Tuesday 5th - Thurs 7th October 2004 Groß Köris to Schmöckwitz.

Tuesday 5th October 2004 Groß Köris to Schmöckwitz.

Klein Korisersee - Wikimedia photo by Botaurus

9° C Sunny start, clouding over during the morning, then clear skies and hot in the afternoon. Set off at 8 a.m. as the lady bridge keeper came to look to see if she had any boats waiting. Next time we’ll moor on the other side of the bridge where there was a large grassy area with no fences. As we ran back north through the chain of lakes no one else was moving and the two big lakes, Kleinkörisersee and Hölzenersee, were smooth as silk and as vivid blue as the sky. The air was clear and crisp. I’d been doing some washing so the pins came out at 9.45 a.m. as we wound along the long thin Schmöldesee and arrived at the Dahme near Prieros. Several long narrow open fishing boats were buzzing about at high speed, stopping to inspect the contents of nets slung between poles. A red squirrel showed off his acrobatic talents running up a tree near Dolgenbrodt. At

Church at Prieros - Wikimedia photo by Clemensfranz

the top end of the Dolgensee we called at a boatyard in Gussow to get some water. They were closed for the winter Mike was informed rather brusquely. Well, there were signs such as bags over the electricity posts and the fuel pump! We followed Rosy along the narrow winding channel of the Dahme and paused at Bindow at a boatyard where a couple of lads were busy cleaning down boats which had been lifted out for winter storage. Bill managed to get Rosy into their guest mooring with only about 2m sticking out into the channel and arranged some drinking water for 1 Euro for 100 litres. We tied across the posts which their small boats had their sterns tied to and were within range of the hosepipe. It was slow but at least we refilled the tanks. I did some chores while the tank filled. Mike was busy mopping up

Fire station at Dolgenbrodt - Wikimedia photo by Clemensfranz

several bucketfuls of water from the engine room bilges. He’d left the brass tap on the drain pipe from the manifold cooler turned on overnight to drip and, for some as yet unknown reason, it had overflowed the bucket. I made lunch and we ate it sitting on the stern in the sunshine as we crossed the Krüpelsee. Down the Krimnicksee and into the Stabbe at Neue Mühle to wait for the lock, where we were joined by four skiffs and a powered cruiser. Below there were two cruisers waiting to go up. It was almost 2 p.m. as we ran down the Dahme past the coal truck unloading place on the corner of the Notte kanal (which we noticed had a sign to say there was a mooring on the canal at Königs Wusterhausen. Made a mental note that we must find time to explore that one of the days. A policeboat, N° 31, went past towing a green marker buoy - we were tempted to ask where

Dolgensee - Wikimedia photo by Lienhard Schultz

they’d stolen it from but hadn’t got the German words to make jokes like that. The crew leaned out and shouted something which we didn’t understand. Then Bill said on VHF that they’d asked if we’d come from England and he’d said yes. When they passed us they had asked Mike “which way?” which at the time hadn’t made any sense! The afternoon sunshine was warm as we followed Rosy into the Möllenzugsee and into the long lake called the Zeuthenersee with the Großer Zug off to its right. We did a diversion along the latter and the Krossinsee which lead to the Oder Spree Kanal and the Seddingsee and back to Schmöckwitz. We tied up side by side in the corner, with us on the inside under the trees. The rest of the quay was empty. Mike went off at 5 p.m. on the moped to collect the car from Philadelphia. Lots of little power boats and cruisers were out on the lake enjoying the autumn sunshine. Tugs were moving pans of brown coal from the loading place at Königs Wusterhausen to the coal fired power station by the Siemens factory at Spandau. I made Thai fried rice (Thai instead of Indonesian for a change) for dinner. Mike returned with the car as I was halfway through preparing it. Paused to help load the moped back on the roof.

Wednesday 6th October 2004 Schmöckwitz.

13.9° C Sunny, clouding over in the afternoon and rain from 6 p.m. through the night. Bill went by bike to get groceries from the Extra just up the road. Later Mike and I went shopping at Real in Treptower Park, calling in at Lutz’s boatyard to drop off a length of hose that Bill hadn’t used. Mike asked where he could get a sparking plug for our gennie. Lutz said if he hadn’t got one he could order one and it would be there the next day. He put one on order. We were home at 2 p.m. for a late lunch. Mike did his engine room checks. I spent the afternoon putting all the groceries away then cooking a kingsized stew with some cubed beef,

Kablow church on the Krupelsee - Wikimedia photo by Lokilech

onions, carrots, swede and parsnips to which I added some pearl barley and cooked it for an hour in the pressure cooker. Mike chatted to an old chap who told him he owned the spit of land south of the mooring which separates the little bay from the rest of the Zeuthenersee. He said he was at school in Schmöckwitz during the war, learning English by day and being bombed by the English at night! But there was no animosity to the English he said. German soldiers arrived and fought the Russians who were on the opposite bank. (They’d blown up the bridge, an old wood and metal arched one, to stop the Russian advance). At the time his uncle owned the narrow spit of land and the Germans commandeered it to fire a big gun at the Russians. His uncle pleaded with them not to do it as the Russians’ return fire would destroy his bit of land. He gave them food and vodka as bribes. Next day the Russians had succeeded in crossing the lake so his land was saved and the soldiers left.

Thursday 7th October 2004 Schmöckwitz.

9.1° C Sunny and warm all day. Mike went to find the cause of his engine room flood. He discovered the source of the problem when he found that the shut off tap wasn’t closing completely as the valve was damaged, probably from having debris stuck in it when he’d closed it. Must change it ASAP but in the meantime, until we can get a new one, he found he could turn it off successfully by closing it then backing it off a fraction. Took Bill with us out in the car to an Internet Café I’d spotted when we went shopping the day before. We called in

View from Schmockwitz bridge of spit of land - trees on right
Wikimedia photo by Orderinchaos

at Lutz’s boatyard, getting mislaid in an Umleitung (diversion) without any road signs on the way there, and picked up the new sparkplug for the Honda, at 3,71 EU (about £2.50) Mike thought it was a good buy - he’d expected to pay twice that price. Score one! We went on towards Treptow and found the Internet Café. Bill and I went to investigate. Signs on the door said the Internet Café was no more. We went in the computer shop next door to ask if there was another in the vicinity. The lad who came to the desk said no. Bill asked if there was one in the area of Schmöckwitz and he reeled off a string of directions which Bill wrote down. Back at the car Mike said get him to mark it on the A-Z and I went back. It dawned on me as he turned the pages of the Berlin A-Z that he was sorting out directions to Schmöckwitz! There’s an Internet Café there? I asked, er, no! Give up! Back to the boat for lunch. It was a pleasant afternoon so Mike and I went out in the car. First to Neuhaus lock to find out when they close down. Mike was

Another view from Schmockwitz bridge of spit of land
Wikimedia photo by Orderinchaos

pleased to find that they don’t close until the end of October and neither does Beeskow’s automatic lock. We went on into EHS to have a look for the Internet Café. The one by the hospital had gone, so I went in a papershop and was told there was a Spiel Casino in Linden Allee which we found easily right at the end of the main street directly opposite the City Center shopping complex. Parked opposite the cybercafé and went in. Nice modern computers and there were two separate rooms so the kids playing games didn’t annoy the adults and students using the ‘net. The only drawback was that it was a bit pricey at 2€ an hour. The first computer we used wouldn’t do a printout so the lady attendant asked if we’d like to move to another which worked OK. Did the bank statements and the phone bills for August and September. Checked our E-mails. We went to have a look at the river Oder and then went home. Took the scenic route back to the A12 via Pohlitz and Reißen into Mullrose. There was a long queue of traffic, including lots of lorries, heading towards Poland. Took the wrong turning off the motorway and went back through Zeuthen and Eichwald where there was one diversion after another due to roadworks. It was 8.30 p.m. by the time we got home. 

Wednesday 29th & Thursday 30th September 2004 Hermsdorfer Mühler to Philadelphia.

Wednesday 29th September 2004 Hermsdorfer Mühler to Philadelphia.

Much milder night at 13.1° C Wet. Pouring with rain most of the night and when we looked outside first thing. The bedroom window above my head had started to leak and Mike had a

Lock at Kummersdorf

look to see where the wet was getting in. Have to get the hopper out when (if!) the weather dries up. At ten the rain eased off. The blonde lady keeper at Prieros confirmed that the local locks would be closed after the 3rd October, but could be put on call out by making a telephone call the day before. We dropped back down the lock and continued downstream along the Dahme to the crossroads where we went north east on the Storkower Gewasser, along the Langer See then into a winding canal linking with the large round lake called the Wolziger See, a deep lake (over 10m) which we entered at the south west edge and crossed to exit at the north east side, near the town of Wolzig, hidden from view in among the trees. The rain poured down. Last time we crossed the lake it was windy - at least we hadn’t got both today. I made some lunch as we carried on up the

Above Kummersdorf lock. Storkowergewasse 

Storkow canal. The rain stopped as we followed the curving channel, with 2m of deep clear water. A Kuhnle hireboat came past us heading downhill, then we passed another moored under the trees. We rose about a metre in the lock at Kummersdorf. I asked the lady keeper when her lock shuts (she spoke no English but we managed) and she said not until 31st of next month. We said we’d see her next week and she nodded and waved as we left. Followed Rosy on along the canal to moor at 2.30 p.m. at the wooden edged low quay at Philadelphia, under the trees. Mike staked the satellite dish on the sloping bank next to

Kummersdorf lock in 2013

the boat. It poured with rain again. Mike ‘phoned Hans-D and said we’d be at EHS next day by car. We had to go and collect MBK spares from Spandau in the morning, so we’d see him around 1.30 p.m. He said he’d meet us at the Mielenzhafen. I got on with the chores, then helped Mike unload the moped off the boat down the plank. He went to get the car from Schmöckwitz and I got on with catching up with the log entries. He was back just after six, I helped run the moped back on to the roof up the plank in the wet and get it covered. Made pasta carbonara for dinner. Bill was having troubles with his 12v system, he was not getting a full charge from a good day’s engine running. There was only enough power to run just the fridge for three or four hours by then the voltage had dropped to ten volts. It needs looking at, but Bill’s convinced it just requires three new replacement batteries. Mike thought that there may be other problems with his system!

Thursday 30th September 2004 Philadelphia.

Moored at Philadelphia in 2013

10.1° C Showers in the morning and sunny spells in the afternoon. Mike and I went to Spandau to get the bits he’d ordered for the moped from the MBK shop. On the way we called at Neue Mühler lock in Königs-Wusterhausen, where Mike went to find out if the lock was due to close within the next few days. The keeper was busy, he didn’t speak English and wasn’t doing too well with Mike’s attempts at German. He wrote down the opening times for the lock for October and the ‘phone number - so the lock wasn’t in imminent danger of closing and only being available on call out. (We think). We got on the A100 Berlin inner ring and off at Spandauer Dam. Mike went in the MBK shop and bought the bits he’d ordered, a new chain and a sprocket wheel for the moped, then we went across the road to fill the car’s tank up with diesel before returning to the A100. Took the autoroute south, A115, to join the A10 Berliner outer ring running east, then the A12 which took us all the way to Frankfurt where we got off and

Track by the mooring at Philadelphia in 2013

headed south (on new roads) into Eisenhuttenstadt. We were late. We’d told Hans we would be there at 1.30 p.m. and it was 1.50 p.m. There was another one of the members there as Christian (the boss) was laid up with a bad knee (he’d been working too hard!). The club’s boats were due to come out of the water on the 22nd of next month, so we said as there was enough space anyway for the two boats along the wall - where they’d installed new metal gangways - that we’d like to arrive around the 15th. The guy had only come down to the club for an hour and had to leave and lock up. Hans was on his bike, so we said thanks and “Bis bald” - see you soon - and followed Hans back to his house to see Marianne. We stayed for coffee and a chat. Hans showed us photos of their son’s new house and their two grandchildren, Hannah (aged 3) and Karl (aged 5), who are growing up really fast. Before heading back to the boat we did some shopping at the Real hypermarket. Took the 246 scenic route back through Beeskow and Storkow to Philadelphia, a very pleasant ride. Bill had been to Storkow on his bike to do a bit of shopping. Later Bill and Fanny came over to have a planning meeting for the next few days’ travels.

Tuesday 28th September 2004 Hermsdorfer M. to Märkisch Buchholz and back.

Weir and hydro-electric power station Markische Buchholz

A very chilly 5° C overnight. Grey and showery, sun came out very briefly. The next lock upriver didn’t open until ten, so we had a lie in and left at 10.15 a.m. I defrosted the ‘fridge whilst I did the usual chores. The lock was emptying as we arrived. The lock keeper, a gnarled old chap, wouldn’t let Bill bring Rosy into the empty chamber alongside us. We kept telling him that the lock was plenty wide enough at 5.3m, but he either didn’t understand or just wouldn’t listen! A younger man on the lockside with him seemed to understand English as he nodded in the right places when I said to him that the keeper was the boss, it’s his lock and we’re in no hurry. The keeper told us (quite loudly) that the river was navigable for only seven more kilometres (which we already knew) and also showed me his log book to point out that the lock was closed from the end of September. I told him we would be back

Sign board below weir

later in the afternoon. The lock had been shortened from 41m to 28m when it was rebuilt in 2000 and had a sloping right hand wall like the previous lock. We waited above while Bill brought Rosy through the lock. A new bootschlepper (railway with a little cradle on a bogie) had been built at Märkisch Buchholz to take small boats of less than 350kgs around the weir and miniature hydroelectric power station to the continuation of the Dahme above, which was called the Umflutkanal or flood water channel. We could go no further into the Spreewald, so we moored next to the quay (after bouncing off a rock) for the bootschlepper and had lunch. Mike found a board listing the opening and closing times of all the locks in the locality. He was a bit perturbed by the fact that several were listed as closing on the 3rd October. We set off again heading back downstream (with very little flow) back down the Dahme with Rosy in the lead.  Hooray the sun came out, but shortly after the rain started again. Rosy was in the lock at Hermsdorfer Mühler with a green light still on and

Moored below the weir at Markische Buchholz
end of navigation river Dahme

the keeper called us in. Why the change of mind? We had no idea as we couldn’t communicate with the chap. But he was very quiet and smiling, so perhaps the chap who understood English earlier explained a few things to him? Who knows? We went back down the lock together. A couple were on the lockside chatting to him. They all waved as we left. We tied up twenty minutes later back at the same old quay. In the big meadow between the river and the forest there was a large herd of beef cattle - cows and their calves plus the bull. The day before they had been further towards the lock, today they had been moved to next section of meadow which was next to the quay. There was an electric fence surrounding them, but we suspected that it wasn’t connected although no one volunteered to try it and neither did the cows! Bill kept Fanny well away from them when they went out to play with her frisbee ring. The next shower arrived as Mike put the dish up. The sat finder, which had been for a swim earlier and had been drying out in the engine room with its back cover off, was refusing to work. With a little persuasion it found Sky. The weather was too wet for a BBQ, which we’d all been looking forward to so I grilled the rump steaks we had been saving for a BBQ.

Monday 27th September 2004 Schmöckwitz to Hermsdorfer Mühler.

Kuhnle hirebase at Zeuthen (pic from 2014)

10.1° C Grey and overcast with a light breeze, drizzle started mid-morning. We all went in the car to get groceries from the Extra supermarket and Mike bought some petrol from the Arral garage. Set off with the pins in at 9.30 a.m. doing some washing, heading upriver on the Dahme. I got on with the chores, made some popovers in the oven (puffed up batter - USA breakfast food) before doing the daily bread. At Zeuthen Mike gave me a buzz to look at the nest of Zunzle cakes - a bakery? (a hire base - Kuhnle Boats) - some had Waren on the sterns so they must do one way trips to the north of the Mecklenburg lakes. I carried on ironing, finishing

Below Neue Muhle lock (pic from 2014)

just as we arrived at Neue Mühle lock in Königs Wusterhausen. Glad to see that industry was still alive and well in the region - the tipper crane was still upending railway wagon loads of brown coal into boats to be delivered to the power station. A young man worked the lock from a control panel in a shelter that was about the same size as a telephone box. We rose about 1.5m with Rosy tied alongside. Nothing moved but us as we crossed the Krimnicksee and Krüpelsee lakes and went into the channel of the Dahme again. A small cruiser overtook us, which we saw no more sign of as the river bent and wound its way into the Dolgensee, again

Above Prieros lock (pic from 2014)

deserted, then back into the Dahme again at Dolgenbrodt. The river bank was lined with holiday bungalows and caravans, all shuttered and deserted, with rows of little open boats moored along the banks in front of them, also sheeted and covered in readiness for the colder months to come. No one around except a few hardy local fishermen. After a very short wait below Prieros lock, the blonde lady keeper emptied the water out and we went up about another metre. The lock had been modernised, rebuilt - it used to be a sloping turf sided lock but now only the right hand wall had a slope and that was above water level. The left hand wall was normal, straight sided like most other locks. Rosy went out first and we followed down the Streganzer See. Bill stopped at the end of the lake, not knowing which way to go until Mike gave him a call on the radio to tell him that the channel (almost invisible) was far to the left side of the lake and curved off round the back of a reedy island, the channel was not obvious. Heavy drizzle started just before we moored next to the old piled quay about a kilometre before Hermsdorfer Mühler lock. The car could stay where it was at Schmöckwitz for a few days. 

Thursday 23rd September 2004 Schmöckwitz–Müggelsee–Schmöckwitz, then three days off.

Thursday 23rd September 2004 Schmöckwitz–Müggelsee–Schmöckwitz.

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!”

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

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

 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

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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. 

Tuesday 21st & Wednesday 22nd September 2004 Repairs to Rosy’s engine.

Tuesday 21st September 2004 Schmöckwitz. Autumn Equninoxe. Repairs to Rosy’s engine.

Ruins of the Jagdschloss Schmockwitz - Wikimedia photo by Dramburg

10.8° C Sunny spells between grey clouds, breezy and heavy showers in the afternoon. The birch trees in the park alongside the mooring were shedding masses of tiny seeds which got everywhere, all over the boat roof, the carpet and tried to fill the front deck. We went shopping at the Real in Treptow park. Glyn ‘phoned to say he was just off to post our mail to Eichwalde. Got the groceries and set off home, calling at the boatyard in Adlershof on the way back. The guy said the gasket should arrive later in the day. Mike gave him our ‘phone number so

Schmockwitz trams in 1991 - Wikimedia photo by Roehrensee

he could ring us when the gasket had arrived and they would go and fetch it. Packed all the stuff away and made some lunch. Mike went to give Bill a hand stripping the Perkins down. The chap from the boatyard rang and Mike told him he’d be there before they closed at 6 p.m. They finished taking the engine to bits and went to get the gasket. Bill was lucky he only charged him 63€ for it, that’s just over £42 - ours cost £50 back in Britain, and he gained some grease for free and a slice of the office lady’s sandwich! I cooked a pork and smoked sausage casserole with savoy cabbage (French Potée Lorraine with a German flavour). Peter sent an text to ask Mike how to make a remote-operated door latch for his boat. Mike sent one back with details of a type of relay he

Schmockwitz trams in 2013 - Wikimedia photo by Platte

needed to get to build it. He said it was to prevent boat-jacking! Didn’t think they could get away with that with all the CCTV cameras, etc, in the UK nowadays. 

Wednesday 22nd September 2004 Schmöckwitz. Repairs to Rosy’s engine.

9.9° C Grey cloudy, sunny spells, windy. The ‘phone bleeped. There was an unread text from Peter from the previous night. It said that there were gangs of youths in the UK who steal from boats at lock flights when their crews are busy locking; that was why he wanted a remote door locking device. The men set to work again on the engine. Mike had

Aerial view of Schmockwitz - Wikimedia photo by Marathoni62
Mooring quay is towards top right below the blue roofs

been chewing over whether or not to have a look at the valves, he did, they weren’t too bad, but all six needed a session with the grinding paste. They started reassembling. I did chores in the morning, made a pizza to go in the oven with the buns, and then made some lunch. They finished rebuilding the engine and started it up to test it at 4.30 p.m. It fired up first time, no leaks or any sign of the original problem and Mike had finally convinced Bill that a header tank should be fitted as soon as possible. Otherwise the next time the engine overheats it could damage the head. I made Indonesian fried rice for dinner.