Here we were with a middling sort of
hotel barge driving a decent business in the Champagne when it all came
to a stop. Now there are two things which will indisputably cause this
to happen. One is for the barge to sink or for some similar terminal
disaster to happen; the other is for the clientele to vanish en masse.
In our case it was the latter and was brought about by the Covid
pandemic. I shall explain.
The people who go
for a cruise on a hotel barge in France are nearly all from what might
be called the Anglo Saxon countries. The French do not consider a barge
a suitable place in which to spend leisure time. There is thus no local
market. The large expensive barges mostly draw their passengers from the
United States; others, such as Merganser 2 which are smaller, from
Britain, and Commonwealth countries as well as the US. I do not know
what happened to the others but the virtual standstill in international
leisure travel meant that Merganser sat in dock for two years with us
putting people off and off again and the barge going nowhere.
So we decided to
come to England where at least we had a local market. We sailed the
barge from Vitry-le-François in France to Calais, and thence from
Calais to London, where she is on a residential mooring in Blackwall
Basin. She is undergoing modifications to make her suitable for
residential use as well as for cruising.
Since we shall be
carrying out this work during 2022 we shall not be using the vessel as a
hotel barge during the summer of this year and have decided therefore to
recast our websites. Much of interest has happened during these recent
months and we thought that those of you who have travelled with us or
made enquiries of us would perhaps be interested in hearing of these
things and if they happened to be in London coming to see us where they
would be very welcome.
The journey to England
First we had to satisfy
ourselves that the vessel was physically fit for the journey. She was
surveyed in Garnier's yard, the hull was strengthened, the interior
checked and the necessary certification (ES-TRIN) obtained. The journey
to Calais was estimated to take 3 weeks and a passage plan was prepared
(see below). We found it impossible to secure on board crew for this
journey and the plan had to accommodate land based crew who had assisted
us during previous years. As we got further from Vitry-le-François this arrangement became awkward and at Arques
the crew decided that they could not help us any further. At Arques
there is a famous boat lift, now superseded by a huge lock of some 13m
depth. At this point in our journey repairs on the lower gate were in
progress and we were held up for two weeks. As time passed and opening
time approached large commercial barges gathered and we
tried to get help. Sadly none was forthcoming and, caught in the wash
of a 2800 ton monster as it fired up to exit the lock, we sustained
some damage. However, we proceeded and under sole captaincy navigated
the rest of the route to Calais, where we were given a berth in the
marina. Up to Arques the journey had been uneventful, if slow owing to
the need for the crew to get back home every night and the enforced
wait at Arques, but afterwards it changed. The canals of Northern
France are bleak and inhospitable; the much trumpeted camerarderie of
the battellerie also. The staff of the VNF and Calais port on the
other hand were tolerant and helpful and a credit to their
organisations.
TheVitry-le-François to Calais Passage Plan
This may be of interest to anyone contemplating
cruising between Calais and the Champagne region of France.
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Passage
Plan
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Vitry le
François -
Calais
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Leg
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Kms.
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Locks
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K+L
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Hours
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Navigational Notes
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Days
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Canal
Latéral à la Marne
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Vitry le François - Pogny
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19
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6
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25
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5
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Good Wharf Right Hand Bank
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1
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Pogny-
Condé sur Marme
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29
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5
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34
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6.8
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Turn
onto Canal de l'Aisne à
la Marne
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2
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then moor belore first lock on left
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Canal
de l'Aisne à la Marne
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Condé
sur Marne
- Sillery
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24
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10
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34
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6.8
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Tunnel at Billy le Grand. Marina
at Slllery
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3
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Sillery -
Loivre
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23
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7
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30
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6
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Moor below lock on
left
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4
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Loivre - Berry au Bac - Maizy
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22
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6
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28
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5.6
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Turn left at Berry
au Bac
onto the
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5
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Canal
Latéral à l'Aisne
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Canal
Latéral à l'Aisne
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Maizy - Braye
tunnel
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16
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4
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20
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4
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Moor on the waiting quays,Oise
end
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6
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Braye tunnel - Courson
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19
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5
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24
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4.8
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Moor on left
before the bridge
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7
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Courson
- Abbécout-Chauny
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22
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4
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26
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5.2
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At
Abbécourt turn right
onto the
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8
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Canal
Latéral à l'Oise which
after 2Km
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becomes the
Canal de St. Quentin at
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Chauny
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Canal de St. Quentin
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Chauny - Tergnier
- Jussy
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15
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10
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25
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5
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After 7 Km turn
left onto St
Quentin canal.
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9
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Lower mast at
first lockafter turn
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Jussy - St.
Quentin
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24
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4
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28
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5.6
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Moor on market quay
in St. Quentin
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10
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Do not go
into the
marina
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St. Quentin - Riqueval tunnel
-
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27
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7
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34
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6.8
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This stretch is under the control of the
VNF
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11
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Honnecourt
sur Escaut
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who supervise passage
through the tunnels
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Honnecourt
sur Escaut -
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9
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6
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15
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3
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Papers checked
at Crèvecour
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12
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Crèvecour
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Moor on right beyond the lock
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Crèvecour
- Cambrai
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14
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9
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23
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4.6
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Moor in Basin
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13
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L'Escaut
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Cambrai - Bassin Rond - Arleux
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26
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5
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31
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6.2
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At Etrun junction
left goes
to the bassin
rond
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14
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but take right fork to the Liaison au
Grand
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Gabarit and turn left at
T junction
after 1 Km
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Liaison au
Grand Gabarit
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Arleux -
Courcelles
les lens
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20
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3
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23
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4.6
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There is a marina at Courcelles
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15
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Courcelles les
lens - La
Basssé
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25
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0
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25
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5
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Take right fork
at PK 54
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16
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Take
right fork into La
Bassée where there
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is a public
mooring (possibly)
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La
Basssé - Aire
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33
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1
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34
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6.8
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Public mooring after second
bridge
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17
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Aire - Watten
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26
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1
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27
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5.4
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The lock at Arques has a depth of 13.13m
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18
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It replaces
a former boat lift
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Canal de Calais
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Watten -Les Attaques
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27
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1
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28
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5.6
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Turn left onto
Canal de
Calais after 3 Km at
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19
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PK15. At Hennuin lock
lights signal tidal
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lock conditions
in Calais
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The Calais to London
Passage Plan
This may be of interest to anyone contemplating
cruising between Calais and London.
As with all barges
Merganser 2 is flat bottomed and before attempting a sea passage in
such a craft weather conditions must be appropriate. Consideration
must also be given to the tidal flows during the passage, since the
speed of the vessel is modest and it can be rather trying to find
oneself struggling against a strong spring tide. In the middle of July
2021 conditions were ideal and so, accompanied by my brother in law,
David Gaffan and his wife Elizabeth, we set off from Calais Marina.
The passage to the concrete lighter at Queenborough, estimated at 12
hours, took 11 and after some negotiation with the harbourmaster we
stayed the night there. Setting off next morning on the flood we
arrived at the West India Dock lock to find it closed and therefore
proceeded against an ebb tide to the Hermitage moorings just
downstream of Tower Bridge. Our destination was Blackwall Basin,
operated by the Canal and River Trust and we found later that 24 hour
notice was required to obtain lock service with only a small margin of
error allowed on ETA - rather difficult for an incoming barge from the
North Sea especially as they have no waiting pontoons. What's more,
after three days at the Hermitage moorings which we needed to make a
booking, when we got to the lock the harbourmaster said that
they had no record of our mooring (booked and paid for since March)
and we had to wait another day to get to our berth. To any incoming
barge captain I would say do not try to get into the West India Dock
on arrival in London but go to St. Katherine's Yacht Haven. They may
be expensive but they are competent and professional and were the only
ones who helped us to secure ourselves on a falling tide.
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GMT
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HW Dover
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Estimated
Position
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M
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Tidal stream Correction
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Cruise Duration
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Heading
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18.07.2021
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M
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6 Knt
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05:00:00
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-1.30
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Calais
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06:10:00
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-0.30
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CA6
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6
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0 [N]
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1.00
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200
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07:30:00
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1.00
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Ruytingen SW
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9
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2.0 [Q]
055
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1.30
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0
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51:04:42N
47:00:00E
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09:40:00
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3.10
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End of TSS
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13
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1.6 [M] 040
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2.10
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322
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51:11:00N
1:38:36E
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11:10:00
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5.00
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51:19:00N
1:37:00E
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11
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1.3 [ J]
018
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1.50
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348
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12:50:00
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-0.40
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Elbow
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10
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0.4 [D] 197
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1.40
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325
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51:23:30N
1:32:00E
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14:10:00
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-2.00
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E Margate
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10
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1.3[N] 326
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1.20
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320
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51:28:24N
1:24:30E
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17:30:00
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-5.20
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Pudding Pan
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19
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2.3[D]260
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3.10
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254
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51:24:48N
1:03:60E
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8:40:00PM
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0.20
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Spile
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8
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0.8[D] 50
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1.20
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288
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51:26:30N
0:57:00E
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9:40:00PM
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1.20
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Mid Cant
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6
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0.8[A]101
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1.00
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280
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51:26:30N
0:50:48E
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10:50:00PM
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2.30
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Medway
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7
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0.8[A]103
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1.10
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275
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Concrete Lighter
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GMT
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LW Sheerness
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Estimated Position
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M
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Tidal stream Corretion
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Cruise Duration
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Heading
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19.07.2021
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M
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6 Knt
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03:00:00
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0.00
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Concrete Lighter
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03:30:00
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00:30
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Garrison Point
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3
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0.3[F]070
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0.:30
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29
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51::26:48N
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04:00:00
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1.00
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Nore Swatch
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2.5
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0.3[D]207
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0.3
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29
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51:28:15N
00:45:42E
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04:30:00
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1.30
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Sea Reach
No 4
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2.5
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0.3[B]276
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0.3
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326
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51:26::36N
00:43:48E
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09:00:00
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West India Docks
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30 (est)
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5.0[A]270
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4.5
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325
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High Water
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London Bridge
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HW Dover + 2.5
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09:20:00
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Blackwall Basin is part of the former West India Docks and is located in
the heart of Lodon's Docklands. The surrounding environment is a mix of
residential and financial buildings, is expensive and in course of
substantial redevelopment. This redevelopment is being carried out by
Canary Wharf PLC and will result in an attractive and luxurious
mixed townscape. The marina is home to narrowboats and barges, is
residential and houses a varied and thriving population of boat owners.
On our arrival the harbour master described the denizens as bohemian,
and our recent experience suggests that this description is fair. The
Canal and River Trust, who run the site have tried to create a barge
village atmosphere and have broadly succeeded, the aforementioned
denizens being friendly and helpful. As mentioned Merganser is
undergoing modificatios and will not be cruising as a hotel barge in
2022. However, as a concept a hotel boat cruise on the tidal Thames has
possibilities, with much to go for on the tideway, for example, Saint
Katherine's Yacht Haven, Tower Bridge, the Houses of Parliament and even
the Thames Barrier. The modifications to the barge will reduce the
capacity to six passengers and it might be quite expensive. Let us know
what you think on
ukwh@bargedirect.com
