Monday 29th June 2015 Auvelais to Namur Meuse. 26.6kms 4 locks

Boat loading at Moustier

14.7° C Hot and sunny, nice breeze. Mike went out at 8.15am and crew off one of the cruisers moored in front told Mike that if we didn’t go now then it would be at least an hour before we could go through the lock, so he got the engine running, untied and set off at 8.30am. I was still in bed, so I got up and was out in time to help in the lock. Down Auvelais lock, there was a tug waiting to come up and not far beyond it were two launches, one looked like a waterways inspection launch and the other

Floreffe abbey (now a school)

a training vessel for young marines. At Solvay an 80m boat called Escalda was loading white powder, a loaded 63m boat called Calista went past heading uphill, then at the far end of Solvay’s wharves there was an empty German tanker called Synthese-5 from Duisburg. A large blue-hulled cruiser, called Cof d’Eau from Amay, that had been moored on a high quay wall below Auvelais, was catching us up as we got closer to Mornimont lock,  and it overtook us just before the glaciers de Moustier. 

Wild flowers on the concrete banks of the Sambre

A short wait above the lock while loaded 95m boat Dego came up then we went down with the three cruisers. What a load of messing about! It took them all about a quarter of an hour to get into the chamber and the big blue one had slowed right down in the middle at the top end of the chamber, Mike went in alongside the lock wall on the right and I shouted to them to move further down (bags of space in the 112m long chamber – the other two were on either side at the tail end) and I threw our centre rope over a bollard. Mike had to get off and catch ropes for the cruiser’s crew otherwise we would still be there now. Same kerfuffle to get out – that took over ten

In Florifoux lock with Helena

minutes after the gate had slid open. There was one small cruiser waiting below to go up. The three cruisers sped off into the distance in no time. Loaded Dutch boat Sadile went past by the first railway bridge, followed by a very wide Dutch steel cruiser called Hummer which went past at the next railway bridge. I took photos of wild flowers on the bank above Florifoux lock (they looked like wild pinks). The lock refilled and the lights remained red, something coming down behind us. Helena (which had been unloading scrap up at Marcinelles lock) was heading back to the Netherlands. It went

Bank refurbishment done by a single boat

into the lock and we tried asking if we should follow them in but got lots of gestures, none of which we understood. The lock keeper came out on his balcony to wave us in. Plenty of room, but we did fore and aft ropes anyway. As the lock was almost empty the lock keeper called Helena on VHF to remind him there was a cigar behind him (we haven’t been called that in ages!) Another 85m Dutchman Tamara, loaded with scrap metal, was waiting below to go up the lock as we left. More Canada geese and lots of ducks. The river reach below Florifoux had been lowered by about half a metre, they were dredging not far below the lock. An empty called Le Meribel from Huy was sitting under the loading chute at the refuse recycling depot, where loads of bright dayglow green dustbin lorries were going in and out. A strange looking boat

Moored on the quay at Namur R Meuse

with containers that were too high to go under the bridges on its bows was tied to the bank with a crane arm off to the top of the sloping bank (looking at pictures later, it was doing bank refurbishing). San Remo, an 80m loaded Dutch boat from Maasbracht went past heading uphill. We caught up with Helena who was waiting for Salzinnes to fill. As the water level was down by half a metre already there was only a metre drop in the lock. It was 1.30pm as we left the lock and followed Helena down the last twisty narrow section of the Sambre into the city of Namur. What a facelift the waterfront has had recently and there were no boats moored there anymore due to the vastly increased size of the boats now using the river. Two cruisers were moored on the left at the junction but they untied and headed upriver as they saw us. A tripper went past on the Meuse heading downriver and yet another load of scrap on board a Dutchman called Amore turned on to the Sambre after we’d turned right heading upriver on the Meuse. The two cruisers were stooging about by the moorings on the Casino quay, opposite the port de plaisance pontoons. We ignored them and winded to moor on the quay upstream of the last of three DBs. It was 2pm. After lashing to the bank I made some late lunch.