The Journey -
Journey's End on Rosy?

The last log of the voyage ended on 2 Oct 2005 when we were moored in the convenient boat club at Seneffe.

We left there on Mon 3 Oct, and turned onto the Canal de Centre, heading for Strepy Thieu where we descended the might ship lift.  We ascended it last year, and this year, on our way down it, we suffered from the same delusion ...  namely that, because the structure is so massive and solid, one feels that instead of us and the boats descending, it is the surrounding world that is ascending - a delusion that leads to a tightening of the stomach.

We moored a few hundred metres beyond the bottom of the ship lift, on a quay beside the entrance to the old canal that, before the ship lift was completed, took boats up the four 'Anderton' style boat-lifts.  These are still out of operation.  There was an accident a couple of years ago at the top (no.  1) lift when a malfunction badly damaged the lift itself and a peniche.

Michael Clarke met us on the quay, bearing my long lost post.  He also brought the news that repairs to the broken boat lift are now under way AND that the opportunity is being taken to renovate the other three lifts - so they should soon be back in service.  This will restore a wonderful tourist, circular cruise - up the four old lifts and down the single, magnificent new one.  And with the Ronquiere inclined plane not far away, it will be a Mecca for boaters.

Just to remind canal-minded folk of the debt that we all owe to Michael Clarke.  He lives in Belgium, and is heavily involved in boaty matters.  He was a key player in the successfully lobby that got the dreaded Recreational Craft Directive changed so as to allow old 'historic' engines to be put into new boats.  He has also engaged in protracted correspondence concerning the derogation that the UK has concerning the use of red diesel in pleasure boats, and now has correspondence to show that red diesel can be bought in countries with the derogation (even for boats registered in countries without it) and provided that it is in the main fuel tank of the vessel, can be used in a country without the derogation.  Michael attends many other pan-European boating forums, and helps to keep the interests of British boaters in the foreground.

We left Strepy Thieu the next day for a 28 km cruise to the Grand Large de Pommeroeul.  Our route took us along the edge of Mons - a surprisingly small town in view of its significance in WW1.  (As an aside, of the Duke of Marlborough's four great battles of Blenheim, Ramillies, Oudenarde and Malplaquet, only Oudenarde appears on my European road map.  WTF are the others?)

The Grand Large de Pommeroeul is a big basin off the Canal de Centre, that leads to a newish, but currently disused lock.  It is disused because it drops down to a cut which is now clogged with silt caused by engineering works elsewhere.  Apparently, arguments as to who should fund the dredging are at stalemate!!  The lock is kept in working order waiting for the day when it can re-open.  The long quay for the lock makes a convenient mooring and it is Fanny the Woof's favourite mooring.  There is lots of surrounding grass to run on and hills to run up and down - she revels in it.  We humans also enjoy it.  The basin is so large that the wash from barges passing along the main line is barely felt.  There are some small villages nearby, but far enough away so that there is no noise.  One has a church twisted spire - like the one in Chesterfield.  A railway runs close by the basin, but it is many metres below the level of the basin, so that there is almost no noise from the passing trains.  Hence it is a remote, quiet mooring - and FREE - which is what we like. 

For various reasons we stayed there for six days.

We eventually left this peaceful spot for a short cruise down to the top of the two locks at Peronnes, where we over-nighted and prepared for the next day, which promised to be a bit long.  We also visited the nearby boatyard to book in for a haul-out early next year - to scrub and blacken Rosy's bottom.

In fact, the next day's journey wasn't as bad as it could have been, mainly because we were not unduly delayed at any of the locks.  The two Peronnes locks were ready for us, and we filled with water at the lower one.  Then we were cruising down the Schelde/Escaut, through Tournai and thence up to Bossuit where we turned left to get onto the canal that crosses over the water shed between the Schelde/Escaut and the Leie.

At the first lock we moved from 'French' Belgium to 'Dutch' Belgium.  In the French part, boats 'pay as they go' - our journey through it cost 1.05 Euro per boat!  In the Dutch part they have licence fees.  Our fee for the rest of the year was 50 Euro per boat BUT ...  it doesn't expire until 31 March 2006.  And since the boatyard at Peronnes is expecting us in about mid-March, the licence will see us through!!  There!!  There IS a God!!! 

Armed with our new licence, we went up the second lock to the summit level.  These two uphill locks were the most uncomfortable locks of the entire trip.  I had been down them a couple of years ago, and thought that they were little pussy-cats, but going up them ...

First of all they are quite deep.  Secondly, they are equipped for commercial vessels, such that the bollards and rising-bollards are spaced out, so that it is almost impossible to get fore and aft lines in place.  Hence one relies on a centre line.  Unfortunately, the water boils up underneath the boats, getting between the boat and the lock side, forcing the boat away from the wall, and causing the boat to list at a most uncomfortable angle.

Shaken (and somewhat stirred) we moored above the second lock, and were immediately accosted by a drunken gent off a rather scruffy boat (from which was emanating loud muzac) who told us where the shops were (we later discovered that there aren't any), that mooring was prohibited (he was moored there, and the lock-keeper told us that we were welcome to moor there), that we were most welcome (!!?!) and could he do anything for us.  YES matey - turn the bloody music off and go away!!!!  I evacuated myself, Fanny and Rosy to the far end of the quay and spent a peaceful night.

Early next morning I had two new experiences.

The first was when I went out looking for the non-existent shops, and found, instead, a slot machine for bread - not especially good bread, but very much better than no bread.

The second was to see the latest boaty past-time - boating backwards.  I assume that winding holes are not conveniently placed on the Bossuit canal, as during the day we saw several boats going backwards - I mean big BOATS - 2000+ tonners

The far (northernish) end of the Bossuit canal has not been modernised, and there is a flight of diddy locks - about as wide as a UK broad canal, but a bit longer.  We were worked down by a travelling lock-keeper, who was pretty amazed that we were off our boats and wielding lock keys and opening gates - he is normally left to do all the work.  At the bottom, the authorities have installed traffic lights to control exit out onto the Leie, so we waited for a green before proceeding up the Leie for a few metres to the mooring at Kortrik (aka Courtrai).  The lock-keeper told us of a friendly, nearby bar.

The Kortrik mooring is a free mooring with water and electricity and was pretty full.  Some boats seem to be permanently moored there.  The only space was at the downstream end, below a particularly pongy sewage/drain outfall.  Our friends on 'Merchant' were also there, so we caught up with their happenings.  There were a two other Brit boats there - Sagar Marine style 'Dutch' barges we guessed, but we didn't see the owners.

We went up to the bar in the evening - it was next door to a brothel - and it was, indeed, convivial and friendly, though the folks next door didn't come in for any refreshments.

The next day we took our headaches with us as we cruised down the Leie to Dienze.  The river is broad, canalised and remarkably uninteresting, with the banks not in a very good state of repair.  We arrived at Dienze, and stayed on the yacht club mooring where we had to pay :-( and which was not very comfortable as the barges on the main line caused us to move about rather a lot - indeed, we had a snapped rope.

These previous few days had been very pleasant but, sadly, the next day the weather became chilly and very overcast.  Our voyage up the very pretty River Leie was thus marred somewhat, though at least the rain only threatened to fall.  The river meanders about, and is not particularly big.  It has some very smart houses, many of mansion size, and most with well kept (and extensive) lawns, shrubberies and flower beds.  Several have life sized plastic cows, one has some live roe deer.  Twee maybe, and on a smaller scale rather Thamesy. 

And so, after a longish day, we eventually arrived at VVW Gent - our winter moorings.

So that, folks, completes Rosy's cruising log for 2005.  But worry not!!  We will continue with these witterings through the winter - detailing the highs and lows, and keeping you up to date with the goings-on of Rosy, Fanny-the-Woof and, well, everyone really.

Our moorings were not ready for us, but we found a place to hide for a few days.  Our arrival was on a Friday night, and many of the yacht club boats left the next day for the end of season cruise.  So the harbour master was away.  The permanent staff (who run the club-house bar etc) were also away on their annual holidays - so we saw no-one all weekend until the cruisers returned on Sunday night and rushed off home.  Monday is the day the permanent staff always have off (they work at the weekends) so we were not attended to until Tuesday.  Our troubles are still not over as boats will be taken out of the water for winter storage next weekend, so until then we will have to make do with a temporary perch.

We met up with Julian Hereward and his boat narrow boat 'Santana'.  We have seen him several times, but he is always rushing along, and we rarely get to talk to him.  He cruises in the summer, but goes back to the UK for the winter.  For the last few years he has over-wintered his boat in the yacht club.

The day after our arrival I went up into Gent to meet Jeff the Book.  Jeff (Godfrey, actually) boated in the UK, for a time with camping boats, but he was also on the Thames run up to Coxes Mill on the River Wey.  He then worked peniches over in Europe, until settling down in Gent and opening a shop selling (in the main) second-hand English books - that is books written in English.

Then I had a very enjoyable couple of days with Paul and Pat Moran.  Paul was my boss in my first posting after my initial burst of military training.  Indeed, he was the best boss I had in the Army.  Straight as a die, supportive of all his subordinates, relaxed off-duty and with a lovely family.  He runs a motor home, and had been touring in France with his wife Pat.  So we reminisced about old times, ate well, drank a bit too much and had a wonderful time.  We took Rosy up to the centre of Gent, and went to see the van Eyck altarpiece 'The Adoration of the Lamb'.  I've been to see it at least a dozen times, and never tire of it.

All in all, life is pretty damned good.  We've had a good voyage.  Our winter moorings are OK.  We have a dock booked for early next year.  We have heating oil for the oil stove, fuel for the coal fire in the back cabin, mains electricity, toilets and showers in the club house - which also has a bar that also sells proper, 'home cooked' food, and we are not too far from shops, internet caffs etc etc.

Toodle pip!!

Bill