Turning point

June 24, 2007

Zoutkamp-Eernewoude: 6 hrs

We are close to our "turning point" now, a week done, another week to go. Need to go south again. But first we follow the Reitdiep eastwards. The curving river is nice, but unfortunately on some place the dikes are high, so no view on the Groninger land with its large, typical farm yards. Not many places to moor here, and most of the few places are occupied, maybe by long-stays.

One could follow the Reitdiep all the way into the city of Groningen, which seems to be very nice. Groningen, the largest northern city, is a "student town" with a nice market place and lots of little restaurants and pubs. Besides a well know museum with a typical architecture. So if one wishes to sniff some culture for a day, this is recommendable. http://www.groningermuseum.nl/?lan=Engels

We are not going that way, but instead we are entering the Van Starckenborghkanaal going west first. This canal, once crossing the province border to Friesland, later on becomes the Prinses Margrietkanaal. Before we need to take the lock Gaarkeuken, and witness a close encounter, which almost becomes a "turning point" for a fellow yacht skipper. It reminds me again that a skipper always needs to make his or her own judgment and decision, whatever even officials tell to do.

We are fourth in a row, waiting a large commercial barge coming out from the other side. On our side two commercial vessels - which of course have the first right to enter the lock. However, the lock keeper decides to be efficient. First the #1 barge to enter going port side of the lock, and than he orders the yachts to enter. When this goes to slow to his opinion, he urges via the loudspeaker to hurry. First and second yacht ok, mooring at starboard quay, besides the barge. But at the moment that second yacht tries do to the same, the stern of the barge floats to starboard side, nearly crushing the first yacht. The barge is not fixed yet, and the only thing its skipper can do is giving full power with the rudder starboard, to get its stern on the port side quay. Poor yacht-skipper that just tries to pass. His is completely turned around, and with force pushed to the quay with its nose. Some damage, and it could have considerably worse! Lesson: never enter the lock - let alone pass a commercial barge in a lock, before it is fixed! Whatever the lock keeper shouts!

Both skippers angry and in shock, no wonder. Once I think it is safe to enter, I moor besides the commercial barge and have a chat with him, to calm the skipper. He appreciates, he had really been frightened to have crushed the yachts already besides him, and he could not have done anything else, for sure. The barge is on its way to Amsterdam, and the skipper's family working this Sunday, because they want to have passed the IJsselmeer before an unusual forecasted summerstorm hits the Netherlands. So this is going to be serious as even such a large barge skipper taking his precautions.

As during the day forecast for next days is getting worse by the hour - even forecasting force 8 to 9 for the day after tomorrow, we decide we should be in a sheltered and familiar harbour where we can spend a day looking around in a town. Our stop tonight will be Eernewoude, and tomorrow we wish to find a good place in the Joure-harbour, which we already had seen on our way up.

Birds paradise

June 23, 2007

Oostmahorn - Zoutkamp: 5 hrs

National Park Lauwersmeer (http://www.lauwersmeer.org/) is a beautiful area. Until 1969 it had open connection with the Waddenzee, and hence a tidal area until than with dry-falling sandbanks like the Waddenzee. In order to protect the lands behind, a dike was constructed and Lauwersmeer became an inland lake, but continued to be a birds paradise with other and additional species.(http://www.lauwersmeer.com/)


We have heard and read a lot about this area, we were going to discover today. One has to take care to the buoys and stay between, as the former sandbanks do not fall dry anymore, but are still there!



From Oostmahorn, first going north-east a few miles to Lauwersoog, just for curiousity. Feeling tempted to take the lock there an going out on the Waddenzee to the island Schiermonnikoog (and watch the seals). Though just one hour by ship, we had no map and didn't make preparations to be informed about the tide, so better not this time (but next when we are here, we definitely will!). Lauwersoog has a recreational mooring but as such doesn't look very fancy, could be just a stop-over. It looks like a rather fisherman-industrial area as a home base for the trawlers that go out for the Waddenzee day & night. With lots of large sailing ships in addition, of course.

Zoutkamp old fisherman harbour (recreational currently)

Going south, the area with the large slicks and (former, now flooded) sandbanks start. Once again, take care of the buoys and have (tele) camera ready for the birds. Marvelous! Having lunch on a secluded and sheltered place, at a jetty on the side of one of the (flooded) sandbanks. No other ships around, we are on our own with nature. Taking our time!



When leaving Lauwersmeer into the Reitdiep, a thunderstorm and rain burst explodes. We decide to make a stop for shelter at the little (real) old fisherman village Zoutkamp. But as we do, we discover this place has a very cute mooring in the old fisher-boat harbour, surrounded by nice restaurants. Lets stay for the night, we feel at home!

Walking around, later on that night, we discover the Zoutkamp fisherman history, with all kinds of monuments to remember the not returning fisherman centuries ago, as well as the floods that came before the dike at Lauwersmeer prevented. And we see the gold fish on top of the church tower, taking the place of the usual bird.

Noteworthy

• Route between the slicks from Lauwersoog to Zoutkamp (eastside Lauwersmeer)


• Zoutkamp old fisherman harbour (currently recreational municipal harbour) with fisherman museum and several restaurants around. Supermarkt on walking distance

Upgrade

June 22, 2007


Bergumer Meer - Oostmahorn: 7 hours


Today I had my first upgrade ever without even asking! But I must admit, the others were flight upgrades. We are taking a canal that changes its name four times (so 5 names for the same canal). At Bergumer Meer it starts as Stoppelzool, and next it becomes Kuikhoenstervaart, Nieuwe Vaart, Petsloot and Nieuwe Zwemmer before finally entering into the Dokkumerdiep.


Last year we could not have taken this route, at least not without taking the windscreens down (and even than it would have been questionable). But last year (2006) all fixed bridges have been leveled up to 3.00 meters. Been upgraded, so to speak. So we are safe at window height of 2.75. At standard water level (Friesland Kanaal Peil FKP), so height might be a bit less because of plenty of rain we had lately. Later on we discover that one bridge isn't 3 meters, but 2,95 (the railway bridge). In practice we measure 5 centimeters left. Just enough as long as other ships don't cause waves.


There are not many other ships though, probably due to the fact this is a rather new shortcut opened recently for the somewhat larger ships. The area is really beautiful, and the quietness of the route contributes to our joy.


Several Marrekrites on this route, some nicer located than others, but all (almost) empty. A good looking club-harbour at Zwaagwesteinde with diesel, and in same village an empty municipal harbour which isn't even in the Almanac yet. We continue however our route, with the aim to reach Lauwersmeer today.


Clouds building up above Lauwersmeer

We had a very lucky shot at the Willem Lóresluis, where we just could follow some large sailing ships - coming from Dokkum and heading for Lauwersmeer and Waddenzee - entering the lock just before the lock keepers lunchbreak. I mile further on, where the Dokkumerdiep makes a sharp curve to the north, we found a very nice Marrekrite (though they might no longer have this name, because other province) to have lunch. Also bringing our hood up again, because of the clouds building up a thunderstorm. Didn't want to be in the open air when entering the wide & open Lauwersmeer!


We were tempted to stay on this nice mooring place, with a Diepsterbos (= wood) on the background, and the wide Lauwersmeer on the forefront. But after some nights in the free, I assumed a night shore power would serve the batteries a charge, so we headed for the harbour of Oostmahorn, on the north side of Lauwersmeer. This harbour proved to be a convenient one, with good facilities and a nice restaurant on the top of the dike, with nice views. There we watched the thunderstorm unloading, fascinating.
Harbour Oostmahorn


Before we had a little walk to the village. Which looks old, but actually is complete rebuild with new houses in old style. Serving as a holiday park - bizar!

New "old" place Oostmahorn

Noteworthy:

• The new old place Oostmahorn - holiday village in old village style
• The restaurant Lauwersmeer Paviljoen on the dyke, with excellent view (ask for window table!

Old peat grounds

June 21, 2007

Goëngahuizen-Earnewoude: 1,5 hours

Earnewoude - Bergumer meer: 3 hours

From Goëngahuizen to Eernewoude, the heart of the Alde Feanen - Friesian language for old peat grounds (http://www.dealdefeanen.nl/) it is less than 2 hours to go. This area (a national parc) is a very popular destination for motoryachts, and plenty of partyship-companies find there homebase here. For good reasons. Numereous little islands, with plente of Marrekrites to moor. As we arrive around 11:00 AM we have plenty of time before lunch to visit the local supermarket and the recommended butcher opposite, a few hundred meters from quay of municipal harbour, and have our lunch as well.

Eernewoude, municipal quay

After having taken care of these human needs, we plan to go and search for one of the free nature mooring places. But as the clouds bundle, raindrops starting to fall and the nicest spots we can find are either occupied or depth becomes an issue, we decide to leave the area and take a few hours to continue our route further north. Let's do this area on our return route, and now take the time to make a few more miles.

We think the Bergumer Meer which provides the entrance to the canal with 4 names (same canal, but crossing the province border might cause that name change) that will lead us to the province of Groningen (planned for tomorrow) will be a nice place to spend the night.

Indeed, this stretched lake offers wide views, but it proofs to be rather windy, so we better make a choice for the sheltered side of islands in the north part of the lake where the few Marrekrites are located. We find a good place, but once moored we see several yachts on the wrong wind-side struggling to relocate. An effort that doesn't always succeed immediately on the wrong (low wind) side the buoys the lake is rather shallow. We are fine for tonight, but overall we do not recommend this place as a destination for the night, despite the views.

Noteworthy:

• Nature parc Alde Faenen (better known as Princenhof, but this is the name of hotel-restaurant in the center of this area) offers plenty of Marrekrites to moor. But it is busy and the nicest are occupied very early during the day
• Eernewoude has a convinient municipal quay close to supermarket and butcher
• Bergumer Meer most of the times too windy to have convinient mooring

The blues

June 20, 2007

Joure - Goëngahuizen, 5 hours

Today our aim is to go to Princenhof, Eernewoude. Frankly, everyone goes there, so why not us? This famous area for yachts looks promising because its numerous mooring places on small islands, but it can be crowded. Today, we will not reach this destination.

Our plan is to go an indirect route, via Akkrum, a choice for the small waterways, instead of the main route (with commercial traffic) which is the Prinses Margrietkanaal. So we go north via the Scheensloot to Sneekermeer, where turn starboard passing the bridge at Heerenzijl. Than curving the little islands to the Meinesloot.

Just too late to take the first bridge in Akkrum before bridge keepers lunch break... After lunch we continue our way, going sharp starboard with the intention to head for the Zijlroede further up north. Other ships follow, but most go port side. Silly us, we ignored the big yellow sign on the shore that says: Can't pass the railway bridge because construction work until July 25. So return needed, no other way than after all go via the main route Margrietkanaal anyhow.

At Grou we consider to stay there for the night. But the weather has improved after a rather dark morning, though with quite some wind. Maybe we can find a sheltered place on the Pikmeer or Wijde or Peanster Ee? Were on the brink to return to Grou, because the fierce wind blowing, as we discover a rather small entrance which leads to the Modderige Poel ("muddy pond"). Doesn't sound very promising (if not to say rather scary, when the beeps of my depth meter indicate 40 cm left below the bottom). Fortunately, it doesn't become less. There, at this "muddy pond" we find the most beautiful Marrekrite. All, for us alone, sheltered by the waving riet. All night we are enjoying the most beautiful views, with now and than a small sailing yacht passing by, and the balloons around (Joure is balloon city, and has its balloon shows this weeks).

When we see the pictures after our return, we wonder: how many colours blue can you have?

Marrekrite land

June 19, 2007

Steenwijk-Joure, 6 hours

The Netherlands have two official languages: Dutch and Friesian. In Friesland the latter language is even teached in primary school. All or most Friesian towns and villages have two names on the sign (in both languages). If Friesian people talk their language, we can't understand a word (or misunderstand every word). Such might be the same for some other provinces, but they are talking dialect (not an official language).

This day brings us to the real heart of Friesland - for watersport people "Marrekrite" land. Don't know where the word Marrekrite stands for, but it is a network of over 270 well preserved free mooring places with good quays and containers to leave your (household) waste. At some of them (not all) it is allowed even to place a tent for the night (not during the day!), if you have guest that cannot or don't want to sleep on board (obviously this is for the crews of the small sailing ships). Marrekrites are very well kept (mowing the grass, etc) by volunteers, and organized by an association of 21 Friesian municipalities together with the province of Friesland. The Marrekrites even can be found on Google Earth now, or on a free down loadable map. Not only they rely on volunteers, but also on gifts and actions. Of course we did buy the little Marrekrite flag for Cómplice, this year a magenta coloured one (normally blue) because of the 50-year jubilee.
http://www.marrekrite.nl/

This morning starts with bright blue skies and sharp white clouds and as forecast sounds stable for today, we are taking the hood off. Such enables to take some bridges (like a highway bridge and a railway bridge) not having to open (if, of course, in due time we also lower the mast). First the Ossenzijler kanaal with its very efficient automatic (photo cell detection) bridges (signs show when one is detected, and they immediately start there operation). I notice my radar-reflector still on the mast, so I take it off (I prefer to have it fixed on the large rivers with low visibility because of the showers - some think it non-sense, because a steel ship will be detected by radar anyhow, but don't know).

After the Ossenzijler kanaal a sharp turn right with a bridge immediately after, we know, but one can't see the bridge and the canal too small for a waiting place, so need to take care. We are just in time to take the Homans-lock before the lunch break. Passing the Drieweg (three way) island with quite a few free mooring places and restaurant. Nice place to stay, but crowded all the time and all place occupied rather early during the day - so on better be early to find a place. Taking the lock in time before the lunchbreak of the lock keeper doesn't bring us very far. We're not in time for the Oldestrijnse bridge, so we have to wait for almost anyhow, having our lunch ourselves as well.

After our lunch we continue to Echtenerbrug with its tiny bridge (first one on our route we have to pay for via the clump, many to follow). Always crowded here, even outside the season. Taking diesel just after the bridge. What amazes us that even in its second season our fellow shipsmen keep glancing at Cómplice, looking back after having passed them, even pointing thumbs up when they reckognize the small Linssen! They like it, obviously.

Cómplice at Joure Marrekrite

After Echtenerbrug we cross Tjeukemeer, which can be rather wild (as we experience on our return route) when the regular SW wind blowing > 4 BFT across. Not this time, flat as a mirror, even tempted to go for a swim if the water temperature (currently at 19C) would be higher. Going further north toward Joure, where we discover a very nice Marrekrite just opposite the lock that gives entrance to the small canal that leads to municipal harbour. We have a quick look at the municipal harbour, looks good, but because of the nice and windless evening we decide to return to the Marrekrite with plenty of mooring places to choose from.


Noteworthy:

• Checking bridge heights before leave. It might be worthwhile to take of hood and lower mast if such means that some bridges (specifically railway and highway bridges that might take long waiting time) not need to open


• The Marrekrite opposite the entrance to Joure


• Tjeukemeer with > 4BFT can be rather rough, also because with SW wind one cannot take bow-course
  
  

Room with a view

June 18, 2007

Hattem-Steenwijk: 5 1/2 hours

Time to make up our mind for next route to take and from which side to enter the province of Friesland. Originally we had the vague idea to go for the so called "Turf route" (turf = peat). The area east of Friesland in former times used to be the place for digging the "brown gold" (= peat), resulting a lot of tiny canals for transporting. These small canals our open now for recreational boating. Some ten years ago we passed these canals with a hired ship, very relaxing quit area, with old locks and bridges (some even have to be opened one self - or outside school season are opened by schoolboys trying to earn some money). However, we were hesitation about the canals being deep enough for us (some stretches only showing 1.20m on the map). Other skippers provided contradictory information - which didn't help a lot.

Whilst enquiring around, a skipper in Hattem with home base Drachten, told us about a new route that would make it possible to go further north (up to Lauwersmeer) than we earlier had esteemed not possible in the time frame available. So we skipped Turf Route, and aimed for the far end. Instead of taking the direction of the town of Meppel at the junction Beukersluis south of the Wieden Lakes, we had to take the direction of Steenwijk.

Setting of this morning in dripping rain, but already quite a few commercial and recreational companions on the river IJssel, first heading toward the Spooldersluis in Zwolle. The area after this look heading toward the Zwarte Water is leading through an industrial area first, not very fancy, but approaching Hasselt such changes in a nicer environment. From this time on, we had to take into account the changing time tables for locks and bridges. Further up north on the smaller waterways, most of them are closed for lunchtime. In Friesland they even also close for the time period later on in the afternoon (16:00 - 17:00; but for specific details one should look up in the Almanak). So indeed, arriving at lunch time at Beukersluis, we had to line up in the "lunch queue". No problem, we deserved a lunch ourselves as well.

Last year we spend a night on one of the "nature moorings" on the lake Beulakker Wiede (nice, except of the mosquito's), but because of the dripping rain we skipped the idea this time. Lets go for a mooring in a town this time, also needed to do some supermarket shopping.

The town of Steenwijk offers good opportunity for the latter. Its brand new harbour quay alongside a dead-end canal with a supermarket at the end is very convenient. But why did they make a new bridge (for pedestrians only) with only a height at 3.40 (only in the middle of this curving bridge) close to its entrance? So, when one doesn't fancy to take of the hood for shopping alone (and we didn't because of the rain), one has to moor close to the entrance of the municipal quays, and walk a mile. No problem, but not a fancy place to stay for the night.

However, we discovered a more fancy place on our way back on the triangle crossing of the Kanaal Beukers-Steenwijk, the Steenwijker Diep and the Kanaal Steenwijk-Ossenzijl. Exactly on this triangle a rather new commercial harbour is located (Steenwijkerdiep harbour), with good facilities and excellent view if one finds a place on the outer boxes (plenty available when we visited).

As the sun had won the battle by the end of this day, we spend the night on the aft deck with an astonishing view on the landscape, watching the sun go down. This is what we go for!

Noteworthy:

• A convinient supermarket at the end of municipal quay, but full quay cannot be used for larger vessels because of limited height of a pedestrian bridge halfway
• At the crossing of three canals west of Steenwijk, modern recreational harbour http://www.jachthavensteenwijkerdiep.nl/, as well as on other side of crossing several free mooring places

Fairy tale streets

June 16, 2007

Day 3: Zutphen-Hattem - 4 hrs

Our Saturday-evening in Zutphen provided a severe rain burst & thunderstorm - one of the many to come during our Friesland tour, as we (fortunately) didn't know by that time. But, Zutphen is a nice town with an old inner city, nice to walk (even with umbrella) and plenty of cosy restaurants. A recommendable one (not only for the food, but also for the place itself) is Gastenhuys De Klok ("The Clock") (http://www.gastenhuysdeklok.nl/) next to one of the city wall towers and (Saturday) marketplace.

Besides we had the opportunity to have a more extended chat with Jean-Marie Dumont and Lucie McDuff, the Canadian owners of the Prince Arthur. Indeed they had bought the GS 460 (one of the few build of that size) in South of France, sort of "by accident". They were looking for a ship indeed, and encountered this GS left alone by its American owner (handed over to a broker). It was love at first sight, they told. First season they had traveled to north of Paris, for winterizing. This to be their 2nd season, coming from their winter stop with on their way visiting some Belgian towns like Gent. Now they were heading for Elburg, where they would leave the Prince for some time - awaiting for a next tour. Before leaving on the Sunday-morning we of course needed to take another picture. Cómplice looked small besides the lengthy Prince! As a present, we handed them over a new blue Linssen-bowflag (as they didn't have one) we had received at the UK Owners Association dinner last year. We might receive another one in due course.

Prince Arthur & Cómplice in Zutphen harbour

Our next stop Hattem is, like Zutphen, one of the so called "Hansesteden" - one of the typical merchant cities along the IJssel, but in a smaller (and therefore cosier) format. It is home city of the Anton Pieck Museum, a famous Dutch illustrator of realistic fairy tale drawings. He even designed quite a few fairy tale houses in the Dutch fairy tale park the Efteling.

Apart from the nice walk-around little streets of Hattem, it offers a good stop for mooring in the way from south to north, just before passing through the city of Zwolle (which needs passing through industrial area and doesn't offer very nice mooring places. Hattem on the contrary has good mooring and fine & new looking jetties, but even in this pre-season now already crowded. So in high season reservation highly recommended!

Noteworthy:

• A stop at Hattem recreational harbour before entering the industrial area of Zwolle, and have a walk through the fairy tale streets, but reservation upfront recommended

Contingency planning

June 15 & 16, 2007

Day 1: Maurik-Wageningen (2 1/2 hours)

Day 2: Wageningen - Zutphen (6 hours)

One of charms of boating, we think, is one doesn't need a detailed plan or months of booking ahead. We like to be caught by surprise what our location will be for the next night, whether it be in a fully facilitated harbour, or just alone in the midst of Mother Nature. And overall, by the way, it is the travel that counts, not the destiny!

So, when setting of this day (taking notice of starting engine hours at 344,5), we knew we were heading for the Dutch "water province" by excellence, Friesland. Such mainly dictates which compass-direction to go (up north), but we did not have a detailed day-to-day route plan. Also, we wished to do a circle again - and not returning to home port via same route. Such mainly dictates to go east first, and than going north - which means counter clockwise. Only in such a way, we could take advantage of the high current of the river IJssel (instead of struggling against the current on our way back).

After the very favourable & sunny conditions of April and May month, this first day of the first part of our summer-holiday weather didn't show any continuity. At this time we still expected conditions to improve, so decision was made to take a slow start and taking all our time before leaving main port. We loved last years experience for being (in free nature anchoring) at Giesbeek lakes (just east of Arnhem), but as rain persisted, we decided to go for the comfortable harbour night location this time. Being curious what the next club-harbour going east on the river Rhine would look like, only after a few hours after our departure we entered a side-canal at Wageningen. Though from the river view and the entrance it doesn't show worthwhile (mainly because of the silo's on the background), we were caught by surprise about its cosiness and friendliness of its members. So we stayed for the first night and (almost) suddenly weather improved in such a way that we could have a sunny long evening on the aft deck!

Entrance of Wageningen yachts club Vada

Going further east next day, another surprise waiting. When passing Arnhem (nice town to visit, but frankly, no nice moorings available, because in industrial harbour setting), I noticed a Linssen GS leaving the harbour of yachts club Jason a few hundred meters before us, and reading the ships name "Prince Arthur". When it turned it's stern to us, I was struck by the Canadian flag on its back. Could not help to radio on channel 10 (the usual traffic channel on the Dutch rivers) and ask the captain to switch to channel 77 (the social "chat" channel on the Dutch rivers). Where did he come from, where did he go? No, he didn't come all the way from Canada with his Grand Sturdy (of course not) but from south of France, where he had bought the Linssen from an American who had made his own contingency plan (instead of enjoying his Linssen, the original US-owner had decided that going on an expedition to Alaska would be more fun; can you imagine?).

Prince Arthur on our tail on river IJssel

After a brief chat we concluded that it would be nice to meet and have a further chat. So mutual decision be made to make the choice for Zutphen. His royal highness Prince Arthur let us pass by as soon as we entered the river IJssel, so we had it on our tail in order to make some nice pictures. In the meantime explaining there would be only one safe way to enter the narrow Zutphen club harbour (which means upstream, of course) in order to prevent a rough stop at its piers. And, as well of course, giving the good example when meeting the upstream "blue boarding" commercial vessels on one of the many IJssel-curves.

It's a big Linssen family, after all!


Noteworthy

• Wageningen club harbour - good mooring, friendly people, surrounded by trees so offering wind shelter in case needed. Simple restaurant available, but nearby village a few miles away, so no nearby supermarket


• Zutphen club harbour - good but crowded (reservation in high season recommended). Take narrow entrance upstream and take care about downstream just after entering. Close to historic city center with nice restaurants