A Bridge Too Far

As we traveled down the canal and locks, we encountered a few adventures.

A Bridge Too Far

(Actually, it wasn't a bridge, but a lock)  

On a boat near Strasbourg, France:

We're currently on a week long, self-guided journey on a canal boat and ... it can be somewhat complicated.  Before departure in advance, we had set a course through several towns with periodic stays along the way.   

There are organized stopping places at certain intervals, with the “opportunity” to stop anywhere you like, or anywhere you can.  You have to pace yourself and plan your route, and try to make sure you can reach your destinations.

Unfortunately, there are delays and obstacles. Sometimes the locks don’t work right, or we don’t understand how to operate the idiosyncratic machinery, or you have to wait for others to travel through.  Also, the weather has been unpredictable and rainy.  Also, while we're at it, the boats are limited in speed so you can only go so fast. 

Oh, and the overall system closes down in the evening and opens again in the morning.  And the times change if it's a Sunday.  You need to keep all this in mind and make sure you have a location to park the boat and stay for the night.  

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So after a leisurely morning we struggled to find a place for lunch at a big town.  It was Sunday and almost everything was closed, but we finally managed to land some sandwiches and set off.  We had a stop in mind and a plan to get there.  There were eighteen locks to pass through on the way. 

We were making good time and the weather cleared up; it was bright and sunny.  As we continued on we tried to be efficient with our efforts and push our travel speed.  Before too long, it became clear that our plan to arrive at our destination was going to be tested.  

We realized it was going to be very, very tight with a chance that the locks would close before we could get through.  


Well, guess what? We missed the last lock by ONE MINUTE!   We were stranded!  Up the creek without a paddle! ... well, sort of.   Plan B was to dock by the side of the canal until morning.  

Fortunately, these boats are equipped with almost everything you need.  We had battery power, water, a little heat, food, and beverages.   

The possibility of stopping somewhere in the middle of nowhere was upon us.   

Our disappointment soon turned to excitement when we discovered how wonderful a spot it was.  We relaxed and enjoyed the surroundings, went for a walk, were amazed by the sunset, and generally appreciated the splendid isolation.  

Being open to adventure is part of the joy of traveling.  

The Boat and the Locks

Our boat is a big one, about 43 feet long and sleeps six people with three separate cabins, each with a bathroom.  It has a large diesel motor and lots of systems similar to an RV for comfort.  There was a reasonable kitchen and a sitting room, with an outdoor upper deck.  Our particular unit had been around a while, but was in decent shape.  

Big boats respond slow to steering and are hard to stop, so you have to pay attention getting around.  Plus many of the locks are narrow and tricky which adds to the challenge.  And you have to secure them with ropes and knots at the dock or in the lock or other places in the canal. 

Overall we did alright with our crew and managed to get around just fine, although there were a  couple of mishaps.   However, this type of sailing could benefit from a youthful approach and our group was ... ahem, a rather mature bunch. 

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The Locks:  Part of the magic of a trip like this is going up and down the large canal through a series of locks, which enable you to traverse across land that is not level.  

Locks are formally described as - A device used for raising and lowering boats and other watercraft between stretches of water of different levels on river and canal waterways. The distinguishing feature of a lock is a fixed chamber in which the water level can be raised and lowered, usually entered from one end and exited from the other. 

We went through a lot of locks.  In fact we passed 

through a total of sixty-two locks!   The French have designed this system to be fully automatic for the most part, but there were instances when things didn't work right.   And it could be turbulent when the water changed levels and the lock filled and emptied.   

And of course, there was the large incline that we came through, in which the lock itself is picked up and transported three hundred feet in the air!  It was like a giant swimming pool going up a hill.  

As I said, overall we did well to navigate these sometimes complicated features of the canal trip, but it was a lot of fun, and it kept us really busy!

Next, misfortune pays us a visit ...