We can follow the barge from Fehr concrete up to about 200 m below Hochfelden.  Only the last few meters we have to break the ice ourselves and arrive late afternoon in the port of Hochfelden. We are the only ship there as it is used as a stop-over harbor in summer. More about our port for the night/week/... later; but first we have to fight a problem.

When I do my late afternoon check of all areas of the ship I notice about an inch of water in the bilges under the engine. I first think, that the water is just left over from our work in Weil. We drained the water out of the heating system more than once and maybe through the constant movement some leftover water found its way back into the middle of the bilges. So I start to vacuum the water from the bilges, but notice that it replenishes itself constantly. I check where the water is coming from and notice a small trace back to the ultrasound sensor for the (long defunct) depth meter. I wiggle the coax cable leading to the sensor and now the dripping stops; now a fine squirt of water springs up into the air.

More detective work: The counter nut for the sensor is just made of some black plastic. Why someone uses a plastic nut to tighten the steel sensor is beyond my understanding, but now we need to find a solution. Likely the sensor was caught by an ice plate that made its way under the barge and has managed to break the nut.

As the sensor has not been in use I first cut the coax cable, press my thumb on the water fountain, take the phone and call Thomas to discuss solutions.

Now Betty presses her thumb on the leak and I search the workshop for suitable material. First I try to use another nut, but while the size is the same the threads are of a different slope. As I can not hold the sensor from outside it always turns when I try to tighten the nut. Second solution is to put a small wooden cone into the whole (after I push the sensor out) and use a wooden wedge to hold it in place. The water stops and I can dry the bilges.

After a few days I have Klaus from Mattmüller in Weil visiting and he creates a longer lasting solution: The sensor was embedded in a bell shaped steel cover. Klaus cuts a thread into the top of the cover and puts a screw into the thread. Now at least it is a steel screw! In addition he puts a thick rubber hose around the whole sensor assembly and fastens it with thick clamps.

The whole thing stays dry (and is likely even more stable than the Plastic nut) until we will put a permanent solution in place. But more on this later.

By now it is late evening and we prepare for the first night in Hochfelden in the Alsace; for how long will we stay here is the question?