Nancy to Toul

7 locks, 2 lift bridges, 21 miles, 6½ hours

Seems an age ago now, but probably only a week or less we set out from Nancy to back to Toul completing the ring.

We set off from the bank we had tied up on after being set adrift, only a few yards in and it was a call on the remote for a lift bridge.  Another strange design.  The whole road lifted up like a tail lift on a truck.

Then a mile of so past this line of live aboard barges on a more traditional one.

Apart from this rather unusual “boat”

This was a raft on oil drums with a garden marquee & outboard

we had the whole canal to the first lock to our self. Had we approached Nancy from this side the impression would have been totally different.  This piece of canal was rather pretty as was the buildings fronting it.

The reason we had the canal to ourselves was a boat jam at this lock.  Because we tend to leave late we had missed the early rush and subsequent queue for this lock.  We were just under an hour at this lock as we have to wait for a boat locking up that must have been some way away.  It gave us time to chat to the owners of the barge.  Janet & John have had it for 25 years and were on their way to their winter moorings.  It also gave us time to walk the dogs and take some photos.

About 8m drop to the next lock

The final lock to the River Mozelle

River Mozelle and we turn left to Toul

The river Mozelle here is really quite stunning.

The locks here are pretty big too as this is a commercial waterway. This was the biggest we saw on the day.

In the lock was our cruising companions for 3 locks on the Mozelle.

DB Janske

Lock times eventually beat us so we decided to wild moor on the Mozelle.  As Janske was in front of us I didn’t think we would make all the locks and liftbridge back to Toul this evening and I didn’t want to be stuck between locks.

This would do for the night.

Had we not stopped here I would not have got this shot of the ½ super moon rising. I am really pleased that the pylon is captured too.  To the naked eye this was not visible.

The following morning we finished the last 2 locks and couple of miles to moor here in Toul.

Unofficial moorings below Toul marina.

Later in the day when this photo was taken MR had arrived to join us again.

This was on Friday 5th September 2014.  Since then we have travelled back to the junction of Nancy and are now on our way to Metz.

Water Filtration Plant

 

During our time in Belgium we increasing found it difficult to find water without going into a marina which is not always practical when often they are set up for smaller cruisers.

I did some research and found it really wasn’t that difficult to make potable water from river of canal water although its not a cheap solution to the problem.

Since being in France we have found free water at very occasional places but all to often the systems on moorings along with the electrics are broken and disabled.

I have saved this blog post until the first time I have used the system and survived.

The system comprises in my case 7 stages of filtration and a submersible 240v water pump.

Adapted to Hozelock fittings

The pump is inside a large washable 100 micron filter bag providing the 1st stage of filtration.

The next 4 stages are 10” filter housings with reducing filter size, 50, 20, 5, 1 micron. 1 micron is 1/1000th of a mm

My assistant demonstrates

This bank of filters were pretty unstable relaying on just the copper fittings to hold it together so to stabilise it and toughen it up I fitted it to some 18mm ply. The problem with this is each filter has 4 screw fixings and 1 pressure release valve (the red button on top).  All of these holes needed to be transferred accurately to the ply.

Masking tape template

Transferred to the ply and drilled

This is what the system looks like in operation. Obviously the pump is under the water at this stage.

UV filter is the black bit

The next stage of filtration is UV light. Read about it here. That’s how it works!  The model I chose is a 72w unit capable of a flow rate of 6000l and hour. This UV light sterilizer has a unique design which turbulates the water through a helix design, so the water does not just run through the UV but spins inside allowing the UV more exposure before the water comes back out from the outlet.  This combined with a 500l/h flow control valve I have in the system the water has maximum exposure to the UV light.

In the photo the water enters the filters through the hose on the left and exits to the tank on the right.

Once the water enters the tank its filtered to 1 micron and been exposed to massive UV radiation so is clear and sterile.  The bulk of water used is for domestic use of course but the danger is Legionella especially in the fine spry of a shower.  At this level of filtration we should be safe but an extra filter level is on the exit from the storage tank.  This is 0.5 of a micron activated carbon filter and will remove heavy metals.

The final filter is for the drinking water and was already installed on the boat.  Its a

Seagull IV

I have a TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) meter.  A recent sample of marina tap water was 240 p/p/m the water out of our drinking water tap today is 160 p/p/m

Yesterday I used it for the first time.  Obviously a quick look at the source water to see it is acceptable.  My test is would I swim in it and with Google Earth check to see you are not close down stream to a sewage farm or factory and their outfall pipe.  Not that this should be a problem but why do it if 5 miles downstream there is nothing?

I filled up with about 1500l of water which took just over 3 hours.  By the time it was done it was dark.  The UV filter has viewing windows to see the bulbs are working.

Last night I drank 2 pints of water. I’m pleased to say having drunk another couple during today I have no Delhi Belly.

The whole system is connected by Hozelock fittings so it can be easily broken down into smaller parts for storage.

The total cost of the system including the Seagull which was already here is about £650.00

Now apart from Diesel we can live completely off grid.  If it’s sunny we can go up to 3 days on solar without running the engine to charge the batteries.  Even then with propulsion which also makes electricity, hot water and heat the radiators as we go along we only use about 50L a week when we are on the move.

Nancy

 

Nancy what a delightful city.  The town moorings are about 10 minutes walk into Stanislas Square.  This has to be seen to be believed.  The restoration/ preservation is very impressive.  The gold leaf work on the wrought iron gates other ornamental ironwork.

This is the whole square done in 2 panoramic shots.

Deb of course did the shops of which there were many and even I could see they were classy. There were a few chains, but most were independent stores. The women and the men of the city, certainly in the square were very well dressed.

There is so much to see and I could spend a whole night uploading pictures so instead google images

In the evening we came back into the square for a beer and to watch the light / projection show which started at 10pm sharp and was accompanied by music.

Here is a link.

I didn’t take any still as my camera had flat batteries.  Here are some stills from google images.

This was, and I say WAS our mooring but on our last night the local jokers decided to set us adrift.

Herbie did try to tell us but the problem with Herbie is it goes off to often so in this real case we ignored him.  I got up about 2.30am for a wee and noticed in my bleary eyed state that the view through the port porthole was now water not embankment.  I had to double take, then during my wee I dawned on me what was wrong.  As it happened it was not that serious.  It was a sealed basin with very little flow and no wind. By the time I had got decent we had drifted nearly to the other side.  A quick blast on the bowthruster saw us on the bank and I tied the front to a sign and dropped a mud weight at the back and went back to sleep almost without disturbing deb. I have no idea how long we were adrift for.

This was the view of where were in the morning.

And where we were between the 2 boats over there.  I can see the funny side and as no damage was done just chalk it up to experience.  At least it’s a story to tell.  Talking to a boat couple later in the day it’s a know spot for it.  I know I could have tied Avalon up better or differently but then that invites the ropes being cut. I think next time I moor in a town centre mooring I will drop the anchor and a mud weight.

Toul to Nancy

10 Locks on the Vosges twice (20), 22 other locks, 1 lift bridge, 1 aqueduct (twice) 27, correct miles, 22 wrong miles, 25 hours.

Toul to Nancy should have been pretty straight forward, out of Toul, turn left, back though the other side of Toul, a tootle down the River Mozelle to join the Canal des Vosges for a couple of large locks then turn left again onto the Embranchment de Nancy, then left again down the Mozelle and into Nancy.  A trip of 27 miles and a long one 7 hour day or a couple of easy days.  In the end it took  3 night stops and 4 cruising days although the last one was only an hour.

Leaving Toul we soon cam across a lift bridge.  The first since Belgium.

A couple of locks later saw us at the junction of the Moselle.  Both ways take us to Nancy and as we are doing a ring it mattered not which way we went so we tossed a coin and right won.

This took us around the back of Toul which is a fortified town.

Start point was Port de France

Once past Toul the River Moselle takes over, its wide, so wide its the first time we have seen buoys, oh and the scenery again.

Birification buoy

At the end of this delightful few hours we came into a big lock followed by another.  We’ve not seen the likes of these since Belgium.

Trusty hook deployed

You can’t miss the PK markers here

Rail bridge

All the way along the Moselle here is a disused railway line. Behind the now overgrown line is a high stone wall running for miles and miles.  You can only glimpse it but this bridge is part of the infrastructure.

At the top of the 2 big locks is a commercial basin where scrap metal seems to be the product being moved.

The finished product is steel bar in coils.  I guess to make rebar for use in reinforced concrete.

After this area we pulled over to let the dogs off for empting, and this is where we made the mistake.  Instead of going left we went straight on and got hypnotised by the beauty of the Canal des Vosges.

Lots of boates gold

River Moselle below

On the way back

So how’s this for a strange boat?  We saw this first in Toul marina. It looks like it was a ferry at one time.

On the way back we saw it was unloaded. I think this must be his yard behind the gates and there was a docking point for the ramps.

About half an hour past here and we reached the junction we overshot at 4mph.

Not hare really was it?

Yay Lock 5

Accept it broke down requiring a 30 minute wait for VNF to do what they do. From here on the 5 up and the next 10 down the locks set automatically. Once through lock 11 we stopped for the night as it was getting late and we didn’t want to be stuck and the moorings at the start of lock 12 looked fine.

We had this canal all to our selves.  There were no other boats moving or moored along its whole length.

The following morning we set off down to lock 13 and then onto the Canal de la Moselle towards Nancy.

Leaving lock 13

Like the approach to all citys the suburbs tend to be less than inviting and Nancy is no exception. But by no mans the worst we’ve seen.

We couldn’t moor in the marina but the next basin had a space and no restriction signs so we moored there with the help of a group of old men sat smoking and chatting.

This is the mooring by night.

The waterfront here looks like its being made nice and there is certainly a lot of activity with walkers, joggers, and sit and chatters.  The other side now has boats moored, and walking the dogs along the canal bank there is no shortage of places to moor for free.