Cruising in Holland & Belgium

[Andrew38]

Many thanks to people who responded to my request for advice in July about visiting Southern Holland in my Broom 38.

The trip was completed in August as planned and we had a really good time. It's a lovely part of the world and we stayed in some fantastic places, Vlissingen (in the own centre), Willemstad, Veerse Meer, Middelburg, Brouwershaven and Grevelingenmeer all spring to mind. As usual a lot easier than expected.


Like all such things we learnt a lot -- some of which you may be interested in:

1. Despite what has been written in the MBM recently you can buy high quality diesel on the Thames. My thanks to Bray marina who supplied me with 2 by 700 litre top ups of city diesel at a very competitive price
2. You can, by a bit judicious asking around by duty free diesel in Holland, I managed to pick it up at about 34p a litre -- apparently that's what virtually all the local boats run on.
3. We met many of the MBM cruise at various points during the trip -- pleasant people but the little ports filled very quickly!
4. Make sure your paperwork is in order! We were boarded twice once in Vlissingen and once in Ostende. Very efficient but very thorough -- particularly in Ostende where he wanted engine serial numbers, EU hull number etc.
5. We bought the charts and almanacs mail order from Holland. They spoke good English, delivery was about 4 days and at about half the price of the UK!

But some advice please?

My Broom 38 has 2 off Yanmar 250 diesels and I found that the starboard engine ran permanently about 5% hotter with slightly higher oil pressure (both well within normal limits) and burned about 2-3% more fuel -- any ideas?

Also I have DSC on board but found I could not raise either Thames or Dover coastguard on channel 70 and I never received any broadcasts to all ships. The pressure was high and I had trouble raising them on 16 as well -- is it my equipment or something else?


AJR

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[mainshiptom]

We made a similiar trip to you but we also went in land(Bruges) !

I had no problem talking to Dover coast guard from Belgium ! Old style vhf with a large whip aerial.

Tom

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[[2574]]

Andrew

It's not clear from your message whether you were trying to call CG via DSC on Ch70 or whether you were trying voice? Ch70 is for digital traffic only.

I have similar symptoms on my Port engine as you on your starboard, tho' the increase on the consumption is more marked (10%). My fuel injector pump has recently been off and I'm being advised that the symptoms sound like a timing error on the refitted injector pump. It's being checked this week.

Rob

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[Andrew38]

Thanks for the response, I was using digital calling on 70.

Andrew

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[[2574]]

Andrew

It sounds like you would recommend a trip across to Holland & Belgium? I must admit that I have purchased Featherstone's pilot for Northern France and Belgium and it put me off the idea a bit. It all seemed like big unpleasant ferry port country? I have another pilot showing photo's of the Dutch coast and it all looks very flat and uninteresting (I used to live in the Cambridgeshire fens so know a fair bit about fens!) Have you any experience of further North up toward Norway et al? And how does one go about getting the "lower price" diesel that you mention?

We have just come back from a cruise to La Rochelle and back so if you know that part of the French coast it would be useful if you could draw some comparatives (sea conditions in prevailing winds, densisty of boating traffic, beauty of possible anchorages/marinas/port de plaisance etc).

Rob

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[Andrew38]

Can't help regarding further north as this was only our second cross-channel.

Our choice of cruising is inland lakes and rivers as we like visiting the small villages and dropping the anchor when we feel like it so the difference from La Rochelle is fairly major. However what you have in Holland compared to UK fens, broads and rivers is space and frankly, other than the Thames, nicer places to visit and eat and drink in.

Regarding buying red diesel in Holland virtually all the marina fuel stations have both pumps -- some will sell to you some won't. In then end we followed the fishing boats and paid significantly less again.

AJR

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[Andrew38]

Can't help regarding further north as this was only our second cross-channel.

Our choice of cruising is inland lakes and rivers as we like visiting the small villages and dropping the anchor when we feel like it so the difference from La Rochelle is fairly major. However what you have in Holland compared to UK fens, broads and rivers is space and frankly, other than the Thames, nicer places to visit and eat and drink in.

Regarding buying red diesel in Holland virtually all the marina fuel stations have both pumps -- some will sell to you some won't. In then end we followed the fishing boats and paid significantly less again.

AJR

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[kingfisher]

Agreed, we have the ugliest coast line north of Benidorm, but that's why you need to go inland, which is a cruisers' dream.

For Belgium, go in at Zeebrugge, do Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp; down the Scheldt river, at Hansweert go north in the Oosterschelde, Zierikzee, Goes
Go south via Veerse Meer, Middelburg, Flushing.

Go back to the UK

Voilà three weeks of relaxed, sheltered cruising.

<hr width=100% size=1>Group of people on the pontoon: skipper is the one with the toolbox.
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[kimhollamby]

Possible engine answers

Oil pressure difference may be genuine or one of a series of reasons that can cause gauges to be different. For fun try switching the instrument lights on and off and watch the readings when running...you can sometimes see some surprising swings in the needles.

Temperature difference...is the calorifier off the starboard engine? If so higher temperature by that margin is normal.

Fuel difference...might be a mechanical issue but also possible there is a small difference between the props that might mean one engine is working harder that the other. Also, at risk of teaching you to suck eggs, do you synch the engines on the gauges or by ear? If by the gauges you might in fact find that you are running one engine slightly faster. Better by ear, where the harmonic of the engine note changes to sound as one.

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[Andrew38]

Re: Possible engine answers

Many thanks for the advice -- I sync the engines on the gauges so I will try it by ear next time. I think you're also right about calorifier but I'll confirm with Broom at SBS when I visit on friday.

AJR

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