First lock exiting Sarreguemines, alas despite the initial green light we had to wait ……
We had planned today would be a rest day in Sarreguemines, exploring the town, an old working mill and then heading down to Remelfing to moor up overnight and go out to dinner at La Potence which we had scoped out on our ride yesterday.
Well we decided yesterday afternoon that we didn’t really like the vibe of the town, the weather looked horrible so it would be a good day to start our upstream return journey. I say upstream as the first time I was on lock duty rather than rope duty I pressed the downstream button on the vhf control so we had to wait for the lock to fill and then empty! Silly Pooh’s, fortunately we were not in a rush.
Picture of the marina when we did get through the lock.
Fortunately at this point the rain had not kicked in so we were able to get some nice photos and footage of us leaving Sarreguemines where there were some interesting boats moored up for the winter (see Mike’s video at the end of the post).
My other misadventure was to slice the top of my finger with a super sharp knife so no more real rope duty for me, but lots of steering through the remaining locks. Fortunately I had brought a pair of marigolds so could wear those whilst doing boat duty to keep the copious bandages dry and clean. The canal water is full of nasty bacteria given the custom of many boats to empty their waste into the canals / rivers.
What else, well it rained a lot today and we discovered the front window seals need replacing as they leak and it seemed impossible to move the steering function from exposed outside to warm steamy comfy inside. We didn’t want to break the lever! Note when we got back to base the mechanic had no such problems! However, the windshield wipers also weren’t that effective and it would be hard to see out so we just donned our trusty ponchos and put up with the rain. Fortunately it is not too cold or windy. Mike endured most of it as I took the opportunity of longer stretches between locks to prepare breakfast and dinner.
Opposite are some photos from our day
One thing I loved was seeing landmarks we had passed on our bikes and the previous days on the boat from a different perspective.
The first picture of the colourful phone box was a challenge to take as I had to zip over and take the photo before the lock gates opened and we were meant to exit! All the while Mike keeping control of the ropes and rudder.
We set out as the locks opened at 0830 as we wanted to reach Bisset, about 33km and 10 locks upstream. A big day especially given the weather conditions. We liked the mooring on our way up and I have another cycle planned for the west side of the Sarre river tomorrow. Mike opted for porridge and we moored up just after Zetting and hunkered down inside riding out a particularly heavy rain band. The forecast was that it should have then stayed dry till about 1600 when we hoped to have reached Bissert. Instead it rained on and off all day so was I glad we didn’t have wall to wall locks to contend with.
Saying that our lock work upstream has gone really smoothly. The strategy of getting up the ladder and securing the bow rope first before the helm throws up the stern rope is definitely the most efficient strategy. And I am really happy about how I have handled the boat today. However, I am writing this just before we reach Bissert and I have to reverse into the mooring, with guidance from Mike, so will see how that goes. Went really well, no bumps or shouting. Excellent end to the day.
Looking forward to our curry for dinner.
It is really nice to moor up and enjoy a relaxing evening in a nice quiet location.
