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FIESTA LOG HOLLAND-BELGIUM-FRANCE 2004

DATE

TIME

LOCATION

ENG
HRS

HRS
RUN

KM
RUN

NOTES

TUE
18MAY04

2000

Kerkdriel

1177.1

 

 

Arrived from Seattle, picked up by Dick & Emmy at Schipol. Boat waxed & polished, most work done by Josh, some pickups. New bimini nice, some adjustments needed.

THU
20MAY04

1400

Kerkdriel

 

2.3

17

Partly sunny, warm. No problems. 1 lock shared with barge, moored in pasantanhaven, shower code 4135

1630

Den Bosch

1179.4

SUN
23MAY04

1020

Den Bosch

 

1.7

17

Partly sunny, cool (54°F)

1220

Kerkdriel

1181.1

24MAY04
26MAY04

 

At Kerkdriel

 

 

 

Changed oil & filter, Racor. fixed elec connector for 24 volt isolator, installed new fuel gauge. Link 10 monitor, all pickups completed, added tabs for bimini.

THU
27MAY04

1430

Kerkdriel

 

1.9

21

Easy trip down the Maas to quay in inner harbor (15th century fish market). Charming, picturesque old town.

1635

Heusden

1183.8

FRI
28MAY04

0730

Heusden

 

3.0

34

Beautiful, sunny day. Easy trip down the Maas, turn into Biesbosch national park, very shallow with unmarked shoals. Moor at mooring place, watch other boats go aground, crew get out to push.

1025

Biesbosch Nat. Water Park

1186.8

SUN
30MAY04

0730

Biesbosch

 

4.1

27

Stuck in mud leaving moorage, no passage to north, detour south to Maas. Slip in Martensgaat beside cathedral €7/nighr incl elec.  Great location, very interesting city.

1330

Dordrecht

1190.9

WED
02JUN04

0900

Dordrecht

 

2.8

23

Cool, rain, wind building, adverse current 3-4 km/hr, easing in Hollands Diep. No problems. Harbor full, rafted in Yachthaven €27.40 for 2 nights. Meet Dick & Emmy, dinner together in restaurant.

1145

Willemstad

1193.7

FRI
04JUN04

0850

Willemstad

 

7.7

72

Foggy, drizzle, poor visibility. Thru Hollands Diep & down Schelde-Rijn canal, lots of big traffic, boring scenery, cross into Belgium @ 1430. 2 big locks, no problems. Wait 1 hr for bridges to Willemdoc, big modern marina.

1750

Willemdoc, Antwerp

1201.4

SAT
12JUN04

0610

Willemdoc, Antwerp

 

9.1

94

Wait 2 hrs for brigdes & Royersluis, 5m drop to river Schelde in packed lock. Start up Schelde on rising tide, 2-3 km/hr current to lock at Gent, no place to stop between. €50 permit. Dock at centrum €8/night. Beautiful city, side trip to Brugge

1610

Gent

1210.5

SAT
19JUN04

0920

Gent

 

2.5

7

Sunny, showers, cool. 9 km/hr on River Leie. Beautiful, winding, big houses & farmland. Visit Afsnee, very small pretty village. Continue to St Martens, overnight a village dock, no facilities, very pretty. Visit art galleries.

1135

Saint Martens Latem

1212.0

SUN
20JUN04

0900

Saint Martens Latem

 

2.0

18

Another beautiful trip along the meandering Leie. 2 bridges to open,  no traffic, no problems. Cloudy, sun breaks, moor at yacht club €5 inc elec/water. End of river.

1100

Deinze

1214.0

MON
21JUN04

0820

Deinze

 

4.4

27

Cloudy, sun breaks, cool.. Max speed 8km/hr., 2 large locks, big barge traffic, no problems. City dock with elec/water – free! Rent car for side trip to Ypres & Flanders Fields – very moving, great museum.

1300

Kortrijk

1218.4

FRI
25JUN04

0935

Kortrijk

 

6.7

43

Nice day, sun & clouds. 8 locks, 1 takedown, 2 km/hr adverse current. €1.05 Wallonia permit. No moorage or stopping in Tournai, Free moorage in Antoing village, no facilities, medieval festival all weekend, bus to Tournai. Rebuild toilet

1620

Antoing

1225.1

TUE
29JUN04

1150

Antoing

 

5.5

42

600 liters fuel @ €0.35/l = €210.15 1225 hrs.  Nice day, warm, light wind. 2 large locks, no problems. Moorage in Marina Grand Large on lake €12/night incl water, elec, showers.  10min bike ride to Mons railway station.

1730

Mons

1230.6

SAT
03JUL04

0915

Mons

 

5.1

33

Switched propane tanks – last tank in Groningen! Check systems. Two large locks, wait for both, then Grand Ascenseur de Strepy, 73 meters vertical elevator. Moor at top of Ronquires incline plane, 68 meters drop, tour tower/visitor center

1455

Plan Incline Ronquieres

1235.7

SUN
04JUL04

0910

Plan Incline Ronquieres

 

9.6

74

Waited 35 min for safety lock, then 8 locks, 9th closed early. Cloudy, showers, not very interesting scenery, moored overnight at closed lock..

1145

Elcuse Floriffoux, Sambre

1245.3

MON
05JUL04

0600

Elcuse Floriffoux, Sambre

 

2.6

11

Cloudy, sunny later. Lock open at 6, wait for barge at 2nd lock. Lucky to get slip at Port de Plaisance €12.50/night. Watch Tour de France finish here. Nice city & marina.

0835

Namur

1247.9

SUN
11JUL04

0925

Namur

 

3.2

18

Cloud, cool, sunny periods later. Up Meuse, 3 locks, stop at Annevoie to visit chateau & water gardens - impressive, then 1 lock to moorage at island “resort” (cafι/bar, playground, birds & bird poop) Quiet, €8

1740

Yvoir

1251.1

MON
12JUL04

0850

Yvoir

 

1.6

9

Cool, cloudy. 2 locks, no problems. Moor at city dock, €9/night incl elec/showers. Visit/tour citadel on cliff & Leffe Monastery

1035

Dinant

1252.7

THU
15JUL04

0850

Dinant

 

2.1

10

Cloudy, showers, moor at Port de Plaisance €8.50 incl elec. No water or showers.. Bike to Chateau Freyr

1045

Waulsort

1254.8

FRI
16JUL04

0750

Waulsort

 

3.8

24

Warm, cloudy, sunny later. Topped off fuel before border 83l@ €0.45=€37.25 1257.0 hrs. Cross into France at 1005. Stop at Givet for lunch. Total 6 locks, 1st tunnel, then auto lock. Pretty village, €8.50 all inc.

1450

Vireux

1258.6

SAT
17JUL04

0925

Vireux

 

2.7

11

Warm, sunny. 3 auto locks, no problems after figuring out 1st one.  Town moorage, all facilities, €8.50.  Medieval fete in progress along quay, music in evening interrupted by thunderstorm with torrential rain.

1210

Fumay

1261.3

SUN
18JUL04

0915

Fumay

 

5.7

35

Cloudy, misty, warm. 7 locks, 1 tunnel 200m, no problems. Shared locks with Dutch boat, all auto. VNF halte with elec, free.

1450

Bogny-sur-Meuse

1267.0

MON
19JUL04

0835

Bogny-sur-Meuse

 

3.1

17

Warm, sunny. 3 locks – waited for VNF to open jammed gate at Charleville lock. Municipal dock at camping area, €11.20/night all facilities.  Puppet festival in Charleville. Met Tom & Laurel from Bainbridge on their barge.

1140

Charlevill-Mezieres

1270.1

THU
22JUL04

0950

Charlevill-Mezieres

 

3.5

18

Easy day, warm and sunny, hot later. 5 locks, 1 take-down. Bought Fenders, chart, biocide at chandlery. Possible place to haul boat for winter.  Free moorage on canal bank.

1320

Pont-a-Bar

1273.6

FRI
23JUL04

0835

Pont-a-Bar

 

5.0

28

Another warm, sunny day, hot later. All bridges 3.5m clearance, take down all canvas and windows for comfort. 5 easy locks, 200 m tunnel. Moor at quay. Now on Canal des Ardennes

1400

Chesne

1278.6

SAT
24JUL04

0650

Chesne

 

5.9

17

Wait for 1st lock until 8:50, then 28 locks in 9 km, then 1 lock, all down. Hot, sunny day, clear, fast trip (usually 7 – 8 hours). Moor at quay.

1420

Attigny

1284.5

SUN
25JUL04

0845

Attigny

 

3.2

18

Cool, misty, clearing later. 4 locks, no problems. Moor at quay; elec, water, showers €5.50, free on Sunday. Fete in town, parade to fairground.

1155

Rethel

1287.7

MON
26JUL04

0825

Rethel

 

7.2

43

Cool, drizzle, rain, partial clearing later. 7 locks, last down locks for a while. Stop at Allingy for lunch, shopping, look at church. Moor on bank at Berry-au-Bac.

1740

Berry-au-Bac

1294.9

TUE
27JUL04

0830

Berry-au-Bac

 

4.2

24

Beautiful, warm, sunny day. 9 up locks in two sets, no problems, easy trip. Port du Plaisance all facilities inc washer/drier €12/day.  Good location in city but noisy – under freeway overpass. WiFi at Holiday Inn across street. Great historic city.

1235

Reims

1299.1

SAT
31JUL04

1235

Reims

 

2.1

10

Hot, sunny. Easy trip, 4 up locks. Nice moorage with piers, €6 with elec, water. Showers €4

1435

Sillery

1301.2

SUN
01AUG04

0835

Sillery

 

4.7

22

Another beautiful day. 3 uplocks, 2.3 km tunnel (with lights), 8 down locks in chain. Raft beside Dick & Emmy – nice visit, eat together - they gave us a bottle of champagne with their label.  €4 per boat, rafting free.

1315

Conde-sur-Marne

1305.9

MON
02AUG04

0915

Conde-sur-Marne

 

2.9

15

Warm, sunny, hot later. 2 down locks, 1 opening bridge. Nice moorage, €9.50 including elec & showers.. Thunderstorm & hail Tues evening – cooler!

1210

Mareuil-sur-Ay

1308.8

WED
04AUG04

0850

Mareuil-sur-Ay

 

1.6

10

Cool in morning, clearing, hot in afternoon.. 2 locks, short run. Champagne village, walk up steep hill to Haute Villiers, 4km, church of Dom Perignon, historic village. Free moorage with elec & water.

1005

Cumieres

1310.5

THU
05AUG04

0840

Cumieres

 

5.3

50

Cool, cloudy, light showers, warm & humid in afternoon. 5 locks. Moor on bank at old Blue Line facility. Free, no facilities. Large supermarket nearby. Meet with Tom, Laurel & daughter. ATM cards won’t work, call bank, emergency turn on.

1355

Chateau-Thierry

1315.8

SAT
07AUG04

0820

Chateau-Thierry

 

4.7

40

Clearing, warm, sunny. 4 locks, easy run. Moored at Port du Plaisance, crowded later. Free moorage with water & elec., no showers.

1305

La Ferte-sous-Jouarre

1320.5

SUN
08AUG04

0840

La Ferte-sous-Jouarre

 

5.1

40

Clear skies, warm, hot later. 2 locks, followed two barges for 20km, slow. Moored at Port du Plaisance, crowded later. Free moorage, water (custom fitting) but no elec. Good place to haul boat for winter but could not arrange it.

1340

Meaux

1325.6

THU
12AUG04

0840

Meaux

 

6.7

42

Cool, left Meaux after thunderstorm. 4 down locks, slow passage following barges, waiting at locks. Small marina, 9 km from Paris.

1610

Joinville-le-Pont

1332.3

FRI
13AUG04

0830

Joinville-le-Pont

 

2.8

9

Cool, showers. Long wait for barges at locks. 1 tunnel, 3 locks. Tight fit, short pier at Arsenal. €27.60/night, total €600 all included. Bjorn & Margareta join us on boat on Sept 1. Sightsee in Paris

1110

Arsenal, Paris

1335.1

SAT
04SEP04

0935

Arsenal, Paris

 

8.3

59

Warm, sunny. Bjorn & Margareta aboard. Good trip up Seine, 6 locks. Moor alongside Bookstore barge in city center. Visit Vaux-le-Vicompte by taxi.

1740

Melun

1343.4

MON
06SEP04

0905

Melun

 

5.7

29

Another warm, sunny day. 2 locks, beautiful homes along river. Moor at new Port du Plaisance at St. Mammes. €22 for 3 nights + €6 showers.  Visit Moret-sur-Loing & Fontainbleu.

1340

Saint Mammes

1348.1

THU
09SEP04

1045

Saint Mammes

 

7.1

58

Bjorn & Margareta leave by train. Still warm & sunny. Bypass Melun to make better time to Paris. 4 locks, wait for upstream barge traffic.  Moor upstream of lock.

1750

Ecluse Evry

1355.2

FRI
10SEP04

0805

Ecluse Evry

 

4.6

30

Cloudy, showers, then warm & sunny. Easy trip, little traffic, 4 locks, long wait at Arsenal lock. Tight slip as usual at Arsenal.

1240

Arsenal, Paris

1359.8

MON
13SEP04

0925

Arsenal, Paris

 

6.5

75

Cloudy, cool, dry then heavy rain at 1600. Not much commercial traffic. 3 locks, traveled with French boat Malaya. Moored at Halte Nautique near Conflans-Saint-Honorine rafted to Malaya. Free, no facilities.

1620

Andressy

1367.3

TUE
14SEP04

0820

Andressy

 

4.8

51

Cloudy, clearing, cool windy, some whitecaps, 1 lock, no problems. Fuel at marina 347.1 liters @ €1.03 = €357.51. Marina is in a wilderness area, very small village with one general store 15 minute bike ride away.  Beautiful walks.

1310

Port L’Ilon

1372.1

MON
20SEP04

 

 

End of season, left boat for the winter at slip in the water. Taxi, train, metro, RER to Charles de Gaulle airport for flight to Seattle.

Total time cruising

Total km traveled

Total engine hours

Number of ports visited

127 days (18 weeks)

1375

195

45

Average Speed

Fuel consumption

 

7 km/hr

347 liters / 115 hrs = 3 liters/hr

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