On the Rhine

The Rhine must be a very different river to day than the 'mighty' Rhine of the past.  To make it easy to navigate most of it is canalised which means you are often floating in a sort of raised basin with the banks on either side and great ditches separating you from the wooded former flood plains.  There are nature reserves at either side beyond the containing walls and the sides are straight and rather boring, although there are glimpses of the Black Mountains on the German side and The Vosges on the French. Every so often one comes upon a massive lock, built in the 1960's - so you can guess how attractive they are!

Ferry at Rhinaeu

We have seen swans, cormorants, common sandpipers, herons and seagulls. Few other pleasure boats and just 2 moorings for small pleasure boats. There are a good many long commercial vessels, and pleasure boats must give way to these at locks and on the water.

We got off to a bad start by going into the left hand chamber of a double lock that had red lights displayed.  Pretty stupid of us I know, but the previous two locks on the Rhin canal had red lights showing and the lock keepers waved us through as if we were crazy to want to stop at a red light!

Long commercial barge

So we reversed out of this lock and duly waited for the green light in the right hand chamber.  Before we could go in, seven vessels came out ranging in size from a Viking River cruiser to a small inflatable canoe! Boy was that a contrast. The locks take a long time to load and  then fill (or drain) and then for the boats to exit.  So you can easily be an hour at each one.

Anyhow, we seem to have got the hang of it now and we have been given a little leaflet that tells us to phone or radio the next lock before we turn up, not that we can make ourselves understood by the lock keepers in my limited French, or understand them as they speak fast,

Nature reserve near Booseheim

We are spending two days on the Rhine from Rhineau to Mulhouse with a mid way stop at Breisach.
Breisach has a good mooring on the right hand bank in the middle of the River with bridge to both sides. 14 euros a night. The one on the town side is too small for boats over about 10 metres and was full.