Holland for cruising...

AIDY

AIDY

Well-Known Member
Joined
19 Jan 2004
Messages
7,763
Location
Muckle Flugga
www.ybw.com
Oh heck ! got 5 weeks planned cruising soon and have no clue what direction to go in.... just wondering what Holland like for cruising in a 40 foot yacht with a 2 metre draught....

I've done N and S Brittany the seine bay too many times.... I like Cornwall and Devon but never been to the scillies... SWMBO must have her week in guernsey doing nothing ! So where should we go from the solent...... quite happy to go to Brittany but it must be round the corner and quite far south, but would love a change.... so is Holland a good bet ???
 
Last edited:
Holland is a lovely place to visit and has the advantage that English is spoken almost everywhere. It is a prosperous country and there are a lot of boats of your size about. There are some canals where your draft would be a problem, mainly in the north in Friesland, and elsewhere depths are fairly well charted anyway.

The only problems from your point of view include the fact that the sailing is inland sailing and might seem rather tame, and also that your return trip might be against the prevailing wind and so need extra time. Thousands of our East Coast sailors go to Holland every year and they are the most discriminating in the country.
 
I feared that ! i was told that it was a great place but you spend too much time going through locks and actual sailing / passage making was minimal....
 
Aidy

Holland's a great destination - we take our 44' boat there (also 2m draft) without problems. You will become expert at locks - big ship locks but apart from those - there is only upside.

Why not make your way up to Harwich - a night in Shotley or Suffolk Yacht Harbour then cross either direct to Vlissingen (pronounced flooshing) or over to Oostende? If the latter you can make your way up to Vlissingen (easy half day sail) after sampling the Belgian beer, and into the Dutch canals. Stop at Middleburg - then go on to the Veeresmeer - an inland sea with great yachting facilities.

If you have kids there's a water-world type pool come flume palace at Goes (pronounced hoose). Generally the welcome is warm, the beer cold, the food great and the sailing undemanding.

If you don't have a holding tank - don't put "black" water direct into their canals and don't carry red diesel in cans (OK in your tanks).

Drop in on the East Coast forum if you want more info...
 
AIDY said:
Oh heck ! got 5 weeks planned cruising soon and have no clue what direction to go in.... just wondering what Holland like for cruising in a 40 foot yacht with a 2 metre draught....

I've done N and S Brittany the seine bay too many times.... I like Cornwall and Devon but never been to the scillies... SWMBO must have her week in guernsey doing nothing ! So where should we go from the solent...... quite happy to go to Brittany but it must be round the corner and quite far south, but would love a change.... so is Holland a good bet ???
Click to expand...

It's a different kind of cruising than heading off down channel and pitting yourself against the open seas. There's lots of sailing but the routes can be tight - watch the Dutch , they sail whenever it's possible to move by wind.

The western part of Holland offers the "Stande Maastroute" which is self evident - your draft will be no problem although you will find little water under your keel for much of the time. Air draft is limited to 18.4m max either end of the Volkerak otherwise you should have no probs all the way from Vlissingen in the south to Delfzjl in the north.

The locks can slow you down but are really part of the fun. Great chance to chat to the locals as the water gurgles around your boat.

From the north you can sail back down the Frisian Islands enjoying the great beaches and walking opportunities.

In late July and most of August it gets really busy, and progress is slow, but it's charming and civilised. I know no one who ever came away saying "never again"

From the Solent make your first landfall Dunkirk or Nieuwpoort and work your way onwards from there.

Make it happen!

PWG
 
I've never taken a boat myself but have been there for the last 2 years on a bange/cycling holiday. Sleep on the barge, cycle & meet the barge, then either stay & repeat or motor onwards.

It's a beautiful country & there were lots of yachts motoring around the canals with masts up. The very big canals have lots of commercial traffic but there are plenty with less. If you pick your route, there are plenty of lifting bridges so no need to drop the mast. Last year, our route took us across the Ijselmeer. It's a huge inand sea with lots of large yachts.
 
]It was a three hour sail on Ijselmeer or Markemeer in a Contessa 32 which convinced me that at some point in my future, there would be a sailboat.

IMG_0493-245x183.jpg


IMG_0487-225x300.jpg


We then returned to the Marina and were served bitterballs, chicken drumsticks and pork satays when we ordered some soft drinks. We didn't ask for the food, it just arrived. We were also entertained by a travelling band from the West Indies which was just hanging around.

IMG_0495-225x300.jpg


It was, quite honestly, a bizarre, unforgettable experience.
 
Last edited:
We enjoy our passage making too, but I can honestly say that the best trips we've had have been to and within Holland... There is so much to see and do, some isolated and tranquil pontoons and anchorages and some delightful harbours that are often right in the centre of the town... And all capped off by wonderfully friendly locals who welcome rather than begrudge boats...
 
AIDY said:
I feared that ! i was told that it was a great place but you spend too much time going through locks and actual sailing / passage making was minimal....
Click to expand...

We went through Holland last year and passed through about 4 locks in total. If open-water passage-making is your thing, forget it. If you like gentle cruising with lots of interest, go for it. The Standing Mast Route goes all the way from the Belgian border to the German Border via Amsterdam but with 2m draft you could find a couple of places in the Northern sector tricky.

clog.jpg


A bridge keeper collects his €2.50 toll by dangling a child's clog on a line. The charge covers. all the lifting bridges in a town or village. The sign says 2 bridges, one attendant - he cycles on to the next bridge after letting you through.
 
Last edited:
Have never done N Holland but have spent many happy weeks in the Southern Delta. Your passage making will be getting there - and back against the prevailing winds!.
Once inside its great, people are friendly and its very civilised. Many places to moor up within the town centers if you want or out on the islands of the Veerse Meere or (better) in the Grevlingmere. Or if you want a longer passage go up the outside to Stellendam then work your way back through the inside - or vice verse.

You will be fine on 2m draught except if trying to get alongside some of the smaller islands.
 
As others have said, not the place to go if you like passage-making, apart from there and back. On the other hand you will learn more about close-quarter boat handling, warps, keeping the boat in position on the water, short tacking, buoyage, etc than in years of sailing on open water. That's on top of the social pleasure provided by the Dutch.
 
Its a great place to go.

Bridges can delay especially the Goulda rail and Motorway ones around Haarlem.
The night passage through the back streets of Amsterdam is interesting and once there your dinghy will take you to many backwater canals the tourist boats do not make.

You will get used to having zero depth under the keel and not a lot of spare air draft. I once took Ronhilda right into the centre of Edam only to find I was stopped. It was not draft but the 20+m mast had gone into the centre of a top of a tree.

Freisland Isles out of season are more of a passage making destination cruise ( think of a busier Ushant/Scilly Islles type places) but watch out with your tides and draft if you skip over the inland sea watts. In season the harbours get really busy and I have seen a boater on the inside take several hours to extract himself to the harbour entrance.
However a spell of poorer wind sees all the locals clear off in a wacky races dash back to the mainland canals leaving you to enjoy a quieter island till the winds die down and they come back.

Brian
 
PeterGibbs said:
Air draft is limited to 18.4m max either end of the Volkerak otherwise you should have no probs all the way from Vlissingen in the south to Delfzjl in the north.
Click to expand...

Yachts needing more than 18.4 meters can use the commercial locks which have lifting bridges. I watched one going through at Willemstad (Volkeraksluizen) on Saturday.
 
And don't forget to take mozzie nets.to mask open hatches etc.,:eek:
In the evening, when the sun goes down, in the Islemeer near grassy banks, the mozzies come out to play.:D
From memory they don't bite, they just get into your accomodation attracted by cabin lights and put the whole ship's company on fly swatter alert all night.:eek:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Other threads that may be of interest

Frogmogman
My next boat.
2 3
Replies
40
Views
1K
fredrussell
F

Share this page

Top