Cruising in Holland

[Col-it-is]

Thinking of taking my boat from Woodbridge to Holland around Easter and leaving her there most of the summer. Can anyone offer suggestions re:

- useful websites
- places to leave boat (35ft, short fin) for extended periods
- best route back and forth by plane/ferry

Thanks in anticipation

 

[muddyfeet]

Your best route for Holland via the high speed ferry from Harwich is via www.amsterdamexpress.co.uk - £25 single£50return from any Anglia station to any Dutch station.
I have used websites for the Dutch rail system and the "standmast route" utilising the canal system to travel to/ from south/north found by using search engines.
Its a long country with masses of stop-over places, go there,you are bound to find a pleasant and convenient location that will take you.
Hope this helps - going for June/July myself.

 

[Sea Devil]

There are many excellent marinas in the Ijsselmeer - as you know you can go in at Imuden (Big marina there) - go up the Amsterdam canal - there are a couple of marinas in Amsterdam opposite the Station - good place to see the city from. Carry on into the Ijsselmeer - nice place to cruise for a summer - Excellent marinas all around - Monnicadam is good with 2 or 3 secure marinas to leave the boat in.

When I lived in Amsterdam I used to find quite cheap flights back to the UK out of Schipol. Not sure if any ferry routes still run

 

[Kurrawong_Kid]

I have found that if you ring ahead and state for how long you wish to leave your boat, the Harbourmasters will always squeeze you in. I've left my 32 ft.deep keel sloop at Dordrecht(2 times), Amsterdam(Sixhaven), Enkhuizen (2 times) and Leewarden by this method-usually for 3-4 weeks in each case. On one occasion I arrived at Wermeldinge in a gale and arranged to leave the boat for 2 weeks on the spot. In each case I got the telephone number out of Brian Navins invaluable book.
Totally agree that the cheapest and most convenient way to get to most sailing places in Holland is via "One" rail, the High Speed ferry and Dutch Railways. If you can get a cheap flight, then Schipol is well connected to the rail system, but do make certain you buy your ticket before boarding the train or pay an extortionate premium. Credit card payments are only accepted for international train journeys when originating in Holland , you have to pay cash for all rail services in Holland (when I was last there in 2003)
Hope this helps.

 

[ZuidWester]

Go north

That's where the fun is. Flevoland has many marinas and they're cheap. Best to book a mooring for the summer. I pay 650 Euros for a mooring for my 9 meter boat from April to the end of September and 150 for the whole winter.
Fly to Amsterdam and get the train. It's fast, cheap and reliable. I think squEasy jet fly to Schipol.
Alternative is south of Rotterdam, such as on the Ooster Schelder. Very pretty, but not so popular as the north. Great access to Belgium etc though.

 

[heerenleed]

As a local. I would say do an overnighter to either IJmuiden or Den Helder weather permitting. Mind you, most entrances get nasty in anyting over F5 from SW to NW according to tides. The only safe entrances are deep: Marsdiep (Den Helder approach) and Maasmond Approach (entrance to Rotterdam, but this one is used by all commercial shipping into Rotterdam which is Europe's largest port, so not necessarily fun AND no yacht facilitities near entrance)

Then up North to see the Frisian Islands first, Terschelling is very nice and Vlieland is an absolute gem but overcrowded in our hiliday season with the marina showing the red flag (entering not permitted). Ameland and Schiermonnikoog are worthwile as well, but probably out of bounds because of your draft.
The IJsselmeer old merchant harbours are now all marinas and all old towns are absolute musts, but also get very crowded. Best do the islands and the IJsselmeer before July. Then you could take the Staande Mast Route down south. do a stay in beautiful Dordrecht with marina in the old harbours behind lifting bridge in the old hart of the town, then on to Zeeland via Willemstad. stay there during the real holiday season, even in adverse conditions there is always a possibility to go to a next old little town, possibly go along the Belgian coast and hop back via Dunkirk to Dover or Ramsgate or do an overnighter from Oostende or on of the other Belgian ports.

The downside of overnighters in the Southern North Sea is traffic, you must cross the busiest VTS in the world. Crossing North of the Rotterdam entrance rids you of moist traffic. therefore, from Zeeland up to Scheveningen and crossing from there of from IJmuiden is also possible and - depending on wind - possibly more relaxed.

PM me for any specific info you might need.

Cheers and happy sailing

 

[davidfox]

I did it a couple of years ago, Orwell to Roompot on the Oesterscheld (if thats how you spell it) left the boat in Colinsplaat - very nice quite cheap, caught train from Hoos 15mins in cab from marina. to Hook via Rotterdam, caught high speed cat to Harwich as foot passenger- cheap (dont forget to leave car at ferry terminal,before you make crossing in your boat as Harwich is a long way from anywhere by public transport). crossing about 3 hourish, failing that fly to Rotterdam, downside got to get to/back from Stanstead preferred the Ferry route myself.