Sailing the Rhine, a scenic all-day journey (Thanksgiving Day)

The sail for the day was from Wertheim to Koblenz and for the Americans on board (most everyone) it was Thanksgiving Day.

Part of the previous days route was via bicycle then boarded the ship in Freudenberg.  From there the ship sailed all night and all day the next day ending up in the port of Koblenz.

At one point during the late mornings sailing the captain guided the boat towards the starboard side allowing a vessel to pass on the port side.  Suddenly the boat lurched and a loud crunching and scraping sound was generated.  

The captain applied power to the propellers in an effort to make sure the vessel had the additional momentum to walk over the rocks and mud that laid in the path.  The captain was successful in making sure the boat did not run aground.  A great deal of muddy water surrounded the vessel as it plowed like an ice breaker through the obstruction laying just beneath the water line.  It is a good thing that this vessel is scheduled for dry dock after this journey.  There it will have a proper inspection and new paint for the hull.

The river was a working highway for many working boats.

These working boats were in three major categories.  Dry barges, that carried coal or gain, or building materials.  Wet barges, that carried petroleum products, or water, or acted as septic systems that could move sewage.  The last major category of barge is a People barge.  These vessels were all similar to the Viking cruise vessel, also known as Hotels.

A large percentage of the working barges are family owned; it is their house. They live on the vessel full time with all family members participation in the effort of getting the barge to its next destination.  The Mother and Father both have Captains licenses and trade off shifts as the barges traveled virtually 24 hrs a day. They have cars parked on the deck allowing them to go shopping as needed.  The kids stay on the boat till they are six years old.  At that point the children are then placed in a boarding school to learn the business of piloting a barge.

Kevin and Theresa used this long sail to work on the blog as they were already four days behind in their documentation and posts.

The Rhine was lined with medieval castles, some in ruin and several being renovated by wealthy individuals or Foundations.  Each had its own story.  

This region was dotted with vineyards so grapevines covered all the steep hillsides.  See all the castle and vineyard pictures here.

Since the low bridge threat was passed, the top deck of the ship was allowed to be put back together, chairs brought out and railings put in. This allowed anyone brave enough to weather the cold to sit up top and watch has the vessel floated down the Rhine past all the old castles.

We learned the story of Lorelei rock. The legend of Lorelei rock claims a young maiden would sing songs from the top of a sharp rock at a bend in the river.  Her singing drew ships towards the sharp rock resulting in the sinking of many ships.

Later down river Kevin and Theresa spotted a mini campground along the rivers edge.  The sites were small, allowing a van sized camper to park there.  They also had cabins that were built out of large wine barrels. The SmiTanic would not be able to park in these spots nor would it be able to navigate the local roads.

There were no bridges across the Rhine in this section, so they used ferries to transport cars and individuals from shore to shore.

The days shore excursion was a short bus ride from the boat to a spot that then required the guests to walk a very steep half mile to the castle of Marksburg.

Kevin and Theresa elected to stay on the boat to work on the Blog instead of getting out in the cold and climb a steep hill to see yet another old building.  Those that elected to do the excursion had to be bused to the final destination of Koblenz, while we arrived by boat.

The evening’s meal was a traditional Thanksgiving meal with turkey cranberries and dressing. Theresa ordered a miso glazed cod. She claims it was the best fish dish she ever had.  A new Thanksgiving tradition has been born.

As the evening ended Kevin once again checked the status of the Fraud reported on his CITI credit card.  He discovered that the charges were still pending so he once again went through the steps to dispute the 7 fraudulent charges.  Argh! 

Theresa attended the evenings entertainment of a classical duo (Clarinet and Violin).  Theresa was impressed with the fitness it took to play the violin, she was an athlete!