Monday 4th October 2004 Philadelphia to Zugbrücke, Groß Köris.

Bridge air draft gauge at Philadelphia
Wikimedia photo by E-W

7.2° C Sunny, but a chilly, breezy afternoon. We winded and headed down to the lock at Kummersdorf. An old chap was on duty working the lock.   The Wolzigersee was a placid blue mirror, a perfect reflection of the sky, until we disturbed a great flock of greylag geese which took flight only to land again a few hundred metres away from the boats. I finished the chores as we crossed into the Langersee, the washing finished as we turned upstream on the river Dahme. Mike disconnected the Markon as we went into the Teupitzergewässer. After we’d gone through the Neubrücke bridge and into the Klein Korisersee, the wind began to pick up. Through a chain of three little lakes, Kleiner Modder, Großer Modder and the Schulzen sees. Between the latter two we had a ten minute wait for the bridge keeper at Groß Köris, where we were charged 3 Euros each to pass through the Historische Zugbrücke, which opens every hour on the hour. The cards the lady keeper gave us as a receipt showed a picture of a trip boat passing through the bridge, which said that 122 years earlier Theodor Fontane had passed through with his sailing boat the Phönix and had been inspired to write a book called “Wandering through the Mark Brandenburg” in which he describes the bridge. There might have been a liftbridge there for 122 years, but the current structure certainly was nowhere

Holzernersee - Wikimedia photo by Botaurus

near that age. The base and road supports were of modern concrete and the bridge itself was a modern electrically operated metal one, a steel copy of a Llangollen style bridge. A little police boat, N° 23, was waiting on the opposite side and came through the bridge first. We continued down the channel leading to the last few lakes in the chain. There were loads of leaves in the clean clear water and a very strong smell of poplars in the air. Into the Schulzensee, through another narrow channel and out into the Zemminsee, which connected to the Schwerinersee and then the Teupitzersee. We did a clockwise circle around the two islands at the end of the big lake then headed back, retracing our course. A trip boat

Teuplitzer see - Wikimedia photo by Wusel007

had set out from Teupitz and we had followed it back through the lakes, but it winded in the last lake before the liftbridge and we met it on its return journey, coming back south, and passed it in the narrow channel under the motorway bridge, north of the Zemminsee. More power boats passed us, heading south to play in the lakes, as we waited a half hour for the bridge keeper to arrive for the 4 p.m. opening. She let us through and we asked if we could stop on the far side of the bridge, she reluctantly said yes. At 4.10 we tied to the wooden piling, using chains around the horizontal wooden bars to stop our ropes jamming between the logs. While we were eating dinner we spotted a woman walking up and down and thought she was just having a look at the boats. Bill said later she owned the land that we were tied to and she wasn’t at all happy about us being there - she spoke severely to Bill, telling him we were only allowed to stay there to wait for the bridge, but finally she said OK

we could stay overnight. 

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.

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.