We made it! On October 1, one half-hour after passing the Chinese restaurant, we entered the lock that would take us to our mooring in the heart of Paris. Le Port de Plaisance de l’Arsenal will be our home until April.
It was hard to see the entrance. It’s just to the left of the red motorboat in the photo below.
Fighting the current on the Seine, we squeezed into the lock without touching either side.
And then, Voilà, tied up with a beautiful view of the Place de la Bastille. I think we have the best mooring in the marina. We couldn’t be happier.
It was nice to see that reflection of Aleau as we looked out the wheelhouse door – but there was some unsettling information there, too.
Those brown plaques show how high the water was in the marina in various years. A few are missing. Parts of Paris were flooded just last year.
In Auxonne, we were tied to floating pontoons. Flooding was not a problem. If the water rose, so would Aleau. Where we are moored now, we are tied tightly to shore. We will be in trouble if the water rises. We won’t have to worry until spring – but we will have to be vigilant. There are floating pontoons in other parts of Arsenal. If things get scary, we might be able to raft against a boat already tied up to a floating pontoon. But for now, it’s time to enjoy where we are. And that is what we have been doing.