Farewell shipmate

 Paul Antrobus, a long time shipmate, has sailed away. Paul was the 'first mate' aboard the classic ocean  racing yacht, Evenlode, when I joined the crew as a young novice deckhand. The memory of his firm and steadying hand on my shoulder during one scarey and stormy night at sea has remained with me. 

Paul Antrobus 1943-2025

 A commradeship founded at sea has survived since then. In more recent years, Paul and I teamed up to write and publish the book 'Swatchway Magic' which celebrated our old sailing haunts of East Anglia. This was a theraputic and nostalgic time for both of us. Paul was well respected among the old guard of the British yachting community, many of whom rolled up for his funeral. Annie and I traveled by Eurostar to be there.

After the event and while in London we also took time out for a walkabout. Did you know that there is still a public cobbled landing below tower bridge?

The boatman's landing 

in the shadow of Tower Bridge

  

I once fed pigeons here in Trafalgar Square. 

Years ago, vendors in the square could sell bags of seeds.

 

Back aboard 'Antiope', the Strepy lift looms over the landscape at dawn.

Once back aboard Antiope, my task has been to set up our own AIS (Automatic Identification System) transponder. It has been on the Antiope agenda for a year or two now. Having such a unit operating is likely to soon become mandatory for all vessels using the commercial inland waters of Europe. An AIS provides the ability to see and be seen by other craft on a charting screen. We can also now be be tracked on various phone Apps such as 'Marine Traffic' by searching for 'Antiope'.  

The Cathedral at Tournai was built in the 12th century.

It is slowly emerging from its shroud of grime. 

We have been here before! 

The 'old' three arched bridge in Tournai back in 2012.

The 'new' bridge,

 rebuilt to accomodate the barges of today.

I have a fascination for the history of the waterways, and cannot resist exploring the derelict and forgotten navigation highways. In a previous post I have mentioned Napoleon's decree to build an East- West waterway from the Scheldt to the Meuse. The legacy of that plan exists in the form of the Canal du Center that now carries many thousands of cargo tons daily up over the high lands of Belgium. Remnants of the original narrow waterway are still there to be found. 

  

The old lock at Peronne,

where the man made waterway started its climb from the Scheldt river. 

Until the late 1960s 

lock no 3 would have accomodated a 300 ton Peniche  

A lift bridge is preserved along the original waterway

The final boat lift at the summit of the old  canal. 

121 m above sea level. 

It finally completed the route in 1919. 

As I write we are moored up in Oudenarde, in the same spot as we visited in 2012.

Update- Wednesday 13th   AIS aboard Antiope is up and running.

A lifting experience

 It is Napoleon Bonaparte we should thank for the opportunity today to cruise many of the inland waters of France and Belgium. Back in 1800 at the height of the Anglo-French wars, French coastal shipping was being hammered by the English navy in the 'Narrow Seas' between the two countries. Napoleon decreed that rivers be made navigable and linking waterways be cut to carry freight and munitions safely inland.

Many of the original waterways now provide tranquil cruising.    

Since that era, the waterways of Europe have continued to grow in scale and capacity. We frequently share locks with colossal freighters, or wait in line when there is no space left in the locks.

In Tournai there is a one way system, small craft have to wait their turn.

                      

                           We follow a large commercial through the historic Tournai bridge.

As members of the "Barge Association" we met up in June with a dozen or so other craft for a rally in Thieu, Belgium. Part of the event was a flotilla ride up one of the four historic boat lifts. These incredible meccano-like stuctures have been operating for over a century, lifting 300 ton barges a total of 75m to the summit of the 'Canal de Centre" which is the same strategic route originally proposed by Napoleon between the Sheldt and Meuse rivers. These lifts were designed some years later by the English engineer, Edwin Clark and were based on his earlier sucessful Anderton boat lift in Cheshire, England

                                          

Antiope tucks in among a variety of DBA members vessels

These century old boat lifts were designed to lift 300ton barges

These ancient lifts have now been bypassed by the much enlarged canal and the massive 75m Strepy-Thieu lift. It was opened for traffic in 2002 and was at the time, the highest boat lift in the world. The caissons can handle a fully laden 112m X 12m commercial barge, and each contains approx 8000 tons of water.

 The Stepy-Thieu lift, a daunting sight 

                         

                    The 'Strepy' boat lift. We are like toys in a bath. 

                                       

                                      Beyond the lift we are on the summit level of the New Centre canal.

                                          

                                                                  The collapsed bridge at La Louviere. 

                                                  This was the reason for our long "West about" route to Thieu

Following the gathering, we take time out for a few days on the old Spiere canal route into France. 

On the border is la Maison du Canal bar restuarant.  

              

 The Spiere canal, not much traffic !

           

On the border with France. 

We have come to like cruising in Belgium. We will probably stay around this region and winter Antiope near here.

Cheers Charles and Annie

Waterloo recreated in Lego !

 After two weeks of cruising South, we have reached our rally rendezvous at Theiu, Belgium.

We leave the land of windmills

Because of a collapsed road bridge in Belgium, our track has taken us westwards through Zeeland,  so for a while we joined the lower reaches of the Rhine river (or Rijn in Zeeland) almost 1000 Kms from the upper navigable limit in Basle where we took Antiope back in 2017. Over the years we have now completed the entire navigable length of this great river

We join the wide Rhine (Rijn) river on our way South.

Almost 1000 Kms from Basle, and 35 kms to the sea.

We share the Hansweert lock with a regatta fleet.

We could have continued our voyage down the Rhine and out to sea and into Belgium at Zeebrugge, but chose to take the short cut cut across Zuid Beverland to the Schelde at Hansweert. With the benefit of the incoming tide, we sweep up inland as far as Dendermonde and lock into the Belgian waterways. 

 

On the tidal Schelde, we pass the old town of Antwerp

We enter Belgian waters at Dendermonde lock. 

Taking a day out from passage making and ahead of schedule, we took the train to visit the Waterloo battle ground. We had passed close by on our way north three years earlier but then had no time to spare. 

The cast iron Lion atop the Waterloo memorial mound

roars defiantly at France.

Our visit coincided with the 210th year anniversary of the battle. There representing the English side were members of the Lancashire regiment that origanally fought alongside Wellington, and were carrying their regimental colours.

 Lancashire regimental colour bearers.  

It is 227 steps to the top, 

We took advantage of an exellent guided tour of the museum with an authentic looking French infantry soldier, with Napoleon's viewpoint of the battle

Our guide looking the part, 

behind him the battlefield.

Wheatfields now cover the battle site  

It was sobering to walk through the gently rolling acres of ripening wheatfields where an estimated 50,000 were killed or injured as a result of a battle that lasted less than 12 hours.

The Hougoumont farm played a critical role in the battle, and is preserved as part of the Museum.

This Chestnut tree, still scarred with shot, survived the battle 

Somewhat bizarre, but within the Museum was also a vast temporary 'Lego' exibition. It was included in our entry ticket.

Lego portraits of Napoleon and Wellington.

Among the many display cabinets was this Lego battle scene  

Life size French soldier entirely in Lego  

We continued our passage Southwards along the Dender and Blaton-Ath canals to our redezvous with the Dutch Barge Association rally at Thieu. 

A tranquil stretch Dender and Blaton-Ath waterway 

It has been a dozen years since we last cruised this delightful waterway

Annie, on bow line duty! 

 

Just one of the four historic lifts at Thieu.

We take Antiope up this lift ! Watch this space.

Cheers Charles and Annie  

Big day, now South

 On the 3rd of June Antiope emerged from her 'Hall' looking all bright and shiny. Johan, one of the new boatyard owners, carefully managed the whole re-launch operation while Annie and I watched from a respectful distance.

Antiope is dwarfed by the 25 ton hoist, 

Cradled in slings, she was swung out over the waterway and lowered into her righful element.

Ready for a new adventure ?

Our plans for this season could now be given a bit more credibility. Before leaving New Zealand we had registered to join a boat rally in Belgium organised by the Dutch Barge Association. This was scheduled for the last week in June, but while we had been working away in the shed the days were ticking by and we also knew that a niggling cooling issue with one of our engines could not be looked at until we were back afloat.    

Ready to head South on her next adventure.

After a provisioning run by Annie on the bus into Steenwijk, we cast off the next day heading to Vollenhove and an engineer 'Joep' who promptly cleared the airlock in the port engine cooling system. 

At last we were on our way.  On cue, the weather turned wet and windy, so we chose to the sheltered passage south inside Flevoland.

Even in the sheltered waters, one poor craft came to grief.

We, too, stood by until the rescue team arrived.

Weesp, on the Vecht river and close to Amsterdam,

 is among our favourite moorings.

4 days into our voyage. We are on our way!

Our plan now is to follow the Vecht river to Utrecht then via the Merewedekanaal and wriggling through to the Zeeland waterways, before we join the Scheldt river to take the tide up to Ghent in Belgium.

It sure is great to be underway again.

 Charles and Annie