Tuesday 14th May 2013 Den Bosch to Arkel. 40.5 kms 4 locks.

In lock 0 Den Bosch

Grey overcast to start but dry, it rained several times before we tied up, often heavy and it was windy. Oll spoke to the lock keeper who said follow the two commercials in that were heading for Lock 0, otherwise it will be about an hour before any more traffic arrives. We untied sharpish at 8.45 a.m. and followed on into the lock once they’d lifted the bridge again. We went on the left hand wall of the ancient oval lock and Snail came alongside us.

In lock 0 Den Bosch

 Below the lock the canal is narrow - therefore it is one way working and is in a cutting with roads and houses up above on either bank. Henmar (the boat we locked with the day before) had unloaded and was below the lock waiting to go up it. The two empty commercials, that we’d come down lock 0 with, went slowly, waiting for the first bridge, Kasterenbrug, to open, then we all filed through while road traffic backed up on both banks. 

Queue for Orthenbrug. Den Bosch

Not far before there was a repeat as we waited for Orthenbrug to open. We followed the big boys out of the narrow channel to where a couple of cruisers were waiting to head up to the lock. We passed the moorings in the Binnenhaven, then next to it the moorings of De Waterpoort WSV. The river Aa joins from the right and the river Drommel from the left and the river becomes the Dieze all the way to the Maas. Under a smart new railway bridge, past a lake, Plas Ertveld, with houseboats around the edge on our right and access to industrial havens to the left and within a couple of kilometres we arrived at Sluis Engelen. 

Following the big boys out of Engelen sluis

Three commercials were already in the chamber side by side, Cala Jondal, Corma and Flora, filling the chamber, but the keeper called us in and so did the skipper off one of the boats. I told them how long we were and they said OK. Snail went in behind the shortest boat (Flora) on the right hand wall and we tied alongside, then both boats slewed diagonally across the chamber under the liftbridge when Olly spotted he was over the cill marker – the keeper said there was at least two metres under us so we were OK. An empty pan and tug were waiting below to go up the lock and two small cruisers. 

Windmills at Heusden

We followed the three commercials out of the lock and on to the wide Bergse Maas with its stone groynes and sandy beaches, one commercial went upstream and two went downstream, but all were soon out of sight. Dodged the cable ferry at Bern, then turned right at Heusden on to the Heusden’s Kanaal, which becomes the Andelse Maas. Boats of all shapes, sizes and descriptions were moored in every nook and cranny of the navigation. 

Flood gates at Heusdens Kanaal

We passed another cable ferry and then waited a short while for Wilhelmina Sluis’s gates to open. An unusual lock with sloping stone sides and vertical and horizontal timber baulks with bollards for boats to moor against as the lock fills and empties. Will we lock up or down? Depends on the state of the river Rhine. We actually went up by just a few cms. Oll shouted across to Mike that he could see the bottom of the lock chamber, Mike checked the echo-sounder – it was 4m deep and yes we could see all the little shells on the bottom as the water was so clear. 

In Wilhelmina sluis

The lock was worked from a control room in one (or both) of the two lock houses and there were four cameras at each end of the lock, but the keeper came out to speak as we left. On to the Afgedamed Maas. At the shipbuilders there were three new boats that were afloat but still being worked on as they had no windows or wheelhouses. Followed the Snail out on to the Rhine, which at this point is called the Boven Merwede, and straight across the river as there was nothing coming! How about that for timing.

Sand dredger Gerrit-B

The Gorichem ferry was just turning into the Maas to unload at Woudrichem. A sand dredger, Gerrit-B, was chugging its way slowly upriver filling itself with sand, then a passenger boat disguised as a Mississippi paddle steamer, De Majesteit, overtook us with a loud hoot, which Mike replied to with a blast from our hooter, nearly deafening me as I was standing on the front deck taking photos! Mike checked our speed, 11.5 kph, and calculated the river was running at 4.5 kph. 

Paddle steamer De Majesteit

Straight into the Voorhaven at Gorichem, passing a moored gravel barge called Deo-Gratias which was split into two, we couldn’t see the details of the rear end but the fore end moored on the outside was 84m long x 11.45m wide carrying 2662 tonnes of gravel. After a short wait we went into the Grote Merwede Sluis, a lovely brick built lock with liftbridges at each end so road traffic isn’t interrupted. We dropped down a few cms. The keeper asked where we were going. Arkel, know the way? Yes, thanks! 

Two halves of Deo-Gratias

Out of the lock on to the Merwede Kanaal. 

Grote Merwede sluis Gorinchem

Turned right off the main channel and on to the river Linge, under a hefbrug (vertical lift bridge) which didn’t need opening although the keeper was in his cabin to check. Then Anne and Oll paused to give Woody a quick “comfort break” and caught us up a little later. 

Mooring at Arkel. River Linge.

It started to pour with rain. There were more boats at the moorings in Arkel than I’d expected, but there was a gap big enough for the two of us, so we tied up at 4.25 pm (the rest of the gaps filled up later). Half the previous mooring space now had “No Mooring” signs.