Some break-downs on the way

One year after we started our journey across Europe, we have our first break-down.

We are finally on the last stretch before reaching the infamous Rhine River. We've heard so many horror stories that we just want to get there and see how it really is!

But first we need to get there. The Rhone-Rhine Canal the last bit before the Rhine, is taking us much longer than we had anticipated. 237km, 112 locks that we do in about 1,5months. Not very fast, but we decide to enjoy the french countryside and the small boat world life while we can, as once we get to the Rhine we get into big rivers and big cargo ships world.

We get to Mulhouse on the 25th July to pick up some plumbing bits we got online and ordered to the local marina. But as we are about to get to the big town, a weird clanking noise on the engine, and Hamish realises the coolant box just snapped out of the engine.

We need to stop or we'll have coolant spread all over soon and a bigger problem in hands. We have been doing a series of locks with the same lock keepers and as we explain what happened they promptly offer to help. The nice lock-keepers look at the broken piece, it needs welding but welding on a boat inside water can be a problem, so we stop on the next lock, they remove the piece and will cut a new replacement one on the VNF (Vois Navigables de France) warehouse nearby . Half an hour later we have a new shinny metal bracket that we hope will last at least 6 months. Still, they get us an apppointment with a local boatyard to see if anything stronger and long lasting can be put in place. It's Friday evening now so we spend the weekend in Mulhouse, the liveliest place we've been for the last few months, mixed architecture styles and crepes. Always the crepes. 

Monday arrives, we get to the boatyard as planned but looks there's in fact not too much to be done with the boat on the water. The coolbox is fixed with the new metal angle the VNG guys got us, to the shaky engine, and we just hope this will last us until we take the boat out of water next winter.

It lasts two weeks. As we set sail from an anchoring place on the Rhine to escape a storm, we notice the new piece has a crack on it. The strong winds make us bang against the next lock wall as we go in and it snaps off again from the engine. 

We are now so close to Strasbourg we'll try to make it as mooring on the big river is not possible with such a big current and the big cargo ships heavy traffic. Hamish holding to the coolant box with his hands and me driving, we get to the last lock before Strasbourg but as we need to wait for a few ships ahead we decide to switch the engine off. When the light turns green it just doesn't switch on again.

We're stuck on the lock for a couple, days, trying to get either a mechanic to look at the boat, or a tow, both will be very expansive, but we just can't stay there, tied to the side wall, with the strong stormy wind and huge 210m boats passing just a couple meters distance from us.

We get a mechanic in, hoping he will make us get at least to Strasbourg with no luck, the starter motor is gone and nothing can be  where we are. We do need a new piece and we will need that tow to get us out of there. The French speaker lock-keeper gets us in touch with the local marina and we get a special price tow with the big metal pleasure boat from the marina's owner. 

We get to Strasbourg, tied to a metal pleasure boat, not as we expected, but we get there! Good to be out of the lock and able to go for a walk.

We end up staying in Strasbourg one month. Had to wait for the new starter motor to be delivered, once it was replaced, the batteries stopped working and as well needed replacement, and we still have the on-going electrical issue going on that would be good to sort out, and the snapped coolant box needing proper fixing.

We stayed for free in the marina. Our break-down already costs us near to €800 with the tow, new starter motor and new batteries, plus the few hours of mechanical service, so was nice not to have that extra cost.

Hamish gets to know a few nearby live-a-board boaters during one of his evening walks, that are doing some welding to their boats, we get a new metal bracket for our coolant box, that same evening. Once our boat is back working we moore side to Didier's Peniche, our local host for the rest of the month. A month of vegetarian bbq's, evening drinks, good talk, and live music with his band every Wednesday evenings.

And we still have the ongoing electrical issue and the coolant box to be removed somewhere it won't snap-off again. Didier helps us out relocating the coolant box during the days we stay next to him. The electrical issue will be solved later. 

We leave Strasbourg on the 12th July, a month later we arrived towed, this time we leave on our own. Early morning start at 6.00am. We're eager to continue our European journey along the Rhine.