Friday 16th May 2014 Hainholz, Hannover to Haste. 22.9kms no locks

This was last night - some Polish idiot youth decided it would
be a good idea to cross the bridge via the top 

5.6°C Sunny but still cold, white fluffy clouds. Just a touch under 11°C when we set off at 8.15 am, no signs of life on the cruiser that we’d moored behind overnight. It was too chilly for just a fleece I had to add my windproof jacket and Mike added another fleece layer. Lots of boats had started moving early; Mike said one woke him just as dawn was breaking. The Polish loaded boat Berolina that we saw yesterday overtook us again - its crew waving as we passed. On through the suburbs of Hannover and into the industrial area where there was

Crane for loading/unloading containers

a big coal-fired power station (and a loaded coal boat called Opal waiting to be unloaded) by the VW van works and Continental tyre works. The towpaths both sides were in use already by cyclists and walkers. We were overtaken by loaded boat Melvin as another loaded boat, King Loui, went past. Crossed the new aqueduct over the little river Leine, noting a WSA tug was moored in the old aqueduct channel that was marked no entry at both ends. The cruiser, called One Way Wind that was on the same mooring as us last night, overtook us just before the WSA yard and the floodgate Sperrtor VI. One cruiser went past making a huge wash that cleaned our port side windows and put water on the stern deck. Hildegard from Berlin went past loaded with coal at the junction with the Hannover branch, followed by an empty tanker Eiltank39, who had his hydraulic wheelhouse lowered to go under the low gate of the Sperrtor. NavatansX overtook us, loaded with steel coils, as we passed Melvin who was moored at KP149, its skipper was loading his car back on board (missus been shopping and just caught up, we wondered?) with loud house music playing from speakers on

VW van factory at Hannover

his bow cabin. A bit further down the same quay He-Jo was moored, loaded with a cargo of foul-smelling woodchips – I want to know what stops the top layer getting swept away in the wind. It was steaming, so Mike took a photo. Phew, fancy having to live downwind of that, even with air-con you’d still smell it. At bridge 214 (KP148) a Berlin tug went past pushing a big pan full of containers. There was a lull in the traffic. The countryside that was exposed between stands of trees was very green in the sunshine and the distant hills were a hazy grey. A 4kms gap – next boat

Cola-fired power station in Hannover

past was an empty at KP144, an old Czech boat with a central wheelhouse (amidships, not at the stern end like most vessels). It was closely followed by another empty, Silencio (shades of the Silent Witness theme) a Dutch boat (85mx8.20m 1400T) from Krimpen-an-de-Ijsser. A painted message in large letters on a bridge read Ja Te Volim Stella – what? It wasn’t in German, it was Croatian – I love you Stella! A cruiser with very loud engine (no silencer, Mike commented) went past just as Melvin overtook us again. A small yacht with its mast on the roof and two outriggers also stacked on the roof was moored at KP143. Yet another cruiser went past heading for Berlin and the lakes. Half a kilometre later, Annette

Coal boat awaiting unloading

(80mx8m) a loaded boat from Fürstenwalde went past with poster on its side announcing that Annette was 100 years old 1913-2013; well, make that 101 now. Nicely kept old boat. Following that there was another Berlin tug pushing three empty 32.5m long pans. A girl on horseback crossing bridge 209 stopped to watch the boat, but refused to return our waves and hallos. At KP140.5 an empty from Haldesleben called Taifun (80mx8.3m) went past; the lady on the bow ignored our waves and shouts of hallo. I think we’re invisible again! No, the next cruiser past had a man with camera standing at the wheelhouse door waving and

Continental tyre factory Hannover

taking snaps. At KP140 an empty Polish boat from Szczecin (75mx8m) labelled Trans3 went past. Quiet for the next couple of kilometres then we we tied up at KP138, Haste. The towpaths were very busy still with walkers and cyclists and fishermen. An empty commercial banged into the far end of the quay with loud bongs that we could hear above the noise made by trains passing on the bridge behind us as we tied up. It was 12.10pm. Lunch. Gave Mike a hand to get the bike off the roof down a plank. The bank here is almost gunwale level. Marco Polo, one of the cruisers we came down Hindenburg lock with, went past crew waving – they must have stopped overnight in Hannover. Mike went to collect the car at 1.45pm via a route he’d

A load of foul smelling woodchips

specially chosen to avoid going through Hannover, which is a pig of a place to get through by vehicle due to one way systems and a general lack of signposts. The Internet was unusable with the dongle in the boat, may try it later using the mag mount. Loads of photos to download and yesterday’s to put through Paintshop before thinking about doing the blog. A Dutch cruiser moored behind us at 2.30pm. Helped get the bike back on the roof then Mike put the antenna on the mast and we could just get 3G but no signal strength, surprised it was workable. About 9pm there was a loud

Moored at Haste. Mittellandkanal

noise and Mike looked out to see that a Polish boat mooring in front of us had done the usual trick of lassoing a bollard with a bow rope, tying it off and powering the stern end in – except the bow rope broke with an almighty bang and a cloud of dust – then a lot of very excited shouting in Polish.