Thursday 23rd September 2004 Schmöckwitz–Müggelsee–Schmöckwitz.
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View from a 'plane of Seddinsee (bottom left to middle)
Wikimedia photo by Ralf Roletschek |
9.1° C Brief sunny spells, windy and showery. Set off at 8
a.m. up the Seddinsee with the pins in and the washing machine going. I’d
already shovelled tons of tree seeds off the roof before we set off, they were
covering the front deck too and all over the carpet (which took ages to vacuum
up). Saw Police launch N° 22 - we’ll get the full set yet! Turned into the Gosener
Kanal and emerged into the little round lake called Dameritzsee, where we
immediately turned left into the Müggelspree channel. I changed loads in the
washer and went to sit outside to admire the holiday homes along the banks of
the little river. Noted that the residents have no love for the local airport
as lots had large banners in their gardens saying “No to the extension of
Schönfeld!”
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| Schonefeld airport in 1990 - Wikimedia photo by Ralf Manteufel |
Oh dear, Bill’s friend Veronica was going to use that airport! But
I don’t think they’ll be closing it just yet! Several channels off to the right
lead into a maze of tiny canals in Neue Venedig, but although the waterway
looked wide enough the sharp bends would probably stop us, so we gave up on any
plans for exploring them and thought maybe we’d try it another day. A fishing
enterprise had two boats with trawling nets and an old Berlin tug (small Dutch
styled) to tow them. The ironing called, it
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| Gosener kanal - Wikimedia photo by Biberbaer |
must be done while the electricity
is being generated. The Muggelsee, a large round lake with a buoyed channel
(which all motor sports vessels must adhere to), was very choppy as the wind
had picked up quite considerably. Several commercial boats were engaged in sand
dredging on our right hand side and they were being surveyed by an anchored
police boat. We also noted there was now another buoyed route, not on our chart,
which went southwest across the lake to a factory at a village called Rübezahl.
Into the sheltered river Spree at Friedrichshagen. The washing had finished and
I’d almost finished ironing as we arrived at the boatyard where we’d bought
Bill’s gasket. Meanwhile police boat N° 52 had come alongside Rosy and asked
for Bill’s papers. I turned
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| Dämeritzsee - Wikimedia photo by Ralf Roletschek |
my iron off and tied the boat up. Mike left the
engine running and I finished off the ironing while he helped Bill come
alongside, then they both went to see Lutz. He’d got an expansion tank for Bill
(and wouldn’t have any money for it). Bill went back into the workshop to ask
if he’d got any hose and came back with a rolled length of tubing. Mike fed 1€
in the slot machine and we refilled with water before we set off again up the
Dahme back to Schmöckwitz. It started to pour with rain as we went past the
Regatta course. Its score board was lit up with the message that the practice
would start at 2 p.m. for the Berlin Youth Olympics. Poor kids, we didn’t envy
them practising in that foul weather, the rain was
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Neu Venedig (New Venice) canals
- Wikimedia photo by Andreas Steinhof |
bouncing off the surface of
the lake and visibility was poor due to the mist it was producing. The area was
devoid of craft except for a couple of kayakers who must have gone out before
the rain started in earnest and a couple of coxed fours whose middle-aged crews
looked like drowned rats. Even with the brolly swivelled towards the direction
of the prevailing wind Mike was getting wet. He’d turned the bottom edge of his
waterproof green biking jacket up as the rain was running off it on to his
legs. I looked down and noticed he’d got a lake in the turn-up, he looked down
and it spilled over, all down his leg and down his sock into his deck shoe. We
laughed so much we nearly fell off the back of
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Neu Venedig (New Venice) canals
- Wikimedia photo by A Savin |
the boat. N° 22 went past again,
heading downstream, they waved again. There were no boats on the mooring again
at Schmöckwitz. We moored in the corner, but this time Rosy went on the inside
and Bill turned the boat round so his bows were pointing at the old landing
stage. It was easier for the dog to get on and off, plus we’d got a view of the
lake. It was 3 p.m. and the rain had eased off. Later a hireboat came in to
moor in front of us.
Friday 24th September 2004 Schmöckwitz.
9.7° C Grey, windy and chilly.
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View of Muggelsee from restaurant at Muggelort
Wikimedia photo by Lotse |
Rain showers. Bill wanted
to go to Ikea. We were going to go to Spandau, but Mike phoned the MBK shop and
the bits for the moped hadn’t arrived yet, so I looked in the Ikea catalogue
and found there was a store close by to where we were moored. We called at the
post office in Eichwalde and collected the mail from Glyn. Ikea in Waltersdorf
was busy, lots of people were shopping in the megastore. We went to look at the
blinds. Bill got the folding chair he wanted (for BBQs etc) and we bought a
roller blind for 18,50€ (£12.40). I had
also seen a small folding table which was reduced from 12,99€ to 9,99€ so we
bought one of those too. Called in the DIY shop Toom to get the fittings to
install Bill’s new expansion tank. Mike got a 6.8mm drill for tapping. I bought
some acrylic gloss paint in 125 ml tins (for decorative painting - roses and
castles) and bought a piece of dowelling for the bottom edge of the window
blind. When we got back Bill gave me a chopping board - he’d bought a pack of
two and only wanted the smaller one. Baked some buns for Mike’s lunch while I
did chores. Lunch. A picture postcard of Schwanstein castle in Bavaria came in
the post from Glyn, it
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| Muggelsee - Wikimedia photo by Lienhard Schultz |
was from Hans and Marianne on three weeks’ holiday. Bill
called to see if Mike was about, he’d just woken up so he went to have a look
at Bill’s newly installed expansion tank. I noticed that the booklet I’d picked
up in Ikea had a price written in small print at the top. Waah! Shoplifting! I
thought it was the same as their catalogues - free. Mike rang Sky to cancel our
subscription, but got cut off by the call back service whose message said we’d
run out of credit. Wonderful! They’re at it again. He tried ringing the call
back number - it wouldn’t ring back. Bill tried ringing them, but his ‘phone wouldn’t
work outside as the battery was flat and the signal strength wasn’t good enough
for it to work inside on his charger. Give up. We fitted the new blind above
the
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Kopenick - Muggelspree
Wikimedia photo by Lotse |
kitchen sink. It only took a few minutes and it looked really smart. I got
Mike to take the roll outside and I sprayed the fabric surface with Scotchguard
to keep it looking smart. At 8 p.m. Mike used Bill’s ‘phone (battery recharged)
to call WWT and asked them to find out why his call back wasn’t working and
ring him back. Debbie rang back at 8.30 p.m. to say they’d sorted it out. Mike
asked what was wrong, had someone pressed the wrong key on the computer? She
said no, it was a technical problem. We bet! I made potato wedges and chicken
saté in the oven for dinner which we ate late at 8.15 p.m.
Saturday 25th September 2004 Schmöckwitz.
10.5° C Sunny spells, rain in the evening. Mike and I went
back to Ikea in Waltersdorf to get another blind for the other window in the
galley. It was even busier than the day before. We
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Regatta course at Grunau. Langersee
Wikimedia photo by Mfranck |
also called in Toom again
and I got some more little pots of acrylic paint. Mike bought some coax plugs
and some fender string. When we got back to the boat Mike took Bill to get diesel
from an Arral garage in Schmöckwitz. Lunch, then Mike took Bill to get a second
load of diesel. Bill bought him an ice cream and a crate of beer as a thank
you. Mike returned to the boat with an ice cream he’d brought for me - a Magnum
choc ice - I hadn’t had one of those in years! I cleaned the boat windows with
some windscreen cleaner while they were away. Mike fitted the other blind. It
seemed very light and airy without the curtains. Bill came over for a look. We
had a transport café special for dinner, chips with beans and fried egg and spam.
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Grosse Krampe - arm off the Langersee
Wikimedia photo by Andreas Steinhoff |
Sunday 26th September 2004 Schmöckwitz.
8.8° C Chilly, wet and miserable
day. Mike got up early to watch the first ever F1 Grand Prix from China,
Shanghai. Schumacher had a disasterous race. He spun and only managed 19th
position for qualifying. Started from the pit lane, spun again, then had a
puncture and didn’t finish in the points! Barichello won with Button second. I
got up just as the race had finished and Mike was going back to bed. Lunch.
Bill asked if we wanted a log for the fire. The “log” which had floated down
the side of Rosy was a section of tree bole that we doubted all three of us
could have lifted - Mike gave it a shove with our short boat shaft and sent it
out towards the middle of the lake. Bill had got a visitor. He said he’d see us
at 8 p.m. and he’d bring a bottle of Sekt. Bill came over at eight and asked if
we wanted to be in a documentary about alternative lifestyles - not really! The
visitor was a cameraman who wanted to make a film and was going to try to
persuade a producer to fund it. He would be visiting Bill again when we’re at
EHS. We drank Bill’s bottle of Sekt and a bottle of our Erben Spätlese and
chatted until Bill and Fanny went home at 9.30 p.m.
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