Cruising and berthing in Holland?

[kcrane]

Does anyone have experience of cruising and berthing in Holland?

I have been thinking of moving the boat to Holland for the coming season as a contrast to having spent 2012 in the Channel Islands and 2013 in the West Country.

I have just got back from a recce to look for somewhere to base the boat and I am having second thoughts.

I looked at marinas on the IJsselmeer, within easy striking distance of Schiphol airport. The most likely candidates are both in in Monnickendam, which turns out to be a lovely small town, just north of Amsterdam, well worth a visit in its own right. To add to the attractiveness, an annual berth for a 15m boat is less than 4,000 euro.

The problem is the way Dutch marinas are organised. Here are a couple of pictures for those who haven't seen this method of berthing.

The pontoon is fixed, not floating and is something like a metre and a half above the water. There are a pair of modest wooden posts set well away from the pontoon (further away than the length of the boat). The common technique is to drive the boat forwards between the posts and attach lines from the stern quarters to the posts while the posts are amidships (where you can reach or lasso them). The boat is then driven on past the posts and the bow, being pretty much the same height as the pontoon, is then attached. Tighten up all lines and exit the boat by climbing over the pulpit.

The majority of the boats were moored in this style, with some aft-to the pontoon with bow lines stretched forward to the posts.

Berths for larger boats sometimes have a small stub (6ft long or so) of finger pontoon against which the stern quarter can rest.

A large majority of the boats are 30ft'ish sailing boats. Having visited 4 marinas holding 500+ boasts each I don't think I saw a single regular planning powerboat and only a handful of dutch style (think Linnsen) motor boats.

Having decided the "high pontoon and posts" berthing wasn't practical for a bathing platform style powerboat we were offered an alongside berth with plenty of room fore and aft. However the pontoon is still 150cm above the water, so inaccessible from the bathing platform. It may be possible to step onto the aft quarter before the point the guardrail starts. Effectively our deck will be at or a little above pontoon height but a stretch away held off by ball fenders. There are no gates in our rail.

Two reasons for the hesitation. First although we may be able to arrange things at a home berth to make it possible for us to berth without too much hassle, when we cruise to other locations we won't have that luxury.

Second concern is the complete lack of other planning powerboats, unlike say, on the Thames. I am thinking they know something I will find out once I get there!

For those with any interest in the area there is now a new marina on the tidal river in Amsterdam proper. It is a modern, well designed marina with regular floating pontoons and aimed at larger boats, 14m, 15m, 16m and upwards. The downside is the location, which is industrial. There is a full on Portsmouth-Gosport type ferry about 10mins walk away across to the city and it is free. I can see it as a good place to leave a boat, but not as a pleasant home base.

Has anyone else experience of cruising the Dutch waters in anything similar to a Princess V48?

 

[MoodySabre]

From a raggies perspective - I've been there three times, last year for a month.

Most boats are sailing boats or Linssen type. There are very few planing mobos - in fact I can't remember seeing any. The inland waters of the Netherlands are not about hooning around. The distances are small - even sailing you can't keep going all day without encountering locks and bridges. It's all about relaxing and enjoying the wonderful towns, the very friendly natives and the calm waters.

The box moorings you show are common and possibly more of an issue for non-keel boats. The pontoons you show are unusually high and I've never seen them that high - most are normal height. Some marinas do have normal finger berths (Google maps will show you). The joys are the town quays which are alongside, often rafting in the season.

 

[Stork_III]

I believe the Rijkswaterstaat (Dutch Water Authority) reduce levels in many areas in winter to reduse erosion in storms, so the pontoons you have seen are possibly abnormally high. The tidal areas to the south have normal floating pontoons many with finger beths rather than pile box moorings. I have experience of the south and certainly have seen many planing boats but most of the south has access to the sea.

The non-tidal areas mainly have low speed limits, and in canals may only be 6 or 8 kph. Perhaps look at the Oosterschelde or Westerschelde area. The is good and cheap train connection to Schipol.

 

[stillwaters]

There are certainly no shortage of planing boats in Holland of most sizes and configurations, though it has to be said that they are better suited and therefore more common in the more open areas such as the estuaries of Zeeland in the south and around the Ijsselmeer in the north. As you have pointed out, one aspect less than ideal on most planing boats is the limited access on and off them unless stern moored. Additionally, virtually all of the canals and buoyed channels on the lakes as well as many stretches on the rivers are speed restricted and tend to be better suited to slower/smaller engined craft with better low speed manoeuvrability. Having said that, we have covered virtually every waterway in Holland & Belgium that will take our own 5 metre air draft and that has been in a semi-d with fairly big engines. I certainly wouldn't discount Holland out of hand provided you are either first prepared to do some further homework before you decide or, alternatively, are adventurous enough to discover what it has to offer once you get there. One thing I certainly would suggest against though, based on my own experience of having also decided to initially base our own boat in Monnickendam for our first three months in Holland back in 2008, is to commit to any long term mooring until you have seen more of the country and what's on offer. Mooring in Holland is comparatively cheap, even on an overnight basis at an average of about 1.30 euros per metre and, although an annual commitment is always likely to work out cheaper, you may find you prefer to park your boat in a different marina each time you leave it, at least for a while anyway. Also, where will you keep it over the winter which will usually be even colder than England (though the summers have been a little warmer and drier recently) and will you be that certain that you want to be in Holland, let alone the same town, for the 12 months?
Incidentally, the pics of the moorings you show are somewhat misleading. In fact, apart from a couple of occasions, the only time we have been forced to moor in an open box has been at Monnickendam and the norm is either alongside, usually town quays and the like or, when in one of the oh so numerous marinas, alongside an open pontoon or alongside a pontoon in a box typically also with easy access off the stern also. By all means PM me if you think I might be able to help further.

 

[jimmy_the_builder]

Evening K

Can't you go into the post berth stern-to, and use your passerelle? (I've got a distant recollection that you've got one on IV... but I could be v wrong!)

 

[Erik C]

Friends of mine keep their boat at Marina Port Zelande. Plenty of planing boats and great facilities, also a great cruising area.

http://www.marina-guide.net/index.php?id=16&hafen=383

http://www.mpz.nl/

 

[kcrane]

Thanks all for the useful advice (and encouragement to give Holland a try).

I'm happy to have a season mostly pootling at slow speeds with the odd burst to clean everything out. The boat has bow and stern thrusters, so low speed manoeuvering is relatively do'able.

Glad to hear that Monnickendam is the exception rather than the rule.

 

[kcrane]

By all means PM me if you think I might be able to help further.

I may well do that, thanks for the offer <g>

 

[kcrane]

Evening K

Can't you go into the post berth stern-to, and use your passerelle? (I've got a distant recollection that you've got one on IV... but I could be v wrong!)

Yep we have a passerelle, though it may have rusted in place <g>

We wondered the same thing and we plan to be on IV this week to check it out. I'm not sure how steep an angle we'd need (nor how steeply canted the passerelle will happily go). It's useful to know that the pontoons are not normally that high, them being lower would help, as would avoiding the open boxes! We couldn't remember how easily we may be able to step onto the aft quarter - the one time a Squeeker with barely any rails at the stern would be a good thing!

PM me and let me know what you are up to...

 

[stillwaters]

Just one or two more thoughts on your location which, as much as any other factor, is likely to be driven by how you plan to travel to Holland each time you return to your boat. The obvious choices from England are by ferry to Hook of Holland from Harwich or Hull, or by plane into Schiphol. So, unless you are driving, either own car or hire car, Holland has a very joined up and not overly expensive train & bus system which is much better than here. Taxis, however, are very expensive - expect to pay about 75 euros for Schiphol to Monnickendam for example. So, unless you are happy to use buses which are not always ideal (though there is a cheap local service from the airport terminal to nearby Aalsmeer which has a number of marinas including an especially delightful one quite close to a number of restaurants and shops), then there is a train station under the terminal from where you can easily reach anywhere which has a station. Monnickendam, for example does not have a station near it, making it less than ideal as a base imho, also , it has the additional locational issue of being 4.2 miles down a one way in, one way out, buoyed channel which can become a pita. Nice town though, for a visit (De Waagh restaurant not bad,btw). Train info is at www.ns.nl also available in English.
Btw, don't forget to give some thought to type of anodes you might need. Most of the Zeeland estuaries and Friesian Islands north of the Ijsselmeer are salt water but inland is mainly freshwater coupled with some areas being brackish (including Ijsselmeer). Aluminium is the compromise, though it tends to suffer if too long in saltwater.
Finally, would recommend the purchase for £25 of The Inland Waterways of the Netherlands guide together with the Dutch Wateralmanak 2 (you also need to carry Wateralmanak 1, the rule book, by law). Amazon best place for both usually.
Hope you enjoy, if you get the right weather it's a great place for boating.

 

[IDAMAY]

Does anyone have experience of cruising and berthing in Holland?

I have been thinking of moving the boat to Holland for the coming season as a contrast to having spent 2012 in the Channel Islands and 2013 in the West Country.

I have just got back from a recce to look for somewhere to base the boat and I am having second thoughts.

I looked at marinas on the IJsselmeer, within easy striking distance of Schiphol airport. The most likely candidates are both in in Monnickendam, which turns out to be a lovely small town, just north of Amsterdam, well worth a visit in its own right. To add to the attractiveness, an annual berth for a 15m boat is less than 4,000 euro.

The problem is the way Dutch marinas are organised. Here are a couple of pictures for those who haven't seen this method of berthing.

The pontoon is fixed, not floating and is something like a metre and a half above the water. There are a pair of modest wooden posts set well away from the pontoon (further away than the length of the boat). The common technique is to drive the boat forwards between the posts and attach lines from the stern quarters to the posts while the posts are amidships (where you can reach or lasso them). The boat is then driven on past the posts and the bow, being pretty much the same height as the pontoon, is then attached. Tighten up all lines and exit the boat by climbing over the pulpit.

The majority of the boats were moored in this style, with some aft-to the pontoon with bow lines stretched forward to the posts.

Berths for larger boats sometimes have a small stub (6ft long or so) of finger pontoon against which the stern quarter can rest.

A large majority of the boats are 30ft'ish sailing boats. Having visited 4 marinas holding 500+ boasts each I don't think I saw a single regular planning powerboat and only a handful of dutch style (think Linnsen) motor boats.

Having decided the "high pontoon and posts" berthing wasn't practical for a bathing platform style powerboat we were offered an alongside berth with plenty of room fore and aft. However the pontoon is still 150cm above the water, so inaccessible from the bathing platform. It may be possible to step onto the aft quarter before the point the guardrail starts. Effectively our deck will be at or a little above pontoon height but a stretch away held off by ball fenders. There are no gates in our rail.

Two reasons for the hesitation. First although we may be able to arrange things at a home berth to make it possible for us to berth without too much hassle, when we cruise to other locations we won't have that luxury.

Second concern is the complete lack of other planning powerboats, unlike say, on the Thames. I am thinking they know something I will find out once I get there!

For those with any interest in the area there is now a new marina on the tidal river in Amsterdam proper. It is a modern, well designed marina with regular floating pontoons and aimed at larger boats, 14m, 15m, 16m and upwards. The downside is the location, which is industrial. There is a full on Portsmouth-Gosport type ferry about 10mins walk away across to the city and it is free. I can see it as a good place to leave a boat, but not as a pleasant home base.

Has anyone else experience of cruising the Dutch waters in anything similar to a Princess V48?

We spent six or seven weeks in the Netherlands last summer on our way to/from the Skaggerak. This was in a SD cruiser and I can endorse almost all of what Stillwaters says. In the past we cruised the mast up route in a Sealine T47 which was a bit more difficult to handle in the box moorings and a bit tricky to keep below the speed limits in the narrower canals in the north of the country. A stern thruster (which we do have on the SD) would have made box mooring easier on the Sealine.

Having said that, box mooring is a bit frightening the first few times you do it but, like most things, much easier with experience. Dutch boaters are generally very friendly and will usually come to your assistance when it is obviously needed.

I don't think you would regret a season or two over there. It is wonderfully set up for boating and, as has been said by others, relatively inexpensive.

In case you are interested in further reading we kept a Blog of the trip at www.oceanstarblog.co.uk

Richard.

 

[stillwaters]

We spent six or seven weeks in the Netherlands last summer on our way to/from the Skaggerak. This was in a SD cruiser and I can endorse almost all of what Stillwaters says. In the past we cruised the mast up route in a Sealine T47 which was a bit more difficult to handle in the box moorings and a bit tricky to keep below the speed limits in the narrower canals in the north of the country. A stern thruster (which we do have on the SD) would have made box mooring easier on the Sealine.

Having said that, box mooring is a bit frightening the first few times you do it but, like most things, much easier with experience. Dutch boaters are generally very friendly and will usually come to your assistance when it is obviously needed.

I don't think you would regret a season or two over there. It is wonderfully set up for boating and, as has been said by others, relatively inexpensive.

In case you are interested in further reading we kept a Blog of the trip at www.oceanstarblog.co.uk

Richard.

Can I just add though, Richard, that there are not many places where it is necessary to moor in the scary type of open boxes as illustrated here as so many marinas and towns also have far more user friendly boxes with shared full-length finger pontoons which are usually also floating at a lower height than shown.

 

[rlw]

Hi,

Ik keep my boat a targa 40 on a similar mooring in Lage Zwaluwe. I have never had an issue with stern to mooring as the pontoon levels are usually close to the level of the bathing platform. Max 20 cm difference. My 5yr old can get of on his own. The water levels in your picture do indeed look unusual. In any case most marina's have floating pontoons so the are approx at the right level. We have quite a few planing boats in our marine and all moor stern to.

You will find more planing boats in the South of Holland. Indeed Marina Port Zeelande is a good example. This is because the South has more open water / go fast zones where the north has more canals. Slightly different style of boating though in the South you get a mix of everything. You could probably find a 15M berth for 2.5K if you look around.

I know the south quite well and can recommend the country as a boating destination. I've been boating for 10 years there and we find new places every year.
Strangely Raggies and Mobo's manage too live in harmony too

Feel free to PM me if I can help in any way and if you see a white T40 with a forum flag this summer drop by for a beer

 

[BoyBlue49]

Last time I was in Hoorn they had linear pontoons. Holland is a marvelous cruising ground, small villages at every turn, very friendly locals, they just love the Brits.
Lemmer and Princes Maigret canal, Sneek and Sneekersmere, Leeuwarden ,Dokkum, in fact all of Friesland is worth a look.
,

 

[kcrane]

Again, thanks for all the good advice, much appreciated. I'll take a look at the locations mention and give some thought to a different base

 

[theguvnor]

I have been in NL for 6 years now with a 13m Dutch steel cruiser. Been to Belgium. Germany & France, but always back to NL for the winter.

After 10 years on the Thames, there is no comparison, - no floods - cheap services - excellent facillities - great people & you can even have a spliff (if that`s your bag)

I winter in Schagen (northen Holland) - 13m cruiser for 6 months 340 euros ( car parked next to the boat, hotel quality toilets /showers, washing machine /dryer 10m away, water & shore power all season, free wi-fi, 5mins walk to town center ( 5 super markets, great pubs and 45 mins flight from Schipol to Heathrow / Luton - try that in the UK !!!!! - and the locals speak better English than the Brits

 

[paul salliss]

Great info re Holland. I have just cancelled my berthing contract on the Solent, nothing wrong with the marina or the solent just time to go and do some real exploring and we are heading East in March and plan to go to Holland in 2nd half 2014, very interesting posts