Dutch cruising...advice pls

wragges

wragges

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Hi All,

Planning on cruising to Holland this summer, approx 3 weeks available, the boat will be left over there for the 6 weeks school holidays.
The crossing from Harwich is hopefully not going to be an issue for us, but any tips in that regard also greatfully received.

However, never sailed to Holland, so really looking for recommendations: north or south?, places to go (not go) etc. Hopeing for some culture, old-style market towns, beer festivals etc (two young families onboard, so beer required to calm the parents).

Cheers,
 
Had a whistle stop tour last June and loved it.

We crossed from Blackwater to Ijmuiden (berthed Marina Seaport www.marinaseaport.nl) which is the seaward side of the locks. Next day to Monnickendam, approx 6 hours, including 2 locks and 1 bridge ( de Zeilhoek marina). Then to Enkhuizen 20 nm and 1 lock, approx 5 hours (Zuiderzee Museum). Then to Hindeloopen. No locks, 20 nm, approx 4 hours. Then to Den Oever, 15 nm approx 3hours, lock out of Ijsselmeer. Passage to Den Helder. 11nm, Maritime Museum there worth a visit. Back home. All in a week! Could have spent much more time there.

Missed out Amsterdam which was a pity. Once in the Ijsselmeer you can pick your route for the day dependent on which way the wind is blowing and I would think never have to go upwind! Loved Monnickendam & Enkhuizen. Several similar places we missed out too.

Am told it gets very busy in School Summer holidays and getting a berth can be tricky. The Ijsselmeer is not deep - we were in a 5'6" heavy displacement long keeled sloop and had to turn off the echo sounder to preserve the Skippers sanity! On the East Coast we think we sail in shallow water but not like the Dutch!

Have a good time.
 
If the weather is settled, try the Fresian islands and the Waddensee. Lots of sandy beaches for the kids on the islands, and rather twee holiday-type villages. If it is not, stay inland - IJselmeer and canals. Super sailing, short hops with lots of choice of where to go, lots to see. Friendly, english-speaking sailing-oriented people everywhere. Hire bikes for exploring off the water.

The Harwich-IJmuiden crossing is dead easy, and the ship traffic is not too bad.

Make sure your papers are in order, especially red diesel receipts, and fill in the Schengen forms on arrival. The customs/immigration were checking (well, they were two years ago), but they were efficient, helpful and polite.

Enjoy it!
 
All of Holland is good cruising, although as has been stated school holidays can get very busy. Keep this in mind particularly when you come to the locks. The Dutch seem to be quite at home with filling them up at full throttle with just 1mm to spare between each boat. Also you can get stuck for hours at certain locks at the wrong time.
 
If you go to Ijmuidem (North Holland)from Harwich it really involves night sailing.
IE day/night/day.For the first time you might want to go by day over to Zeebrugge or Blankenburg & then go up the coast & in at Vlissingen.This opens up the southern cruising grounds of Holland via Veerse Meer.You should visit Middleburg,Goes,Zierikzee the Grevelingenmeer,Willemstad & lots of others.The Delta Project is well worth a visit.We did it from Zierikzee by bus.
There will be plenty of advice coming.Get Brian Navin's Cruising Guide to the Netherlands.A new book by Louise Busby & David Broad is available called Inland Waterways of the Netherlands but it does concentrate more on canal routes etc.If you want to talk about routes send me a P.M.I usually go from the Deben but will be going from Levington this year.
 
All the above advice good. My only contribution would be to say that, if there is room, it is often much nicer to go into the old town harbours rather than the marinas just outside. Marken Island [in the Ijsellmere] is also fun, but room limited.
 
The problem with crossing in the southern half of the North Sea is the TSS. The scheme has been changed quite considerably recently, so ensure you have the latest information. Heading for Ijmuiden gives the advantage that you can miss the TSS altogether, as north of there the shipping routes are advisory only. Still plenty of ships about heading for Germany and points north, but a lot less once north of the Maas and Ijmuiden.

If you head south first, due to weather or not wanting to do 20 hours in one go, then my preferred route was always outside the Goodwins, then across to somewhere near the Sandettie lightship. This always seemed to be the shortest direct crossing, with only a single shipping channel in each direction. You then have a number of options, Dunkerque, Belgian ports or Breskens. The tide is very strong at the latter so it's not worth pushing on if it's contrary, better to stop at Zeebrugge.

With a young family you could do a lot worse than cruising the southern part, enter the canal at Vlissingen, via Middelburg to the Verse Meer, a fabulous little cruising ground. Then into the Ooster Schelde, many good ports to visit, further north to the Haringvliet or west and back out to sea at Roompot.
 
I agree with all so far. On the whole, the north has more variety and more history but there's plenty for children in the south as well. We've done the Frisians as far as Lauersoog and back through the canals in 3 weeks from the East Coast in a Sadler 29, so you'll have plenty of time. There are some bottlenecks in the high season throughout the country, such as the locks at the top of the Ijselmeer, Enkhuizen, and in the south, at the Krammer, and Zandkreek at the Veersemeer. I don't know what they've done with the Sixhaven since I was there 2 yrs ago, but a visit to Amsterdam for a couple of days is well worth while.
 
Hi Shrek, if you make the northern parts of Holland, Sixhaven for Amsterdam and the small towns of Hoorne and Lemmer are a must.
Middleberg and Veer are well worth a visit in the south, best patisserie in Holland and a very good yacht club in the latter.
Never ran out of water but you get used to sailing with .5m under keel after a while in Markermeer and Ijselmeer ( I draw 2.1m )
With the time you have it would be a pity not to do both N and S. In at Flushing on a rising tide, do the forum recomended attractions then out into North sea, upto Ijmouiden and into North Sea Canal to Amsterdam and beyond.
Have a good sail.
 
With younger kids I would definitely head south, to the Zeeland area behind the dams. There's loads to do ashore, its all extremely easy sailing, much tideless, with no need to sail more than an hour or two to the next interesting stopover. Lots of quaint historic towns and excellent watering-holes. Dunno about beer festivals, but plenty of bucolic holidaymaker type town festivals happening in summer. Take a windsurfer/kayaks/bicycles for the kids to explore.

Another possibility is to enter at Ijmuiden, then a visit in Amsterdam, and cruise the Ijselmeer to quaint places like Volendam and Hoorne.

My kids also enjoyed one holiday just going round the canals, but you need shallow draft and to get the mast down.

Three weeks is really only enough to do at most two of these (Friesland, Ijselmeer, central canals, Zeeland), don't try to cover the country.

For many years, the ritual for me was a week or so before our holiday I would sail the yacht singlehanded over to Vlissingen and leave it in the little marina 'VVW Schelde' just inside the entrance to the Middleberg canal, get the Vlissingen-Sheerness or Vlissingen-Harwich ferry back, and then the family would go out the next week. Often we left the yacht in Ostend on the way back and caught the Ostend-Dover ferry.

As for me, an important consideration for you will be to find somewhere to leave the boat where you can get back to England easily by public transport. There are many excellent marinas in Zeeland (as throughout Holland), much cheaper than England, but you would be advised to book early. But the ferry services are no longer what they were. Once you've firmed up your area, ask for suggestions here.
 
<<<< and leave it in the little marina 'VVW Schelde' just inside the entrance to the Middleberg canal, >>>

Daylight robbery in that place. They charged us 8 Euros per night for a 10.6 metre boat including electricity and hot showers!

Heading north up the Middelburg canal, north of the town, we sailed under genoa in extremely light wind. The birdlife was incredible, many of them sitting at the water's edge until we were almost on top of them, then moving ahead by 50 metres or so and settling again. Heron, egret, sandpiper, greenshank to name but a few. A magical time that we remember well after at least five years.
 
Not done Isjlemeer etc but from Orwell South Holland - esp with kids - is a must! Short route to Blankenberg/Zeebrugge then day sail to Vlissenngen - or straight there if up to it.
Blankenberg is continental Southend but 100x better - 'cos its continental!
Best bits of the Southern Delta are Veerse Meere and Grevlingmeer, Goes, Middleburg, Zierikzee, Veerse meere dam,
If you go North that far Harringlvliet is lovely - can always go in/out via Stellendam
The locals are friendly - people we met 10 years ago still send our youngest birthday & Christmas cards!!

Tho I have noticed a decline in their sailing manners around locks.....
They don't like the Germans.
 
Anywhere is good but you are going at peak season so it will be busy busy. In fine weather outer islands are full - when we were there you could walk across rafts of 20 deep. So I agree perhaps Zeeland to get a taster then perhaps north via canal to Amsterdam, expriencing the night time convoy. Sixhaven very good but full by lunchtime. Perhaps moor on canal towards DenHolder and visit Amsterdam by train. We took Ronhilda up allsorts of minor canals, often got the mast stuck in trees.
We also took childern to Dutch equvililent of Disney by train very good.
Get used to very shallow water and enjoy.

Brian
 
May I thank all the posters above for the insights I've gained about my own country /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

But most of it is quite accurate actually!

Being in the south myself (as well as my boat) I can say both the south and the north have their distinct attractiveness. Beware of the IJsselmeer in the summer if you are sensitive of mosquitos.
The 'Grevelingemeer' (in the south) is a must do, but not in high season (too busy). It's a tideless salt water bassin with some great sailing.

By the way, Sixhaven is extremely crowded and much overrated. There are nicer marinas in the vicinity. It's only usefull if you want to go to city-center in the evening.

Cheers,

Arno
 
Lots of good advice above but i'd recommend going in through the Rompotsluis. About 122 miles from Harwich and an easy entrance.

Make sure you get your crew lists checked in at the rompotsluis lock offices, or whichever is your port of entry, otherwise you could be fined lots of Euros. Check to see if the form that was OK last year is Ok for this year - call the RYA for advice.

On the way back it can often be best to come down to Ostend for the final crossing back and get a better wind angle, shorter last passage and a last taste of those beautiful Belgian beers and a run to the Carrefour supermarket to buy the cheap Belgian beer and whiskies.

Have fun.

Ken
 
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