Barge Date:  28-04-2019

Here is a non-barge story for you

I know a woman here in Europe that works for a large company with some global reach. A very professional place. At the end of a recent vacation, she was surprised to receive a call on the Sunday night prior to her returning to work. The call was from a man that handled some legal tasks for her department, but not directly her boss; she reports to another division in the company.

He said "you have a problem to take care of on your return". Great! The story goes like this. In her absence there was a meeting with a large vendor and various company staff people including a person from my friend's department (reporting to her) and someone from the legal department, among others. During the meeting, her department colleague took exception to what the lawyer had said and proceeded to attack and ridicule this professional legal person. At this point, let me add that the lawyer is a woman and that my friend's colleague is a man. (Perhaps this is not material, but I doubt it.) There was apparently shock and embarrassment at the man's outburst from many people in the meeting.

Post meeting, the lawyer let it be known that she would not stand for this very public and undeserved humiliation, and she took steps to find a way to deal with it. Enter my friend - this was to become "her problem".

On returning to work on Monday, she proceeded to gather facts about the meeting and the outburst by her department colleague (the man reporting to her). Thus armed, she offered the following to him - today, go to the lawyer, admit your failings and beg for forgiveness, or at least apologize to her - or be fired by the end of the day. The man did nothing of the sort, and so my friend fired him.

To add to the drama, the boss of my friend said "you have just made this pile of shit your pile", i.e. you just made life for yourself worse by firing the man as you’ll have nobody to do his job while looking for a new person... and this will take time because of the required expertise needed. And with a tone that said you will get no support from "me".

Had my friend been sucked into something she had not anticipated? Had she hurt her standing? Was anyone standing with her?

But there was a happy ending for my friend as she received an email from the top management of the woman lawyer; a two word email. "Well done".

 And 1 month later a new employee was found ... a top expert who is excelling in the job!

Barge Date:  25-04-2019

Ready to officially start the new year

We have just concluded a shake out cruise to see if Lionel is ready for the challenge of this year. Made a run south from Strasbourg, stayed overnight at a closed marina, and came back.  All went well.

My original thought had us leaving a week ago, but Easter put a slow down on this idea.  In order to get south and on to the Rhone au Rhin canal we must venture out on the Rhine River which in this area is canalized.  The rules for the Rhine, even this portion in France, requires the boat and helmsman to have advanced licenses, something that I do not have. Oddly, the rule is this:  if the boat is over 15 meters you need the extras;  if under 15 meters, anyone can venture forth and cause havoc.  So in order to get to the headway of the Rhone au Rhin, we need a pilot to be with us.  We have arranged this, and Marianne had a good talk with him.  He could not do it this past weekend as it is a 4-day holiday in France.  The earliest he could do it was this coming Friday, May 26.

One of two things will happen.  He will either come on board with us for the 2-day trip, or we will lash Lionel to his ship.  Either/or, it takes 2 days.  Should be an experience. Stand by for pictures from the Rhine.

Even though it seems we are leaving late, the amount of work on board has kept me busy.  Trying to finish up all the little tasks so I can clean up for our pilot.  The last job is to see if the window screens I made this past winter will work.  I knew that I would need to make a final fit adjustment and trying to do that now.  Lack of wood tools is a problem.  But if I can do one well and then find that it fits all 12 windows, then I will bring them all back home, make a final template and get everything done prior to the return to France.

Marianne has been hitting all the bookstores in town looking for books of interest, particularly by or about writer Romain Gary, but also children's books.  Perhaps I can announce here that we, at  our advanced age, will soon be grandparents.  Later in June a granddaughter will arrive.  So books for kids, young kids, are piling up. 

I have spent a lot of time in Strasbourg,  so there is not much I have not seen or done.  We have yet to have an outrageous ice cream treat.  We tried to open a French bank account without success.  Our boat is not "home" enough for them.  Time to leave and get on the Rhine.

Barge Date:  16-04-2019

Let's look at the improvements to the barge

I think anyone that has ever owned a boat always keeps a list of things they would like to do to improve life on board, to remove the very old and replace with something more current, to fix what is not working up to standards.

Coming through last year's boating season, we ended with a list of things to do, things we would like to see done before the start of this year's season. This included:

• new covers for the cushions in the wheel house
• new hot water heater in the kitchen that also serves the shower
• new water pump that would be quiet and deliver constant flow for the shower, for example
• bilge pump forward of the engine room bulkhead

The cushions showed age that could not be removed with cleaning, but also they looked inappropriate for such a classy barge as ours. The old water heater must be 40 years or more.  Last year it functioned at the beginning of the season but then gave out. The water pump was a classic pump and pressure tank, but the pump was 12 or 24 volts, made lots of noise, and I could never get the tank to give reasonable performance. Worse, the pressure flow varied so much that when you wanted hot water for a shower, you were constantly having to finagle with the hot and cold - and it  could be too much of either of these. Finally, there was no bilge pump in the major part of the boat, the living section. Once last year, I pulled up the access hatch and was alarmed to see a good  collection of water, entry point unknown.

If I lived in France year round, I think I could have done all of the above except the cushions. Time is too short during the cruising season to want to do this type of work while you travel, so you are left with having the work done by local people, in our case this past year, with marina workers.

You know what it would cost you to do the work.  Getting the parts, then getting the correct parts, back and forth to different stores because you don't have the little odds and ends needed to do the work correctly, needing a second set of hands that you can never depend on; your costs start to multiply.  And do you have the experience to do it correctly for a marine setting?  With the heater, you are dealing with something that can explode. One only has to look at the solar work done before last year's season to know that in order to do the quality of work you want, it has to be done by people that do it all the time.

So pictured here are these 4 jobs that have been completed on Lionel...d'Antan. We are already enjoying the improvements and their conveniences.

But there is more to come.  I can do some things and I did a number of boat projects at home over the winter.  I will show them as I get them up and working over the next month or so.

Water heater at the kitchen sink. Trim work to do.

Not exciting until you need it.

There is more of a leather look that the picture does not show.

Final location in engine room to be determined.

Barge Date:  09-04-2019

Is this barge the best barge in the land?

We are back on board Lionel...d'Antan.  Uneventful travels from home to Brussels first for a visit

with the family. We are always hosted as royalty by the family.  Marianne was able to visit her favorite book store in town, buying for herself and our first grandchild due later this year.

Then on to Strasbourg.  Used a taxi to get to the boat as a wheel is off my suitcase. Of course this is where you open the boat after it has been closed up for months.  Did I do a good job closing last year? How much water is there in the boat?  Has the work been done by the crew here at the harbor and does it look top drawer?

Right from the beginning, I began to worry.  The harbor workers had been on the boat, and I was told by email just before departure that the 12-24 volt electric was not working. The 220 volt was fine. This has to be classified as a grey area because some of the wiring may be 50 years old.

OK.  First, get some heat on the boat.  The go-to for this is the diesel stove. It had a flame for several minutes, but then out. Tried all kind of voodoo to get it to fire, but no luck.  We would sleep in the cold (actually quite nice under the covers). We walked to the local market store - closed. This is starting to add up.  More work on the stove the next day - cleaned and changed the filters for the diesel stove.  No luck.

Trip to an oral surgeon to remove stitches from a very recent tooth extraction.

OK.  I will just start the central heat. I have not had this on for more than a year but had my written instructions handy. Would not start. Could this be because the 12-24 volt system is down? Wrong wiring from last year's solar install? Spent the morning on the floor of the wheelhouse looking at an old fuse box. I  had tested the engine batteries the day before, and I thought it was nil.  I ran power from shore, and the generator immediately starts up. Then I realize my multi-meter mistake and took a second reading - above 12 volts. Verified by starting the engine. So how could I have 220 volt house power, have engine batteries start the engine, but not have low voltage power?

I can see Marianne thinking that perhaps an early arrival for her is a mistake.

I am thinking about  opening a below water tap and sending her down when the man that had done the work on the boat, Vincent, walks up and says "I know what the problem is".

There is a box with the solar/electric set-up that is a battery protector. If it senses something amiss it breaks the connection.  It can be tested by jumping the 2 heavy poles on it. Plus, and I should have known this, there are lights that must be on. Warranty item for me; hope to have part by end of the week (but I have little faith).  Now everything is working. But for the battery protector, it did not stop

the house or engine batteries from doing normal work.  Just shut down the 12-24 volt. This does not make complete sense. Does it shut down these lower voltages because something might fly them but can handle the higher voltages?

And Vincent also showed me a trick with the stove, and we had fuel flowing immediately.

This is still the best barge in the land.

Barge Date:  02-25-2019

My French Visa

 

What I have been waiting for, what I have been worried about is now in hand.  Received a long stay visa for 12 months.  This give me flexibility to adjust my  stay should there be a reason to change my return date at the end this the 2019 barging year. Of course it also means I can be in Europe for more than 90 days which is the normal limit.

Some members for the DBA have been comparing notes about the process as France has made attempts to streamline the visa process. Still seeing some differences when you would not expect any so maybe some more to learn.  May need to travel to Dijon for some paperwork, maybe even an X-ray. I must register online with France once I am in the country (by email, which is good) and then we will see if there are hoops to jump thru.

So it looks good to fly out on April 4 with our first return for college graduation being May 15, I think.

 

 

Barge Date:  02-18-2019

Preparing to return to France

I am ready to get back on the barge.  Been working on a suitable visa for France, looking at departure dates and trying to get the workers in Strasbourg to get a few things done on Lionel...d'Antan. But some progress.

Marianne and I traveled to Atlanta to submit papers for a long-stay visa.  Been working with a few other DBA members to see if we can iron out just what must be done to stay either more than 90 day up to 6 months or, if you want, to stay longer than 6 months.  We think we may have the process under control.  Will see.  I expect my passport to be returned from Washington in about 2 weeks.

Tentative departure date is April 4.  This will be the first time Marianne will travel with me at the very beginning of the yearly adventure.  If all goes well with embassy, we will fly to Brussels and take the fast train to Strasbourg. If all the work is done on the boat we will take a few days to get some heat going and to get the boat ready to travel.  This is probably a 2-3 day job so plan on a week; just work, not difficult but takes time.

We have arranged for our winter mooring already.  We will end up the year in Auxonne, France. This is very near the junctions of several waterways and is a busy spot.  Some time this year, maybe summer, maybe in September, we will come to a small town just south of Auxonne, Saint-Jean-de-Losne, to have the barge pulled out of the water for a hull inspection.  This is normally done every 5 years for insurance purposes but it is a good idea to do it anyway so you can clean the hull, check the prop for any dings and examine the anodes which are attached to the hull.  We will hire someone to come and systematically measure the thickness of the hull.  Should thickness be too little then some steel is welded in place.  All of this is important enough that I should be there to watch and make decisions as needed.

The work on the barge being done now are the projects I think I wrote about last year.  New hot water heater - an on demand heater located at the kitchen sink but also feeds the wash rooms and shower. There will be a new water pump.  Much different than previous.  No holding tank.  It is electronically controlled and the pressure can be set to a specific point.  Why?  With a pressure tank in use, the pressure varies as it cycles thru from high to low.  In the shower this is a problem.  There will be more flow some times, less at others and the mix of hot and cold changes.  You burn or you freeze.

With the new pump and water heater (this new heater has much better sensors then the 40 year old unit now in place) we can set the temperature, just run hot water and we should be able to get a constant delivery to the shower.  We will see.

And some company is working on new covers for the cushions in the wheel house.  The old covers look OK for a beach house but not a 100 year old barge.  Don't remember what I picked out but I know it will be an improvement.  Too expensive because everyone else thinks boat owners are rich.

I have been working since arriving home on a number of projects that will serve to make life on the boat better.  I will talk about these as I get them working on the boat.

With both girls away at school this year there is the question of what to do for the house and pets. A call out to friends and friends of friends did not result in any house sitters.  So Marianne posted on a house and pet sitting site for the dates we need . Wow!  Been turning people away.  Seems this will never be a problem. She is about to pick the "winner".

We will return for LiQiong's graduation at the end of May, spend about a week and head back before June.  This year we know of one visitor that will be with use.  My nephew's daughter will be on board for several weeks. I am looking forward to having a new 2nd mate.

Travel this year will be in the east central part of France - Burgundy  .  Some of the waterways have had water shortages in the past so we will want to do these early on.  I looked at last year's travels and calculated that the boat traveled about 1100km. This year?  We will see. Working on some routes for this year now to be ready.

Barge Date:  11-22-2018

Yes, I made it.

So you have been holding your breath, wondering if I was languishing in a French prison or exiled to Napoleon's favorite island. No, not that at all.

Arrived at the airport and scouted out where I have to be the next morning. In doing so, I discover

what the shuttle train is called and where to find it (not as nice as Atlanta's). Look for CDGVAL; seems to be opposite side from tarmac. If you have to go from terminal to terminal in a short time you must take the shuttle. Have dinner with a lot of other tourists at the hotel and I bet all will be descending on the airport at the same time as me.

Nearly first in line the next day.  The guy behind me has an interestedly shaped carry on and I ask about it.  Would you believe a professional kite flyer who travels the world so he can fly at interest sites.  Some times you don't know what the next guy has in his bags, so ask.

Once Air France got the baggage conveyer going it was easy until the dreaded passport control. I passed over my passport and I could immediately see a raised eyebrow.  She asked where I live - a trick question.  I responded Thomasville, GA.  Three ladies just behind joined the conversation by says "we live in Tallahassee".  I think the friendly distraction made me seem more human.  Anyway, I threw in that I had had a residence permit for Belgium good through July to make her counting of days more interesting.  She asked for the Belgium card which I did not have because it had to be returned but I did offered a photocopy of the card.  Golden.  Have a nice trip.

Was home in time for the next hurricane. Lucky me.

In a few days I will visit the French consulate in Atlanta to apply for a French long-stay (more than 180 days) visa.  While we are in France this seems to be the best option.  Will be a type that takes into consideration that my wife is an EU citizen.  I have all the documents but I am planning on something going amiss and then needing a second visit.  But the paperwork should be done quickly (they are now using an outside company to do the grunt work) and I should have what I need in 3 weeks time.

Hope to return April 1, 2019 but the kids will be making it difficult for a solid stay. LiQiong graduates at the end of May and Andrew and Christina will be married in early July.  So probably will return to France only after the wedding.

Stay tuned.  2019 promises to be a great year in France.