Our three-day dash to reach the Vosges canal summit before water shortages made it impassable was over. But as we motored out of the top lock, our relief was short-lived. The relentless pinging of our depth alarm confirmed that,even mid-channel, we had less than a foot of water below our props.
We were exhausted after a 10-hour day in 35°C heat, so when we found an isolated pontoon we seized the opportunity to stop for the night even though it was hanging from the bank at a crazy angle. It was bliss to be tied up and we would be better able to watch for hazards in the shallow water after a good night’s sleep.
Next morning there was no rush but seeing that our pleasant rural surroundings offered no prospect of finding croissants, we cast off and almost immediately were into a deep rock cutting. Picking our way through, keeping a careful lookout for underwater obstructions, we emerged to see a sign confirming that we had reached the Partage des Eaux. We were 370m above sea level, more than twice the altitude of any UK canal and definitely a record for our Broom 33 La Strega.
From here it was downhill all the way and as soon as we reached Lock 1 on the Mediterranean side of the summit, water depth returned to normal and the alarm stopped. We breathed a sigh of relief – now we could relax and enjoy the scenery.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة January 2021 من Motor Boat & Yachting.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
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هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة January 2021 من Motor Boat & Yachting.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Lofoten or Bust- Part 4- Grandezza owner Per Harrtoft heads back to Sweden after an epic 3500nm adventure deep into the Arctic Circle to visit the mythical Lofoten islands
After ten memorable days in the Lofoten Islands in the far north of Norway, we are on our way back south towards Sweden. We have already made it as far as Trondheim, a charming place even if it was raining so hard we had to cycle round the city centre clutching umbrellas. But now we are back on board Deamare, our Grandezza 40 Fly, eating up the miles at a steady 31 knots.
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT YACHT TRANSPORT
As the name suggests it's a means of having your boat moved professionally from one location to another. It might be as simple as hiring someone to tow your RIB a few miles down the road or as complex as shipping a superyacht halfway around the world.
HANDLE A SINGLE SHAFTDRIVE BOAT PART 1
Single shaftdrive boats are relatively rare these days but the reduced costs of buying, servicing and fuelling such a simple but reliable drivetrain does mean they are making a bit of a comeback.
COCKWELLS MOTOR LAUNCH
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INSTALLING AN AUTOPILOT
Rick Channon makes solo boating simple with a Raymarine Evolution Autopilot
GOOD AS NEW
Why fit a brand new engine when Volvo Penta's remanufacturing service can rebuild you an old one to the same standard for a fraction of the price?
BENETEAU SWIFT TRAWLER 54
Alex Smith heads to France's Beneteau HQ for a UK exclusive on what might just be the best Swift Trawler yet
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Can XO's all-new aluminium flagship really make it big in the Med?
BUYING OUR FIRST CLASSIC
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PRINCESS S65
Torn between the V and F Class flagships? The new S65 might be the boat you've been waiting for...
