Menen to Deinze

38 kms, 2 locks, 5.5 hours

We left the quay at Menen at 9.00.  Very grey and cloudy again today but not cold, no wind, no rain.  The Leie River is quite wide but green and leafy and enough curves and meanders to be more interesting than a canal.  

Entering Kortrijk from the south

Ian's favourite piece of sculpture

The entrance to the Porte de Plaisance in Kortrijk 

We passed quite a few barges going in the opposite direction but didn't see any either ahead or behind us – till we got to the first lock.  There was one “double trouble” (2 peniches line astern with one driver) already waiting to enter the lock and when I called on the radio I was told to wait for another coming up behind us, then the operator called back again to say there was yet another one behind that and to wait for her call before we entered.  As soon as those 3 were in she called us to come in so we were at the back of a huge lock with an 80m “double trouble” in front, and 80m barge behind that then a 30m peniche and us next to them - it's a very big lock.

This is a "double trouble" 

A car being loaded onto a bar

A very large load 

The containers just fitted under the bridge, the deck house was too high and watched fascinated as it was lowered by hydraulics to go under.

We also saw a lot more pleasure cruisers today.  The season is nigh;  the waterways are getting busy – definitely time for us to go home.

We have stopped in Deinze (we think this is the 6^th time we have been here). 

Right next to the quay (free but no services) there is a huge screen, beer tents, burger bars, etc, all to celebrate the football world cup. I guess it is going to be very busy and very noisy tonight.

We can see the screen from our boat

The very elaborate bars and eateries below the screen

Not long after we arrived a hire boat came passed and headed under the bridge.  But the driver didn't get it quite right and hit the bridge, then he speared off to port and hit the bank, reversed, spun around and hit the bank on the starboard side, then tied up to the railings.  There is not dock there, and it is very shallow.  Of course we had to go check it out: the steering had failed and there was hydraulic fluid all over the deck.  So perhaps not the driver's fault after all.