Our cruise today included the Ronquieres inclined plane, a water filled tank 91m long by 12m wide which is hauled up and down an inclined railway for 1.5km. Built in 1968 to overcome a 68m change in water level this engineering marvel is both a tourist attraction and an essential part of the waterway. As we arrived there were several barges waiting and we radioed the control tower to be allocated a slot in the next tank behind two barges. The only working tank was fortunately on its way back up the ramp towards us, loaded with nine Dutch and Belgian pleasure boats.

The second lock has been out of service for 18 months, apparently due to a shortage of staff which have to be trained in Scotland. This leads to delays of up to several days for the barges, and great frustration at the lost business that ensues. The experience of floating in your boat in a tank full of water is rather unnerving, and the walk to the end of the tank's quay to view the ramp below is not for vertigo sufferers. There is a sheer drop below you and only a mesh walkway to gaze through as the countryside glides past.

We followed barge Georges out of the tank and stayed with him for the next two locks. At Ittre we were amazed by the huge 14m drop and had to rely on a conveniently placed floating bollard and the bowthrusters to keep the boat under control. At Lembeek, the first lock in the Flemish region, we were beckoned to the lock office where, in contrast to the Walloon region, we were charged €50 for a three month waterway license - the minimum period available. Not exactly encouraging visitors we thought.

Shortly before the lock at Halle we stopped at the left bank quay, signposted as reserved for the tripboat Scaldis, but now used generally by pleasure and commercial craft. The moorings here are very handy for the excellent shops, bars and restaurants of the nearby town centre, as well as the Delhaize supermarket opposite. The only drawback is the busy road running alongside and, on the opposite bank, the constant rumble of freight and passenger trains passing along this main route to Brussels.

Cruising Statistics

Distance: 15 nm

Total to date: 1854 nm

Avg Speed: 6 knots

Duration: 2:30 hours

Diesel: 20 litres (est)

Mooring: Free

Electricity: €0,50/kWh

Water: €1/l

Locks

Ronquieres

Ittre

Lembeek

Min headroom: 4.2m

Min draught: 3.85m

Charts

Navicarte 23

Geocart 2