Late August trip to Holland

[Javelin]

Well so far so good.
So much quieter with significantly fewer boats about.
Even managed to moor up on the quay at Willemstad with no rafting.
Quite a lot of weed about in the fresh water areas which could be an issue with folding props.
A quick fore and aft sorted out our issue but have seen others struggle.
Also tried out our new pelagic autohelm from the states which comes with a remote.
Wow what a difference compared to the Raymarine, so much smoother and quieter and the remote control makes life so much easier, can’t imagine life without it now.
Some things don’t change though, Belgian flagged boats are the ones to avoid in a lock!

 

[LittleSister]

Hope it continues to go nicely.

Is the weed tending to block cooling water inlets, as well as foul props?

 

[Javelin]

We were sailing with a friend in his westerly storm and he had noted a lot of stuff in his strainer.
We have a saildrive, so no strainer, but I noticed a distinct change in exhaust sound on a couple of occasions.
Fingers crossed........
Talking engines, we filled up with the new anti bug diesel in middleburg. We burnt 45lt on our way over as there was no wind.
It’s weird stuff. 10cents a lt more than the standard. However It’s clear and looks like water. Harder to see our fuel level in our plastic tank now.

 

[mcetap]

We were sailing with a friend in his westerly storm and he had noted a lot of stuff in his strainer.
We have a saildrive, so no strainer, but I noticed a distinct change in exhaust sound on a couple of occasions.
Fingers crossed........
Talking engines, we filled up with the new anti bug diesel in middleburg. We burnt 45lt on our way over as there was no wind.
It’s weird stuff. 10cents a lt more than the standard. However It’s clear and looks like water. Harder to see our fuel level in our plastic tank now.

Do you mean the GTL (Gas-to-Liquid) Diesel substitute? I have heard mixed reports. Most seem to agree it burns much cleaner and is much less sensitive to Diesel bug. Some have reported problems with older engines, as GTL has the tendency to make engine seals and gaskets shrink (i.e. to swell less than they would with ordinary Diesel), potentially causing all kinds of problems. It also has about 10-15% lower energy density, i.e. you burn through more of it for a given engine output.

 

[Javelin]

Yes that’s the stuff. Not had any issues, however my engine Is circa 2005.
Interesting re power, as at 2500 I’m usually at 6.5knt but I noticed today I was only on 6.2knts in no wind/tide/flat water.

Possibly a major diplomat incident in the making though.
A yacht pulled in flying the cruising association burgee above the courtesy ensign from the starboard spreader.
It’s also well past sundown and his cruising association blue ensign is still up.
Wouldn’t normally bother me but when I said good evening, he blanked me and walked off.
Grrrr

 

[johnalison]

Yes that’s the stuff. Not had any issues, however my engine Is circa 2005.
Interesting re power, as at 2500 I’m usually at 6.5knt but I noticed today I was only on 6.2knts in no wind/tide/flat water.

Possibly a major diplomat incident in the making though.
A yacht pulled in flying the cruising association burgee above the courtesy ensign from the starboard spreader.
It’s also well past sundown and his cruising association blue ensign is still up.
Wouldn’t normally bother me but when I said good evening, he blanked me and walked off.
Grrrr

Oh yes. One of those. I'd have a word with the HM and cause him some grief.

Returning late can be great fun. We were late coming back from the Baltic and passed though the Netherlands in early September, and had a splendid time. We swanned through the big locks on our own mostly, and took a perverse delight in stopping whole motorways at bridges just for us. I hope the crossing goes well.

 

[Ali-alshira]

Late August in the Netherlands is a great time, once the Dutch schools have gone back, then most of the Dutch boats are not clogging up the locks etc. The Dutch schools have staggered holidays, so it can be hard to work out when the summer holidays finish.
However, there is one weekend that it's best to avoid - the weekend of the big 24 hour race centred around Ijsselmeer and ending at Medembleck. I think it is held on the last weekend of August. Many hundred boats take part - there are a couple of dozen starting points around Ijsselmeer and Markermeer on the Saturday afternoon, but all the boats end at Medemblick 24 hours later. They can take whatever course they want between various buoys and locks, and the winners are calculated using all the data, in some complicated way. This means that all the locks are full of frustrated racing boats, and you are likely to be shouted at if you inadvertantly get in the way of someone trying to round a buoy for no obvious reason! Actually, it all seems to be quite friendly and relaxed - as far as racing yachts ever are relaxed. We are often in the Netherlands at that time, and tend to make sure we are well away from the race!

 

[Daydream believer]

We were sailing with a friend in his westerly storm and he had noted a lot of stuff in his strainer.
We have a saildrive, so no strainer, but I noticed a distinct change in exhaust sound on a couple of occasions.
Fingers crossed.......

Have done the southern canals many times since 1970 but never single handed. So last week, after leaving Ostend, before heading home,I thought that I would have a go at passing through Flushing & up to Middleburgh to see how I got on getting into a box single handed.
Just as I was about to go into the lock I picked up a net in the prop.I managed to limp to Middleburgh with the help of a really kind Dutch sailor who hung back to drag the convoy out so I could get through all the bridges.

At Middleburgh there was some teenagers swimming & although I offered them 20 euros to dive under and remove the net they could not.
An elderly Dutch chap waved his stick at them & said that when he was their age he would have dived all day for a guilder let alone 20 euros.
In the end I had to do it myself & cut my legs & ankles on the pontoon to which I had parked for this operation.
I then went on to a box & noted that they are not cleats but stupid rings at the bow end(I had forgotten this) but even though i was SH I managed it without hitting the bow & hardly touched the posts both going in & coming out

Really pleased so will be going for a longer holiday next year on my own
On the way in I went through the commercial lock & on the way out the sport lock, so I did them both.

 

[Old Harry]

Great stuff, well done & an informative post.
Do you use a thick line along the hull when going into the box

 

[Javelin]

Well done you.
Getting off my boat is a pain over the bow so I normally reverse in but if single handed I can see I could get into a whole lot of pain.
The locks hold no fear for me these days except for the one on the way to Willemstad as there’s a lot of flow in and out.
The remote on my autopilot is superb though and enables me to do far more with swmbo down below.
All I would like now is a remote for the engine throttle and I’d be well and truly sorted.
I shall have a word with Mat, at work about that.......

 

[Old Harry]

Well done you.
Getting off my boat is a pain over the bow so I normally reverse in but if single handed I can see I could get into a whole lot of pain.
The locks hold no fear for me these days except for the one on the way to Willemstad as there’s a lot of flow in and out.
The remote on my autopilot is superb though and enables me to do far more with swmbo down below.
All I would like now is a remote for the engine throttle and I’d be well and truly sorted.
I shall have a word with Mat, at work about that.......

only a bowthruster to go & you`re well sorted

 

[Javelin]

Wash your mouth out!

 

[Concerto]

only a bowthruster to go & you`re well sorted

It must have a remote as well! Javelin would be so chuffed at his new found toys. Does he know anyone to fit one?

 

[Daydream believer]

Do you use a thick line along the hull when going into the box

No.
What i did was make up 2 /10mm diameter lines 9 metres long, with a spliced eye one end. I hooked the eyes to the spring cleats & the other end I passed over the aft cleat & round the aft winches. I left lots of slack in the lines & hung them on the guard rails. I put the fenders onto the side decks to stopped them snagging if i rubbed the poles (I did not actually touch them until right in) But they were ready if there were any boats in the next box.

I lined the boat up square with the box & motored in with enough bias for the wind. That was important to start me off right.

As I motored in I first looped the windward one over the pole, then the same with the lea one. By straddling the tiller with my legs I then played the 2 lines on the winches such that as I went forward, with the engine in tickover, I could steer the boat by the tension on one or the other line. Mostly on the windward one.

When I judged the bow was just off the dock I left the engine in tickover. Put the lines into the tailers on the winches & nipped quickly forward & stepped over the bow with the bow lines. I then tied the windward line first followed by the other.

Back on the boat I stopped the engine & asked the non existent crowd not to clap & cheer, but smile with admiration:encouragement:

 

[johnalison]

You can't win. Audiences are so fickle. All my masterful manoeuvres have been unobserved, well both of them actually. I've had my boat for nigh on twenty years and I still find judging the distance from the bow difficult.

 

[Old Harry]

No.
What i did was make up 2 /10mm diameter lines 9 metres long, with a spliced eye one end. I hooked the eyes to the spring cleats & the other end I passed over the aft cleat & round the aft winches. I left lots of slack in the lines & hung them on the guard rails. I put the fenders onto the side decks to stopped them snagging if i rubbed the poles (I did not actually touch them until right in) But they were ready if there were any boats in the next box.

I lined the boat up square with the box & motored in with enough bias for the wind. That was important to start me off right.

As I motored in I first looped the windward one over the pole, then the same with the lea one. By straddling the tiller with my legs I then played the 2 lines on the winches such that as I went forward, with the engine in tickover, I could steer the boat by the tension on one or the other line. Mostly on the windward one.

When I judged the bow was just off the dock I left the engine in tickover. Put the lines into the tailers on the winches & nipped quickly forward & stepped over the bow with the bow lines. I then tied the windward line first followed by the other.

Back on the boat I stopped the engine & asked the non existent crowd not to clap & cheer, but smile with admiration:encouragement:

Had you have cocked-up there would have been 100s watching

 

[Daydream believer]

only a bowthruster to go & you`re well sorted

I think bow thrusters should have a time lock on them
They should automatically disengage between the hours of 20-00 and 08-00 so I can get some b..dy sleep

 

[Marmalade]

I have a thruster with a remote - when ribbed by old salts I usually ask them whether they still wash their clothes on a stone by the river - most don't. If tech can save you (and others) time, stress and topsides scars; why not?
Like Javelin I'd love a remote for the throttle.
My problem with box moorings is that I don't encounter them often enough for it to become second nature...

 

[Javelin]

Not a fan of thrusters unless the boat warrants it, such as a oyster 435 or basically anything that doesn’t reverse.
Why big twin screw power boats have them I have no idea.

That said I’m happy to fit them, nothing better than cutting bloody great holes in someone’s pride and joy.....��

 

[matthewriches]

Interesting as there is a grp tunnel here waiting for you on your return.

Glad autopilot is working well. Just thinking that I need to book a holiday

Not a fan of thrusters unless the boat warrants it, such as a oyster 435 or basically anything that doesn’t reverse.
Why big twin screw power boats have them I have no idea.

That said I’m happy to fit them, nothing better than cutting bloody great holes in someone’s pride and joy.....��