Oirschot to Weert

Oirschot to Weert

Before leaving Oirschot we were able to have another quick look at our emails as we still had a signal even in the wheelhouse, unlike last night, and then we motored on. We had worries about finding a decent mooring last night, but this morning just around the corner we found free moorings just 50 yards away from where we had moored last night – just hidden from view!

The day passed without incident: bridges lifted, locks operated without any communication, then we got to Lock 5 and stopped at the free moorings just above it on the port side to have lunch.

On reflection, we decided that this spot was just so nice we would moor up for the day and cycle by the pretty route into Helmond, about ¾ hour away. Well, it took a bit longer to get there than we had anticipated, with no map and the locals not speaking English (I mean, honestly, not speaking English; where do these people come from? – only joking!!) but arrive we did eventually and had the obligatory cup of tea in a café by the old central kanaal, now sadly disused, and with fountains up the middle, which is we supposed, a reasonable way to deal with a redundant canal. Then we made our way back, this time just following the canal and that was a lot quicker!

However, the moorings were about as good as it gets for rural: no roads, no nasty niffs and quite a few slow going commercials to watch. This mooring gets 9½ out of 10.

That evening things were fairly quiet until about 7 o’clock when Alex suddenly heard a lot of engine noise. On looking up there was a 60m cargo barge turning round in the 70m space in front of Riccall, which unusually had no bow thruster. Alex watched for a few minutes then went forward and gesticulated, ‘Sorry for being here and making it difficult for you’.

‘Not at all’ came the gesticulated reply, ‘You have a perfect right to be there’ and a thumbs up! Maybe he has been reading the blog as well! Interesting how much you can communicate with gesticulations!

We left hoping to get to a place called Weert where George and Suzanna had said there were the much sought-after free moorings, but when Alex started the engine he noticed the stern gland pump warning light flashing and on investigation found the level switch had failed! So by the time he had replaced it we were an hour later leaving than planned.

Quietly moving down the canal through the autumnal mist we were a little surprised to see a barge on our side of the canal. Fortunately, Louise quickly noticed that he was displaying his blue flag. This is a device which indicates to anyone around that the boat in question is going to take to the ‘wrong’ side of the canal or river for some reason. In this case, the barge ahead of us was signalling his intention of mooring up on ‘our’ side of the canal to load. We duly moved across to the ‘wrong’ side of the canal and got an enthusiastic wave from him in answer as we passed. We felt we had joined the big boys’ club!!

However, it seemed we were just never going to get to Weert before the locks all closed at 4.00 pm (it's Saturday) but never mind, we are moored just above Lock 12 and Alex is able to sit out and enjoy the sun while Louise, bless her cotton socks, does a bit of painting behind the rear gunwales. Louise says, ‘It doesn’t get done if you don’t do it’!

Alas no unlocked wi-fi!

The following morning we woke up to a thick mist. After breakfast we heard the warning siren go in the lock behind us and realised that there was a barge on the move. We fired up the engine and set off before it emerged fro, the lock. At the next lock the keeper checked our length and asked us to go right to the front as there was a commercial barge behind – a bit daunting as he was unladen and thus much higher out of the water. When we got through we pulled over and let him past hoping to follow him in the poor visibility. As it turned out he was travelling much faster than us despite the weather so we had to let him go and feel our way ion the fog.

At the ninety degree bend a few miles ahead where the canal divided; we had to rely upon GPS and Noordersoft to tell us where we had to turn and keeping close in to the bank to see where we were going. Too close for the fishermen and as it turned out too close for us as we scraped across the bottom.

When we reached the next lock and got through we decided that creeping about in the mist was no fun and probably dangerous so we would stop till it lifted.

Alex is not sure whether keeping an eye on the wi-fi signal strength on the computer caused it, but he made a monumental cock-up of mooring in full view of the lock keeper! In the end he threw off the ropes, roared backwards to try again, just missing the patrol boat by about 6 inches and then went on to do a perfect parallel park. (More lessons needed!)

The plus side to a very early stop was a good wi-fi signal. We decided to stop for the night and post a blog, and later in the unexpected sunshine we cycled to the town of Weert for tea and a beer and general chill-out. No shopping on a Sunday here.

Next day we set off in better weather but stopped again at Weert to do the shopping.