Vice captain

August 23, 2007

Dordrecht - Gouda: 4 hours

Today we are heading to Gouda, similar as Dordrecht blessed with hundreds of monuments, but yet quite different. Mooring possibilities in Gouda are distributed over the town at several places at municipal quays. We have been here before, so we know where to go. Our preferred location is at the Kattensingel, behind the Pottersbrug. It is quite close to the market place with its special Gothic City hall, and a bit more quite than some other places, which have busy traffic awaiting for the numerous bridges.

Today is special day, with our one year old grandson Bram visiting, so we need to find a "kings place". Today, again timing is important. If we could arrive in Gouda no later than 3 hours before high tide, we could still enter the inner city taking the south entrance (Mallegatsluis), without taking our hood off (such because this entrance has a fixed bridge with height 3.30 at high tide). Despite our journey develops without any delays - going north via the Oude Maas, de Noord and Hollandse IJssel - we arrive half an hour too late to give it a try. So we take the other route, going via the north entrance to Gouda, which means one additional lock and an extra bridge to take.

Mooring at Kattensingel

Though all places at Kattensingel already seem to be occupied at noon, a nice chap with a restored barge is so kind to move a bit, so we still find a place which exactly fits. Just in time to clean and get ready to have our young vice captain on board!

Just upon his arrival, several other ships come in, trying to find a mooring place at Kattensingel as well. One of them, a pikmeerkruiser with grandparents and grandchilds on board, taking the opportunity to moor next to us. We do not mind, our grandson enjoys - and so do we. Ai ai, little captain!