Xouaxange to Lutzelbourg

7 May 2017

23.7kms, 5 locks, 2 tunnels (Niderviller 400 meters, Arzviller 2.3 kilometers), 4 hours 30 minutes.

Departing Xouaxange before 7 am in almost incessant drizzle (I was dying to get into new waters)

Cruiser called March Brown - not really a flybridge?

we headed up past Hesse and Niderviller and in no time at all were faced by a red ‘no go’ light at the 400 meter Niderviller tunnel. Sigh! Yes, after Lagarde the canal operating times were from 07h00 but from the Niderviller-Arzviller tunnel system it goes back to 09h00 to 18h00 again.

Anyway we slotted into an opening at the waiting quay where shortly an odd looking converted Tjalk-like Dutch barge made it obvious that they wanted to go through the tunnel before us.

Luvverly weather.

The 'halte' before the tunnel.

Fat bumpy boat on the left.

Fair enough as they had spent the night at the stop so at nine o’ clock when the lights turned green we followed them through, in turn being followed by another hire boat. The first tunnel was fine but in the long tunnel it became obvious that they had no independent lighting and that the skipper was not very experienced as they bumped from side to side at 4 kph down the length of the moderately lit tunnel followed by our old spotlight and newer LED lightbar turning the gloom into daylight way behind them - most strangely our absolute fear of dark tunnels and the claustrophobia, sweaty palms, dripping foreheads and terror seemed to have disappeared completely. Who said boating was not therapeutic!

Pretty!

The long tunnel - cool!

Then it was full speed for them to the big boat elevator lift where they had to wait some 20 minutes until we leisurely arrived. Down we went

and we locked together through the next five locks with them repeating their sequence; flat-out until the lock, multiple bumps going into the locks and then flat-out again. The Arzviller lift is really lovely and made more so by the surrounding views but what I found most fascinating was cruising the stretch of the canal up to the lift which replaced 17 locks. Through spring blossoming oak trees one catches glimpses of old lock-keepers cottages in the valley below. Fascinating!

And so we arrived at pretty Lutzelbourg at 11h15, tied up to a serviced quay, strolled into the village to buy a baguette, ate Confit de Canard aboard, found an excellent SFR Fon signal using our iBoost, spoke to Ian and Sian who are now in Pagny sur Meuse, and updated the blog.

Today is French voting day (yes, on a Sunday!) and tomorrow is Liberation Day so we will do the short distance to Saverne and spend the night before rushing on to Strasbourg where we hope to organise a Free data/call card – unlimited calls in France (and to South Africa) and 100GB per month data for E19.99 per month!

A bit more tomorrow if I can.