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| Tug moving pontoon out of bridge hole to let us through |
Grey and overcast, heavy rain set
in after lunch. We set off at 9.15 am. Mike called on VHF to get the light
changed from red to green on the flood lock leading from the R. Linge to the
Verbindingskanaal, which would take us back on to the Merwede Kanaal. The
lights changed and we passed through the big flood lock. We came to a stop
behind a big cruiser called Spes, who was tied to the waiting area for the
Schotdeurenbrug liftbridge as there was a piling gang with a big machine on a
pontoon, in the bridge hole, fixing the anchoring bolts through the new piling.
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| Railway swingbridge open |
Nothing for it but to moor behind the cruiser and wait. Snail came alongside.
It was almost an hour before the tug - there was one at each end - pushed the
pontoon out of the bridge and allowed us through, plus the single cruiser that
was waiting on the other side of the bridge. On to the Merwede kanaal and
almost immediately came to another stop. The railway swingbridge was closed.
The skipper on Spes said it would only be five minutes. No sooner had he said
that than a little two-car unit crossed the bridge and the lights changed to
red and green.
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| Moored at Meerkerk |
Green and on our way again, at last, back on a wide, deep (4m)
canal again. Open fields and farmhouses on both sides and a line of trees along
the right bank. Not long before there was no sign of the cruiser in front, he’d
long gone when we reached Bazelbrug, the next liftbridge, which opened for us
as we approached it, remotely operated. It was 11.30 am when we lashed to the
bank in a gap among the cruisers at Meerkerk. We stayed at Meerkerk for a few
days while Mike did a quick dash back to the UK to pick up his Mum so she could
have a holiday on the boat with us.
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