Pont Pierre
25 July 2015 | Bordeaux Pont St Pierre
DavidH hot and sunny, a bit of a breeze
The single most formidable (dangerous!) part of the trip downstream is shooting through the arches of the Pont Pierre in Bordeaux. With seven knots or more of current underneath you there is no turning back and with only three of the 14 arches navigable there is not much room for cock-ups....
This pretty brick bridge was built in Napoleonic times and (allegedly) has his name spelled out, letter by letter, in cartouches above each arch. Didn't see it myself as I was too busy steering, there being a ferocious cross eddy about fifty metres before the arch we had chosen. And that was neaps so relatively easy, on the way up we shot it at springs and that was much more exciting....
It marks the final obstacle for boats with masts and we were now officially in maritime waters.