Day 33 – Leaving Duisburg

I finished off the blog in the early hours, dressed then drove to the open all hours garage where the Banana and stocked up on a few days’ supply of food for the overnight journey with the Jura.  I returned to the quay and left the motorhome where it could be picked up and walked along to the Jura.

They were already up and about; the engine was running and I nimbly hopped up onto the ship, dropping a bottle of wine I had bought for the captain and his wife.

I ran back to the motorhome and got another bottle.  The captain nodded a goodmoring and waved his hand at the bottle telling me he did not smoke or drink.

Day 32

Duisburg

I spent the night in a car park next to the hotel. After breakfast I went back to the hotel to check emails and post bought a coffee and went back to the city.  I had arranged a meeting with Peter the photographer a 2pm.  He phoned me during the morning to make sure I was still available.

Right on time Peter was there and the photoshoot began.  He took me across the lagoon like inlet in his boat and I clambered onto to the pontoon, where I was only the day before.  I collected the oars and motor I had hidden and went to the office to talk about leaving the Banana for one more night. No, nicht, nine , niet, etc.  it is forbidden.

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The first of May

Sunday 1st of May: One month gone since setting off on the Banana voyage starting at the Marine Training Center, the STC, in Rotterdam.  I could say there has been a lot of water gone under several bridges since then.

During my driving around I noticed a tiny inlet from a dock, about one km from the marina.  I worked out where it was with the aid of a harbour map.  It turns out it is an ancient quay almost disused today.  There one pontoon floating near its entrance with an old small shipyard above on some very steep banks.  It is a sort of appendix to the next dock which is just around the headland from the marina.  I had the idea earlier to move the Banana from the marina to a ship museum in the same dock, so that I could stay in the dock and move the Banana quickly to any available ship.

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Day 29

I paid for a shower and had my breakfast as the rain attempted to get through the windscreen of the motorhome.  I used the machines in the laundry and after spending all my euro coins, finally dried clothes and, having emptied the motorhome toilet I went off to find a boat to take the Banana away; and me with it.

The port is huge.  The various docks branch off from the Rhine into five main areas.  This makes ten principle dock sides, many inaccessible because they are behind various industrial activities.  Access by road is not easy and going from one side of an inlet to the other takes about 20 minutes in the motorhome.  There seems to be a preoccupation with security.

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