Friday 1st to Sunday 3rd October 2004 Philadelphia to Bad Sarrow and back.

Friday 1st October 2004 Philadelphia to Bad Sarrow and back.

10.4° C Grey and overcast. We were supposed to go at 8 a.m. but Mike forgot to set the alarm clock and so we left a little later at 8.30 a.m. The lock at Storkow had been completely

rebuilt and was supposed to be automatic, but there were two men on the lockside and one of them worked it for us. Mike asked him if he knew where we could get some drinking water. He asked how much (if it had only been 50 litres or so, I think he

The liftbridge at Storkow

would have let us fill up from the cabin) and he said the first yacht haven around the corner in the town and made comment that they charge several Euros - tourism! He rode down to the lift bridge to operate it for us and said when we came back it would be on automatic operation. We set off with pins in and the washing machine in action. South on the Großer Storkowersee, through the narrows and we saw one large Berlin cruiser moving as we crossed the next lake, Dolgensee. Three rowing skiffs were in the middle of the lake going the same way as us - but faster -they were in the lock at Wendisch Rietz when we got there. The lock had also been rebuilt and was now automatic. We squeezed past two WSA boats moored below the lock and joined the skiffs, full of noisy middle aged women rowers, who had to move up to let us in. It took twenty minutes to fill the lock and we only rose about a metre. The WSA men were working on the lockside putting the finishing touches to the surrounds of the new lock, which had a larger than life log cabin alongside it. I did the ironing as we set off up the Scharmützelsee, the last of the chain of lakes. The washing finished and Mike took the pins out. Nothing much was moving except us as we steamed on northwards up the lake, a fisherman trawling a long net and one solitary trip boat as we got closer to Bad Sarrow, the spa town at the end of the lake. Bill hung back and didn’t go all the way to the end of the lake. We went into the yacht haven for water. A chap off a houseboat, a converted WSA tug called Dietz, said that the harbour master was at lunch. I said we had only wanted some water and we started to untie to set off again when the Harbour Master returned. Two Euros for 300 litres. OK. Mike chatted to the Harbour Master and the other club members who had turned up to look at the strange boat. I showed him the newspaper report of 1999 when we went to EHS. He went off to get his camera and take photos. The chap off the tug had to take the pix as the H.M. wanted to be on them with us! He wanted to know if we wanted any fish - there was a good place close by that sold fresh lake fish and did we want any diesel? We were a bit overwhelmed! Meanwhile Bill had got fed up waiting and had cruised off back down the lake. It was 1 p.m. by the time we’d untied and said our farewells. Rosy was moored on the

Rosy below Storkow lock

stumps at the end of the lake before the lock at Wendisch Rietz. I turned the blue pole and we went down the lock together - with no screaming, laughing women this time. The WSA men had packed up and gone home. Through the narrow channel to the Dolgensee. There was a very strong smell of manure, someone must have been muck spreading somewhere upwind as we went north on the lake. Back at Storkow I turned the blue pole for the lift bridge. The modern replacement wooden Llangollen style bridge lifted 20cm then stopped. An old chap on opposite the bank said we’d have to call the WSA - the intercom was on the bank by the blue pole, so we had to shove back over to the far side to call. No sooner had I pressed the button than a man appeared and opened the panel next to the bridge. Shove over again to get through it as the bridge was offset. We were soon through to the lock. I turned the blue pole, again it had been installed so close by the lock that we had to back off to get over to the side where the lock was. It worked OK on auto, but the chap who had operated the bridge came and stood by in the cabin to work the lock, just in case. We dropped down 1.5m on to the Storkower kanal and were soon tying up at Philadelphia. It was 4.40 p.m. Back in the same place we’d left that morning. Bill had a change of scenery and moored behind us (he was in front the night before). The sky was clear after a beautiful red sunset, a colder night due

Saturday 2nd October 2004 Philadelphia.

5.9° C (due to that clear sky) Sunny and mild. Went to the shops in Storkow for some bread and a few groceries. Bill had been before on his bike, so he gave us directions to the shops. He hadn’t been in the Plus, so we went in there. It wasn’t very good. Not much selection. Mike said they hadn’t got Holstein Pils in crates, so we’d have to go to the other supermarket anyway. Good thing - they hadn’t got any brown bread, only rye or white. We got the bread and more stuff in Edeka. Had a look in the main square to see if there was a market on - there wasn’t - so we went home. Lunch. I had to dig out the mossie net for the side doors as we were invaded by wasps. Mike serviced the Honda, then started it up for me to run the Mac and do the log. Mike set up the BBQ. The lady who lived in one of the houses close by the mooring called Mike and Bill to give them some pears. She said they were falling off the trees and would only go to waste, which was a shame. We cooked sausages and chops, which we had with baked spuds and ratatouille. A young lady, with two small children and a little dog, went riding past on her bike. She stopped to have a chat; she was from the next village down the canal, Kummersdorf, she spoke good English - once she’d got over the shock of seeing two narrowboats. Bill gave the family the guided tour of Rosy. We packed up after it dropped dark and chilly at around 8 p.m. Very pleased to hear the sounds of owls hunting in the woods nearby. The first owls we’d heard since leaving Condé. Ran the genie and watched TV, the last episode of Tony Robinson’s “Worst jobs in History” set in Victorian England. Tanning was the worst job, as they had to soak cow hides in a disgusting concoction of water and urine plus dog and chicken dung. The smell must have been really foul - in fact I can remember the smell of a tannery as I used to get off the bus in Wolverhampton close by one and it definitely was the worst smell imaginable.

Sunday 3rd October 2004 Philadelphia.

10.6° C Sunny and warm all day. We had a lazy Sunday for once. Mike was miffed that he couldn’t watch snooker (can’t get BBC or ITV). He lit the coal fire as it was getting chilly.