Kerr Barging Blogs

The River known in France as the Sarre and in Germany as the Saar rises in the Vosges mountains in France and flows into the Mosel in Germany, near Trier. The navigable length is 150 kilometres and not heavily locked.

 The beautiful Saar Valley

In France the river has been canalised since the end of the 19th Century to give access to coalfields which no longer operate. For some time there was a break in navigation between the end of the Sarre Canal and the navigable Saar in Germany, but in recent years the link has been completed so that large commercial barges can travel from the Mosel to the French/ German border, with smaller Freycinet size barges able to continue to the end of the Canal where it joins the Eastern branch of the Canal from the Rhine to the Marne.

Saarburg from the River
As soon as we were "released" from the shipyard in Trier, sliding down the rails sideways and straight into the water, we headed off to get through the Trier lock. We noted that it had taken us almost exactly 5 days to get through this particular lock. In answer to our prayers there was no hanging about this time. We went straight in and straight out again. Soon we were turning left onto the Saar and by nightfall we had tied up at a long pontoon in Saarburg. We greatly appreciated this trouble-free mooring because along the German part of the Mosel there were very few places to stop. There were marinas for the common motor boats but we could not fit there. Only in Cochem and Zell were there  long pontoons like this where a number of boats our size could tie up. Some towns had small pontoons but as there were so few places available they were usually full.

 Saarburg (waterfull in the town)!

Our time in the Saar was very enjoyable. Summer has arrived and the days have been warm and dry. The River itself is very beautiful and interesting, with varied scenery. At first there are the vines we have become used to along the Mosel, followed by heavily forested countryside. In places the land rises steeply on both sides to give the effect of a gorge. Towards the French border there are power stations and industries including steel works. Apart from Saarburg which is small and picturesque,  the Saar towns we stopped at are quite large and businesslike.

There were many good mooring places along the river and less commercial traffic. The peniches are smaller than on the Mosel. There are generally two locks side by side, the smaller to allow Freycinet sized barges, the other for the really large commercials up to 135 metres. The last lock was unique in our experience: there was a single lock with an intermediate set of gates. If the boats are small they are directed to the front of the lock, and the intermediate gates are closed so that far less water is needed. Instead of moving 30 Olympic sized swimming pools full of water, only 10 were needed for this smaller lock.

Our final stop before the French border was very different for us. At Volklingen Hutte we found a well- made secure steel pontoon with free mooring. Water and electricity were available for a fee. Notices on the gates showed the number to call to get the security code which would open the gates from the shore side. Luckily there was another couple at the pontoon and after they had rung for the code they shared it with us so we didn't have to try out our German on the phone.

Volklingen Hutte Heritage Steel Works

 From the water we could see huge pieces of machinery dominating the skyline which we discovered was a UNESCO World Heritage site,  the Saarstahl works. The company is still operating close by but the blast furnaces and their associated equipment were closed down after about 150 years of operation and preserved for posterity. This area of the Saar with its coalfields and steel industry, was a political football after the First World War and during the Second, so in finding out about the exhibition we learned a bit more War history.

Next day we arrrived back in France. The river ran along the border for some eight kilometres then it was France on both sides. We did not see any notices to tell us we were in a different country. This time we were not expecting any border formalities.

The Canal on the Sarre River travels through flatter country. Historically this has been noted for industry and power production.  A large pottery works at the border town, Sarreguemines is now closed but there is a very  informative museum where one of the old kilns, operated from 1860 until the 1940s, has been left intact. First wood- fired it was converted to coal firing and needed 9 tons of coal for each 70 hour firing. We enjoyed walking around inside the 25 metre- high building and were reminded of David's mother, Jo, a very keen and talented potter, who had a kiln on a much smaller scale.

The "Casino"- former recreation centre for workers	Inside the big kiln
One of the giant kilns	Beautiful Faience work in the museum

Further along, the Sarre becomes very rural, heavily forested and generally flat with some rolling hills in the distance. At some stages we saw evidence of the bunkers of the "aquatic" part of the Maginot line built after the First World War to protect the French boundaries. Towards the end of the Canal are several extensive lakes, making for a most attractive and relaxing trip. There were many places to stop and tie up along the whole of this route so it did not seem very crowded even though there were quite few boats, including rental boats, travelling this way.

Best Regards,

Penny and Dave

Now, this is a VERY large Plate!

***UPDATE: After a fantastic repair job by BOOST Shipbuilders, we are again under way and back in France***

Well, now we have your attention, it was not on the "High Seas" but on the Mosel River in Germany. This is a very large river and it can be dangerous.

We had not been able to stay where we wished (a place called Bernkastel) because there was no available space. We had travelled up-river to the Trier Lock. There is a lot of dredging occurring here; they are using large bucket scoops to dig out the river bottom in order to widen the river just before the lock. We went up to the normal place where you can wait for the locks as there was a large ship coming down. However, a new sign had been erected to say that it was no longer possible to use that space. On top of that, the river area for waiting was also effectively closed off by the earthworking.

 Being dragged out. Luckily we saved the rudder!

So, we had to wait on the other side, beneath the barrage which is usually a good place to stop before locks. It was very busy with ferries and other boats. There were also rowers plus a current and a strong wind. Even though we were 60 metres away from the shore and in an area with no warnings or channel markers, we came aground with the rudder perched on what transpired to be a block of old concrete dumped presumably many years ago. Ironically, there was deep water more than a metre deeper than where the rudder was, everywhere else around the barge.

We discovered after the event that the fundamental problem was that the river level has been lowered 46centimetres from normal without any signs or adding of new channel markers. Last year an English boat had the same issue in the same place but wrecked their rudder, both propellers and both drive shafts.

 The tug

So, normally we would have been okay in this part of the river which has no indications of problems. To compound the issue, there are some jettisoned concrete blocks from long ago and it was upon one of these which we sat. The locals seem to know of the problems so it is a pity that the information is not posted somewhere. Of course, we found out all of this information the next day. To compound the issue, the river level changes up to 11cm. We went aground when there was a temporary high and then it dropped a further 11cm making things tougher.

Basically, we could not get the boat off by ourselves and a helpful rower in a scull volunteered to row back to his club and ring the Polizei. They duly came. 

The police would not  tow us. They also prevented other boats coming to our assistance saying that they did not want anything to go wrong. So, we had to get a tug to come 30km (3hrs plus) with a costly quote of likely expense. However, they were very cooperative and departed within minutes of our phone call after the Police had rung them and given them the details plus our telephone number. Thank goodness for mobile phones! Basically, the (quite small) tug boat  achieved little. Their single thin tow line broke so we supplied our own decent long ones and these were fine and they did move us somewhat. They worked at it until almost dark. Then the Police decided to act as they had been with us the whole time and did not want us sitting in the river there over night. Their much more powerful boat dragged us off quite easily, but we shot off the first concrete block and over (presumably) another one nearby. Everyone's euphoria was quickly dampened when we noticed that our (very large/heavy) rudder was very lopsided and disabled.

 Polizei boat lashed to our side

Very, very fortunately, we got a mooring line attached to it in case of further problems. Then the tug boat tried to tow us but could not steer with us attached. This was with lots of flashing police lights and 4,000 tonne barges plus large ferries going past.

So, the police boat got onto one side and the tug on the other and they started pushing us down the river. The next drama occurred when the rudder completely broke free but remained attached by our sturdy mooring line and being dragged behind. The tug boat had to drop off as we approached a Roman bridge, the basic structure of which was built by the Romans 2,000 years ago! The Romans did not allow enough room for anything exceeding 12metres in width under any span! It was very skilful driving by the two boats to go along the river at night in this manner. Neither skipper could see the other. However, we had a Policeman on our bow and he was able to coordinate the effort. Everone was very nervous under the bridges.

 Shipyard pusher positions us on the slip

Finally, we reached a  large and very substantial shipyard which was fortuitously close given that the Moselle+Mosel is hundreds of kilometres long and has virtually no repair facilities anywhere. By now it was near midnight Friday and everyone went for rest as the whole thing had been going for 8 hours and the Police were hours past their finish time. Everyone was very, very good and the Police and tug people came back next day. The only cost for the Police was 35 euros and the tug people significantly reduced their charge to the original estimate despite spending many more hours than estimated because they had been unsuccessful. Where we were was comfortable enough, but encircled on land by high security fencing. The Police negotiated with someone in the precinct to leave a small door open for us all weekend. They also told us where to find the nearest Supermarket and ther shops. They were very, very helpful and agreeable.

The Shipyard only opened for business Monday morning. However, they have been fantastic and Anja has already been slipped for inspection and it is indeed fortunate that damage is far, far less than it could have been and most importantly, we still have the rudder. Having a new one made would have cost a fortune.

The Police will not allow us to be moved (which is reasonable plus it is impossible in any case) and this is the best and only place around. But, on a positive note, it is looking like we can be fixed and back in the water by Wednesday. We have been allowed to stay on the boat and people have bent over backwards to make sure that all is okay. Even the owner of the shipyard has been to see us. The facilities here are first class and indeed they are building a 4,000 tonne 135metre ship 5metres away from us- all from scratch.

More as it happens....

Best Regards,
Dave and Penny

The Mosel (looking South)

The Mosel (looking North from Castle at Cochem)

During our stay in Germany we have visited both large cities and small towns. The city of Trier was for both of us the first place to step foot on German soil. David's maternal ancestry is German so perhaps it is a wonder that it has taken him so many years to visit.  Trier was in fact an excellent place to start, as it is historically extremely significant and it is also a most attractive city. Set on the banks of the Mosel, it had the title "Roma Secunda" in Roman times- second only to Rome in importance. According to legend the Assyrians had established a colony here in 2000 BC and there was also a pre- Roman Celtic settlement.

Porta Nigra (Roman) at Trier
The highlight of our visit was to enter and walk around the Porta Nigra, one of the original towers of the Roman defensive wall that surrounded the city. This is very well preserved and we climbed up five storeys high within the tower. there was no mortar used to hold the stones together, but still they stand some 2000 years later. The other very interesting preserved Roman buildings include a building that used to be the throne room of Emperor Constantine in the 4th Century and the nearby Imperial baths.

The market place of Trier is a beautiful space, preserving a market cross dating from 958 and was an excellent introduction to us of bright German buildings beautifully kept. Nearby we explored an exquisite little Church attached to the market place, St Gangolf's, which dates from the  14th century. Around the corner is the main Cathedral with a central section dating back to the 3rd  Century when Emperor Constantine's mother Helena donated her home to the Bishop of Trier so that he could establish his Church there.  

 Roman Baths- TrierConstantine's Temple (Roman, now protestant)

We found Bernkastel and Cochem most attractive buzzing with tourists and full of cafes, guest houses and hotels, wine shops and gift shops. We climbed the rocky outcrop to the castle in Cochem and enjoyed a magnificent view over the Mosel river as well as a guided tour of the castle, built in the 11th century and restored in the mid 1800s. We are amused in these towns that it is easier to buy wine than it is to get bread or milk. The wine is also very cheap. No doubt the usual supply and demand equation is operating. David went today to a wine house to buy something a bit more upmarket than our usual supermarket purchases, but still found that the highest price was 20 euros for six bottles of the best wine on offer there. The excellent French wine from the cellars of Laurent and Delphine, and the champagne we bought on the way through that area, will continue to be the pick of our collection. Sometimes though we feel more comfortable enjoying these cheaper wines with weeknight dinner.

 Castle overlooking Cochem

The Mosel continues to join the Rhine in Koblenz. Our documentation suggests that it is difficult in Koblenz for barges like Anja to find places to moor overnight so we decided to stop in Cochem, 50 kilometres away, where there is good mooring. We caught the train which follows the river all the way to Koblenz so that we could visit the end of the river and see the spot where the two rivers meet, called "German Corner" and marked by a huge monument to Kaiser William 1. It was satisfying to be there at the junction and we were very pleased that we had not travelled there by barge, as the currents become stronger on the Mosel as the river narrows, fine for the trip there, not so good on the trip back up the river. The Rhine was flowing even more strongly and a small boat travelling against the current was making very little progress.

 BernkastelBernkastel

We did not really warm to Koblenz. As well as being a bigger city (population 100,000) much of it was destroyed in World War 11 so perhaps it lacked the character of the smaller less damaged places. I am not sure that the tourist literature made the most of its offerings either. The official English guide from the Tourist bureau (not even a freebie) listed the attractions marked on the map without much detail: just "Church" "Monument" "Building" "Obelisk" and most of the signs were only in German. The most interesting discovery was a sign, not marked on the map,fortunately in good English as well as German, which charted and described the discovery last year of the original Roman Castellum which was at the junction of the rivers. It is now the site of the Basilica of St Kastor, dating from 836, and Celtic and Neolithic remains have also been found there. The Churches are beautiful and on a practical level we have noted that the seats of the pews are equipped with a thin (or in Trier, thick) piece of matting presumably to make the bare wood more comfortable in winter. As in France, most of these churches are still current places of worship.

 TrabachCochem Castle at night

We returned by train to Anja again enjoying the views of the Mosel and the features of the towns as we passed. The return trip of 80 minutes on the train would have taken about 12 hours in Anja. It feels quite good to travel fast once in a while.

Best Regards,

Penny and Dave

Koblenz (at junction of the Mosel and Rhein)One of many beautiful wine villages
David with a (very much) bigger friendShopping in Koblenz
Main street Trier- thriving and energetic main streetCochem- from its castle
Cochem gate towerAn elegant house along the Mosel
Trier Cathedral ceilingCochem

Cruising along the Mosel RiverAnja at Cochem with mast up

Note: Photos have now been added.

We have thoroughly enjoyed our trip down the Mosel River. We are inclined to support the superlatives in our guide map "The Mosel River between Trier and Koblenz is one of the loveliest stretches of landscape in all Europe" but would have to add "in our limited experience". Apparently the appreciation of its beauty is nothing new. 1600 years ago, in the poem "Mosella" by Ausonius, tutor to an Emperor's son, it is described as a "grape vine enclosed amphitheatre".

Among the Mosel Vineyards
There are mountains on each side with grape vines tucked in wherever they can grow and many castles, some ruined, some preserved, perched high on the ridges. The towns have picturesque churches with interesting spires.

Several Mosel towns have been the centre of wine production for 1,000 years. Wine growing was begun in Roman times and we spied a Roman wine press house along the banks of the river.
The towns along the banks, like those on the Mosel in Luxembourg, are mainly devoted to grape growing and selling and added to this is major emphasis on tourism. During this holiday period which has coincided with a spell of perfect summer weather there are tourists everywhere, and most towns are geared to accommodate them and entertain them. In Cochem, for example, the main part of town consists almost entirely of hotels and guest houses, cafes and restaurants as well as wine shops and gift shops. We saw one bread shop and a single fruit shop. People come here by car, bike, and train as well as on huge river boats including hotel barges, day- trip boats and ferries from other towns along the river. The towns are beautifully kept with attractive and varied brightly painted buildings and flowers everywhere. We hope the photos do them justice.

 A typical Wine Town

As well as the crowds in towns along the Mosel, large numbers of people stay in camper vans, caravans, tents and cabins. There seems to be a large camping area every few kilometres usually packed very tightly. Some are attached to a boat harbour, some around small inlets and others are simply by the river banks. We tied up in one such area attached to a boat harbour. It was over 20 hectares in size. Some of the vans and cabins were probably fairly permanent fixtures (like the " On-site vans" we are used to). Many had little gardens around them and satellite dishes set up. Flags were everywhere, mainly German. We particuarly liked the satellite dish painted in German colours.
 
The river is used by rowers, kayakers, jet skis and water skiers as well as a few people fishing or simply travelling along the river. Most of the "sport boat" traffic, that is the non- commercial traffic travelling distances along the river, consists  of small to medium sized motor boats from Germany with a good number from the Netherlands. Boats like Anja are very rare in the Mosel below Trier, where the Sarre River comes in. French and British boats favour a loop along the Mosel and then onto the Sarre River and back into France but they rarely venture further North on the Mosel as we have done. The only other Anglo- Saxon  boat we have met was a small barge a bit like ours (although smaller) with Americans on board.

 Roman Bridge across the Mosel at TrierMarker along the old Roman way from Metz to Trier

Cycling is very popular in this area. There are excellent and well- supported cycle paths along the Mosel and hundreds or thousands of people are using them. Some of the buses are equipped with bike trailers and the trains accommodate bikes as well. There are cyclists of all ages and situations, some travelling in large groups. A few  look dedicated and well- trimmed but most are families or couples of a variety of sizes and ages. We also see some very keen hikers climbing great heights. I don't think the Avalon Senior walkers would include these walks in their programme.

 Steep vineyards, some of which are at 72 degreesOld castle ruins along the Mosel

Towns along the Mosel are very subject to flooding. The flood levels are marked on the bridges buildings and in some cases have penetrated into townships several blocks away from the river. There was a very serious flood down river in 1993, whereas further upstream, 1983 was the worst in recent times. Building foundations and cellars are made of slate so do not absorb the water, as long as they have not been cement rendered by those not realising the reason for leaving the walls untreated. In one restaurant where we dined, we would have been 3metres underwater in the 1993 flood and that was above the ground floor.

The current assisted us while we were going downstream, particularly in narrow spots, just after locks, and as we neared the junction with the Rhine. It increased greatly after a bout of heavy rain but fortunately slackened off by the time we wanted to turn around and head back against the current.

 Big barge, ferry and us squeezed into lock. No room left!

Our reference books and articles about this route warned us about the huge wash from the large barges and hotel boats that travel day and night. In fact we have very little wash and disturbance from them but always notice when a small speed boat or jet ski is passing. There are not many stopping places so we cannot always visit the most interesting towns except by train, bus or cycle. Cochem was a fortunate exception.

Germany has surprised us in some ways. Undoubtedly very naive, we had thought everything would  run very smoothly but have not found it so. Our first night in Germany was spent in a marina and we were pleased to learn that the bread van would visit and stop about 20 metres away at 8.30, good timing because we wanted to be away by 9am. At 9.20 we finally heard the promised horn, several hundred metres away and across the Harbour. Dave used all his bread calories reaching the van before it left. Then there is the issue of credit cards. Restaurants generally don't accept them; we spent less than $50 at a gift shop in a major tourist town, and David had to produce his licence and then sign after the card had been swiped through one of the old machines. Even in the back blocks of France, there are always electronic bankcard machines which use PINs.  

 Huge statue of Wilhelm II (note tiny people on the ledge!)The confluence of the Rhein and the Mosel Rivers at Koblenz

In Cochem and Koblenz we found out about queuing. First there was a long and static queue at the single ticket window for the train. Fortunately with two of us there, one could wait in the queue while the other investigated the ticket machine, found an "English" button and located and paid for the right ticket. We left a bunch of Americans who had arrived at least 20 minutes early bemoaning their fate because they would miss the train and their connecting boat. Then there was no indicator board to tell us which platform to wait on. Again two heads are better than one and we boarded the train successfully. Twice in Koblenz we went to the Post Office and both times found a long queue, making no progress at all. We gave up at that point. Finally we went to the supermarket in Cochem and found one person serving and a queue of eight people, rapidly increasing. Maybe we should expect such experiences in the tourist season. Probably the final straw was having to pay 50 centimes each for every visit to the toilet except for one place which would not dispense change so cost 1 euro though it did dispense a rather useless voucher for 50 centimes. It was good to get back to Anja to familiar rather than tourist territory. On a positive note, the people here have been courteous, the tourist offices helpful and people in small towns ready with assistance.

Best Regards,

Penny and Dave

Luxembourg was a good transition point for us, with its three official languages, French, German and Luxembourgish. It takes particular pride in its "European" identity and has been a wholehearted supporter of the European Union and the various agreements which preceded it. Several EU headquarters are located there and there is a significant international community.

Modern Luxembourg

The country is tiny: population 500,000, land area 2,586 square kilometres. It is a constitutional monarchy with an elected parliament. It was a Roman fortress but its modern history starts when a Frankish count built a chateau there, on a rock well situated high above the river.

Our first night on the barge outside France was spent in a small wine town in Luxembourg, Bech-Kleinmacher. The grape vines were planted on the slopes on both sides of the river and came down to the water's edge in places. As we went along further, we were amazed to see areas of vines planted on seemingly impossible slopes and in small plots in amongst rocky spurs. Some are equipped with tracks for an inclinator. Almost every village along the banks of the Moselle seems to be centred on the grape. People seem to rise early here: the bells of the village church in Bech - Kleinmacher woke us at 6.30 am with a peal which seemed to go on for several minutes. We have not noticed this anywhere else so maybe the people of that town believe in the early bird getting the worm.

Old Luxembourg

There seemed to be a large number of Luxembourg locals coming to these river side towns to enjoy the summer warmth there. Remich particularly was set up with attractions for visitors such as a beautifully decorated merry- go- round and many tables for al fresco coffee and dining. The Esplanade Hotel there would have been at home at Manly Beach (Sydney, Australia). Fortunately, the Merry-g-round played many different tunes during the day- we were only four metres away from it!

We spent a day in the city of Luxembourg which could be easily reached by bus from Remich, one of our stopping points. The bus trip itself was interesting as it revealed the attractive hilly terrain which makes up the country. Luxembourg started as a fortress on a plateau, (more details). There are some very attractive buildings and the museum provided an excellent and realistic feel for the history and culture. For example, we learned that the people of Luxembourg are mad on football (Soccer for us Aussies) despite the fact  that they have won only five of over 200 international matches spanning the last 50 years. Winning isn't everything in Luxembourg! It was difficult to obtain lunch in Luxembourg despite the huge number of restaurants. Time after time, we were asked if we had a reservation and turned away because the place was full. Finally we found a place in a small corner of the town.

Typical Wine Village

The start of many vineyards

It seems as if Luxembourg has lower taxes than Germany and France. Interesting as Luxembourg has the second highest GDP per capita in the world. We were able to buy fuel at significantly lower prices than in France or Germany. A friendly man we met on a train also told us that tobacco and coffee are a lot cheaper than he can buy them in Germany. He travels five hours by train once each month to fill up a suitcase with these items. He does not drink so could not tell us if the same applied to alcohol. We paid low prices for local wines, so perhaps so.

Best Regards,

Penny and Dave

Old Luxembourg Viaduct