Inland cruising the Netherlands

[sailaboutvic]

Probably many especially East coast sailor have made they way across the North Sea to the Netherlands and visiting the coastal harbour but how many have actually made the effort and gone in land , I know a few have from a earlier posting I did.
Myself we haven't touch Holland for over 25 years and then it was Coastal harbour so I wasn't sure what to expect.
I did think anchoring was going to be a problem and them who know us will also know anchoring and cruising go hand in hand for us.
I expected marinas to be expenses.
Being mostly rivers and Canals that not much sailing was going to happen and with a 1.7 mts drafted we was going to be limited to where we could go.
Add to that bridges and locks are going to be a night mare for long distance open seas cruisers as us.

Happy to say I was wrong on all accounts.
This is our 5th month's full time living on board in the Netherlands,
We made land fall in Vlissingen and entered the inland waters there,
Our cruising have taken us as far as the Northern islands of Terschelling , Ameland and Texel
We have crips cross the Ijsselmeer no end of times
Visit the coastal harbours of Harlingen,Den Heilder,Ijmiuiden,
Spend time in Amsterdam as well as no end of towns.
All in all 960 miles so far and still a lot more to see.

Just to go over some of my concerns which may be others too who not been Inland.

The biggest one was anchoring , we managed to find plenty of anchorages,
within our lives of full time liveaboard cruising the Mediterranean and North African coast you just need to ask another cruiser and they will give you a list of anchorages but in Holland nearly everyone goes from marina to marina and if not some small man made island
our problem is we too deep in most cases to get to these small islands and marinas are ok now and then but you just can't bet anchoring in a quiet spot just a dinghy ride from a hospitable town
Waking up to swans and wild life .
So we had to use our imagination to start with but it soon got easier to find spots although at times with just 0.1 under us.

When we did use marinas we was very pleased to find the fees where very reasonable from €1.25 to 1.75 a metre and that included power and water in most places although some did charge a small charge for power.
Many of the clubs would throw in extra days for free.

The other Concern was us motoring for days on end but actually we did much more sailing then motoring although some days we didn't go far for light winds.

If there was a down side to the Netherlands it as to be the locks in the hight of summer and holiday periods.
Lock are easily managed and them self shouldn't give anyone who can handle his boat in close quarters any problems,
The problem is other boats uses
mostly motor boats that dont understand how sailing boat manoeuvre and not all have toys to push their Bows one way or another, even before the green light is given their are feets from every direction from your hull,
then someone up ahead cocks it up , as it offen happen and there panick people slaming boats I astern, Bows swinging back and fro and your you are stuck in the middle of this mayhem add a bit of wind and the situation becomes 10 fold worst.
We found the best way is to hold right back and let other jockey for pole position and if we happen to not get in, there always the next one.
Off season it's much better , instead of 15 boats in a lock there only 3 or 4 and much more civilised.
Getting use to sailing with very little depth took some doing especially when we been use to depths of 200 metres and more,
Offen at times having less then a metre, the other side to this is it mostly mud so if you happen to go aground it's not a big dea
l
One thing that stands out about Holland is the people are welcoming ,
even a conversation on Brexit is done in friendly way with a bit of ribbing thrown in.
Many have cruised the UK and are Interested in finding new places to cruisers although many more are more interested in our years sailing southern Europe and Northern Africa and can't understand why we would want to return back to Northern Europe.
So mine conclusion is if you not cruised inland Netherlands think about it for your next trip into Europe.
Most won't be disappointed although there no pleasing some.
We did plain to head on to Denmark but its looking like we probably stay till the end of Oct before heading back to the UK for the winter.
If we can spend 5 months and still find cruising Inlands still Interesting I'm sure many will enjoy it for a few weeks.

 

[Wansworth]

Did a lot of inland work in a small coaster too places I liked were Kampen and Deventer

 

[Frogmogman]

I’ve been up to the Ijselmeer on a couple of occasions. Well worth a visit.

The first time was a delivery of a new Sigma 36 up to Muiden in 1981, when we arrived starving hungry and without any Dutch currency after quite a hard crossing of the North Sea, with a force 6 on the nose the whole way. A kind Dutchman and his son invited us to join them for dinner at a Japanese restaurant.

The second time was a goodwill visit to Holland on HMS Woodlark in 1982, when we visited Hoorn and Medemblik. When we arrived at Hoorn there was a reception committee of a bunch of students on the quay brandishing banners inscribed with “No to death ship Woodlark”. They seemed rather bemused by the white painted 112 ft coastal survey vessel that actually was Woodlark. We went for a beer with some of them afterwards.

On both visits I was bowled over by the friendliness and generosity of the locals.

Another visit is clearly long overdue !!

 

[MoodySabre]

I love it there and its on the plan for next year again. I've done a month twice. plus shorter trips. I like go over in the third week in May and leave by the end of June when it starts getting busy. Long evenings, quiet locks and no queues.
I like town quays rather than marinas - the interesting towns and friendly people make it all a pleasure.
Glad that you are enjoying it.

 

[sailaboutvic]

Did a lot of inland work in a small coaster too places I liked were Kampen and Deventer

We left Kampen the other day , it's a lovely town we been there a few times now ,the first time we used the town harbour but since we used the club marina on the other side of the ijssel , very friendly and they give us an extra days free , the town a bit of a walk but we use the dinghy or they let you have bikes for free , I just can't get use to pedel backwards to stop .
Rather have brake on the handle bars
It's also close to our favourite anchorage
Ketelmeer between the islands .
The bridge is an heart in mouth job 16mts and we 15.5

 

[sailaboutvic]

I love it there and its on the plan for next year again. I've down a month twice. plus shorter trips. I like go over in the third week in May and leave by the end of June when it starts getting busy. Long evenings, quiet locks and no queues.
I like town quays rather than marinas - the interesting towns and friendly people make it all a pleasure.
Glad that you are enjoying it.

Agree May and June was quiet and it's been quiet since last week again we had one boat at anchor last night and look like it's going to be one to night too .

 

[STATUE]

In our Westerly Centaur in 2000 from Harwich to Ijmuiden, a breakdown in the middle of the night (hardly any wind) 3 hours to put things right, mid morning securing alongside in the marina at Ijmuiden, polite border force board and search. Once gone, marina manager says we were the 7th UK flagged vessel in last 4 days - we were the only ones searched - and you think you're out there in the dark on your own !

 

[Arcady]

Just completed Amsterdam to Rotterdam today as it happens. Currently tied up in Hardinxveld. Lovely canals, bridges that work efficiently and everything seems so neat and efficient. Unlike much of the UK sadly. Oh - and lovely friendly people too. What’s not to like?

 

[geem]

Probably many especially East coast sailor have made they way across the North Sea to the Netherlands and visiting the coastal harbour but how many have actually made the effort and gone in land , I know a few have from a earlier posting I did.
Myself we haven't touch Holland for over 25 years and then it was Coastal harbour so I wasn't sure what to expect.
I did think anchoring was going to be a problem and them who know us will also know anchoring and cruising go hand in hand for us.
I expected marinas to be expenses.
Being mostly rivers and Canals that not much sailing was going to happen and with a 1.7 mts drafted we was going to be limited to where we could go.
Add to that bridges and locks are going to be a night mare for long distance open seas cruisers as us.

Happy to say I was wrong on all accounts.
This is our 5th month's full time living on board in the Netherlands,
We made land fall in Vlissingen and entered the inland waters there,
Our cruising have taken us as far as the Northern islands of Terschelling , Ameland and Texel
We have crips cross the Ijsselmeer no end of times
Visit the coastal harbours of Harlingen,Den Heilder,Ijmiuiden,
Spend time in Amsterdam as well as no end of towns.
All in all 960 miles so far and still a lot more to see.

Just to go over some of my concerns which may be others too who not been Inland.

The biggest one was anchoring , we managed to find plenty of anchorages,
within our lives of full time liveaboard cruising the Mediterranean and North African coast you just need to ask another cruiser and they will give you a list of anchorages but in Holland nearly everyone goes from marina to marina and if not some small man made island
our problem is we too deep in most cases to get to these small islands and marinas are ok now and then but you just can't bet anchoring in a quiet spot just a dinghy ride from a hospitable town
Waking up to swans and wild life .
So we had to use our imagination to start with but it soon got easier to find spots although at times with just 0.1 under us.

When we did use marinas we was very pleased to find the fees where very reasonable from €1.25 to 1.75 a metre and that included power and water in most places although some did charge a small charge for power.
Many of the clubs would throw in extra days for free.

The other Concern was us motoring for days on end but actually we did much more sailing then motoring although some days we didn't go far for light winds.

If there was a down side to the Netherlands it as to be the locks in the hight of summer and holiday periods.
Lock are easily managed and them self shouldn't give anyone who can handle his boat in close quarters any problems,
The problem is other boats uses
mostly motor boats that dont understand how sailing boat manoeuvre and not all have toys to push their Bows one way or another, even before the green light is given their are feets from every direction from your hull,
then someone up ahead cocks it up , as it offen happen and there panick people slaming boats I astern, Bows swinging back and fro and your you are stuck in the middle of this mayhem add a bit of wind and the situation becomes 10 fold worst.
We found the best way is to hold right back and let other jockey for pole position and if we happen to not get in, there always the next one.
Off season it's much better , instead of 15 boats in a lock there only 3 or 4 and much more civilised.
Getting use to sailing with very little depth took some doing especially when we been use to depths of 200 metres and more,
Offen at times having less then a metre, the other side to this is it mostly mud so if you happen to go aground it's not a big dea
l
One thing that stands out about Holland is the people are welcoming ,
even a conversation on Brexit is done in friendly way with a bit of ribbing thrown in.
Many have cruised the UK and are Interested in finding new places to cruisers although many more are more interested in our years sailing southern Europe and Northern Africa and can't understand why we would want to return back to Northern Europe.
So mine conclusion is if you not cruised inland Netherlands think about it for your next trip into Europe.
Most won't be disappointed although there no pleasing some.
We did plain to head on to Denmark but its looking like we probably stay till the end of Oct before heading back to the UK for the winter.
If we can spend 5 months and still find cruising Inlands still Interesting I'm sure many will enjoy it for a few weeks.

I was recently in Medemblik(spelling?). Very pleasantly surprised how really nice it was. We were on a 72ft race boat with lifting keel. The tallest mast in there by far. Lovely town. Friendly people

 

[sailaboutvic]

I was recently in Medemblik(spelling?). Very pleasantly surprised how really nice it was. We were on a 72ft race boat with lifting keel. The tallest mast in there by far. Lovely town. Friendly people

Medemblik such a wonderful town , we anchored in a small enclosed harbour just before the town and had a nice 2K walked to the town ,
Met one of the few English boat moored on the town wall , I think they said they paid 10 Euro a night which included shower,
First time in the Netherlands and where loving it.
They said they where given up their south coast berth and plain to leave the boat in the Netherlands over winter and it was less then half price of their UK marina berth .
If it wasn't that I have some work to do over winter , rudder bearings and sort out a bank of lithium batteries I thinki would probably do the same .

 

[Tradewinds]

Medemblik such a wonderful town , we anchored in a small enclosed harbour just before the town and had a nice 2K walked to the town ,
Met one of the few English boat moored on the town wall , I think they said they paid 10 Euro a night which included shower,
First time in the Netherlands and where loving it.
They said they where given up their south coast berth and plain to leave the boat in the Netherlands over winter and it was less then half price of their UK marina berth .
If it wasn't that I have some work to do over winter , rudder bearings and sort out a bank of lithium batteries I thinki would probably do the same .

Medemblik was a special place for me for many reasons. We were based in Amsterdam for 3 years - my son Harry loved us having our boat there with Hoorn and Medemblik favourite destinations.



Harry aka "son_of_tradewinds" on a shopping sortie, Medemblik - R.I.P.

 

[DanTribe]

Just returned from 60 days in Netherlands, agree with most of the comments on this thread. I commend the Marrekrite system in Friesland. Hundreds of mooring places for a voluntary 20 euro donation. We used marinas about 1 day in 5. There are so many unexpected gems to discover.

 

[Adios]

I bought 3 boats in the Nederlands years ago when Euros were 1.5 to the pound. The second and third were motorboats so I could explore the mast down and shallow areas. If you've done 960 miles with your boat imagine how much more there is waiting to explore. Maybe some second craft to branch out from the mothership?

 

[sailaboutvic]

I bought 3 boats in the Nederlands years ago when Euros were 1.5 to the pound. The second and third were motorboats so I could explore the mast down and shallow areas. If you've done 960 miles with your boat imagine how much more there is waiting to explore. Maybe some second craft to branch out from the mothership?

There rivers, canels, slips,dirke everywhere I guess with the right draft boat you could go for years.
We have crisis cross our track a few times but then we in no hurry to get anywhere fast and are more interested in getting the sails up even if it mean going along at 2kts .

 

[sailaboutvic]

Just returned from 60 days in Netherlands, agree with most of the comments on this thread. I commend the Marrekrite system in Friesland. Hundreds of mooring places for a voluntary 20 euro donation. We used marinas about 1 day in 5. There are so many unexpected gems to discover.

Markermeer other then sailing along the channel we not approach on , local have been quite clear that the weed in places will stop a boat in its tracks so with our draft we given it a miss , shame really as we would had like to see Hoorn .
Did you get in there ?
I did think our paths may cross but you seen to be going the other way to us .

 

[DanTribe]

Markermeer other then sailing along the channel we not approach on , local have been quite clear that the weed in places will stop a boat in its tracks so with our draft we given it a miss , shame really as we would had like to see Hoorn .
Did you get in there ?
I did think our paths may cross but you seen to be going the other way to us .

1st stop was Edam, weed not too bad. Then to Marker Wadden, weed was thick but didn't stop us. On way home we did Hoorn to Durgerdam. We had to reverse twice to clear the rudder and prop. We anchored off Durgerdam and a much finer weed completely blocked the engine inlet, took ages to clear. We must have crossed paths once or twice. Saw very few other Brits.

 

[Tradewinds]

The weed is always bad as you approach Hoorn. Draft is irrelevant, to a point, as the weed grows to just below the surface. It wraps you up so much reversing is called for to clear the fouling. A rope cutter is a useful thing to have. Not unusual to see a boat being hauled with sterngear problems. A shame - the Markermeer is dying, hence the experiments to rejuvenate the waters.

 

[johnalison]

There is a lot to enjoy in the Netherlands, though I don’t like to be away from the sea for too long. However, my wife’s limited mobility in our later foreign years made inland an obvious option. We went there numerous times from 1980 onwards and soon learned some of the tricks, especially how to avoid the busy times and to cope with some of their little ways. Folding bikes on board are almost essential and let you see much more of the countryside.

For my money, the north of the country is more interesting than the Delta region, but perhaps mainly because this was where we spent most time in the early days. The weather can be so-so, and it can be windy anywhere, or is can be windless and the air full of bugs. That’s funny, when I wrote bugs a series of pictures of bugs appeared on my iPad. I was nearly eaten to death by mosquitos in Gouda a few years ago, but this is not usual.

The Netherlands is well set up for tourists, with Amsterdam alone having enough sights or museums to last a visitor for days or weeks, the Anne Frank house being a necessary rite of passage of course. I have enjoyed museums also in Groningen, Leeuwarden, Gouda and Dordrecht, all of a high standard. There are many churches worth seeing, and quite a few have superb organs from Bach’s time and regular concerts. Contrary to popular opinion, the beer can be quite good, and the farmhouse versions of cheese especially so.

 

[Tradewinds]

You don't have to leave your armchair to travel the inland waterways of the Netherlands, France and Germany. HQ live webcams 24/7.

Choose your barge - I like Strick., who's just offloaded at the Heineken factory and is now on his way. Sometimes like watching paint dry as they sit and wait, often quite absorbing/relaxing as they wend their way through towns & countryside.

webcam-binnenvaart.nl - Home

 

[Adios]

There is a lot to enjoy in the Netherlands, though I don’t like to be away from the sea for too long.

Thats a point, I really don't find UK inland waters interesting and can't wait to get back onto tidal water but it never felt like being stuck in a ditch over there. Didn't feel locked in. Though both are mostly true. Its all big enough and varied enough and flat enough (so minimal locks) that there is a sense of expanse and a feeling of journeying between islands rather than the land feeling big and the water small.