I think we have the best mooring spot – not just at the Arsenal marina but likely at any marina anywhere. We have a magnificent view of Place de la Bastille – by day and by night – from both outside and inside.
It’s not just the view. We are moored closer to the Seine than any other boat in Arsenal. Turn around and we’re in the lock.
That’s Aleau’s aft-deck on the right and, just metres away, a cruise boat going into the lock and onto the Seine.
Those people in the photo above are not there to watch boats going in and out of the lock – as fascinating as that may be. They are waiting to cross the lock on a walkway that swings out of the way so a boat can pass.
The sidewalk outside Aleau’s door is the shortest route from Place de la Bastille to a scenic walkway along the Seine.
People are always walking by. Like the arms at a railway crossing, as a boat approaches the lock, the gates close and just how busy that walkway is becomes clear.
As soon as a boat is in the lock, the gates open and the procession resumes.
Sometimes, it’s a really long procession.
Having people passing by Aleau all day long gives us a real sense of security. So does having the Gendarmerie’s Brigade Fluvial constantly training only metres from Aleau. (I hope it’s only training.)
When the crowds are gone, when the police are gone, we still feel protected. At 10pm, the Capitainerie puts up a barricade near Aleau that closes off the walkway. When a security guard isn’t watching surveillance cameras, he’s making rounds. But I still prefer being watched by the crowds that pass, by the curious who stop to ask us about Aleau and our life on her.