Monday 19th April 2004 Visé to Eijsden.

Below Vise lock (pictures taken in Sep 2005)

6.6° C overnight. Overcast, dull and chilly. We set off at 9.15 a.m. winded and followed Rosy to Visé lock. The waterways workboat had left the moorings earlier so the lock was full, we waited while the keeper emptied it and then we went up. When the lock was full Mike gave Bill the quittances so he could have a look at the ancient lock cabin and all the huge levers, etc for operating the lock. Mike took the rubbish and then helped the two waterways men to get four old tyres out of the lock before we headed out on to the choppy waters of the Albert canal. Bill told us that someone he converses with by E-mail was adamant that we shouldn’t navigate the Albert canal except when it’s quiet on a Sunday! 

Cutting on theAlbert canal abv Lanaye locks. (pictures taken in Sep 2005)

What drivel, obviously someone who knows nothing of narrowboats or the Albert canal. It was 10.15 a.m. A bunkership went past, motoring hard towards Lanaye, and an empty 80m called Jennifer II overtook us as we swung right, also heading for Lanaye. We passed a couple of other commercials heading for Liège as we went along the short length of canal before the deep lock back on to the Meuse. The boat which left Visé before us was sitting in the middle of the canal, holding station for a few minutes, then turning round and going back to the middle - training day? 

Abv Lanaye locks (pictures taken in Sep 2005)

Mike called the keeper at Lanaye on VHF to ask if we should head for the small lock. Yes, OK. It was full and ready for us when we got there. I took the papers to the young man in the lockside cabin, he stamped them and took his copies before handing them back to me for souvenirs. We descended 14m. A deluge of water cascading off the guillotine gate caused Mike to put the brolly up as we left the chamber. One empty was heading for the big lock to go uphill. Very few boats were moored along the lock cut, an empty pan called Champagne and seven tugs (one was a houseboat and one was for sale) were moored by the former customs buildings, plus a couple of old yachts and a few retired commercials. 

Below Lanaye (pictures taken in Sep 2005)

Mike changed the Belgian courtesy flags for the Dutch one as we left the end of the lock cut and joined the river, now we were in the Netherlands the name of the river had changed to the Maas. We passed one pan of sand being pushed by a tug as we went into Maastricht. Plenty of space on the wall to moor between a couple of cruisers. We went through the arched bridge, winded and moored up at 11.40 a.m. Had some lunch then Mike and Bill went into town to get some bread and a new ‘phone chip from the Car Phone House. Mike got a NL Vodaphone and Bill went for a T-Mobile. Ours cost 14,99€ with 5,00€ in credit and a 10€ refund voucher. 

Maastricht museum. (pictures taken in Sep 2005) 

He left Bill in an Internet café and went to the ANWB shop, on the other side of the river, to get a new handbook 16,50€ (£11.55) (Deel 2, which gives details and costs of all the moorings, locks and bridges, etc) plus a new version of Map A, 16,95€ (£11.87) Friesland, which now includes all the Turf Routes. Bill had asked him to get all the maps he needed, but Mike said it would come to over 80€ so he waited until Bill returned and went over to the ANWB shop with him and he bought the first four maps - saying he would buy the rest later. 

Maastricht. (pictures taken in Sep 2005)

Mike went back to the ‘phone shop to make sure we could claim the 10€ credit as we haven’t got a Dutch address - the chap said they credit the money direct to the ‘phone so he put his address on both our cards and posted them. We set off again at 4.30 p.m. heading back upriver to the lake below Lanaye lock near Eijsden. When we tied up at the southern end of the lake there were lots of people out walking. A large notice forbade dogs to wander on the land during the night because of the herds of cattle and horses which graze there. We spotted only a couple of small black woolly cows. The temperature was dropping again so Mike lit the coal fire. 

Pictures taken on return journey in Sep 2005

Saturday 17th & Sunday 18th April 2004 Visé.

Saturday 17th April 2004 Visé.

Rosy moored at Vise (picture taken in 2005)

3.6° C overnight. A sunny day after mist over the river burned away. Mike took a walk into Visé to try the cash machines. The only card which worked was Lloyds! He didn’t get money out with it though. I got on with my chores. When Mike returned from Visé, he and Bill went in the car to get Bill’s gas cylinder refilled. He went in a Fortis bank and, from their inside cash machine, he obtained the first cash from a Belgian bank! Hooray for that! It was a cash machine like no other he’d ever used, it had got a keyboard like a computer and he’d had to ask if it was a cash machine before he used it! Bill bought two containers of cheaper Belgian white diesel to store on Rosy. When they got back we sat outside on the front deck and enjoyed the sunshine for half an hour. 

Egyptian geese at Vise (picture taken in 2005)

I made us all a cup of coffee and we sat chatting with Bill. The local boaters asked all the usual questions as they passed by en route to their boats. They told us that the port is due to be refurbished, with electricity and water posts to be installed next year. Mike went next door to help Bill sort out the problem he was having with his Morse control box, which kept dropping off in power on its own. He added a washer to cause extra friction and that appeared to cure it. He also tried jacking up the engine to see if that would make the vibration less - it did - so now they will have to sort out a permanent solution to the problem before it shakes all the pipes and connections to bits. Mike lit the BBQ for the first time this year. I scrubbed some spuds and we had pork chops and sausages. When we were ready to eat Bill brought his dinner over (he’d cooked enough curry for two meals the day before and said it would go off if he cooked something else on the barbie and left his curry until the next day) and sat outside with us to eat. 

Vise. (picture taken in 2005)

We had a few beers and Bill drank the last of his French red wine. We chatted and got Fanny to collect twigs to make more charcoal. The weather turned as a front advanced, bringing rolling grey clouds, wind and spits of rain. We packed up and retired indoors to watch TV.

Sunday 18th April 2004 Visé.

Glad we decided to stay put over the weekend. First because the weather was rough, grey and very windy, then because Mike discovered a problem with Bill’s exhaust system. I decided to use the excess of eggs we’d got (couldn’t get them all in the ‘fridge door) and made a chocolate chiffon torte. After lunch Mike went to make an extra engine bearer to support Bill’s engine and discovered a break in his exhaust. Out came the welder and Bill set to work making a new flange. Mike said if they hadn’t spotted the break in the exhaust it could have blown apart while Bill was steering and (very probably) flames would have been coming out of the open end! Peter sent an SMS to say he’d made a new antenna for HF but the band appeared to be dead, the weather was dull and wet so he was going out, we’d have a go at trying out the new antenna next day. Mike lit the coal fire as the temperature dropped.

Friday 16th April 2004 Ampsin to Visé.

Cement works at Engis. R Meuse.
(Photo from return journey in Sept 2005)

Sunny and warmer. We were up bright and early at 7.00 a.m. to set off at 8.00 a.m. We went down Ampsin lock on our own, just the two of us in the small lock chamber after Mike had called a harassed sounding keeper on VHF. There must have been some sort of accident in the big lock as he was talking about claim forms and sounded a bit peevish. A German cruiser from Minden heading uphill as we left the lock was the fifth pleasure boat of the year. Mike had put the pins in to run the generator to do some washing as we ran down to Yvoz. We’d been doing an experiment to find out how long the toilet tank took to fill. We’d noticed a pong in the bedroom the day before when the toilet was being pumped, but couldn’t trace any leaks. The tank was full. 

Cockerill-Sambre coking plant at Seraing. R Meuse.
(Photo from return journey in Sept 2005)

Mike lifted the mattress and found there was a leak on the breather pipe on top of the tank and a tiny, smelly puddle. Yuk. He went inside to pump out the tank, while I steered, and noticed black water coming up the drainpipes from the shower and the sink. He switched the washing machine off and unblocked the pipe, which must have been stopped up with gunge from the water where we moored the previous night. This sometimes happens in mucky conditions when the wind is blowing in the right direction (as it was the previous night). Good thing he was inside and spotted it, we could have had a much worse mess! River traffic was getting busier. It always does when I steer through the industrial grotty bits down through Liège. 

Fountain at the junction with R. Ourthe.  R Meuse.
(Photo from return journey in Sept 2005)

We’d got two big boats overtaking us, Feron and Fatima, as we passed three uphill boats, one of which was overtaking the other two, blue boarding on the wrong side of the river, so I went down the middle! Bill followed. It was a bit bouncy for a few minutes. We followed the two loaded boats which had just overtaken us into Yvoz-Ramet lock. They went in on opposite sides of the chamber, so we went opposite Fatima behind Feron and Rosy went behind us. I went up to the cabin to take the quittances to be stamped, passing two armed policemen on the way. I later learned that they’d told the crews of the two commercials to moor with fore and aft lines and to stop turning their props, then they’d gone to chat to Mike and Bill. 

Palais de Congres. Liege.  R Meuse.
(Photo from return journey in Sept 2005)

The commercials hadn’t stopped their props, so one of the cops went back to tell them again. I heard him tell the Dutch crew on Feron who feigned ignorance of French - but they had complied with the first part of his order and attached a stern rope as well as a bow rope as the rules demand. I went inside to sort out the washing and missed the rest of the events. First, the bloke on the bows of Feron got his bow line jammed and the keeper had to come and loose it off for him - but then the keeper dropped it and made no attempt to get it back on the boat - so it fell in the water. Then the woman only just about freed her line before it got jammed as she’d crossed it and got the wrong line on top (it runs freely if you do it the other way round). Then they powered off out of the lock and Fatima followed. Mike had dropped our rope on to a lower bollard as he guessed they were going to go out with full throttle as they’d been told off for not being considerate to others (meaning US!) Bill had taken his rope off the higher bollard, but then couldn’t get it on the lower recessed bollard as it was a cross with each end fixed into the concrete (usually the top is left free so the rope just loops around) and he hadn’t got time to feed his rope through before Fatima sucked Rosy’s stern end against theirs. 

Passerelle Saucy & Pont-des-Arches. Liege.  R Meuse.
(Photo from return journey in Sept 2005)

Bill dashed back to the steering position and powered away from the commercial, but hadn’t got anywhere to go - so he ran into our stern fenders. What a performance! All the fault of the men with guns! Practically ALL commercials sit in the locks on one rope with their props turning to keep them against the walls - we’ve had to learn to live with it. The two Dutch boat crews were not happy about being told they were law-breakers and inconsiderate to other waterway users, as far as they’re concerned at best we’re invisible, at worst we’re a nuisance if we get in their way! Bill’s nerves must have been a-jangling after that experience. 

Pont-des-Arches. Liege.  R Meuse.
(Photo from return journey in Sept 2005)

A Dutch cruiser (N° 6) was heading uphill for the lock as we left it. Shortly after we almost had another disaster when we ran over the rope that Feron had lost. Luckily Mike spotted it in time and took the engine out of gear. He shouted to Bill on VHF, who was following, and he moved over to miss it. The sun was very pleasant as we went through Liège, spotting more and more new buildings, more houseboats on the wall and the lack of a water tap where we used to refill our tanks. At the beginning of the Albert Canal we tied up against one of the small bunker boats and waited while a boat, which had just overtaken us, Aquarius loaded with steel coil, filled up with fuel at the main Neptunia barge. 

Waterside mansion Liege.  R Meuse.
(Photo from return journey in Sept 2005)

When he left we went alongside just as another of their small bunker boats returned to refill his tanks. The guy off the bunker boat came and helped serve us with diesel and water. I thought it was funny when the chap from the chandlery shop spoke to Mike in Flemish and he answered him in French! I paid by card - but wires had got crossed, we’d said beforehand that I’d pay for both by card and the Flemish guy had done individual bills. The price had gone gone up a lot since Antoing. This time we’d only had 140 litres and Bill had had 264 litres. They’d charged us 43c (30p) a litre, while at Antoing (albeit we’d had a discount for having a joint amount of over a tonne) it had cost us only 32.2c (22.5p) a litre. 

Vise.  R Meuse.
(Photo from return journey in Sept 2005)

We had spotted that the price of road fuel had gone up considerably too, with Belgian prices virtually the same now as what we’d been paying in France just before we left. Mike and Bill went for a wander round the chandlery. Bill wanted some chain, but they’d got none. Mike wanted some hand cleaner - they’d got a 3 litre tub with a dispenser on top for 19 Eu, but Mike said he hadn’t got room in the engine room for that, it was too big. Just before we untied, I tried calling Monsin lock and got no reply. Mike called and got a reply, but it was unintelligible, the audio was very bad - as if the keeper was at the bottom of a well. The lock was ready so we went in. Mike tried asking if he wanted to see our quittance. Again the answer was undecipherable, he had to ask him “oui ou non?” He said “s’il vous plaît!” I went up to the new cabin across the tail of the lock. There were two of them, one sprawled in an arm chair - the other one did the paperwork. I told him his radio audio was bad, he said ours was too. I resisted telling him he needed a new radio. Then he asked if we knew that Visé lock was shut. “No, is it permanent?” I asked. He said that we had to notify the keeper before 12 o’clock on a Friday if we wanted to go through the lock on a Saturday or Sunday. I thought that only applied to Sundays. I told him we weren’t in a great hurry, we’d have a weekend’s peace and calm in Visé. 

Haccourt-Vise canal. R Meuse.
(Photo from return journey in Sept 2005)

The wind picked up as we went downstream on the old river Meuse. A mini-tornado whipped up a circle of water as it spun across the surface of the river. On the motorway alongside the river we heard the unmistakable sound of a passing car, towing a caravan and a trailer, having a tyre blow out. Boom, flap, flap, flap. A passing group of nine motorcyclists formed the first “en masse” biker outing we’d seen this year. We turned into the Haccourt-Visé canal, passing more swans, geese, ducks and coots than ever. It’s always been a popular spot for water birds as people (who don’t live there!) come especially to feed them. The only space available (there were more moored boats than ever too, most being small sail or day boats) was in the corner. Someone had left their mooring lines behind. We tied up with Rosy alongside us and Mike went to see if anyone was due back. He spoke to a group of moorers who were sitting outside on the bank enjoying the sunshine and having a drink. The mooring was free, the boat which moored there had left they said - we could have the mooring for a bottle of Scotch! - Mike said if they could find one on our boat he’d share it with them. They were in a very jovial mood. It was 4.25 p.m. As we finished off securing the boat and stowing the gear away, a cyclist came to have a chat. He politely asked if we minded having a conversation with a local. He spoke good English and we dived in with French when he got stuck. He told us he lived in Liège and used to have a sailing boat, a 32 foot yacht, in France, which he sailed on the Med in the eighties doing over 16,000 kms. He asked us all the usual questions (we have a list now, it starts with No1 How did you get that here? No 2 Did you sail it across the Channel? To which we usually reply, no, the North Sea – before adding - on a lorry on a big ferry boat. Etc, etc) It was 5.45 p.m. when Mike went off to get the car and I started to get dinner ready.

Thursday 15th April 2004 Namur to Ampsin.

Sculpture - the four sons of Aymon on the horse Bayard
(legend of the river Meuse - picture taken on return journey in 2005)

Sunny after a chilly 3.3° C overnight. With no heating on overnight the cabin it was a bit chilly when we got up. Mike showed Kevin and Barbara the copy of their 2003 newsletter which had been published in the club magazine. We said au ‘voir and wished them a good trip back to GB via Charleroi, where they were planning on filling up with red diesel. Mike had told them there was a one day stoppage on the Sambre and they said they would assess it when they got there. Took a couple of photos of Merchant as they set off. We left Namur quay at 9.30 a.m. heading back downriver to the lock at Grandes Malades, following Jolles (a loaded boat from Nijmegen) which had just come down the Sambre. We went into the big lock after an uphill boat, which had come up in the tail end half chamber, had cleared the lock. 

Namur (picture taken on return journey in 2005)

I went straight up to the cabin with our quittances and asked where I had to show them again - Yvos-Ramet – so not until the next day. A loaded boat carrying steel coils, called Wilani from Antwerp, came into the lock behind us and the keeper lifted the top end gate (it lowers flat into the bed of the river at the lock mouth) and emptied the whole chamber, slowly. Below the lock, the chantier Meuse et Sambre were building another big hotel boat, the Botticelli. They are famous for building large luxury passenger vessels. Shortly afterwards we passed a tug with a pan called Minerva loading roadstone from tipper lorries. Its capacity was 2,322 tonnes, so we calculated that it would take one hundred lorry loads to fill it! An empty 80m boat, Feron, was motoring hard upriver near Beez, making a good few waves with his wash. We looked back to see how Rosy was weathering it - OK, the bows were dipping almost to the button fender - and Bill seemed to be having no problems with it. He’s not mixed in with the big boys like this before. 

Painted house in Namur
(picture taken on return journey in 2005)

We were just passing the crags of the Rocher du Roi Albert, where the keen rock-climbing King of the Belgians fell to his death in 1934. A bunch of youths were climbing the rocks, having lessons from the instructors at the commando training school. By contrast to the previous boat, the 51m empty Satanas from Visé went past us near Namêche with virtually no wash. What a difference a well-shaped hull makes and theirs was beautiful. A pair of Egyptian geese flew up to roost on top of the light on a lamp post next to a cliff face just south of Namêche. We were glad to see there were still boats moored at Spoetnick’s old place (where we used to buy diesel) but quietly pleased that practically all the boats and all the buildings had disappeared from where the boatyard was on the other bank that had sold us short measure when we bought diesel from them. We just managed to eat lunch before we arrived at the lock at Seilles. Theion a Dutch tanker from Druten, now loaded - we’d seen him going uphill on the Sambre - had just overtaken us, so we followed him into the lock. Although we all packed into the half lock, the keeper emptied the whole chamber. 

Below Grandes Malades lock
(picture taken on return journey in 2005)

The boat we shared locks with on the Sambre, Annico (steered by a woman) which had loaded with stone below Pont de Loup, overtook us as we went under the Ben-Ahin suspension bridge at Wanze by the sugar works. The yacht club moorings in the old basin had now been rechristened Port de Statte and was full of large cruisers. Five teenagers in a rigid hulled inflatable went past several times as they cruised up and down the river as we went through Huy. A picturesque town with a cable car which takes tourists to the top of the citadel. Noted the Carrefour supermarket for a possible shopping expedition as we continued down to the old quay above the lock at Ampsin. We found a slot between the retired péniches and a little Luxe. It wasn’t quite long enough for us to moor singly, so Bill brought Rosy alongside and we tied up at 3.15 p.m. An old chap from the first boat in the line, called Roco, came to have a chat. I helped Mike unload the moped off the roof. Although the quay was lower than all the quays we’d tied to in Belgium so far, it was still above our gunwale height, so he was able to get the bike off without using the plank. He went back to Namur to collect the car and when he returned we all went to get some groceries from the Carrefour we’d spotted just a short distance back upriver at Huy. Two loaded boats came charging down the river just before ten o’clock - they’d missed the lock - it shuts at 9.30 p.m. - but we bobbed about like corks for the next hour. Then the wind picked up and rocked the boat all night.

Legends of the Meuse - The Four Sons of Aymon:-