This page
a night of unrest and a day of rest
10 April (cont’d): It is bed-time on the visitors’ pontoon in a now rather debris-strewn Chalons-sur-Saone marina. As we attempt to go to sleep, we are disturbed by frequent knocking and scraping noises on the hull as tree branches and the like are swept through the marina, bashing into Allons-Y as they go past. That’s ok, we will soon get used to it and everything will be fine in the morning.
Or so we imagine.
11 April 0200: Colin wakes to an eerie silence. Has someone magically turned off the river flow? Have we been swept out of the marina along with the waterlogged trees, and are even now sweeping noiselessly downriver towards the next power station and its massive sluices, and impending disaster? Donning jeans and jacket over his pj’s, he goes up to investigate. Mon dieu! we have half a French forest rammed up against our bow, forcing the pointy-end away from the pontoon and stretching the mooring lines drum-tight.
The reason for the sudden silence is explained by a tree-trunk, about eight inches in diameter and longer than the boat, becoming trapped partly under and partly alongside our hull, creating a barrier which is now fending off most of the incoming countryside instead of the hull having to do that.
There is no obvious course of action here: the logs are far too heavy and crammed together by the current to shift, there are no marina staff and it is dark. If we were to cast off and head for somewhere better, there is a chance that the thrusters and/or prop would be jammed. This would not be an attractive prospect anywhere, let alone on the Rhone in the middle of the night.
So every available rope is deployed to reinforce the mooring lines. Little can be done at this stage to relieve the fenders being squeezed against the pontoon towards the stern of the boat, other than add as many springs as possible, and tighten them hard.
0430: The lines are checked again, just in case things are getting dangerous. Fortunately there is little change and no need to abandon ship!
This is just as well, as it would necessitate waking the crew. Richard, who was as sober is he usually is before going to bed, sleeps through the whole episode like a baby. Talk about relaxed…
0800: The marina guys show up and are very helpful, and with pretty good English too. They have clearly seen this all before, and assure us there was no point in trying to shift the debris, it simply could not be done manually. Better to simply cast off (with the engine running!) and drift to the lower end of the marina together with the log-jam and let it separate itself from the boat. To help make this happen, the chaps agree to walk alongside Allons-Y with the lines and pull her round the end of the pontoon a little before finally having to let go.
This works like a dream and the boat separates nicely from the rubbish. With a little reverse gear at first to ensure the prop is clear, we are away and promptly motoring round to a more sheltered inside berth.
Before that though, the marina staff refuse to let us move into the marina proper, on the grounds that the stream is too strong to manoeuvre safely among the other boats! However, they soon relent and might even be impressed with how easily we slip into our new home, with a just touch of thruster as required. If so, they don’t mention it. Anyway, we are now tucked in nicely and can think about breakfast.
Today was supposed to be for exploring the delights of Chalon-sur-Saone. However, after such a busy start to the day plus sorting out the paperwork in the office, there is really only time for Marie and Richard to discover that it is a pleasant town with an attractive river frontage, while Colin has a welcome afternoon nap.
Progress this far
477 km – 298 ml – 16 locks – 53 hrs