Holland Changes

brianhumber

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Its been over ten years since Ronhilda felt the pull of the Frisian islands sand on the keel over the Wantij in the Waddenzee so a return trip is planned for this year.

However I am aware of many changes since then in terms of VHF, overboard discharges etc and it was a shock to find my non colour 2nd Edition of B Navins cruising guide was well out of date compared with the latest edition I leafed through in a swindlerly. The later edition seemed to suggest the clearances over the watersheds on Route 21 Terschelling to Delfzijl had/were reducing and the withies had gone.

So some questions

Is a Baraccuda's 1.2m with the keel up too deep now for the Waddenzee route.

I will obviously need to reference this years small craft charts 1811 and 1812 as mine are 12 years old, can you still get proper paper versions as I do not have or use **** such as chart plotters.

Are porta potties acceptabe instead of holding tanks, surely you can still pee over the side en passage.

What are the VHF regs as Ronhilda's VHF is as old as the yacht ie 1987 and not DSC

How crowded have the canal routes become, can't remember too much hastle/queuing on these apart from getting the mast stuck in the trees going right into Edam itself.

Brian
 
Porta potties are fine. No discharge allowed including pee. Holding tanks not compulsory

VHF transmissions must be at low watts and transmit an ATIS number. This is an MMSI number preceded by a 9. I don't have a DSC main radio but I applied for an MMSI and ATIS number and had the latter programmed into my ordinary Standard Horizon handheld by SH for £30. I don't think you are supposed to use a handheld but who knows? Most contact with shore stations is by phone anyway.
 
A Cloggie borrowed my HH to contact a bridge in Haarlem.
Free charts to download here for use with PC based plotters

http://www.vaarweginformatie.nl/fdd/main/infra/enc#enc

Porta potties are fine. No discharge allowed including pee. Holding tanks not compulsory

VHF transmissions must be at low watts and transmit an ATIS number. This is an MMSI number preceded by a 9. I don't have a DSC main radio but I applied for an MMSI and ATIS number and had the latter programmed into my ordinary Standard Horizon handheld by SH for £30. I don't think you are supposed to use a handheld but who knows? Most contact with shore stations is by phone anyway.
 
Its been over ten years since Ronhilda felt the pull of the Frisian islands sand on the keel over the Wantij in the Waddenzee so a return trip is planned for this year.

However I am aware of many changes since then in terms of VHF, overboard discharges etc and it was a shock to find my non colour 2nd Edition of B Navins cruising guide was well out of date compared with the latest edition I leafed through in a swindlerly. The later edition seemed to suggest the clearances over the watersheds on Route 21 Terschelling to Delfzijl had/were reducing and the withies had gone.

So some questions

Is a Baraccuda's 1.2m with the keel up too deep now for the Waddenzee route.

I will obviously need to reference this years small craft charts 1811 and 1812 as mine are 12 years old, can you still get proper paper versions as I do not have or use **** such as chart plotters.

Are porta potties acceptabe instead of holding tanks, surely you can still pee over the side en passage.

What are the VHF regs as Ronhilda's VHF is as old as the yacht ie 1987 and not DSC

How crowded have the canal routes become, can't remember too much hastle/queuing on these apart from getting the mast stuck in the trees going right into Edam itself.

Brian

I am sure 1.2m depth is fine, the dutch would not allow such restriction to their pastime.

Holding tanks not compulsory, black water discharge not allowed, within 12 nm of coast or inland, but not actively policed if not blatent. Most dutch boats don't have black tanks, many have on board liners that fit in bowl for onshore disposal, bought in chandlers, not necessarily used though.
Paper charts of 1800 series still available, cheaper in Holland than here.

Supposed to have ATIS if you have VHF, does not have to be DSC set, can be added to any set. I don't have it, spent 20 weeks there in last 2 years not a problem. HH only on channel 15/17I think, but not a problem. Ch 31 useful to have for calling marinas, but Variation of License needed from OFCOM.

I went up to Gouda last year, not crowded at all, weekend excepted.

Need receipts for Red Diesel, <1 year old, no red in jerry cans. Need ANWAB Almanac vol 1, still only in dutch.
 
VHF transmissions must be at low watts and transmit an ATIS number. This is an MMSI number preceded by a 9. I don't have a DSC main radio but I applied for an MMSI and ATIS number and had the latter programmed into my ordinary Standard Horizon handheld by SH for £30.

I seem to remember that ATIS was only compulsory on inland waterways.
Furthermore, and again if memory serves, it's illegal to use ATIS at sea.
 
I seem to remember that ATIS was only compulsory on inland waterways.
Furthermore, and again if memory serves, it's illegal to use ATIS at sea.

I thought ATIS was only illegal in UK waters. Can't believe all Dutch /german boats have two VHF one with , one without?
 
We also draw 1.2m and did several of the waddensea routes last year. All the channels change, though, so get this year's charts when you arrive. We found a few new islands appeared between one year and the next, and even with nominally up to date charts, we were sailing across sections marked as drying, while actually in a buoyed 5m depth. Lovely sailing area - enjoy it.
 
ATIS on your VHF is hardly required. I sail a lot in the Waddenzee, but have yet to use my VHF anywhere. I keep a listening watch, but there is really no need to use it. I definitely wouldn't invest in ATIS if I were from the UK.
If you go there in July / August, the marina's will be crowded. Especially Vlieland and Terschelling. Texel is usually better. A draught of 1,2 meter is no problem at all. My boat draws 1,65 meters and I can sail almost every route on the Waddenzee. You just need to check the tides carefully.
 
Many thanks to all replies.
Seems like ATIS can be 'forgotten'.
Good news the watersheds seem to be deep enough still.
Think I will give buying plastic bags to put put in the toilet pans a miss. Sounds to much like the gag we used to do on first trip Cadets of putting cling film over the bowel.
Hope its not too crowded when I go end of June first week July.

Brian
 
Many thanks to all replies.
Seems like ATIS can be 'forgotten'.
Good news the watersheds seem to be deep enough still.
Think I will give buying plastic bags to put put in the toilet pans a miss. Sounds to much like the gag we used to do on first trip Cadets of putting cling film over the bowel.
Hope its not too crowded when I go end of June first week July.

Brian

Schools in Holland break for the summer in three stages , north, middle and south, but not in that orderit varies each year, first is usually in early July so you should be OK.
 
Schools in Holland break for the summer in three stages , north, middle and south, but not in that orderit varies each year, first is usually in early July so you should be OK.

School holidays start in three stages, this year the first is the south, starting 29th of June, middle starts 6th of July, north 20th, which is also when all main industries start their collective holidays.
Details here: http://www.schoolvakanties-nederland.nl/schoolvakanties-2013.html
 
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