2023 June: Does the name of the boat guide It’s destiny?

Well, there is something in the name of a boat! I’m not sure about the Black Pearl, but the body in the Rhein is yet to be determined. Virus has been a safe name considering it has kept us from sinking and invasions from pirates. I think the name speaks for itself and sends the right message; do not mess with us! Now Black Pearl is another subject. As you recall, we met up with a great couple, Peter and Dagmar, during our last boating season, in 2022. Last year they were also making the same trip we were, so we hooked up and had a great tour until their boat, Black Pearl, began to take on water. 

After buying a new boat along the way, they unpacked their boat and repacked the new one only to discover it was not the boat for them. For some reason, the boat owners could not explain why certain equipment did not work, “we never used them,” they’d say. So after repacking their boat and loading needed belongings in their camper, which they had to retrieve, they placed Black Pearl in the local harbor for repairs. Their boat’s name after that excursion reminded me of the Black Pearl at the bottom of the sea in the movie Pirates of the Caribbean.

You can read more about last year’s adventure here. Now let’s get on with this year’s story. We stayed in touch during the winter and decided to head to Berlin together this season. Little did we know that more challenges were coming their way, and hopefully not ours!

During the winter, Dagmar and Peter spent a kidney to fix their boat and repaired several issues besides the sinking problem. They even replaced their bimini since it was quite old. In addition, Peter bought a larger zodiac, and when he went to string it up, the arms that held it above the water on the back of his boat bent so much they had to take it off. He kept his old one and spent an extra day fixing the rig. This picture below looks like it might fall off! Black Pearl! He raised it when we landed.

We took Virus out of the water, cleaned her belly, and repainted it. We replaced the front side rutter and removed a large rope wrapped around our propeller.

In addition, Lutz made some minor repairs and fixed our black tank (pooper box) so we could empty the poo at a pump station if we decided to use it. For the seven years we’ve been boating, the box was never pumped because the handle was stuck, so we left the tank open to the river. And felt it was our responsibility to help the environment and feed the wildlife.

Ok, so you have the setting for a beautiful trip, right? All repairs were done, and a boat filled with gas. That’s 677.17 euros, the gas machine told us! And it was already half full.

New ropes, new portable electric drink cooler. And our first lock of the season. We were quite optimistic that Virus was ready for the big tour to Berlin in 2023! So we thought…

Dagmar had visited her mother by car a few days earlier in Worms. The plan was to pick her up on Sunday. Boating alone is not the safest on the Rhein, so Peter rounded up a friend and his son and grandson to make the 8-hour trip with him to Worms. It’s great to have such wonderful friends. Once there, they would take Dagmar’s car back to the harbor, where their car awaited them. Since the sun was out and we didn’t want to drive 8 hours in one day, we headed out on Saturday, one day earlier. We arrived in Karlsruhe harbor on the Rhein 4 hours from Kehl, where we spent the night and waited for Peter and his crew to meet up the next morning to head to Worms.

We arrived in Worms at about 6:00 pm and had a great dinner with the crew. It was delicious. Meeting Dagmar’s mother, Maja, was delightful and close to my mother’s age. She is also full of energy! Plus, we met Dagmar’s best friend from grade school, Uschi.

We were getting ready to take off the next morning when Peter announced he had a problem with their pooper box! It was filling up and smelling. They tend to close the box and leave the tank open to feed the fish as they cruise the canal. Holy moly! Our aim at this point was to find the next harbor with a pump station, so we went for a four-hour tour in search of another harbor on the Rhine!

Calling a harbor before landing is critical. A law is going into effect to ensure all boats use their black water tank and pump it, yet we discovered that many harbors do not have pump stations. So off we went for another hour to Schiersteiner Hafen harbor, which could service the Black Pearl. 

It took all three of them to drain the pooper tank, and with fingers crossed, we’d hoped the problem was solved. 

After spending four hours in cold rainy weather and pumping poo, we had a lovely evening of white asparagus, smoked ham, and boiled potatoes. And a good night’s sleep. The next morning we woke to the smell of OUR pooper and did a pooper cleanse with baking soda, boat cleanser, and fresh water. Since our tank was still closed, and everything flowed directly into the water, we HOPED it was just the river water.

Last year we also went down the Rhein but turned off the Rhein into the Mosel in Koblenz. This year we went further and left the Rhein toward Berlin. We passed many places we’d seen before, but there was a drastic difference in the water level this year due to the rain and flooding. Last year we took many pictures of our tour and the drought that caused several tour boats and tankers to be stranded. This picture below was taken in Bacharach on the Rhein last year.

This year it was high tide and quite a difference.

Just beyond, we arrived at the Lorrely. Here, the water depth is 18m deep with swirling water. This is one of the most dangerous turns in the Rhein, and I can confirm it was tuff. Tankers were flashing their blue shields, indicating we had to pass on the left so they could control their boats in the swift-flowing Rhein. Another great landmark on the Rhein and as the story goes, A beautiful maiden was at the top calling to her shipper lover and caused many ships to sink as all the captains looked for her to respond to her call. 

Our next harbor was in Saint Goar, and after a phone call, they indicated they had a pooper pump which was a relief for Peter. However, when we arrived, it was not working. I wonder why!

Although the harbor was a little under repair, we had a beautiful view from our boat to this gorgeous castle hotel!

The drive on the Rhine to our next location was windy and cold. The next morning, we were off again, searching for a nice harbor about four or five hours away with a pump station. Lutz’s cousin was a shipper and passed away a few years ago. His wife, Elly, lives near her daughter in Andernach on the Rhine. We alerted her we were passing by, and she made the short walk to the Rhein to send us off and wave farewell.

Our cruise down the Rhine still amazed me even though we’ve visited many of the popular locations by car and by boat in the past. If you have never been here, take some time to investigate a cruise. It’s amazing. There are classic castles…

Quaint small towns…

And more castles…

And more some very interesting tour boats…

and more castles…

I loved seeing the combination of the old homes with the new ones.

It is a beautiful tour, but all that glitters is not gold. Along the Rhein are many factories that spread themselves over the land and make you wonder what we’ve done to nature. Some are new, and some are abandoned old mills or metal factories from days gone by.

Erpel is another landmark that is a must-see. It is where the Americans came in and bombed the bridge that put a stop to World War II.

Further down, we entered Kolblenz. This is where we turned to the Mosel last year. Koblenz is also filled with history and is definitely a location to explore.

It is sure a place you can find something to do!

It turned cold and windy later that day on the water, and tons of tankers and tour boats to dodge. This is Peter doing his best to avoid a collision. It’s really about the angle of the camera (LOL). He’s an excellent skipper!

We had our moments as well! These tankers stop for no one. They tell us where to drive by sliding out their blue shield indicating when WE should pass on the opposite side!

Upon entering our next harbor in Oberwinter, Peter was rewarded with another flush of his pooper tank and a relaxing evening enjoying a visit with Dagmar’s Daughter, Laura and her partner Philip. I’m sad I did not get a picture of us all.

Although Peter was successful this time with his pooper tank, there seems to be something else going on. The tank filled quickly and is not flowing to the canal. He has some concerns. In addition, the handle on their refrigerator broke off, and they could not open the fridge. Lutz opened the refrigerator with a handy tool and, as a thank you, received a strong whiff of cheese! It was time to leave and head to our next harbor near Cologne. Approaching the city was serial. Old and new bridges and modern homes filled the landscape, yet …

The famous Cologne Church was the one eye-catching structure that rose above it all.

By the end of this day, the sun welcomed us to our next harbor.

And we had time to relax in the setting sun.

Ok, so now the dead body! Yes, we almost ran it over, but with my boating skills, we avoided a serious problem. Lutz immediately called the boat police and reported the sighting. A helicopter was on the spot.

Plus, not one emergency boat…

but two.

And a rescue team on shore. We are waiting for the news report so I will fill you in next month!

Our pooper still smells, but I have a new name for Lutz, McGyver! He’s amazing and is making a lot of plans to fix it. I am hopeful we have not caught the Black Pearl virus.

Well, that’s all for this month. Oh, I forgot, the Black Pearl still has pooper problems (we think it’s toilet paper from past guests). Oh yeah, and the gas leading to their stove stopped working. Just to let you know, this is a Linsen, not your everyday boat: a very fine boat, and Peter is a very good Captain guiding us in new territory. His Shipmate, Dagmar, is a big-hearted lady and always says “Yes, captain” with each command. They are such a great couple to travel with, and we sure love them. By the way, we still have a fragrance seeping through the sinks and toilets that will not leave us.

So I ask once again, does the name of a boat guide their destiny? I’m hoping this is not true for the Black Pearl. As for the body on the Rhein, it remains to be seen. Come back in July to hear more. I’ll update you on the body, Black Pearl, and our progress. Hopefully, we will find out what is up with our pooper smell, but for now, check my amazing recipe and resource I found.

Fave Recipe: Turkey Meatballs with Honey Mustard sauce

These are quick, healthy, and delicious. Place them on your favorite rice or cauliflower rice. The taste is the bomb! Click here for the recipe.

Fave Resource: Cookies are summer’s delight!

This list is amazing; I can make cookies on the boat, so it sure comes in handy! Click here for a whole list of goodness.