Piers
Well-Known Member
Planning a trip to the Friesian Islands and beyond this summer, entering the Netherlands via Ijmuiden and the north sea canal to the Markermeer and Ijsselmeer. Any advice on where and how to go from there?
Friesian Islands Cruies (and beyond?)
- Thread starter Piers
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From IJselmeer - obviously through Frisian islands, unless of course you have oodles of time to spare for the canals... Which ones you go to depends on your draft. The deeper larger harbours/seegats being (from memory) Texel (Oudeschild), Vlieland (very pretty), Borkum, Norderney.
Helgoland's well worth a visit. Avoid strong wind against tide in the Elbe, then on to Kiel Canal. Much prettier alternative if you have a day or two to spare is the River Eider, which joins the Kiel Canal half way along.
From Kiel the Baltic is your oyster. Sweden and Finland are gorgeous. Former socialist states are exotic. The area around Rugen in Germany well worth visiting.
Helgoland's well worth a visit. Avoid strong wind against tide in the Elbe, then on to Kiel Canal. Much prettier alternative if you have a day or two to spare is the River Eider, which joins the Kiel Canal half way along.
From Kiel the Baltic is your oyster. Sweden and Finland are gorgeous. Former socialist states are exotic. The area around Rugen in Germany well worth visiting.
sighmoon
Well-Known Member
We did a whistle stop tour on route to the Baltic, a few years back. I'd second Vlieland as worth a visit. Try to avoid it at the weekend though, as it gets very full (or at least don't arrive late on Saturday)
Didn't think Borkum was worth the detour and hazards of the unlit entrance, which we daftly approached in thick fog.
Didn't think Borkum was worth the detour and hazards of the unlit entrance, which we daftly approached in thick fog.
Judders
Well-Known Member
Do please look out for a German plot to invade the UK by way of sneaking barges into the Wash.
AliM
Well-Known Member
It depends what you want to do and your boat's draft. Can you take the ground, for example? - lots of opportunity to do that both deliberately and...
This is based on a return trip to Denmark and two holidays in the Netherlands...
We did IJmuiden to Den Helder (you can do it by canal if the weather's bad, but the sail up the coast is easy). Den Helder has a good Navy museum. Then to Terschelling or Vlieland through some nice devious Waddensea watts - good fun if you enjoy navigational challenges (optimising the tides and depths). Texel is OK - hire a bike and have a good look round, but the other islands are better - by bike, again. You can anchor just beyond Vlieland's harbour (which is often full - and full means virtually no water showing between the boats!). Terschelling - less twee than Vlieland. Ameland was our favourite. Schiermonnikoog only if you have a very shallow draft. Lauwersoog on the mainland is worth it for the huge inland meer - another stunning bike ride, or nice sheltered sailing.
All are great in good weather. Hire bikes, swim, dry out on the huge sand/mud banks and wander for miles. Sailing outside the islands (inshore channel) is easy and reasonably traffic-free except for fishing boats.
Moving East, Borkum has a horrible marina, but a good restaurant and facilities, and it's easy to get into at any state of tide or wind, and you can flee bad weather into Deftzijl (+ canals) from there, easily. It's supposed to be a nice island, but we've only stayed there for single nights (several times, though). I haven't visited many of the German islands, because we were heading for the Kiel canal, but Wangeroog looked as if it would be quite fun if you are a birder, and Spiereroog was OK for a rest day in terrible weather. The approaches to those were worrying, and not to be undertaken for the faint hearted in a deep draft boat!
All round the IJselmeer/Markenmeer is lovely - quite crowded in holiday time, but friendly, relaxed and super sailing. It's a real experience to sail through Amsterdam (on the N Sea canal - we didn't risk the overnight dash through the locks). Other canals are fine if you are not in a hurry, and give a good option if the weather is bad.
I really recommend the North Netherlands. I haven't been further south, but it would have to be good to get anywhere near the Frisian island and IJselmeer experience!
PM if you want more chatter.
Ali
This is based on a return trip to Denmark and two holidays in the Netherlands...
We did IJmuiden to Den Helder (you can do it by canal if the weather's bad, but the sail up the coast is easy). Den Helder has a good Navy museum. Then to Terschelling or Vlieland through some nice devious Waddensea watts - good fun if you enjoy navigational challenges (optimising the tides and depths). Texel is OK - hire a bike and have a good look round, but the other islands are better - by bike, again. You can anchor just beyond Vlieland's harbour (which is often full - and full means virtually no water showing between the boats!). Terschelling - less twee than Vlieland. Ameland was our favourite. Schiermonnikoog only if you have a very shallow draft. Lauwersoog on the mainland is worth it for the huge inland meer - another stunning bike ride, or nice sheltered sailing.
All are great in good weather. Hire bikes, swim, dry out on the huge sand/mud banks and wander for miles. Sailing outside the islands (inshore channel) is easy and reasonably traffic-free except for fishing boats.
Moving East, Borkum has a horrible marina, but a good restaurant and facilities, and it's easy to get into at any state of tide or wind, and you can flee bad weather into Deftzijl (+ canals) from there, easily. It's supposed to be a nice island, but we've only stayed there for single nights (several times, though). I haven't visited many of the German islands, because we were heading for the Kiel canal, but Wangeroog looked as if it would be quite fun if you are a birder, and Spiereroog was OK for a rest day in terrible weather. The approaches to those were worrying, and not to be undertaken for the faint hearted in a deep draft boat!
All round the IJselmeer/Markenmeer is lovely - quite crowded in holiday time, but friendly, relaxed and super sailing. It's a real experience to sail through Amsterdam (on the N Sea canal - we didn't risk the overnight dash through the locks). Other canals are fine if you are not in a hurry, and give a good option if the weather is bad.
I really recommend the North Netherlands. I haven't been further south, but it would have to be good to get anywhere near the Frisian island and IJselmeer experience!
PM if you want more chatter.
Ali
overstag
Well-Known Member
Hi Piers,
These are my homewaters.
After entering the NorthSea Canal at IJmuiden, spend a night in the Sixhaven (Sixharbour), just behind the Amsterdam central station. It is only a short ferry ride to the center of Amsterdam. It is safe and cheap. (as opposed to Amsterdam itself /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif).
The nicest place to visit on the Markermeer is Hoorn. It is a well preserved 16th century town. You can moor in the center of town, with lots of nice restaurants. Alternatively use the yachtclub, immediately to your right when entering the harbour.
Through the locks at Enkhuizen to the IJsselmeer. There you can spend a night in Enkhuizen (Oude haven is nice, or if you like marina`s, the Compagnieshaven). Another great place to visit is Hindeloopen, on the northeastern shore of the IJsselmeer. This is a very well preserved little Frysian village.
Then through the locks at Kornwerd to the Waddenzee. That gives you access to Vlieland and Terschelling. Both islands are very nice. The harbour at Terschelling is somewhat bigger. These islands are much nicer then Texel.
Be very carefull to anchor outside the harbours, as the waterlevel drops quite significantly, lots of places drying out. I wouldn`t try it without good local knowledge.
Have fun!
Bart
These are my homewaters.
After entering the NorthSea Canal at IJmuiden, spend a night in the Sixhaven (Sixharbour), just behind the Amsterdam central station. It is only a short ferry ride to the center of Amsterdam. It is safe and cheap. (as opposed to Amsterdam itself /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif).
The nicest place to visit on the Markermeer is Hoorn. It is a well preserved 16th century town. You can moor in the center of town, with lots of nice restaurants. Alternatively use the yachtclub, immediately to your right when entering the harbour.
Through the locks at Enkhuizen to the IJsselmeer. There you can spend a night in Enkhuizen (Oude haven is nice, or if you like marina`s, the Compagnieshaven). Another great place to visit is Hindeloopen, on the northeastern shore of the IJsselmeer. This is a very well preserved little Frysian village.
Then through the locks at Kornwerd to the Waddenzee. That gives you access to Vlieland and Terschelling. Both islands are very nice. The harbour at Terschelling is somewhat bigger. These islands are much nicer then Texel.
Be very carefull to anchor outside the harbours, as the waterlevel drops quite significantly, lots of places drying out. I wouldn`t try it without good local knowledge.
Have fun!
Bart
G
Guest
Guest
Some Frisian pics taken along the way
Vlieland:
Borkum:
Norderney:
Texel:
Vlieland:
Borkum:
Norderney:
Texel: