Urban exploration - The Last Tug of the Rhône

Here is a visit to an abandoned barge. To be more precise than the term "barge," it is actually a toueur—a chain tug. In river navigation, this defines a boat used to tow barges. This towing was performed using a cable or chain. This vessel, stranded on the banks of the Rhône, is well-known and regularly appears in the local press. It is, quite simply, the last vestige of this specific technique. In fact, only one other toueur still exists, located in the Riqueval tunnel, and it is still operational.

The vessel we are looking at today—I find it difficult to use the word "barge" because I know it is technically inaccurate—is named the Ardèche. It is run aground on the banks of the Rhône south of Valence, at the Épervière river port. I was lucky enough to visit it without trouble, as many photos show that a "foot bath" is usually required. By a stroke of luck, I benefited from very low water levels. Without exaggeration, the level is normally a meter higher, which inevitably poses significant difficulties.

The boat we are visiting was built in 1896. It was used to haul barges—real barges, this time—against the current of the Rhône. In this sector, which is among the steepest parts of the river, the current can be very strong. Consequently, along eight successive sections, barges were towed upstream using a toueur; they "passed the torch" through maneuvers that were complicated and, above all, laborious. The distance covered by each tug was between 12 and 15 km. This is no small feat! The cable was wound onto a massive winch that can still be seen today on the deck.

Chain towing was quite widespread at the time. A specific requirement of the Rhône was that the cable had to be completely wound up every evening; otherwise, the river's strong current would bury it under gravel. This means—as incredible as it sounds—that the vessel was capable of "devouring" 15 kilometers of cable.

With the construction of more powerful barges capable of fighting the current on their own, this vessel eventually fell into disuse. After a relatively short career, it was retired in 1936—at least from its towing duties. Indeed, it was subsequently used by a private public works company for dam construction until 1974. From that point on, its abandonment deepened.

The boat's history has been tumultuous: various authorities wanted to use this toueur as a centerpiece for a river navigation museum. However, year after year, the funds never arrived. As a result, the boat decayed, sinking into a deathly state of neglect. It sank, it silted up, and oblivion wrapped the vessel in a shroud. It eventually became an eyesore in the landscape. In 1996, the VNF (Voies Navigables de France) launched an aggressive campaign to strip the owners of the boat, with the goal of sending it to the scrapyard. Dismantling such a ship is a staggering expense, nearing 150,000 euros. The weight of the metal is astounding, reaching up to 300 tons in some cases; this one weighs 325. That is no small matter. In short, everyone passed the buck until "nothing" truly became "absolutely nothing." The vessel has been in total abandonment for all these years.

This is a most enriching visit that I offer you. From a pure "urbex" standpoint, it is a relatively small subject. Nonetheless, it is the last representative of its kind, with the exception of Riqueval. That alone is worth a documentary. It is amusing to note that the funnel could tilt on an axis, allowing it to pass under bridges. But I won't bore you further with technical trivia; let's begin the visit—it is well worth the detour.