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| Wandering Snail setting off to Tournai |
Warm and sunny but a strong wind picked up in the afternoon which made it feel chilly. We left at 8.55 a.m. reversing out of the arm quietly as there was no sign of life on the rest of the boats. After seeing nothing else moving, fifty minutes later we arrived at Tournai. No boats were moored on the pontoon so we moored next to the working electricity post and plugged in. A thousand-tonner running empty upriver went past to check our ropes were OK. Set the washer running and Mike found a strong WiFi station. I put the laptop on and had the WiFi to do emails and sent a reply to Helen as she’d sent one to say they were in for a rough night at Merelbeke as the tides were wrong so they couldn’t get under the bridges at Boom and therefore wouldn’t get through the lock before it closed. The day before they’d had to take to the Albert canal when the Bocholt-Herentals closed at 3.00 p.m. Saturdays, but we were pleased to hear that they had a pleasant trip as it was very quiet. Mike ran the hose out and chatted with a guy called Barry off a cruiser called Fiona that had just tied up behind us. He wanted to know what it was like moored on the pontoon, Mike told him it would get rough around 6.00 a.m. but Sundays were usually quiet-ish for the Escaut.
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| Wandering Snail passing the chandlery & fuel barge Neptunia at Antoing |
We set off back upriver to Antoing at 12.55 p.m. Minutes after we set off we were overtaken by a fast speedboat cruiser with four men on board; admittedly they slowed right down to go past us but went back on the plane immediately afterwards. Most of the moored boats, péniches and thousand-tonners plus, along the quay from Vaulx to Antoing were uninhabited as the crews had either gone home or visiting as none had their cars on board. Tied alongside the Snail at 12.55 p.m. and Anne came out to put our bow rope round their side dolly. Mike asked me to help to get the TV set up smartish as the Spanish F1 GP was about to start. Then the stupid thing said it was connected but the planner wouldn’t come on and a message said the satellite wasn’t available. Unplugged and fiddled three times before it tuned in properly, which meant he missed the start and the first two laps. The fast speedboat turned up and went in the corner of the arm behind the two Dutch cruisers (noticed there was still one of them left behind Johanna) Cruiser Fiona arrived and went towards the end of the arm until Mike told them to watch out as it was shallow. They backed out and went in the gap behind Johanna. After the race Wandering Snail went to Tournai to water up. Mike started our engine and backed out, then Olly backed the Snail out, winded and headed downriver to Tournai. We went back in against the wall. When they returned they moored on the outside of us.
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