Bourbourg to Arques

Friday 29 May 2015

Bourbourg to Arques - 29kms

 Up bright and early as yesterday we had called the number given to us on our arrival by the friendly lockkeeper and had left a message asking for bridge service at 08h00 (normal hours 08h30 onwards); 08h30 arrived with nothing happening and then at a quarter to ten, after a half dozen calls to every number we could find, we saw someone opening the lock behind us, not the Pont de Rouge (although it is painted green) bridge in front of us and our route to the River Aa. So we turned the boat around and on entering the lock were informed that the Pont de Rouge was ‘kaput’ – bit like Africa - meaning that we would have to retrace our steps along the Canal De Bourbourg to the big commercial Canal de la Haut Colme which carries traffic from Dunkerque, inland.

We should have guessed as, on our second morning, the good ‘yacht’ Enterprise had arrived and had spent two hours trying to get someone to open the lock but to no avail. Stephen popped in for a glass of wine and related the experience – in the end they gave up, moored up to the waiting pontoon and retraced their route the following morning.

With a very fresh south-wester blowing we entered the Canal de la Haut Colme and were on our way.

Breezy...

But nothing deters a fisherman.

 At the lock just before Watten the lockkeeper informed us that the big Flandres lock at Arques would be closing on Sunday at 18h30 and only reopening on 24 June which effectively has scuppered our plans to go down the Lys to Saint-Venant before turning back toward Dunkerque; we will not really have the time to enjoy a 230 kilometre trip from Saint-Venant to Kortrijk/Brugge/Nieuwpoort and back to our long term mooring at Diksmuide, all in eleven days. A great pity.

Eventually, in a stiff breeze we reversed into one of the many open berths and tied up to the 7m finger at the Plaisance Arques only to be told a half hour later that we had to move as Elle was too big for that pontoon and with the worsening weather the lady captaine was concerned that we would do structural damage to the marina – we were directed to a identically sized finger but one which was a little more protected from the wind. And there we sat, reading and listening to the wind and rain until the weather cleared and it was time for bed.

A grey day.

Anything looks good in the right light - even ugly factory's.

 And we still cannot connect to the internet.