Advice on Belgium and Netherlands Cruise.

[DJE]

We're planning a trip from Portsmouth to the Netherlands in June and July. Last time we were there we sailed on the Versemeer and Oosterschelde in a Wayfarer with a boom tent. That was in the 1980s, this time we will be in a 12m cruiser/racer with 1.7m draft. She has a holding tank. I've passed the CEVNI test and applied to get my ICC updated. Any recommendations for places to visit, things to avoid, etc.
Rough plan is Portsmouth to Eastbourne then either Dover or Calais, then somewhere in Belgium, Vlissingen, and into the Delta. Possibly returning via the French coast to Cherbourg.

 

[Daydream believer]

Forget Calais due to issues with schengan. Go to Ostend You can start holidaying imediately rather than wasting days checking in.. Then spend a day touring the Atlantic wall & a day wandering round the town & the parks etc. Eating out or drinking in the RNSYC.
Could hire bikes & cycle to Blankenburg for the day which is fun ( hire electric if you want, or go on the tram if lazy)
Then get the tide to Breskens. Lock in to Flushing & stop at Middleburg. Hire bikes & cycle to Veere. Go to the cathederal & climb the tower & get a magnificent view of the countryside. Going by bike gets you a ride by the canal coming back & it is pleasant watching boats come through the 2 locks.
From there go to Goes.
If you want to stay in the south then from Goes, you could go to Zeirikzee for a more leisurly cruise. Then back to Middleburg. At Middleburg you could tour the model village of the whole area which will while away a pleasant couple of hours. Work your way home, You may decide to call at Blankenburg No need to log out of schegan if staying on the French side. Then there is Neiuport. Dunkirk breaks the trip back but is a bit rough, Boulogne is great & you must go up the hill to the old town. Dieppe is a good stop folloewd by Le Havre before Cherbourg. All 24 hour ports and always have room - unlike some UK ports. Cheaper as well.
If you want to push north up the canals. But you need another 7-10 days
Then Wilemstad. Followed by Dordrech
At Dordrech get the ferry to Rotterdam & go up the Euro tower. You can also wander through the parks. When back in Dordrech go to the church & up to the clock tower & get a great view of the most busy canal junction in Europe.
If you have time- Aphen da rhin, then Gouda on the way to Amsterdam via Harlem. On the way back return from Amsterdam via the night route. If you can get through the Schipol bridge early enough you can gun it down the canal & get to the bridge at Gouda at 13.10 so another stop at Gouda.Then back home.
Alternatively, you could get the N sea canal & exit the canals at Ijmuiden ( not sure about Schengan at Ijmuiden)& sail straight to Lowestoft & home via the east coast. Ramsgate etc. But the Belgian/French coast is much more fun.

Others may comment on the need to get through the bridges. I have the imray book on the standing mast route . This is pretty much essential if you want to go north. . I also have the Dutch charts for the Southern part.
In 14 days one should just about make Goes, Zeirikzee & back . Further if you have longer.

 

[MoodySabre]

What Daydream says but didn’t I read somewhere that the route to Amsterdam from Haarlem is not available this year?

In another post there was reference to a customs place just before the lock to Ijmuiden. Anyway, I don’t think that you want to go that far north in two weeks. Willemstad is about as far as you would get without rushing. I don’t do rushing!

 

[DJE]

The big news is that I'm retiring this spring! It's eight weeks not two.

And I have the Imray Cruising guide to the Netherlands.

 

[Daydream believer]

What Daydream says but didn’t I read somewhere that the route to Amsterdam from Haarlem is not available this year?

That is a new one on me. Any idea why?

 

[MoodySabre]

That is a new one on me. Any idea why?

Can’t find where I read that. It was on here. I assume it was to do with the motorway bridge.
There’s an app called Water Map Live that gives all the bridge opening times but my subscription has run out.

 

[MoodySabre]

It was this on the MOA

Standing Mast Route - Haarlemmermeer route - Schipholbridge not opening until April 2025​

It has today been announced that the maintenance and renovation works carried out at the Schipholbrug will not be finished in May 2024, as originally planned, but only in April 2025. It appears that the structure needs to be additionally strengthened and that takes another year. During the works the bridge will not operate.
This means that the Standing Mast Route through the Haarlemmermeer over Schiphol will not be available the whole of the 2024 season.

 

[DanTribe]

I've only done the night convoy route once when drought prevented them opening Spaarndam lock. An interesting experience but not one I would want to repeat very often. That route also by-passes Haarlem which I always enjoy visiting.

 

[DanTribe]

The big news is that I'm retiring this spring! It's eight weeks not two.

And I have the Imray Cruising guide to the Netherlands.

All the places mentioned are good but with 8 weeks aim for Ijsselmeer and Friesland. It's magic!
If you have Marine Traffic or other AIS tracker, have a look at the Dutch waterways today. King's Birthday, it's chock a block.

 

[wingdiver]

Agree with most of what Daydream Believer says although, rather than cycling from Ostend, we use the coast tram. It has 67 stops between De Panne and Knokke including Niewpoort, Ostende and Blankenberge.

 

[Daydream believer]

It was this on the MOA

Standing Mast Route - Haarlemmermeer route - Schipholbridge not opening until April 2025​

It has today been announced that the maintenance and renovation works carried out at the Schipholbrug will not be finished in May 2024, as originally planned, but only in April 2025. It appears that the structure needs to be additionally strengthened and that takes another year. During the works the bridge will not operate.
This means that the Standing Mast Route through the Haarlemmermeer over Schiphol will not be available the whole of the 2024 season.

If the bridge at Haarlem is closed , what about the bridge on the motorway to schipol airport on the night route through the nieuwe meere? One has to pass under the railway at Amsterdam of course, but I cannot imagine both railway bridges being shut together.
That is route 8 in Brian Navin's book
When they had the bridge collapse at Alphen aan de Rhin some years ago the Dutch arranged convoys down the coast for craft to bye pass the standing mast route. So I cannot believe that they have totally left voyagers to their own devices

 

[Daydream believer]

Agree with most of what Daydream Believer says although, rather than cycling from Ostend, we use the coast tram. It has 67 stops between De Panne and Knokke including Niewpoort, Ostende and Blankenberge.

I did say that one could take the tram if feeling lazy. Can get very crowded though.

 

[johnalison]

I have done the red-eye passage twice, both from the north, which suggests that it is either not too bad or we are singularly stupid. The Haarlem route is much nicer but takes longer. A friend once managed to get down from Amsterdam to the Haringvliet in one day, which is good going. Even Db's detailed list omits a number of possibilities. The Haringvliet was the destination of our first visit with another boat from the MLSC and we were received by Maldon's twin town Cuijk. As well as Willmstad, Hellevoetsluis and Middleharnis are both nice places, the latter having something of Goes' character.

My preference is fast-out and slow-home, so that, given time, even UK - Ijmuiden and work your way home might be preferable to retracing a single route.

 

[Daydream believer]

My preference is fast-out and slow-home, so that, given time, even UK - Ijmuiden and work your way home might be preferable to retracing a single route.

I have done Bradwell/ Ijmuiden SH, to collect my family in Amsterdam. Then travelled south, via the night route. I stayed up all night, whilst the lazy lot took it in turn to kip. It is possible to leave Amsterdam via the night route, then to Gouda by 14-00.
I have also done Willemstad to Breskens in a day & that can be very hard work, Especially if the locks & bridges are out of sinc.
But as Johnalison suggests, there are lots of options. One has to check depths of harbours. Not all places are interesting. Bruinisse is typical of that comment, where I was most dissappointed. That does not mean that one should not go. Not everyone wants the main touristy places. Once one has tried the main venues that I have suggested, then one can go back another year & spend some time exploring in detail.

 

[Momac]

Forget Calais due to issues with schengan. Go to Ostend You can start holidaying imediately rather than wasting days checking in.

Sounds like Calais is not visitor friendly
Sounds like Ostend is the quickest / best customs check in and better than going direct to Vlissingen ?

 

[WFA]

Last year I went direct from Walton to Zeebrugge. The Royal Belgium Sailing Club HM offered to arrange Entry formalities onboard during working hours (next day) so I choice a 30 min walk to the Water Police office (Scheepvaartpolitie Kust - Sectie Zeebrugge) which is open 24/7. The Reception Desk officer did the necessary without drama and there was a good selection of small restaurants enroute.
Due to the lack of a suitable window weather ie to move back down to Zeebgugge before crossing, I left from Vlissingen and the NL Border guys were extremely helpful. The two marinas at the end of the Kanaal Door Walcheren are served by the same HM who can make Exit arrangements for you if you plan to stopover before say an early start.

 

[johnalison]

If at all possible, folding bikes can make a lot of difference in the Netherlands. Even in Ostend, you can stay in the Koninklijke YC in relative quiet and the 20-minute walk to the Mercator becomes just a few minutes on the cycle track. Cycling round Amsterdam is good fun too, for those who find hang-gliding too tame.

 

[MikeBz]

Sounds like Calais is not visitor friendly
Sounds like Ostend is the quickest / best customs check in and better than going direct to Vlissingen ?

We went to Oostende the summer before last and asked the lock keeper where Customs was - “there are no Customs here, enjoy your stay”. Short walk to check in, took the Q flag down the next day.

 

[John_Silver]

…..Rough plan is Portsmouth to Eastbourne then either Dover or Calais, then somewhere in Belgium, Vlissingen, and into the Delta. Possibly returning via the French coast to Cherbourg.

An easy option, for bureaucracy free French entry, from Eastbourne, is Dieppe. I came over yesterday. Sixty nautical miles, shipping nicely spaced out and no ‘preavis,’ required, on arrival. Just show up at the ferry terminal (10 min stroll) for passport stamping. Oh…and £20.00 a night (v’s £40+ in Eastbourne). Pleasant spot too….I’ve been using Dieppe, as my preferred Schengen entry/exit port, since B day.

Congratulations on your retirement. Enjoy the new found cruising freedom!

 

[MoodySabre]

I thought that the Customs in Ostend was next to the railway station.

In Vlissingen there is a newish marina straight ahead without turning into the lock. That is a short walk from the customs office.