Dutch canals...

[DeeGee]

My Netherlands pilot book seems to suggest that 2.0m draught would be ok coming down from Amsterdam to Rotterdam (and then down to Vlissingen). I am fairly confiident on the second part, but I seem to remember hearing something about depths being somewhat less than my 2.0m. Can anyone AUTHORITATIVELY advise. Helpful if you've been there recently (Viv?)



<hr width=100% size=1>Black Sugar - the sweetest of all

 

[johnsomerhausen]

The most authoritative source you can get is the Dutch ANWB (their equivalent of the AA) which has a very strong nautical section (which publishes the "Waterkam[pioen" magazine). I suppose that using the initials as a keywoprd on google would get you to them and, like all Dutch people, they speak and write decent English.
john (lived and sailed in the Netherlands from 77 to 81)

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[PeterGibbs]

In short, did it last year with 2m draft. No probs.

From Amsterdam you have two routes, the overnight circus or the trip via beautiful Haarlem. Make it the latter and do yourself a favour. You know the route? Two thirds down the N Sea canal towards Ijmuiden, turn left towards Haarlem, and stop overnight in marina on RH bank just before town - very nice people and good facilities. Try the Turkish restuarant in town - pretty good, and I take some pleasing!

Onwards through the bridges of Haarlem, stop over and see their great Cathedral. Magnificent!

Stop overnight near Woubrugge - more good eating and another nice marina just beyond the town as you enter the lake.

Onwards to Gouda. Great town and excellent eating. The mini marina there is tight for 2m. but all mud no real probs. They play with the water level to keep the water on the move and you can get caught for a short while while the water level returns. No probs, just keep an eye open for water level changes and plan accordingly.

Nice trip onwards towards Rotterdam - plenty of water. Just some bridges to wait for along the way, mainly for trains.

There you have it - good luck.

PWG



<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[vyv_cox]

As Peter says, from Amsterdam south your depth can be accommodated. Either the overnight route direct from Amsterdam or via Haarlem carry a good deal of barge traffic and these generally seem to draw 2 metres fully laden.

There are two main obstacles on the northern part of this route. The road and rail bridges at Sassenheim only open three times per day, I think, early morning, 1300 and late evening. Gouda railway bridge does something similar. The fundamental source of this information is the <A target="_blank" HREF=http://basic.anwb.nl/basic/sh_a572446.htm>Wateralmanak Part II,</A> all in Dutch but the majority is in tabular form and can be understood without too much difficulty. This book is available from some chandlers in UK. It is updated every year so don't be conned into buying last year's version. Part 1 is the book that all canal users must carry. There are two map versions of the staandmast route, one produced by Nautic Ring, a chain of Dutch chandlers, and the other by ANWB. The ANWB version is vastly superior. I would buy this in preference to the Part 2 book if this route is the only one you are doing.

An alternative route available after transiting the Sassenheim bridges is to turn right through the Kaag and on through Leiden instead of crossing the Brassemermeer. This possibly takes a little longer but is very interesting.

Vyv

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[DeeGee]

Sorry, I put viv on previous, I take it you realised I was tweaking you.... thanks for confirmation, it simply remains to get some feel for how long. Simple mile count is not all the story, as I know from my explorations of the canals further south - the constraints of bridge opening times, and delays in waiting for the open-at-any-hour bridges and locks, mean that actual logged experience is worth so much more. So, how long for the various bits?

<hr width=100% size=1>Black Sugar - the sweetest of all

 

[DeeGee]

As I replied below to vyv .... thanks, and can you give me some indication of your logged hours for the various sections you mention?

<hr width=100% size=1>Black Sugar - the sweetest of all

 

[heerenleed]

time schedule

We've done the Staande Mast Route many times. The draft of 2m should not be a problem. If you are on a tight schedule, going from North to south you can manage all the way from Amsterdam to Willemstad in the south in one night and a day. The convoy through Amsterdam leaves at Houthaven at 2.00 AM. You get through the locks at Nieuwe Meer, south of Amsterdam at approx 4.00 AM, then go on an get the motorway bridge near Aalsmeer and Schiphol Airport at approx 5.00 (this time has slightly changed over the years, but you never sail alone through Amsterdam and there's plenty of people to ask befor the convoy leaves or in the Nieuwe Meer lock). After this there's only smaller lifting brigdes which open regularly. The next real obstacle is the railway bridge in Gouda. If you get there on time for a mid-day-ish opening (they keep changeing the times, but there are only three openings a day now) you will make it all the way to Willemstad, or even further, as the Dordrecht bridges open more often.

So, you can see that all the smaller sections can be covered in a couple of hours. Take care to plan the Amsterdam passage and the Gouda railway bridge carefully. The other bridges are less critical.

Alternatively, we tried the Haarlem version last summer. Arriving at Haarlem late afternoon we still got through, but then were stopped by the first bridge outside Haarlem. We spent the night there, but the earliest opening of that one got us to the Sassenheim railway bridge just too late. We got a noonish opening which got us to Gouda too late for the midday opening. We passed through late in the evening. The rest of the trip to Willemstad was done the next day leasurely.

So, the Haarlem route is less favorable if you are in a hurry, but you don't need to go on through the night.

If you have plenty of time, you can stop in many places. Haarlem is worthwile, so is Gouda, and Dordrecht as well. And there are many smaller places which have the charm of old sailing centres.

If you need any specific information do ask. I'm a local.
cheers


<hr width=100% size=1>Peter a/b SV Heerenleed, Steenbergen, Netherlands<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by heerenleed on 15/04/2003 10:10 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[vyv_cox]

Re: time schedule

I have never done the Amsterdam transit but I have done the Haarlem one right through to Hellevoetsluis twice and as far as Sassenheim a further twice. Peter puts his finger on the problem of this one. Bridge and lock opening hours are limited to daylight hours or less and there can sometimes be frustrating delays, such as extended lunch breaks. So whereas the actual distance is not great you cannot rely on, say, a 5 or 10 minute delay per bridge, so it is difficult to plan.

For example, Peter's leisurely Gouda to Willemstad trip was not our experience last time. Gouda bridge opening time should have been 1310 but some technical problems delayed this for about 40 minutes. Then there was a delay at Julianasluis, meaning that we reached Alblasserdam just too late for an opening, waiting a further hour. By the time we reached Dordrecht everybody was ready to eat so we stopped there overnight.

The message is: it's a very worthwhile trip but don't rush it. Taking it steadily we had three overnight stops from Amsterdam, south of Haarlem, at Alphen aan de Rijn and at Dordrecht.

From there you can make Vlissingen reasonably comfortably in two days.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Russell]

Theres a good page on the Dutch teletext which lists all the outages on the canals
http:// [url]http://teletekst.nos.nl/gif/721-01.html [/url]
Its in Dutch, but theres not many words 2 look up !

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[DeeGee]

Thanks for that... it is beginning to look as if the weather is remarkably unfavourable for Amsterdam this weekend, but I shall go later in the year, I expect.
This site looks handy, but I am not sure what it is saying, I tried Free Translation and got this
<<Thursday 17 April Eemskanaal - Stremming Large seas people to Farmsum - on 1 May of 08:00-16:00 - on 2 Mays of 07:30-14:00 - Stremming Small seas people to Farmsum - on 2 Mays of
07:30-14:00 Dokkumer Ee - Stay mixed. 1 hour between Eebrug and women gates bridge to Leeuwarden until 1 May Winsumerdiep - Stremming Zijlvesterbrug t/m 18 apr. North-Willemskanaal -
Stremming Vriezerbrug on 22 and 23 apr - Stremming channel Freeze May of 5 t/m 9>>
Now even I know that Zeesluis is sea-lock, so I tried BabelFish....which doesn;t do Dutch. So what is 'stremming', or better still, what is your best bet for a translation of today's page?

<hr width=100% size=1>Black Sugar - the sweetest of all

 

[Russell]

Stremming is a jam, or a hold up.
Geen bediening means no service
Max diepgang is maximum depth

There are 17 pages in all, you have to click on the >> to advanced through them.

I'm going fron Ijmuiden to Oude Wetering this weekend, it looks like they stop maintenance over the holiday weekend so I should be OK !

<hr width=100% size=1>