Friday 30th May 2014 Altenrheine to Lingen. 29.1kms 4 locks

Bella leaving Altenrheine lock

7.2°C Cloudy, grey at first sun out later, still chilly. The cruiser that moored behind us overnight left at eight as a commercial went into the lock to go downhill. The small German yacht that was here when we arrived also set off heading uphill just after eight. We left at 8.25 am following loaded (with scrap metal) 85m commercial, Bella from Cloppenburg, into Altenrheine lock. Dropped down 3.6m hanging ropes fore and aft on bollards set into the steel piled lock chamber. When the lock was empty, masses of crows flew into the chamber to pick off anything edible from the metal

Foxgloves

ledges. The little white yacht that we’d seen from the road when we went out in the car was still moored on the waiting area below the lock. We increased speed to keep up with the loaded boat on the 8.5kms to the next lock. A loaded boat called Donna was moored at the long quay before the Vehaus hafen KP122. Straight into Venhaus lock, following Bella, and dropped down 3.5m, again roping down the bollards in the brick walled chamber. The next pound was another long one, 7.9kms, lined with a wide variety of trees, holm oaks, accacias, limes and foxgloves flowering along the banks. We passed empty tanker Eiltank39 heading uphill, followed by a cruiser. No waiting at Hesselte,

The view down Hesselte lock chamber

followed Bella into the lock and descended 3.4m. Three cruisers were waiting below to go up the lock after we’d vacated. Loaded Dutch boat Amazone (67mx7.20m 811T) from Krimpen-an-de-Ijssel was moored below the lock. A short distance to the next, 2.4kms to Gleesen. A deep one at 6.4m with recessed bollards set in concrete walls. There were lots of golden eye ducks above the lock and, unusually, they didn’t all take flight as the boats got nearer. An empty Dutch boat called Marion from Maasbracht (85.96mx9.5m 1886T) was waiting below the lock to go up. It was 1 pm as we left the lock cut and set off down the river Ems, running at around 2kph and consequently increasing our speed downriver. Paused as Bella had stopped and was reversing into the scrap berth at a steel tube works, several boats were already moored in there so it was a bit of a delicate manoeuvre for a loaded boat in reverse. After all the recent rain there was quite a bit of tree debris coming down the river. 6.4kms into Lingen and the sun came out at last. There were lots of red marker buoys to keep boats nearer the left bank as we went through the flood lock at Hanekenfähr, a section of canal about 200m

Golden eye duck

long between two sperrtor (up and over drop-down metal floodgates) and a line of dolphins for the big boats to tie to – noted that there was nothing for sport boats, but then it’s most likely they would ban sport boats from moving if the flood lock was in use. 80m boat Nordwind was unloading at the silo quay in Lingen and loaded 85m Misando was waiting its turn with the crane. At 2.15 pm we turned right into the old basin and found there was a slot between several

Bella reversing into the scrap berth

moored yachts that was just long enough for us. Quay now full! A little later three large Dutch cruisers left. We had some lunch then I gave Mike a hand to unload the moped. It decided it didn’t want to go and started a slight seeping of petrol. Mike took the carburettor off and checked the seal on the float chamber  – it went OK after that. Needs the gasket looking at. It was nearly five when he left but it didn’t take him long to pick up the car and call at Real for bread buns and he bought the film DVD The Physician (12,99€ - £25 on Amazon – because it’s German!) that I’d

Red buoys in Hanekenfahre floolock

seen last time we went shopping (it has an English soundtrack). He was back at 7.30 pm.

Moored among the yachts in Lingen R Ems

Up and over floodgate at Hanekenfahr floodlock