Dutch Barge travels are always interesting and it’s easy to keep up to date mainly via Facebook. Most of the owners are happy to allow us to re-produce some news and photo’s for those of you that don’t use this method. Barge Blue Belle is one of these and I’ve chosen a few photo’s and comments from this years cruising.
On the next photo a car transporter disappears into a tunnel- “Mercedes factory is upstream in Stuttgart and each day two or more trains passed us along the river carrying 100s of new cars wrapped in white plastic”.
Then off the Neckar and on to the Rhine.
“ Further down the flooded Rhine to Koblenz and heading on to the flooded Mosel “. A summer of floods so far!
“As we approached Koblenz we had to slow as a slow- moving heavily laden barge was crossing our path to manoeuvre under the bridge. In front is another fortress called Ehrenbreitstein.”
There were a lot more photo’s, fantastic views, fortresses and castles. Blue Belles website makes interesting reading and there’s lots more to see!
Looking through some old records earlier today (finding original launching photo’s of a 1996 boat for a potential new owner), I found an interesting one. It’s from way back before even Red Bull days, when we built in the garden at Norbury and rented a small strip of land with some moorings at Gnosall, on the Shropshire Union Canal back in 1970, with a couple of newly built Pipers on awaiting delivery. The cruiser is a semi-deep V bottom all steel, taken from the idea of the Dawncraft cruiser, whilst the for’d boat is an all steel flat bottom. Early days!
David’s been up to Biddulph today looking at the latest two Dutch Barges about to leave for the Thames – a far cry from the “yard” above.
They have an annual break coming up before it’s all go for the Henley weekend, hopefully to be held in brilliant weather.
I hope to see some of you there.
Dot
