The night was spent again at Tancarville boat yard, and once again the security team were out and about, and Sprocket was fair game.
We had dinner on board, watched the swans for a while and then slept well before our departure to catch the tide onwards to Rouen.
The trip to Rouen is to be done in one hit, as there are few stopping points for a small yacht and the idea is to catch the tide to give the boat an extra few knots speed and thus be able to complete the sixty miles easily.
It was a bit later in the day than we would have liked it to be, but we felt confident that we would arrive at Rouen in daylight still, we aren't allowed to travel in the darkness.
Firstly, we had to go out of the lock again, this time we were told to use the ‘new’ lock, we did so, it was huge, and we weren’t quite as proficient as we had hoped, but realised the value of boat hooks, which we had previously forgotten all about. This at least meant we always had them ready for our future journeys through locks.
The tide seemed to be a bit against us, and we never really seemed to get the benefit from it which we had previously experienced on our trip from Honfleur. We gained a couple of knots but nothing like what we had expected. The rivers are still in a state of partial flood, after so much rain this spring, so we put it down to that.
There were many commercial ships on this section of the river. They travel down from Rouen mainly, which is a large port and then use the locks at Tancarville to go on to the canal which deposits them at Le Havre and avoids them having to pass across the Seine estuary.
The very orange ship passing by warns us of hazardous materials being carried, gas or other explosives, we don’t want to be sharing a lock with that, actually legally they have to pass through individually!
At first it was a bit worrying travelling with these other large ships, but we soon got used to it. Although we had to do CEVNI exams to be able to use the waterways, we kept a booklet handy so we could refresh ourselves of the signage. There were a fair few channel changes, and a few barges ‘blue boarding’, which means they are using the different side of the channel, and we need to be aware of this to know which side we pass them on.
There was some trepidation on approaching the first lock, as we hadn’t faired too well at Tancarville, also had to speak French to ask if we could enter and await their commands. It went well, even my French speaking and translating, and there was a floating bollard which meant just draping my mid-sheet line over and it moved up with the rising water, all easy and no concerns.
The journey was pleasant, nice temperature and lovely scenery as we meandered along the large river. It is interesting to see the ships and Peniches carrying their loads, as this is something we rarely see in the UK. The smaller barges and Peniches are generally family owned, and often have a car on the back of them as the family live on board and there are special sites where they can stop and drive off, to do their shopping or maybe the school run!
Entering Rouen was great, lots of shipyards and loading or unloading docks. All sorts of materials; sand, gravel, and grain seemingly the most common. The last few kilometres we were followed by a huge vessel, it didn’t seem to want to overtake us, we were worried we were doing something wrong, but not sure what, and then saw the arrival of two tugs. These are used to push the ship around and manoeuvre it into its position at the dock it intends to use, quite a skill it seems.
It was very interesting to witness the workings of these dockyards from a river view, and seeing a lot of what we don’t appreciate going on behind the scenes. The industrial approach was both interesting and picturesque in its own way.
Finally, we arrived at our stop for the evening, and made our way to the visitor’s birth. We moored up next to a small yacht with a friendly young girl and a Burman cat on it, the pontoon was full of crap from her boat, and she made no attempt to move it as we tried to tie up. The Capitainaire was closed as it was 2000hrs, and she lent us a fob to use the facilities.
There had been good reports of this marina, and it was fine, but the arrival of the ‘boyfriend’ next door made us somewhat uncomfortable as he was really not nice! He wasn’t happy as the port officials had asked him to move his crap off the pontoon and he seemed to think it was me who had complained about it, as if!
We walked to the supermarket, had some dinner and went to sleep. Originally, we had planned to leave the next day but the tides were not working in our favour, if we had worked them out correctly!
Next morning we moved from the pontoon of the grumpy n’er do well and had a fun day in Rouen. The weather was good, so Sprocket and I walked along the river into the centre and visited the cathedral and other lovely medieval buildings. Mike had travelled in on the bus, and we planned to bus back and stop at the bricolage to look at getting a scaffolding plank to use as a fender protector.
Joan of Arc has a chapel dedicated to herself, as she was tried in Rouen and burnt at the stake.
Saint Joan of Arc, or Jeanne d’Arc in French, was born around 1412 in Domrémy, Bar, France, and died on May 30, 1431, in Rouen. She was canonized on May 16, 1920, and her feast day is celebrated on May 30. Joan of Arc is a celebrated French military heroine, known for her role in the Hundred Years’ War.
Joan was a peasant girl who, from an early age, believed she heard the voices of Saints Michael, Catherine, and Margaret. Around the age of 16, these voices urged her to assist France's dauphin (crown prince) and save France from the English during the Hundred Years’ War. Dressed in men's attire, she convinced the dauphin, his advisers, and the church authorities to support her cause.
With her inspiring conviction, Joan rallied the French troops and lifted the English siege of Orléans in 1429. She also led a victory against the English at Patay. The dauphin was subsequently crowned King Charles VII at Reims, with Joan by his side. However, her attempt to siege Paris was unsuccessful, and in 1430, she was captured by the Burgundians and sold to the English.
Abandoned by King Charles VII, Joan was handed over to the ecclesiastical court at Rouen, controlled by French clerics who supported the English. She was tried for witchcraft and heresy in 1431. Despite her fierce defense, she eventually recanted and was sentenced to life imprisonment. When she later reaffirmed her divine inspiration, she was burned at the stake.
Sprocket was thrown off the bus! So, I had to walk to the bricolage, I met Mike, chose our plank. We paid but needed to have it shortened, which I explained in French and was handed a saw to do so! And told (in that ever so polite way) to hurry up as they were about to close!
Plank sawn, we then had to carry it through town back to the marina, stopping halfway so that Mike and his new friend Matt could enjoy a bear!
A plan was made for the following day, and we were to carry on up the Seine and reach the non-tidal part of the river.
Mike and Matt!
Hi Claire & Mike, loving hearing your adventures. You write really eloquently, Claire! So glad all is going well, if not exactly to 'plan'!!