But I am tempted to repeat this trip just by myself. In the future, I will be traveling by myself so any practice now will only help. Artur's girlfriend from Poland is arriving this week and he may want to show her what a canal boat is like.

On other fronts, I had trouble with the diesel fireplace. The fuel tank ran dry and after I added 40 liters, I could not get flow to the stove. I tried all types of solutions including disconnecting the fuel line at the stove. Definitely not getting any fuel through the line. Had I been at home, I would have used compressed air to move the fuel along, but I don't have a compressor here. So I called on my mentor again. We agreed that the problem was between the shut-off valve at the stove and the last filter on the line at the tank. We wasted more than an hour and it ended up with me bringing a bicycle pump to the work site. After we made one attempt with no good results, we removed another fitting and tried the pump again. A few strokes on the pump into the line and we could hear bubbles and movement. We had fuel again. The golden rule here: don't run out of fuel (but I did).

All during this past week I was doing little tasks that seem to be ongoing with the boat. I am staying busy but sometimes I wonder what I have accomplished. The boat is looking good, I have used the vacuum cleaner several times, and I think I have finally stowed everything where it should be.

This past week I also sent to the Belgian boat people our final attempt to have our boat registered here in Belgium. This required a trip to Brussels and to the American embassy. The trip was quite easy by train and then walking to the embassy. I used Google maps and it worked fine. The only down side: the Americans wanted $100 from me for the privilege of having a notary for a document that says where we live. Easy come, easy go. The experience at the embassy was not like it was 45 years ago when I was last there. Total lock down.

I spied a bookstore across the street from the embassy and, after the document work, I visited it and purchased three books. This is a very large bookstore and I know Marianne will want to visit.

I also received last week a printer for the boat. It is wireless but not necessarily easy to set up. I am still having problems and will take the computer and parts to a store this coming week for them to do things right. I really miss the Mac.

What else do you want to know? In future posts I want to speak about our boat and its operation, and also about the history of this boat. It is one of many things that made us want to purchase it. We hope to add new history for the boat too.

Barge Date: 30-03-2017 

The test, paperwork frustrations & new acquaintances 

I know, it has been too many days since I made an entry. But believe me, I have been busy.

I have been out on our boat two times since arrival and I think I am prepared for my test which is coming up on March 26 and 27. I'm not entirely clear on what will be covered but I think I can do what is needed. I have cleaned the boat and supplied the pantry as the instructor will be staying on board for one night. He is driving over Monday morning from east of Antwerp. There has been one snag and that is with having crew on board to handle the lines. The crew has abandoned ship as they will be headed towards the UK for 5 days. I have checked with the testing people and they say not to worry. So I don't.

With the boat all polished up, I welcome Michiel on board Monday morning. I was expecting a 26 year old but instead I get a well experienced sailor. Michiel is qualified in the many aspects of boating and has been on the water from a young age. He seems like someone I can listen to. This is important as I am told that those who fail fail to listen. I was expecting to receive two boating licenses but I am told that I will be getting a total of three. This is a point I did not understand. For convenience sake, I had arranged to have the testing done on my boat rather than going off some place to be trained with two or three other classmates on a boat that no one is familiar with. I think this will help.

So Michiel's plan is to head off immediately in the direction of Nieuwpoort. We must travel upstream a short distance to turn around and my training begins right away. We spend some time in the stream doing 180 degree turns. His style for turning is a bit different from what I have been shown previously. Live and learn as both methods may be useful.

We steam towards Nieuwpoort and have only one obstacle in the way; a bridge that must be lifted for us. Normally you would call on the VHF radio or you might use your cell phone to contact the people that control the bridge. We try the radio with no success but are able to raise the proper contact by phone. This bridge has cameras and after the area is checked, the bridge is raised for us. Near Nieuwpoort there is a large marina and a large body of water in which we can play. Michiel is showing me how to do various maneuvers and how to control the boat. I am surprised that he is able to do things with this new boat having been on board for just several hours. Can I do it?
We tie up at a broken down dock and have lunch. We talk about many things and even things not boating related. After lunch, we again do more maneuvers then head towards a lock. Again we have some trouble raising the staff by radio and revert to using the phone. Some maintenance is being done on the lock but they will allow us through. This is a big lock; my boat easily fits in. So in that regard, nothing to get excited about. Leaving the lock I must make a 290° turn to port to proceed down an unused canal. We do more maneuvers and finally tie up for the day in a section of the canal. 

After a little housekeeping we walk into town and have a nice dinner at one of the cafés. And
Michiel is constantly testing me about things that I should know but some are things that I have already forgotten. Trying to learn about boating from Thomasville is not the same as being on the boat and doing it. I wonder how I am doing?

The following day, we do more maneuvers and proceed through the same lock to the other side where we again do maneuvers. I want to try some things in this open space and Michiel allows me to horse around. But it is useful, I think. We head southeast on the canal and back to Diksmuide. I pass, but I wonder. Michiel suggests that I am above average for students taking this type of exam. Most of the skills I need will be learned on the job. In town I must have three photos made for the three different licenses. We have lunch, get the pictures made, and Michiel goes home.

This same day I make the acquaintance of a gentleman that is 86 years old and travels on his barge alone. He has been doing this for nearly 15 years. As I will need to move the boat by myself on occasion, I want to know how he does it. I find him home and he offers to speak with me and pours a little wine. Is this his secret to boating success? He is leaving the next day for France and I ask if I can travel with him for some time to see how he handles the boat. He agrees and we arrange to meet the following morning. It's going to be a great day, warm with sunshine.

We head up the river and pass through a controlled bridge; we enter a lock of an old design, not typical. We travel through some interesting farmland and seeing sites from the back door. More bridges. We stop for lunch which he prepares below; also a little wine. When we go through the next lock, I will take my bike and depart for Diksmuide. But bad luck sets in; the last lift bridge will not move and there is nothing to do about it. They suggest that we turn around and head back to the most previous bridge where we can tie up. We do, and when we arrive, I leave the barge for my pedal home. Thanks, Brian. See you in the fall.

Today I use my bike to collect laundry and dry cleaning that I took in more than a week ago. It is an awkward load on the bike but I get it back to the boat OK. I also want to stop at an auto supply store for supplies for the engine room, some filters and belts. While I have all the correct numbers for these parts they are not sure that they are correct and ask me to bring in the originals. Since they are on the far side of the town this means another trip on the bike but that is fine with me. On my way back through town, I stop at the bike store and ask Luc to make some adjustments to my new bike.

I have received a message that the lettering for our new name for the barge has arrived at a store in town and I must collect it. I will do this when I return to the auto parts store. After a short lunch I'm on the bike again and I am able to purchase the spare parts for the engine room. But no new wiper blades; this might be a problem as the design is old. I then stop at a phone store which also serves as the receiver for shipments into town. I have not seen a UPS truck yet. I get a short round tube that has the lettering and return to the boat. The new name will not go on until I receive word that our Belgian registration has been approved. There remains problems with this.

On two Belgian fronts, let me update. On Monday I received word from the Belgian consulate in Atlanta that they still did not have what they needed for my visa. They emphasized that they wanted my monthly income. But I don't have one. So I call to Atlanta and ask some questions and propose this: how about if I take my annual income and divide by 12 and put this in a spreadsheet. Would this be OK? Yes, it seems it might. My question is why can't they divide by 12? But by Wednesday I receive word that my visa has been approved. While this is good news, it also means I must return to Atlanta to collect it. So I will return in May and come back to Belgium with Marianne.

Regarding the boat registration, I have enlisted the help of my sister-in-law, Monique, as she can speak Dutch and that may be helpful. She has learned that the boat registration people need a document that says I reside in the US. I have previously provided photocopies of my passport and my Georgia driver's license which lists my address. Not good enough. Marianne emails me copies of bills with our address; they say they cannot use those. I note that we do not have national identity cards like countries in Europe. What is the boy to do? They suggest that the American embassy can certify my address.

So I call the embassy in Brussels and ask if they can help. Not likely. They cannot provide any document that says I reside in the US. The most they can do is suggest that I create a document stating that I live in the US; the embassy can notarize it for me. I ask Monique to ask the boating people if this will be enough. We are holding our breath to learn their answer.

I am beginning to consider some small work on the boat. The big chain that moves the rudder is too loose but has no idler on it. I want to create something that I hope will make the turning of the wheel smoother. Also, the horn does not work and should. I have looked under the control panel and there is a spider's web of wires going everywhere. I can see a hose coming from the horn trumpet, through the dashboard to a small compressor but it is under all the wires and I am afraid of moving something and causing something not to work. But a bit of luck perhaps: down in the engine room I now see a new compressor. Someone has purchased it but did not want to take the effort to install probably because of all of those wires that are in the way. Maybe I should sit back and think about this too.

And maybe good I did. There is an oil port on the top of the old compressor (but not on the new model). So I squirt in some oil and the horn comes alive. Will wait till I am away from town to see if this fix is the real thing.

This past week I became acquainted with a man from Poland - Artur. He is in Belgium working for a company in the next town over. He wants to live on a boat and perhaps purchase a boat. He is exceptional with machinery and has a design for hydroponic plant growing that he thinks the Walloon government might be interested in. In several weeks he will have a sit down with a committee to show them his design which has its origins with NASA and the space lab. But what he really wants is a boat to live on. He reminds me a lot of our friend from Latvia. Both eager beavers. We will see what happens and in the meantime he has offered to make the idler for the chain drive rudder system. If the weather is good next Saturday, he and I will cruise up the river and up a canal to Ypres, a famous area and town during WWI.

Barge Date: 29-03-2017 

A vignette is hard to find

The weekend and Monday were cold, grey, and very windy. It did not allow for outside work in my mind. I took to doing things on the boat that can be done in the wheelhouse or down below. I am sure I ran to a grocery store one or two times as this seems to be a regular chore, but I don't remember what I purchased. I have been trying to eat healthy and sometimes I am successful. I hope over the course of the next month or so to establish a good routine in this regard.

My mentor came to me on Sunday and made a good suggestion. Since I will be using the Flemish waterways, I need to purchase a permit: a vignette or yearly license. This normally can be purchased at any bridge or lock in the Flemish system. But as the boat is between old and new registration (still waiting on the Belgian boat people), will it be possible to purchase a vignette at this time? Not knowing when the registration number will be issued (there are complications), this presents a possible problem as I need to practice more and the certified trainer will be here in about a week to do training and to certify that I am not a danger to the rest of the boating world.

So I decide to take my bike and make the trip to Nieuwpoort which is on the coast of the English Channel and about 15 kilometers from Diksmuide (if you could only see how my dictation is handling these Dutch words). The wind has been strong enough to be rocking the boat, but I am hoping that Monday will be much better. Not much better as it turns out.

So by 8:00 AM I am on my new bike wearing my new Swedish windbreaker – thanks, Rich - with a

sweater underneath and heading northwest towards the coast. I am lucky that 90% of my trip will be on a dedicated bike path, almost a straight line from the marina to Nieuwpoort. The wind is off to my port side but not too bad and I think that the return trip should be better.

I'm using Google maps on my phone as it offers me a bike option whereas the Apple maps do not. I have entered the destination address in both systems on the phone. As I arrive at the Google destination I suspect a problem; this looks like a café and not an office selling boating permits. I go up and down the street a bit and decide the best course of action is to enter the café. I ask my question and they have no idea where the office is that I'm looking for. I sit with the owner for a few minutes and we plot possibilities. I check Apple's map to see what it says and I conclude that it is pointing to a location several blocks north. I think my problems are solved. I thank the café owner and depart for address number two.

It looks more like a house than an office but I can see that it is in fact a business. I knock. No, what you are looking for is just on the other side of the street at number 14. I thank the lady and depart.

At address number three, I don't see much activity and nothing to indicate there is a business inside. I explore and ultimately end up going upstairs and knocking at the door; it is opened by a lady that I think is cleaning a room that contains monitors showing canal locks and bridges in the Nieuwpoort area. Nonetheless, she says I am getting warmer and she seems to know where to send me. But they all knew where to send me. Looking out the window she says "over there by the chips store" and I am wondering what she means by a chips store but then I see the sign for frites and realize that she thinks I am British (Note from Marianne: I think it is funny that Tim thinks she believes he is British. Maybe, or maybe not. She probably learned that chips is the English word for "frites" and she has no idea that Americans call them fries; she may not know the word "fries"). Go down this street maybe a kilometer, through a boat club, and look for a big building with lots of glass.

So off I go. Through the boat club, around some barricades and to the building I recognize as lots of glass. I find no activity at ground level but find the stairs to go up. I open a door and two young ladies greet me. I want to buy a vignette, I say. They say, no problem. So I provide information about the boat; they indicate that it is not a problem not having the boat number. I just have to report it when it's available. I get my usual American discount and pay 130 euros rather than 165. Actually, it is just a discount for purchasing early in the year.

I leave rather proud of myself. I still have concerns about going into the unknowns of Belgium. Thankfully, most Flemish people speak passable English.

I ride my bike over to the town and do a little exploring. Along the front of the town is a row of cafés

and eateries. Isn't it wonderful: I find a TexMex restaurant in Belgium. Anyway, I continue and end up in a small café to have a coffee. It is 11:00 AM and quite active in the café. My fellow diners are mostly 15 to 20, maybe 25 years older than me and they are not drinking coffee. It is their first glass of wine and for some, perhaps something a little stronger. And being Belgium, there are three or four dogs under the tables.

Outside still windy, cold and a bit wet so I terminate my tour and exit the town using Google as my guide. It makes these wanderings so much easier. I soon realize, once on the bike path, that the wind is at an angle which will make my return to Diksmuide much more of an effort than the trip over. I did not time myself but I think I used many more calories returning to the boat.

I have found a new book to read and spend most of the day reading and snacking. I am able to apply the new vignette sticker to the rear of the boat, or should I say stern. I'm good for the rest of the year in Flanders (the Walloon area does not sell a license; the use of the canals is free of charge).

I was able to tackle one new thing on Monday and that was starting the generator. Electricity on a boat like ours is important. You need a strong battery to start the engine and you need electricity to operate the lights, the refrigerator, your computers, etc. Without it and without a good generator you can be in big trouble. The early owner of our boat, the Masseys of Canada, had story after story of problems with their generators. But I think in fact the generator that is now on board was his final generator and perhaps it solved the problems.

After reviewing my notes in the video I took last fall while on board, I turned the generator on and she roared to life. The downside to any generator is the noise it makes. Maybe newer generators are quiet, I don't know, but ours certainly makes a good bit of noise. But if you consider the alternative, dead in the water, a little noise might be OK from time to time.

Tuesday brought much less wind and the promise of some blue sky. I spoke to my mentors and we agreed to head out on to the river after lunch. They and their friend came on board and we departed upriver with plans to practice turns. And we did and I learned a few things each time. We conclude by berthing with a bit of arm waving and questioning looks but we are able to dock without hitting anyone's boat. I call that a good day.

Barge Date: Mid March 2017 

First trip — and a drip

Everything seems to be going quickly and it does not seem like I have a lot of time for things like this blog so let me summarize the past several days.

Having found all the grocery stores in town (not true, still 2 more), I think my favorite is Delhaize. It seems I go every day to the local hardware store called Delva. I have been cleaning the top side of the boat as the deck is quite dirty but as of today it looks much better. Down below I have been looking into every nook and cranny and finding supplies secreted away. Sometimes useful finds, I think, other times I wonder why I will need this or that but I am reluctant to throw anything away. I spend a morning in the engine room trying to determine what tools are there and what supplies are available for boat maintenance.



The boat's diesel fuel fireplace is working out quite well. In the evening it is keeping me warm and overnight, with a small burn, it keeps the boat comfortable. By mid-morning, if there is some sun there is no need for the stove and I shut it off. I have not attempted to start the central heating system but I would like to do so, just to see how it runs for several days.

I am learning that lunchtime in Flanders means stores close. But couldn't all stores be on the same schedule? Some open at 1pm, some at 1:30 and a few at 2pm. Just better to go early or go after 2:00. I notice the people in the butcher shops and in the pastry shops lining up for food at all times during the day. Typically, in the early morning, I see four or five people queuing up for their bread. I have yet to do this as I wonder whether I can consume a baguette before it becomes a club.

The downtown square and a number of streets have been under renovation for the past year with still

some months to go. This means taking a good picture of the town hall or other buildings will always have a backhoe or fence in front.

I have been three times to two local bike stores as I would like to purchase two new bikes for the boat. I think I have made my selection with a gentleman in downtown, Luc. Tomorrow, I should be able to exchange the two old bikes for two new bikes (and euros).

This past Monday, with the help of another barge captain, I started the engine. It caught immediately and we idled for some 10 to 15 minutes. During that time, I noticed a small drip from the water cooling pump that keeps the engine at proper temperature. I hoped that it might stop once the engine was at temperature but that is not the case. So I have been online and calling and I think I made the

Impeller from pump.  Seen better days.

right order for parts. In cases like this, I often turn to the DBA, a group of like-minded barge owners. Parts were ordered on Tuesday and arrived late Wednesday afternoon from the UK. Tomorrow I will remove the pump and I will determine what parts should be swapped out.

Despite the slow drip at the pump, I was able, with the help of friends, to take our boat out for a cruise (have I mentioned the new name) up the river from the marina. We executed a smooth departure from the dock. My mentor whispers in my ear suggestions as we travel but I believe I might have the knack for it. Up the river for a mile or so, then did a 180 degree turn heading back to town and just beyond the marina. There we did another 180 (an important task that requires some pre planning and practice) and headed back to the dock. Docking is more difficult than leaving. Our space gives us 2 meters both bow and stern. Not much. Nonetheless, we were able to resume our berth between two other boats without incident.

Over the past several days my new experiences included fixing a stubborn toilet, charging the batteries, cleaning away the last of the dirt on the deck and getting ready to take the boat out on a regular basis. At the end of this month an instructor/ inspector will arrive on the boat to determine whether I receive an inland waterways license. I should be able to do this, you think?

Received today by e-mail requests for a few additional items for the boat registration. I should be able to send this to them by e-mail on Thursday and perhaps within a week we will receive our registration for the boat (not true).

I have been writing these daily notes (well, perhaps not daily) without yet setting up a blog location but I hope to do that some day.