Zeeland trip

[DanTribe]

Great info - thanks. Any restrictions on boat size. Is 12-13m and no bow thruster likely to be a problem in the places you mentioned?

Shouldn't be a problem in most places. Some city centre marinas like Middelburg, Goes and Dordrecht can be tight but if you explain to the harbourmaster he will probably find you an easy spot. Practise trying to turn your boat in the shortest space and trying to go astern, not everyone can do that.
Know your beam, some marinas have box berths, two piles and bow on to a pontoon. Daunting at first but you will soon get the hang. Some sort of step or ladder to climb over the bow is handy. I was forced to buy a crate of beer to use as a step.

 

[DanTribe]

Just a thought, if you are into music consider going to the Big Rivers Festival in Dordrecht 12-14 July. The city is given over to live bands and street musicians There are about 10 sound stages, many are tribute bands but lots of blues music. We turned up unaware that it was on, best to book a berth but they squeezed us in anyway. Couldn't drag our granddaughters away.
Avoid if you don't like loud music.

 

[johnalison]

It occurs to me that with a month off you actually have the whole of the Netherlands at your disposal. However, if your experience is limited and your boat of modest capability, then Zeeland is a good place to start. Friends of ours used to park on an island in the Grevelingen for a month while their daughters happily played around making friends with other families. There is more variety in the north, though it probably presents more challenges. Maybe something to store away for another year. We managed to visit the Ijsselmeer in three weeks with our 26' boat with a petrol engine from the Blackwater, and on another occasion went to the Frisian islands in our then Sadler 29, returning through Frisland, stopping off in the Grevelingen to repair a broken baby stay, that cost about £30. Tourism within Holland is a popular activity and there is a lot to see in most places.

 

[sailorman]

Zeeland is many East-coasters' first or early experience of abroad, and has the merit of giving the crew, often young, a sheltered week or two. I agree that Ostend would make a better starting-off point, as we first did in 1980. If the weather is right then Breskens or Flushing would be better, though I am out of touch with access to eurononsense. My general rule is that Holland, as I choose to call it, gets better the further north you go, and also that it makes for a more relaxing cruise to go as far as you want as early as possible and make your way home slowly. However, Middleberg is a nice place and a good place to get into the Dutch mood. The Versemeer can get a bit trippery but a night or three on one of the islands can be very relaxing. I don't know the Grevelingen well but have enjoyed a few nights there. The Haringvliet is more interesting to my eyes and there are several interesting places there. Willemstad has character, and the older marina is where we have always stayed. Not often visited, Middleharnis has great charm and is comparable to the larger Goes mentioned above, It is yonks since we went to Hellevoetsluis, but we used to enjoy going there.

When negotiating Zeeland there are numerous bridges and locks, so it makes sense to get all the information about opening times to hand. There is something of an art in getting through these potential obstructions without being trampled on by the locals, but you'll learn.the wsv sheldte in vlissengen, just through the dluis is a handy stopoff basic menue svailable plus excellent showers

 

[westhinder]

Great info - thanks. Any restrictions on boat size. Is 12-13m and no bow thruster likely to be a problem in the places you mentioned?

12-13 m is not a problem. Ossian is 12 m and has no bowthruster and we have never had difficulties. For the small harbours on the Volkerak you will have to check the depth, elsewhere no problem.

 

[Tradewinds]

12-13 m is not a problem. Ossian is 12 m and has no bowthruster and we have never had difficulties. For the small harbours on the Volkerak you will have to check the depth, elsewhere no problem.

Thank you. I’ve been a regular visitor to Holland over the years and am pretty used to boathandling in small spaces without a bowthruster. I just didn’t want to enter a harbour what was embarrassingly tiny. I had a TIA a couple of years ago and my brain no longer functions in the same logical manner so I’m a little wary of getting myself into ‘situations’. Sometimes it’s been a case of “Don’t panic Capt Mainwaring” !

 

[Daydream believer]

My first visit to the Netherlands was in a @6 ft. Stella in the late 1960 's and my most recent in 2016, but that focussed on the Ijsellmeer, with just a rushed passage back to Harwich, via the Stand Maast Route and Vlissingen, so we're looking forward to some time in the south Netherlands.

Peter.

Thread drift here. What was your Stella?
I first went to Goes in my Stella -104 Stella Gertrude- circa 1969 & in 1970
I last went 2018, But cancelled further trips due to covid etc

 

[PeterWright]

Hi DD,

She wasn't mine, she was my Uncle' Eric's Stella, which he built himself at his boatyard, Wright & Sons (Ipswich) Ltd. She was no. 34, named Mira, the name she still has today. Eric and Kim Holman were good friends, so I guess he got the design free or at least cheap. I was at school at the time of her build, but was roped in to build the rudimentary electrical system, powered from an alternator on the Stuart Tuener 4hp. Kim and Eric went on to be founder directors of Suffolk Yacht Harbour, of which Eric was the first Chairman. I suspect it's no accident that SYH has become the key centre for Stellas these days.

You'll find Mira still listed on the Stella class Association website - apparently based somewhere on the Blackwater, but I've not seen her for many years. I don't recall sailing on Mira since I left Ipswich school at Christmas 1968 and Eric sold her about that time.

Peter.

 

[Daydream believer]

Hi DD,

She wasn't mine, she was my Uncle' Eric's Stella, which he built himself at his boatyard, Wright & Sons (Ipswich) Ltd. She was no. 34, named Mira, the name she still has today. Eric and Kim Holman were good friends, so I guess he got the design free or at least cheap. I was at school at the time of her build, but was roped in to build the rudimentary electrical system, powered from an alternator on the Stuart Tuener 4hp. Kim and Eric went on to be founder directors of Suffolk Yacht Harbour, of which Eric was the first Chairman. I suspect it's no accident that SYH has become the key centre for Stellas these days.

You'll find Mira still listed on the Stella class Association website - apparently based somewhere on the Blackwater, but I've not seen her for many years. I don't recall sailing on Mira since I left Ipswich school at Christmas 1968 and Eric sold her about that time.

Peter.

My father wanted to build a Stella & Tucker Brown objected quite vigorously. However, Kim Holman claimed that it was not their copywright & said that he could go ahead. Eventually he bought mine for me from T B. A couple of other builders such as Dan & Webb & Feasy built some

I do not remember Mira. I will dig up my old Burnham week entries to see if she did any racing. That a ST P4MC had enough power to turn an alternator is a surprise. Mine barely pushed itself & the boat, let alone do any charging- when it worked

 

[PeterWright]

I don't believe Eric ever raced Mira at Burnham, she was based on a mooring at Waldringfield where there were 3 Stella's in the 1960's.I do recall one race at W. Mersea, but she was used more for cruising than racing.
That ST was my first experience of an alternator, I was used to dynamos on car engines, but after the Stella build I bought a 250 cc Ariel motor bike with an alternator, - all this before the days of on board diodes, but the absence of a brush gear was a dream.

Peter.

 

[PeterWright]

The ST4 probably did what it said on the tin, 4hp or 3 kW, but surrendered some of that in the awful centrifugal clutch and the primitive reverse gear set. The alternator didn't have to do much - nav lights and a single light down below, probably 15W. Oh, I forgot the compass light, maybe 5 W!

Peter.

 

[MoodySabre]

If you like history then visit Steenbergen which is a delightful trip in itself. This is where Guy Gibson crashed and died and the war grave of him and his navigator are in the local cemetery. There is a big memorial to the Dambusters in the local park. The HM used to give out guides to UK visitors.
Everywhere else is fabulous too.
I'm hoping to go again this yesterday unless my cardiologist advises against it.
If you want to borrow some guide books and charts for planning then PM me.

ps I see that you are a new member so you might not be able to message yet. If so just reply here and I'll message you. Where are you?

 

[PeterWright]

Moody Sabtre's generosity with his large collection of cruising guides to the Netherlans waters is legendary. I'm still waiting to meet him in a suitable watering hole to buy at least some of the pints owed since he lent me several of them for my last trip there. Thank you MS.

Peter.

 

[Daydream believer]

Moody Sabtre's generosity with his large collection of cruising guides to the Netherlans waters is legendary. I'm still waiting to meet him in a suitable watering hole to buy at least some of the pints owed since he lent me several of them for my last trip there. Thank you MS.

Peter.

I think that there are a few of us looking to go later in the year. Would be nice to have a small forum cruise together. If only a meet somewhere, such as Middleburg, or Zierikzee, late August when the Dutch kids are going back to school & the Ostend Paulusfeesten is finished.

 

[DanTribe]

The ST4 probably did what it said on the tin, 4hp or 3 kW, but surrendered some of that in the awful centrifugal clutch and the primitive reverse gear set. The alternator didn't have to do much - nav lights and a single light down below, probably 15W. Oh, I forgot the compass light, maybe 5 W!

Peter.

I'm also surprised that a Stuart Turner would drive an alternator. We had a lucas dynamo but fitted a switch so we could take it off line when we needed extra boost. You had reverse? That's proper posh! We had (occasional) forward only. My first words of Dutch I learnt we "we have no reverse", for use in locks.
Ik heb green achteruit. Perhaps our Dutch speakers could correct this?

 

[PeterWright]

Hi Dan,

I think Kim had specified no gearbox to save on weight, but as I said, Mira was not built principally to race. An alternator actually produces electricity much more efficiently than a good old Lucas dynamo, so sapped less of the 4 hp than a dynamo. As you learned, the ST4 was an indifferent starter and, if you managed to get it running, changing gear involved shutting the throttle and waiting for the wretched centrifugal clutch to disengage, which it wasn't always willing to do, particularly if any oil had got near its lining. Attempts to change gear with the clutch still engaged invariably caused a stall and hot starting appeared to be a non starter, so 45 mins minimum before the engine would function again.

At least your linguistic ability benefited ftom the experience.

Peter.

 

[Daydream believer]

The original plan was for an outboard hung over the side of the boat next to the sheet winch. However, for some reason Dickie Bird ended up with an inboard so they all had them

 

[johnalison]

Hi Dan,

I think Kim had specified no gearbox to save on weight, but as I said, Mira was not built principally to race. An alternator actually produces electricity much more efficiently than a good old Lucas dynamo, so sapped less of the 4 hp than a dynamo. As you learned, the ST4 was an indifferent starter and, if you managed to get it running, changing gear involved shutting the throttle and waiting for the wretched centrifugal clutch to disengage, which it wasn't always willing to do, particularly if any oil had got near its lining. Attempts to change gear with the clutch still engaged invariably caused a stall and hot starting appeared to be a non starter, so 45 mins minimum before the engine would function again.

At least your linguistic ability benefited ftom the experience.

Peter.

My RCA Dolphin was a bit like that. It had 24v ignition and a Dynastart starter/dynamo that would recharge the batteries if given sufficient time. (8 amps I think). It had no gearbox and I used to take a certain delight in looking at people’s faces when I stopped the engine before restarting it in reverse, which, to its credit, it always did. Too long in harbour could easily run the batteries down, so I became quite adept at winding the starting cord round the centrifugal clutch at the rear of the engine and giving it the necessary yank. It was rated at 12 hp, giving a startling cruising speed of around 4 3/4 knots.

 

[PeterWright]

I'm starting to feel a bit guilty about the thread drift here, so will start a new thread on Stellas. Perhaps some bored moderator may like to shift all the Stella stuff so far on here to the new thread.

Peter.

 

[westhinder]

I'm also surprised that a Stuart Turner would drive an alternator. We had a lucas dynamo but fitted a switch so we could take it off line when we needed extra boost. You had reverse? That's proper posh! We had (occasional) forward only. My first words of Dutch I learnt we "we have no reverse", for use in locks.
Ik heb green achteruit. Perhaps our Dutch speakers could correct this?

Ik heb geen achteruit. That’s quite correct and congrats you still remember that after all those years. I hope you haven’t needed to use the phrase more recently.