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The Summer Cruise
From Limehouse to Calais and on to Bruges!!!
Sunday, 13th to Tuesday, 22nd July
Well, my friends, you didn't know that we crossed the Channel, did you? But not in Liberty Belle. No, we went in Merlot, our friends' dutch barge. Well, it would be more accurate to say some of us went on Merlot, others went on P&O! Let me explain.
We had been waiting and waiting for ages to go with our friends when they took their dutch barge across the Channel to the continent. We were waiting for the right conditions, for, although Merlot is a 'C' class boat, which means she can do coastal waters, she wasn't built for heavy stuff. So we had been pootling around the Thames waiting for the call. Eventually we got a call from Ron to say they were in Limehouse Basin, waiting for good weather, and would we like to join them to while away the time. So we put Liberty Belle into a marina and went down to join them on Sunday, 13th July. When we arrived Ron said they had had an email that morning from the pilot to say that we could go tomorrow. This was all a bit sudden, as I hadn't made up my mind if I was doing any of the trip. as I had thought I would make my own way to Calais on a ferry. However, I decided to at least do the first day which, was from Limehouse to Ramsgate, all the way down the Thames estuary.
(Pass your cursor over each photograph to see the information.)
Monday 14th July
The pilot arrived this morning, and came on board. He and Ron checked everything that needed checking, and plotted a course which was put into the GPS thingie--that's a technical term, you understand. Then, at 10.00 a.m. we went into Limehouse lock and the water level was lowered, and then we were off, turning left, out onto the Thames. We'd done this bit before in May, as far as the Thames Barrier, it takes about an hour to get there. We passed Canary Wharf, Greenwich and the Isle of Dogs, and went through the Barrier. We had to call the Barrier on VHF when we had it in sight, to ask for permission to pass through. They told us which channel to go through. There are five, I think, each named A, B, C, D or E. On we went, past moored ships and the Thames began to widen out. "The City of Westminster" passed us--a pretty big ship, but we weren't rocked about too much in its wake. The trick is to steer into the wash at right angles so that you don't get rolled.
We passed the Woolwich Ferry, and now the river became really wide. There wasn't a lot to see really, just old wharfs and docks and dilapidation. The further we went, the more we were from the shore, and things became indistinct. Now we were steering by buoys and cardinals and using the GPS system. The weather was good and we had excellent visibility. We saw what is called 'The Forts' which was where the pirate radio station Radio London used to be. There weren't many ships about, a few were lying at anchor waiting for heaven knows what. Southend was on the distant horizon on the port side, but we began to hug the starboard coast, as we were heading for Ramsgate. Now the estuary was so wide we could only see the starboard coast, nothing on the port nor ahead. We plotted the course from charts and GPS. At one point we were a couple of miles off course, and had to cross over to the starboard coast.
We passed Broadstairs and eventually we came to the very end of the estuary, and rounded North Foreland.
Now we were in the English Channel, we were at sea! It had been choppy and a bit uncomfortable in the estuary, but now, although the waves were really quite gentle, but we were tossed up and down and rolled from side to side.
We passed Margate, and were looking out for Ramsgate, where we were going in to moor overnight. After about an hour and a half, it came into view and we requested permission to enter the harbour and moor, which fortunately was granted! We tied up and heaved a sigh of relief that we had come thus far. The trip had taken nine hours, and although the first part was interesting, it was really quite boring for quite a large part, as we were out of sight of anything interesting. The harbour was full of all sorts of vessels, none of which we ever see on the canals. We sorted ourselves out and then went into the town to eat. We went to bed early as tomorrow we have to set off at 6.30 a.m. The boat rocked away all night against the pontoon and made weird creaky noises to which we were not accustomed.
Tuesday, 15th July
We were all up early for the 6.30 departure--only Sheridan and I departed by taxi for Dover and the P&O ferry! Trev, Ron and the pilot set off with high hopes and light hearts to 'do the Channel' in Merlot.
Sheridan and I had a great trip, enjoying a bit of 'duty free' shopping and breakfast on the ferry. We arrived in Calais and had a walk around the town, got a few basic essentials of food and then had lunch. Sheridan had a call from Ron, which didn't sound too good. He wasn't complaining, but she could tell he wasn't enjoying it. Later he 'phoned to say that they would be arriving in Calais harbour in about an hour, and that there was 'some water' in the front bedroom.
Clik here for a (very short) video of the crossing
We walked down to the harbour to meet them, only to see they had arrived already and were waiting for the next opening of the bridge into the Yacht Basin. We all waved to each other, and then, when they came into the basin, we got on board. Sheridan and I had certainly taken the right decision. They had had an awful crossing, the wind had been Force 4/5 gusting 6, and the water had got behind the protective cover over the front bedroom window. In fact, the waves had been breaking over the front bows all the way. The boat had gone up and crashed down on every wave. The mattress was sodden, water was running out of it, similarly with the duvet and the pillows. The carpet was wringing wet too.
We stayed in Calais for two nights to try to get everything sorted out. We got the mattress and pillows out on the deck and put them in the sun to try to start drying out. We found a laundrette and got the duvet washed and dried, and kept the bedroom windows open to try to dry the bedroom out. The mattress eventually dried out after a week, and Sheridan and Ron were able to sleep in their own bed for the first time since they'd left England, on the very last night of the cruise. We ate out both nights in Calais, in the town square at a pleasant little restaurant.
Whilst we were in the Yacht Basin, other boats came in the next day, and were incredulous that we had crossed the Channel in such conditions. Some of them had started out on the same day as Merlot, and turned back as they felt it was too rough.
Thursday, 17th July
Today we set off on the next stage of the trip--from Calais to Bruges. We were quite pleased to be leaving the Yacht Basin, the mooring was fine, but terribly noisy. It creaked and groaned and banged and rumbled, and kept us awake at night. It was a floating pontoon, which means it rose and fell with the tide. Some times we went to bed right at the bottom of the wall, and woke up at the top!
At 12 noon, the bridge opened and out we went, through the inner harbour and round to the right onto the canal system. The first lock was open at both ends, but there was a road bridge across it which had to be opened. We crossed the Bassin Carnot and into the next lock. The lock keeper emptied the lock and we went through and moored up outside the office of the Voies Navigables de France, to buy the waterways licence. Ron and Sheridan went off to purchase it, but Florence was off sick, and so they couldn't buy one.
So we set off on to the canal and came to a lift bridge. The bridge was closed and there was no one about to open it. We looked it up in the guide and it said we should 'phone a number. So, being the only vaguely French speaker in the party, I got the job. I can speak some French, but I don't find it easy to understand French on the 'phone. It seemed that the bridge person was having his lunch and would come in an hour when he'd finished! And he did and let us through.
As we cruised along, some times the bridge or lock keeper would be there waiting for us, some times we had to 'phone ahead and some times the bridges opened as if by magic! We never saw anyone there at all. We passed our first real big barge today, a commercial one, and hugged the bank to let it pass. At one lock, we had to show all of our papers--they're very keen on paperwork here. The lock keeper was aware that we didn't have a licence--he knew of Florence's ill health--and so he gave us a piece of paper to say that we didn't have a licence!
That evening we moored up by a little village called Rumingheim. there were no real moorings anywhere, we tied to some railings. It was a peaceful spot and we all slept well.
Friday, 18th July
We walked into the village this morning, such a pretty place, and bought some provisions and then set off for Veurne. Today we would cross the border into Belgium. And we still hadn't got the French waterways licence. Perhaps they wouldn't let us out of France without it?
We travelled to the end of the Canal du Calais and turned onto the River l'Aa Canalisee towards Dunkirk. After ringing the lockie, all the bridges were opened for us as we went along. We passed a group of boys being taught how to fish. Isn't that nice? They all waved; the fisherman over here are all so pleasant and give us a cheery wave. British fishermen please take note; these fishermen do not belive that canals were built for anglers, not boats!
One lock near Dunkirk was interesting. The gates were shut as we approached it, and there was no one about. We were a long way down in the water and couldn't see what was happening. We edged slowly forward and eventually must have triggered something, as the lock gates opened and in we went, still with no lock keeper in evidence. There was a switch hanging down from the top of the lock on a chain. On the switch were two buttons, red and black. We chose the black one and the gates shut behind us! Then the water slowly filled the lock, the top gates opened and out we went!
We arrived at the junction with the Canal du Bourbourg and turned right on to it through flat industrial scenery to Dunkirk. At the lock 'Jeu de Mail' Sheridan & Ron managed to buy the French waterways licence, just as well as we were about to leave the country! We turned right on to the Canal du Furnes, crossed into Belgium without any formalities and then went on along a straight canal for miles.
Eventually we came to a delightful little town called Veurne, where there were excellent free moorings. We tied up and ate on board, and then in the evening we walked into the town, where there was a fete in the town square, with an oompah band and a jazz band and entertainment. We each had a coffee and a brandy and the bill was €30! Phew, we won't do that too often.
Saturday, 19th July
In the morning we went on through the town in the boat, first through the lock which had a swing bridge over it and then under a railway bridge which was raised for us!
Once we 'phoned ahead, then everything was done for us like clockwork, a fantastic service and all for €100 a year! Then we were out into the countryside again, on a long straight canal. On one side there was a cycling/walking path and lots of people were out doing just that, one even had rollerblades on. At Wulpen we encountered a lift bridge which seemed to be new and didn't feature on any of the maps we had. We moored up and walked over to see what we should do. There was a control box but it required a card to make it work. We were just wondering what to do next when a man arrived and opened it for us. We never knew why he had arrived at that moment, but in we went, and he followed us along in a ltittle yellow van and did all the other bridges for us.
Along the bank at one point there was a delightful mooring, with electricity and water and a picnic table with a roof over it--all for free! And it hadn't been vandalised................ Eventually we arrived at Nieuwpoort and here we passed through a big lock and across a basin with a choice of three locks. Fortunately the lockie had told us which one to aim for and we went through and moored up whilst Sheridan and Ron went to buy a Belgian Waterways licence. It was really difficult to moor up here, the land was very flat and the wind was blowing hard, trying to take us to the wrong side of the canal. Added to this, all the mooring places were already taken, and we ended up leaping from the boat onto a steep slope and tying to a large post and a road sign.
Now we were on the Plassendale Nieuwpoort Canal, and again all of the bridges were opened for us. The scenery is getting better, but is always flat and the canals are dead straight, a reflection of the geography of the land. Tonight we stayed at Oodenburg, on another mooring with free electricity and water. There was a glorious sunset here.
Sunday, 20th July
Today we set off on the final leg of our journey, to Bruges. It was windy most of the day, but fine. We had a lovely trip, it got better as we went on. We went to the end of the Plassendale Nieuwpoort Canal and turned right onto the Ostend Gent canal. This was the widest, and prettiest, we had been on so far. It was also the busiest, but that was interesting, to see the variety of craft there was on the canal. There were lockies all the way to open the bridges for us.
Eventually we arrived at Bruges. Here we had to wait for ages in a very windy basin for the lock to be opened, and it wasn't easy to hold the boat. We were circling with about half a dozen other boats for twenty minutes, but eventually the gates were opened and we saw why it had taken so long. The lock was circular and enormous. We all went in and the gates shut--we never saw anyone operating it. There was a mad Spanish boy plugged into a walkman, steering a hire cruiser, and he was going round the lock at full pelt trying to find somewhere to moor. Bollards and rings were not much in evidence. At one point he went backwards in reverse, and smashed into the side. Ron invited him to come and breast up to Merlot, which I thought was very generous given the young man's driving technique. So he came towards us at top speed. "Stop! Stop!" I cried. He carried on coming. I crossed my arms across my chest. That had no effect. "Lente! Lente" I shouted, hoping it might be something he understood. He hit us at full speed, but fortunately the fenders saved us from damage. His father was on the deck, and didn't seem to think anything was amiss! The lock took ages to fill and then we came out, under three more magically operated lift bridges and there ahead of us was journey's end--the Coupure Yacht Basin.
This is a disused canal, with a lift bridge at the entrance. The Harbourmaster opened the bridge and called to us through a megaphone to go in backwards. So Ron turned us round and we reversed in and onto a mooring. Hooray, we were safe and sound after what was to us, and especially the men, an epic trip. We'd had a wonderful experience and had really enjoyed all of it. Now we could relax for a couple of days in Bruges before we left for home.
Tuesday 22nd July
The trip home, though not as exciting as the trip out, was quite an adventrue. We went to Bruges railway station to buy tickets for Ostend to catch a ferry back. As we were about to purchase the tickets, I asked about the frequency of the ferries from Ostend to Dover. "Oh they stopped running in 2000!" the ticket person said. What a good job I had asked. So, we caught a train to Calis via Lille, which was a pretty long way round of doing things. We missed the connection from Lille to Calais and so we went and sat in a square and had a drink in the sun whilst we waited for the next train. At Calais we caught a bus from the station to the port, then a ferry to Dover. Here we had a taxi to the station and caught a train to London Victoria--which stopped at fifteen stations! True! then we walked to Victoria coach station--about ten minutes--me dragging my suitcase on wheels, Trev with a huge rucksack on his back (made heavier, I might add, by a considerable amount of duty free alcohol!)--and caught a coach to Oxford. here we took a taxi to the marina.
When we got to the marina, in the dark--it was about 11.15--we couldn't find the boat! It wasn't where we'd left it. We only had a small torch to search with, and a man came out of another boat with a flashlight to help. They walked all round the marina whilst I waited with the luggage. After about twenty minutes, Trev found the boat- It was in the wet dock, indoors! We thought it had been stolen, but all was well. It had taken us thirteen hours, but at last we were home.
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