Stating the obvious, we are dependent on water. Either too little or too much and we can’t go anywhere.
Too little and Aleau would be stuck with her hull resting on the bottom of the canal. Too little had us stranded for more than a week on the Canal Latéral à la Loire. (See Chapters 160 and 162.) It’s inconvenient but not dangerous.
Too much water can be both. The photo below shows one of the risks. Heavy rain this spring raised the water levels on the Seine. That second bridge in the photo… We’ve passed under it many times. There’s no way we could fit under it now. And that’s not the only danger.
The strong current with the water flowing three or four times as fast as normal makes it difficult – sometimes impossible – to control the boat. Going downstream (with the flow of water) can be downright dangerous.
You can get an idea of the speed of the water in the photo below. That’s the upstream end of Île Saint-Louis. Normally, it’s a lovely promenade – seen in many movies and TV shows. There are numerous benches to sit on and enjoy the view. Now, they are all under water. The wake behind the street lamp shows how fast the water is moving. The barge on the other side is not trying to fight the current. It is securely tied up.
It’s not just that part of Île Saint-Lous that’s under water. On the other side of the Seine (on the Right Bank), only the swans are not inconvenienced.
The rising waters on the Seine threatened to flood the marina in Arsenal. Just across from where Aleau is moored is a busy City of Paris office.
With the risk of a flood increasing every day, the city was taking no chances.
Watching the work through a tiny window near the top of the door – a pigeon.
There would be no escape.
The city had reason to worry. Plaques near that door show how high the water has risen in the past.
(Yup, that’s Aleau reflected in the glass.)
We have been paying close attention. Very soon, we will have to head out onto the Seine to begin our voyage to the Netherlands. We are examining photos we have taken – and comparing them to what we see now.
Last April, with the Seine still higher than normal from the spring runoff, the abutments on the Pont d’Austerlitz are visible.
Not so last night.
Those two red lights mark the entrance to the Arsenal marina. Normally, it looks like this.
Last night, the water reached the top of the walls – and threatened to spill over the lock and flood the marina. Exactly why the city put a wall around that door.
We have to leave for the Netherlands soon. For now, all we can do is hope the water levels drop, the current slows – and enjoy the added beauty the rain brings to Arsenal.
