Monday 13th May 2013 N. Helmond to Den Bosch. 30.8 kms 4 locks

Beeksebrug at Beek en Donk

Overcast and drizzling lightly when we set off at 9.20 a.m. Anne and Oll untied the Snail and we set off still tied together back to the junction where Oll could wind the Snail as it wasn’t wide enough by the moorings. No waiting for the Beeksebrug liftbridge at Beek en Donk and we sailed through side by side. We had a short wait above lock 6 while a loaded commercial called Christina and a cruiser locked through. 

Leaving lock 6

While we were waiting, a Belgian cruiser called Sirius arrived and came in the lock with us and we dropped down 2.20m, the cruiser zut-zutting continually with bow and stern thrusters to keep his boat against the wall even though he had ropes round bollards. Couldn’t decide if these new locks and bridges were also worked from the new deep Helmond lock or from the new deep lock at Den Bosch. Once through the liftbridge at lock 6, the cruiser disappeared into the murky distance and we thought we’d seen the last of him. Rain poured down and Mike had to get the brolly out and put on a jacket as the wind was cold. Uphill traffic was quite busy with a mix of commercials and pleasure boats all of which were cruisers. 

Leaving lock 5

Due to uphill traffic the Belgian had been kept waiting and was in lock 5 when we arrived. Again we dropped down another couple of metres. The liftbridge below had gone completely; it used to be operated by the keeper from lock 5 who rode down the towpath on his motor scooter to work it from the cabin alongside it. 

The arm into Veghel

Not far to lock 4 at the busy little town of Veghel (pronounced Feckle, like freckle without an R) and this time we all three had to wait for an empty spitz (péniche-sized craft outside France are called spitz 38m x 5.5m) called Jaël from Terneuzen to come down the lock with us. Lots of work was ongoing around Veghel, widening the canal and making new bridges. A cruiser coming the opposite way got very impatient at one liftbridge and was trying to force his way through before the lights changed to green for him, even with Olly hooting at him. Mike tried to call the next lock on VHF and addressed it as lock 3, as it used to be called, he got an indignant reply in Dutch Sluis Ein! Lock One! t

Railway liftbridge at Veghel

Then a string of Dutch, so Mike asked if he could repeat that in English, please. Silence. We’d got red lights. There were three empties and a loaded barge on the left above the lock and a pusher and pan on the right, called The-An VII, occupying most of the space for “sport” boats to wait for the lock. We said nothing and tied to the bank behind him to wait for the uphill traffic to clear. 

Following Henmar into Lock One

When the lock was ready the loaded boat, Henmar, on the left, powered off from the bank into the lock and we followed him into Lock One. The Belgian cruiser had turned into the arm at Veghel for the moorings down the arm no doubt, (Veghel council charge for the whole of the arm and from lock 4 to the commercial quays along the main canal – in 2001 they charged 1,50€/m per night – that’s 27€ for us and 31,50€ for the Snail). Looked like Henmar was working single-handed as he put bow and stern ropes on and eventually stopped his prop turning. Down another 4.20m, under the watchful eye of the keeper in the high tower. Followed the loaded boat out of the lock after he’d made hard work of flicking his ropes off the bollards. Below two empties were racing for the lock. 

Dungensebrug near Den Bosch

Lots of work was going on along the canal into Den Bosch to make a ringvaart around the town to avoid all the liftbridges above lock 0 and the narrow canal below it that links it to the river Dieze and the Maas. The rain stopped temporarily. I took Mike a cuppa just as we were passing under a bridge with yellow-hatted workmen on scaffolding – they wanted tea too! Another empty passed heading uphill. More widening work was in progress and a new bridge under construction as we arrived in the town. The moorings for “sport” boats had been reduced to about 60m of the quay on the left nearest the lock, all the rest was for commercials. We tied to the wooden posts on the baulks in the corner at 3.45 pm.