Simon
Jenkins, the managing director of Norbury
Wharf on the Shropshire Union Canal,has
been on
the boat buying trip of a lifetime, bringing his first historic barge
back to Belgium, the country in which it was built, from the shores
of the Mediterranean.
Last month he travelled through the
Ardennes to Namur where he said goodbye to his crew, Now it is time
to find out the truth about his historic Belgian barge.
This is his story, in his own words.
We
had a couple of days off, I think we deserved it, we had travelled
over 1200 km, through 230 locks in a total of 19 days cruising. This
was the first leg of our journey nearly over, after a much-needed
break and some sightseeing around the beautiful city of Namur we
untied and headed for our temporary mooring at a boat club at an old
lock at a place called Lives-Sur-Meurse,
 |
| Dawn on the way to the mooring |
Bloody
hell - the commercial barges just don't stop - almost 24 hours a day
they come past at speeds of 15 kmph, loaded down to their gunwales,
weighing up to 2,500 tons, and really close to us. We had eight ropes
out to secure us, and even then the ropes would heave and stretch at
an alarming rate, going ‘ping-pinggg-pingggggg’ until I really
thought they would break.
 |
| The commercial barges don't slow down |
It
worried me a little that the boat would be left there unattended for
two months whilst we returned back to the UK, but return we must. The
next day saw a taxi at silly-o’clock pick us up and take us to
Charleroi
airport for our return to Blighty. Oh how much I was looking forward
to an English curry - that sounds wrong, I know!
It
was arranged that the local ship yard at a place called Beez would
side-slip the boat on September 10, and that a local surveyor would
conduct the first survey two days later. So after our stay back in UK
catching up on jobs at Norbury and buying much needed essentials for
the boat - much cheaper here than the continent because the pounds is
so weak against the Euro - we headed back to Belgium with the car
full to the brim with stuff for the boat, plus clothes and personal
items as we knew this would be another long time spent away from
home.
So
it was with some trepidation that we arrived at the boat club,
worried what I might find. To my surprise the boat was fine. The
ropes had stretched somewhat and I’m glad I had put rope protectors
where the ropes came over the wall to protect against chaffing, but
everything on the boat was fine, except the water pump had decided to
pack up. Soon sorted that with a bit of persuasion to the motor.
It
was hard work lowering everything down on to the boat 10ft below
using a rope, there were some heavy items like two 20 litre oil drums
for the engine service, new water pump and accumulator (not like the
ones we use on narrowboats) and some rather large ropes for securing
the boat, as well as suitcase full of the missus's clothes (I think
she thought she was not coming home ever).
There
might have been a kitchen sink in there too, I lost count of
everything in the end, but there was a new gas hob, so chances are
the sink wouldn't have been far behind! Another trip to the local
supermarket and we were ready for the off and up to the shipyard.
We
departed from our temporary mooring for the half an hour trip to the
shipyard and tied up by a large quay, which was a good 16ft up from
the water with ladders. I stayed put until I saw the carriages (known
as Shires) being lowered down the side slip rails and in to the
water.
 |
| Coming out of the water at the boatyard |
We
were beckoned towards them and floated over the top of the three of
them. Slowly we felt the boat staring to feel different as it settled
on to these large carriages as they were being drawn back up the side
slip, anew experience for me.
 |
| The railway bogies supporting the boat |
I
have docked hundreds of boats, side launched boats, craned boats, but
nothing like this. We waited patiently until at the top of the
railway lines. A tower crane swung around with a rather large steel
set of steps which it placed next to the boat so that we could get
off and in to the ship yard.
We
were greeted by the loveliest of men called Akim. He showed us where
the water and electricity were, and then I made my way to see
Michael, the yard manager, to discuss the works. We set up a meeting
with the local painting team, and that was it, they started straight
away in pressure washing the hull in preparation for the hull survey
two days later.
 |
| At the top of the slope, next to the hotel boat being built |
Dry
docks, slipways, hard standing - it is not a pleasant place to be
when stopping on boat, but in the middle of a massive ship yard which
is working 24hr a day to complete the enormous passenger ship which
was next to us was even more unpleasant.
It
didn’t matter during the day as we both had plenty of jobs to do,
but it was difficult to really relax in the evening with giant flood
lights lighting up the curtains and the sound of workmen clanging and
banging around - but they had a job to do.
The
surveyor duly turned up as agreed and set to banging the hull with
his hammer-taking thickness readings and marking the hull with
chalk-I have seen it done hundreds of times before on the dry dock at
Norbury so I wasn't fazed by it at all. The play was measured in the
prop shaft bearing and the rudder bearing and they were well within
tolerance; and then the good news came in the form of the surveyor
who announced that the hull was sound, and that it was always a
pleasure to do this boat because of its excellent condition.
 |
| A first look at the stern gear - it gets a thumbs up from the surveyor |
That
was a big weight off my mind as, when we bought the boat, we had
done the deal at a massively reduced rate on an ‘as seen as is
basis,’ so it was a big relief that the gamble had paid off!
The
next day we had the meeting with the painters, a few jobs were
discussed with the welders like fitting 20 new anodes and some fender
eyes and that was it. Off we went again only this time we were being
moved backwards along another set of railway lines - like a railway
truck being shunted around a freight yard.
This
had two purposes - one to free up the slip so they could launch this
huge hotel ship they had been building for the last year or so, and
to put us in a place for the painting works to be completed. We
decided that we needed a break from all of this so so we jumped in
the car and returned home for a few days.
We
returned to the boat, this time on our motorbike, as this would make
life so much easier. We could lift it on to the boat and then the
next leg of the journey meant we didn't have to worry about
collecting the car when we reached our final destination.
The
works were progressing well and they quoted about ten days with a
team of painters to finish the job, providing the weather was kind,
of which it mostly was.
 |
| Ambiorix in her new livery - ready to return to the water |
All
finished and then there was a delay in relaunching because of another
big boat on the slip - and then the day came for relaunch.
Sporting
her new livery, her freshly painted bottom in red anti foul and
everything looking wonderful it was a great sight. There were a hair
raising few moments when they picked the motorbike up with the tower
crane, hoisting it a long way in the air and then swung it about like
a conker on a piece of string. The crane trundled along the railway
tracks and safely deposited the bike on the back of the boat, while I
was thinking ‘how the hell do I explain this to the insurance
company.’
Off
the boat now wobbles down the railway line on the slip and back in to
the water-we reversed back to the quay where we started from and
celebrated with a drink on the back deck. But all was not what it
seemed and we would need that drink again the next day!
In
the next episode: Back in the water – but is that a leak?
