Monday 12 th June - Kembs to Breisach

We left our mooring at 9.30 in order to be at our first big lock at 10.  The big locks are built for commercial barges, hotel boats, etc. and are a completely different prospect to the small locks that we are used to.  There is a floating bollard to be attached to and the boat rides down (or up) automatically.  The main problem with these locks is the waiting - the keepers have to make sure no other boats are wanting to pass through,so even when you are tied off there is still a wait, just in case!    We were now on the Grand Canal d'Alsace and making a speed of around 9 kph but adding about 5 kph making 14 kph.......Aphrodite's loving it!  We waited about an hour for the next lock which we didn't expect as a barge was ahead of us and we thought we could slip in behind him but we must have radioed a smidge too late so had to wait for him to go down and two there's to come up.  To our surprise, there were no floating bollards in this deep (14.7 m) lock so we had to keep moving our line down as we descended!  The lock keeper was at the side of the lock to greet us and explained it to us -he had some English and was a charming young man!  He said it was the only lock without floating bollards, having said that it was an easy operation and the emptying of the lock went quickly!  The other two locks went without a hitch, albeit another long wait at our final lock.  We arrived in Breisach not fully knowing where we would moor - we thought we would make for the port we had tentatively booked on the German side.....not sure whether it was suitable for us.  If not we would go back and more in the French marina where we had stopped before.  On approach we noticed other bigger boats so guessed it was OK and made our way in.  We were welcomed by two nice German men, who advised how to tie our lines, given the fact that we were exposed to the mighty river Rhine and its' large commercial barges plying their way up and down river (mostly upriver, it has to be said).  To be honest more rocking was to be had by the fast sportsboats passing by!  Skip went off to try and find a shop but came back empty handed - it was pretty hot by now and he decided it was too far!  We are running low on stocks so we have to find a shop soon!  We had booked a table in the large restaurant on the on the quai so we arrived and stood waiting to announce ourselves.  It was very busy and none of the waiting staff acknowledged us so we collared a young man and said we had reserved a table - he said 'just go and find a table'!!  We are definitely not in France!!  The food was good though, even though when Skips' food was served we were cheerfully told that Chef had forgotten Crews' meal!!  Very casual!  It arrived as Skip was halfway through his salmon and in the end was very good, although Crew couldn't finish it!  Both very sleepy (Crew put it down to the wind as we were going along at such speed!) so early to bed.

44 km. 4 locks. 6 hours