We are members of the Dutch Barge Association – or the DBA as it is commonly called. (The website is barges.org ) Every summer, the DBA holds a rally somewhere in Europe. Bargees who can get there in time do so by barge. Others, like us, have had to travel by car.*
We have been to three so far.
Den Bosch, The Netherlands in May 2019 (The full name is ’s-Hertogenbosch. You can see why it is almost always abbreviated. And yes, the apostrophe is at the beginning.)
Ghent, Belgium in May 2018
Briare, France in July 2016
It is considered proper etiquette to remove footwear when onboard a barge. Here’s the subtle reminder one barge owner in Den Bosch had displayed in the wheelhouse.
One of the activities at this year’s rally was a rope-throwing contest. All you had to do was get your rope around the bollard in front of you. Easier than doing it in a lock where the bollard is way above your head and sometimes out of sight. Even so, the success rate wasn’t great. Maybe doing it in front of a crowd of fellow bargees made it more difficult. (I borrowed the photo from another bargee’s blog. Thank you, Moondance.)
*This time, no phone call. We were given a manual transmission. Not one of those difficult-to-operate automatics.