From the Mediterranean to the English Channel by boat - episode four

NOW FOR THE SAÔNE

Simon Jenkins is a well known figure on the British canal system and has been a boater for decades, living on, working and owning boats and, for the last couple of decades, the managing director of Norbury Wharf on the Shropshire Union Canal.

There he runs a brokerage, hire fleet, day boats, a trip boat and a chandlery, as well as a paint dock, dry dock and full engineering services. Simon has dipped his toe in to the waters of other boat-related ideas including sea-going charters, but the inland waterways are his first love and he has turned his gaze to Europe, with it’s wide waterways and fully functioning system of commercial river and canal navigations. He is just back from 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 we heard how he completed the Rhone despite the winter water levels. Now he is moving ever northwards on the River Saône. This is his story, in his own words.

We emerged from the last lock on the Rhone with some relief. We had made it without incident or accident, the barge had handled perfectly, the engine faultlessly and, apart from the generator battery dying on us and one of the macerator toilets packing up, all was good.

Another pusher tug and its barge, seen from the wheelhouse of Amborix

We still had plenty of food onboard so we could crack on with the next step, the River Saône. As we were passing through Lyon we were told of a good place to buy diesel – the only place as it turned out – and, sure enough, there it was.

A fascinating array of barges, some being worked on, some lived on, one was even being used as a floating dry dock-with another barge half in and half out having a new bottom welded on to it. There, in the middle, was this rather large fuel barge cum chandlery run by a lovely family.

The waterfront in historic Lyon

Passing through the city which clearly enjoys its river

They had been pre-warned of our arrival so we were greeted kindly and we proceeded to fill up with fuel. Our barge holds 4,000 litres of red and 2,000 litres of white, so we filled them to the brim as we did not know where we would find fuel again.

It’s not easy to get fuel in France, it’s not too bad for small boats as some of the marinas sell it, but we cant get into these marinas as we are too big, so you have to be a bit self sufficient and plan ahead.

Leaving Lyon

 

All filled up now, so we carried on the river Saône – and it doesn’t seem that much different to the Rhone to start with, maybe a little smaller, but still a large commercial waterway of 218 km with 5 locks measuring 180m x 12m.

We travelled through Lyon and past all if its wonderful barges and carried on to Saint-Jean-De-Losne where it was planned that we stop for a day or two for our crew, Paul and Mal, to take care of some important business.

This was also where they lived and so we had the use of their car which allowed us to do some much needed shopping for the next leg of the journey.

Moored under the road bridge at Saint-Jean-De-Losne

When we arrived we stopped in the old lock cut and filled our water tank. As with diesel, there aren’t  many convenient places to pick up water, although its free. Still, the boat carries 6,500 litres of fresh water, so it doesn’t need topping up frequently.

Saint-Jean-De-Losne is a lovely place and an important centre for the canals as it is where the Canal Centre Champagne et Bourgogne joins the river Saône and was a very busy inland port.

Our original plan was to use this canal, however a lock on the Ardennes canal had collapsed which would have meant a much longer trip around the stoppage. Instead we carried on the river Saône which would take us to the Canal de Vosges (Canal de L’Est).

Sometimes you are reminded that they do things differently in France and whilst in Saint-Jean-De-Losne we were boarded by the French river police to check our papers and safety equipment. It’s odd having armed police board your boat and it is certainly a contrast with a C&RT number checker on his bike. It was all OK though, and nice guys they were too. They were happy with all of our paperwork and licenses etc. 

Coming into one of the first 'narrow' locks

The Saône is almost two separate rivers. There is the large commercial waterway but, after Saint-Jean-de-Losne, things start to change. This section is 147 km and has 19 locks and soon we came to a small lock, well it was small compared to what we had been used to so far.

These locks are for much smaller boats, although still commercial, they will only accommodate boats of 38 m x 5 m. Now this is starting to get interesting and more like the UK canals.

Our barge is 30 m x 5 m, so squeezing in to these little locks takes some seriously good judgement and a certain amount of skill - none of which I had mastered at that point.

The poor old boat took a bit of a pounding to start with as I was trying to enter the locks with a little speed. I soon found out the only way to do it was at a snails pace. Thankfully I soon got that mastered and after that nearly all the locks were entered just fine.

A misty morning on a village mooring on the River Saone

The upper Saône is lovely. It has a much more intimate feel to it, beautiful views of far-off villages through lovely unspoilt countryside, small towns that flank the banks of the river in places, smaller locks and some have pretty lock keepers cottages.

Most of these locks are semi-manual locks -what is a semi manual lock I can hear you cry?

Well, on the approach to the lock there is something called a twizzle stick. This is a device, usually hanging from a wire strung across the navigation, and, as you approach, you have to turn the stick, or pole, or tube, in order to operate the lock’s automatic system to open the gate.

Once inside the lock there are two bars - one blue, one red, and if you push up on the blue pole and the lock operates automatically, the gates open and off you go to the next lock. In case of emergency then just push the red pole and the whole operation stops.

It makes operating the locks a bit of fun as you have to try and find the swizzle stick on the approach and then place the boat in a position in order for a member of the crew to operate the stick.

In the next episode: A world of locks and tunnels and the obligatory daft Englishman in a GRP boat, as well as a meeting with an old friend

From the Mediterranean to the English Channel by boat - 3

ONWARDS AND NORTHWARDS

Simon and his partner Amanda

Simon Jenkins is a well known figure on the British canal system and has been a boater for decades, living on, working and owning boats and, for the last couple of decades, the managing director of Norbury Wharf on the Shropshire Union Canal.

There he runs a brokerage, hire fleet, day boats, a trip boat and a chandlery, as well as a paint dock, dry dock and full engineering services. Simon has dipped his toe in to the waters of other boat-related ideas including sea-going charters, but the inland waterways are his first love and he has turned his gaze to Europe, with it’s wide waterways and fully functioning system of commercial river and canal navigations. He is just back from 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 entered the mighty River Rhone and braved the narrows. Now he is to meet some big locks and big boats. This is his story, in his own words.

The navigable river Rhone stretches from Lyon in central France to the Mediterranean sea. It is 325km long and has 12 massive locks, it travels along the Rhone valley through some spectacular places like Avignon, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Valence, Vienne, and Lyon.

Wine country

Wine terraces

 

As well as being a very important commercial route it also plays an important role in generating electricity in the form of hydro electric power plants at every lock. The locks themselves are all pretty much in canalised sections of the main river. These tend to be narrower than the river and as they also have a hydro plant at the end and this can mean even more strong currents.

We had to pick our timings, as best we could, to avoid peak generating times – morning, lunch and evening - when the plants could be operating at maximum potential.

This means letting a tremendous amount of water through the generators, slowing our progress down to 4 or 5 kmph, grindingly slow, and always a relief to get in to the lock.

Hydro-electric generation plant at a Rhone lock

The biggest lock we did was Bollene lock, measuring a massive 190 m long, and 12 m wide, with an impressive drop of 23 m. As we were going uphill I think we got the best and most impressive view. It was like a cathedral of locks, a massive, cold and a dank damp place to be.

As we entered the lock we made our way on our, now apparently tiny little boat, towards the front, secured our lines to the massive floating bollards sunk in to the lock walls and waited.

Bollene lock

Entering the lock

Big gates

As I looked back out of the wheel house I was greeted by the width of the lock starting to fill with a hotel ship, its huge bow and beam occupying the lock with inches to spare.

It loomed up on us and almost over hung the stern of our boat. We were close enough to speak with some of the guests onboard who were just finishing breakfast. As they looked down on us we must have seemed like ants on a bit of a branch clinging to the lock sides.

The lock was very gentle as it filled, and in no time at all we were all at the top, gates open, green lights and off we go again.

Hotel ship entering behind us

Hotel ship goes on its way

 

There are not that many places to stop along the river - but there were some fascinating places we would love to have lingered. However, as we were on a schedule on our journey we couldn't take advantage and most nights we ended up moored above a lock.

Not ideal moorings, as they were mostly on what is called ‘dolphins’ which are bloody great steel tubes sunk in to the bed of the river, some without any shore access. As the commercial boats could work 24 hours a day, the wash from them made for an unpleasant nights sleep, with the ropes creaking and heaving as loaded barges and hotel ships went past.

We eventually made the last narrow point of our journey at a place called the Medeterean bridge at Givors, which was also one of the longest lock cuts, or diversions as they are also known, on our route.

We had been watching the flow rates increase day by day as the North had rain and the snow in the Alps kept melting. As we were travelling North things were getting quite bad and there was even the prospect that we could have been stuck on the river, as it could be closed to navigation for safety reasons.

By now there was plenty of flotsam and jetsam coming down the brown and dirty river so we tied up on a handy pontoon just before the bridge and decided to wait 24 hours to see if the flow would subside a little.

I phoned and spoke with the previous owner and he said that he would never have attempted to go through that bridge with the flow as strong as it was, even though he had confidence in the boat being able to do it.

We waited 24hours with the rushing water around our bows-and the flotsam and jetsam getting caught under the pontoon. I was starting to get concerned as we watched big commercial barges and hotel boats come past us sideways around the bends, taking up the entire width of the river at up to 20 kmph, and then the very rare barge pushing against the flow at 5 kmph.

Large pusher tug on the fast-flowing Rhone

Tug without its barges

In the end, that little barge that we had overtaken right at the start of our journey on the Petite Rhone came chugging past us. We watched him for about half an hour as he pushed against the flow.

Paul radioed the guy who turned out to be Dutch, he said that he had done this journey several times and, although the flow was stronger than normal, he was happy enough to push on.

Small barge pushing the flow

I had total confidence in our barge and the engine, so the decision was made, and we set off shortly afterwards. We untied from the pontoon and crabbed out sideways and in to the flow of the river.

We maintained 4 or 5 kmph all the way until the lock came in to view and we slipped inside our last lock on the River Rhone. Not being foolhardy, and having experienced just what a powerful river we were navigating, we all had lifejackets available, and we had two half ton anchors ready to be deployed in an emergency. You don’t tackle these conditions lightly! 

In the next episode: Thousands of litres of diesel, boarded by armed police and a stoppage forces a route change.

From the Mediterranean to the English Channel by boat - 2

2. ONTO THE RHONE

Simon Jenkins is a well known figure on the British canal system and has been a boater for decades, living on, working and owning boats and, for the last couple of decades, the managing director of Norbury Wharf on the Shropshire Union Canal.

Simon Jenkins and his partner Amanda

There he runs a brokerage, hire fleet, day boats, a trip boat and a chandlery, as well as a paint dock, dry dock and full engineering services. Simon has dipped his toe in to the waters of other boat-related ideas including sea-going charters, but the inland waterways are his first love and he has turned his gaze to Europe, with it’s wide waterways and fully functioning system of commercial river and canal navigations. He is just back from 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 we told how he bought the barge and began the journey north from the Mediterranean. Now he is about the tackle the mighty Rhone. This is his story, in his own words.

We watched the flow rates intensively, knowing the river was higher and faster than most years, with the help of a very useful website giving all of the technical data  for the river.

Just leaving the Petite Rhone with the main river ahead

Despite that, we had to make a decision and we made the choice that we would go. Now we were on the Petite Rhone before it joined the main Rhone river several kilometres further on. Once on the main channel we knew the worst section was a narrow bridge at Beaucaire. 

After leaving the first lock the Petite Rhone seemed quite calm, not flowing especially fast giving me some comfort that this mighty river was a just pussy cat after all.Then we reached the confluence with the Rhone main river. 

Gulp. This was no pussy cat, more of a raging Lion. It was massive and you could clearly see the swirls, the eddies, the whirlpools, as the current ripped onwards.

Our first view of the Rhone

Now, we could have turned back, but we carried on; this was clearly not going to be a gentle ‘walk in the park,’ although we took heart from the fact we had just passed another smaller barge heading upstream and at a much slower pace than ourselves.We thought if they can do it then so can we! 

So we crossed the giant river and over to our side of the navigation as I didn’t want to meet anything big coming down the middle of the river, potentially doing over 20 kmph. This part of the Rhone is also used by big ships that don’t hang about, so it was important they we stay vigilant at all times.

A commercial barge – they are a bit big.

And another

And another

Our vessel has to have something called AIS which shows the position of our boat and means we can also see the position of other boats that have AIS. For boats over a certain length on the European inland waterways this is mandatory and, if I am honest, I wouldn’t venture on to a commercial waterway without it. 

This device is a godsend as you can see ships well before they can be seen by eye and this gives you, and them, a chance to alter course to be safe and make best use of the river.

Boats over a certain size have to have something called a ‘blue board’ too, and/or an oscillating white light. This is to give approaching vessels a signal that you intend to pass their boat on the starboard side when normally it would be on the port side, especially useful when travelling against a flow and you need to take full advantage of the slack water which may be on the opposite side of the navigation channel. 

The first time we were ‘blue boarded’ was a bit of a hair raiser, having never done it before, but once done and understood it was no problem, and we even did it to much larger vessels if it made sense for us to do so. We carried on against the flow, making very slow progress, around 7 kmph, until we could see the bridge at Beaucaire where we knew that the flow would be at its strongest.

The current on the Rhone takes no prisoners

If anything went wrong as we were going through the bridge we could sink. if the engine had failed we would be swept sideways, pinned against the bridge abutments, capsize and sink. So it was a nerve racking few minutes as we entered the bridge.

I have it on video as it was quite dramatic, the speed reduced to just 2 kmph as we inched trough the bridge-the engine now on full power. All 160HP turning the giant four blade propeller, pushing the 130 ton barge against the flow of water.

Approaching the bridge at Beaucaire

The current was ripping past our vessel as we inched through at a snails pace, I was concerned that we would end up going backwards, fearing we hadn’t got enough power to push against the flow, but the old barge kept moving, ever so slowly, forward.

Then the speed started to increase kilometre by kilometre until we were back to our 7 kmph cruising speed, hugging the tree lined banks to stay in the slack water, looking for the shortest way around the bends to optimise the flow and shortest route - by no means an easy feat and requiring a lot of concentration.

In the next episode: Big locks, big boats and the problem with locks that generate electricity.

This series of articles can also be found in Towpath Talk newspaper every month this year.

From the Mediterranean to the English Channel by boat - 1

1. HOW THE HUNT BEGAN

Simon Jenkins. managing director
of Norbury Wharf

Simon Jenkins is a well known figure on the British canal system and has been a boater for decades, living on, working and owning boats and, for the last couple of decades, the managing director of Norbury Wharf on the Shropshire Union Canal.

There he runs a brokerage, hire fleet, day boats, a trip boat and a chandlery, as well as a paint dock, dry dock and full engineering services. Simon has dipped his toe in to the waters of other boat-related ideas including sea-going charters, but the inland waterways are his first love and he has turned his gaze to Europe, with it’s wide waterways and fully functioning system of commercial river and canal navigations. He is just back from 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. This is his story, in his own words.

It started as an idea back in 2015 - let’s branch out and buy boats on the continent to refurbish and resell. Norbury is pretty much at full potential now so we were on the lookout for other business ventures and the hunt for suitable boats started.

For months, we looked at many online, watched the markets and researched the subject as thoroughly as possible, talking to anyone with an insight into the European boat market.

Ambiorix sat on its permanent mooring in Aigues-Mortes- when we first
viewed the boat on a winters day in December 2017

In the end we found what appeared to be the perfect candidate for the project. It was a 100ft by 16.5ft, 130 ton Belgium-built barge, very similar to a Dutch Luxe-motor, built in 1911.

It had been owned and lived on by the previous owner for 27 years and was in need of some modernisation, so after negotiations we ended up purchasing it,

Now we owned the Ambiorix, named after a great Belgium King who did serious damage to the occupying Romans around the time that Caesar invaded Britain.

The boat sometime in the early eighties in its unconverted state

Now all this sounds straightforward, but there was one small hurdle to jump - the boat was based in a small town called Aigues-Mortes in the South of France which is just a few Kilometres from the Mediterranean sea. In fact the canal was connected directly with the sea at a lovely sea port called Le Grau-du-Roi.

It’s not always sunny on the Mediterranean, this was just after we returned to the UK in Feb 2018,
 when the previous owner was keeping his eye on the boat for us

This wonderful area of the South of France, known as the Camargue, is a beautiful place, full of pink flamingoes, white horses, and beaches, but not really suitable for what we wanted to do with a barge.

The famous white horses, seemingly wild and allowed to wonder freely in the Camargue

For lots of reasons we decided to move the boat further North. It needed to come out of the water for a survey, painting and other works, and this was best carried out by a ship yard that knew the boat and had previously carried out work on it – a boatyard in Southern Belgium, some 1,200km and 250 locks away.

I decided that, to further add to this journey, it would be easier to sell the vessel if it was in the North, probably Holland, as these types of boats are more common up there. 

A crew was organised to help us do the first and longest leg of the journey which was to move it from Aigues-Mortes to Belgium, and to a mooring close by the ship yard at a place called Lives-Sur-Meurse.

We had already spent a few weeks preparing the barge for its trip, including stocking up on essential supplies. Unlike the English canal network there are not that many places to stop with such a large boat and nip off and do a bit of shopping, so it was important to make sure we had enough food for four people for at least a week.

Amanda and the previous owner Millena on the back of the barge 

on its mooring in Aigues-Mortes, when we bought Ambiorix

The trip was meticulously planned and it worked out it should take 30 days from start to finish, including the odd stop to replenish stocks etc. So the final day came and we flew to Montpellier where the previous owner met us and took us to the boat.

The next day we met with the crew, Paul and Mal, a lovely couple originally from Birmingham and former narrowboat owners who now lived on a barge in central France. They really knew their onions!

After a brief shopping trip, safety talk, and show around the boat it was time to set off. We untied after lunch in early June and headed North along the Branch of the Canal-du-Rhone a Sete, this would take us to our first big lock at Saint Gilles.

The first lock of the journey

The locks that we were going to be doing were all automated, and in many cases manned by lock keepers or Eclusiers. To us, these were not the lockies of the canals or even the Thames, these were remote figures who couldn’t be seen. They were in elevated positions, often towering high above the locks like a control tower at an airport, the locks being massive, capable of taking 1,200 ton barges.

Our big boat – twice the length, twice the width and six times the displacement of the average narrowboat - seemed not so big any more as the lock seemed to almost swallow us up, We exited the lock and stayed on the lock approach for the night, all very peaceful.

A narrowboat we passed on a test voyage in the South of France gives a sense of scale.
These narrowboats get everywhere.

Our early research and planning had told us we needed to pick the right time window as the mighty river Rhone was going to be the only route for us to head North. This river is supplied from its sources in the Swiss Alps, and the Alps over the winter had a massive amount of snow - and it was late in melting. That meant that the Rhone levels and flow were much greater than previous years.

Now the barge cruises at an impressive 12 kmph and flat-out will make 14 kmph, the river flow at certain points could be 10 kmph so this first part of the trip was going to be interesting.

In the next episode: Simon, Amanda and the crew tackle the mighty Rhone and wonder if they will make it through a bridge.

This and further episodes of Simon and Amanda's journey across Europe are also being published in Towpath Talk newspaper during 2019