Not just the UK canals with problems...

[Boaty Jo]

This is on the Marne au Rhin canal, between Nancy and Strasbourg.

It's in French but Google Translate will sort it out.

 

http://lorraine.france3.fr/2013/07/04/artzviller-lutzelbourg-57-une-peniche-en-peril-au-plan-incline-282273.html

 

Initial reports state 2 months to sort it out

[luctor et emergo]

Oh dear.

 

Two months to refloat a hung up boat? Howaboat letting some more water in?

 

Or does that include time to stand around a brazier, shrugging shoulders, smoking Gaulouises, and burning sheep?

[Captain Zim]

I think the article says there is a breach? I didn't use google translate. I used 'really basic school French translate' so I'm not 100%.. In fact, I'm not even 15% but I'm sure someone here will confirm or call me an idiot.

[luctor et emergo]

I used school French. It is deffo about a canal. And deffo about a boat. And there's a picture of a badly hung up boat.

 

Innit?

 

 

 

Regardez les visage...

[Chop!]

Mais de tout facon, c'est dommage!

 

The trip boat carrying 21 passengers,, got hung up, after a caisson became de-railed, preventing the gates from closing and causing a breach, many thousands of litres of water escaped, a nearby campsite and some homes were evacuated as a precaution, all the passengers were rescued without injuries, smoke was seen to billow from the engine room but there was no fire.

The surge was quickly stopped and locks downstream were opened to release the build up of water. In the meantime the sudden loss of water caused problems for other boats and a helicopter was used to monitor the situation.

By 15.00 hrs the level had dropped so people were allowed to return and a crane team were summoned to unhook the boat. It is the 1st recorded incident of this type.

The canal will remain closed pending an investigation (no mention of 2 weeks that I could find)

It was opened in 1969 and avoids the need to pass through 'many tens of locks'

It is visited by 140,000 people a year

Et voila!

 

Edited to add the bit I missed out, Thanks to Chris Pink for spotting my hangover induced omission

Edited July 6, 2013 by Chop!

[Captain Zim]

Tres bien.

[magpie patrick]

looking carefully at the photos what happens seems to have been that the boat got caught in the gates and either damaged the gates or the caisson moved, bearking the seal around the end of the caisson. In the picture it looks like the water is pouring out of the adjacent portal, but I think having looked at other photos it is coming from the seal and being thrown at the other portal with force, giving this appearance.

 

The second portal was built so they could have two caissons side by side, they never added the second caisson.

 

I don't think there has been a breach anywhere else, the "breach" is the upper level emptying rapidly through the open gate. Messy...

[Chris Pink]

I think from reading the article, the caission came off its rails, jamming the boat under the gate.

 

With the seal broken and the boat there they couldn't seal the top pound and thus the water.

 

 

 

"for an unknown reason the 'bac' left its rails, the barge found itself thus trapped preventing the closure of the doors"

'bac' I've not heard before, the dictionary says 'tray' so caisson probably (though isn't 'caission' french anyway?)

Edited July 6, 2013 by Chris Pink

[Chop!]

Bac is often used to describe a small ferry or container, I agree it seems a bit strange that we use the French word caisson and they don't. I had a few too many in Lower Heyford last night and was still a bit groggy when I did my quick translation. I should have proof-read it before posting LOL!

[Athy]

l. Messy...

Messy beaucoup.

[DHutch]

...though isn't 'caission' french anyway?...

Thats the problem with french, they have no word for entrepreneur...

 

 

Daniel