Netherlands: Amsterdam-Flushing via Inland Waterways?

Roach1948

Roach1948

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Starting some armchair passage planning for a (instalment) cruise to Holland in the summer. The general plan is this:

Long weekend sail Harwich-Amsterdam via Norzeecanal and leave her at Sixhaven marina.
Fly back and take a week/ten days to get down to Flushing through inland waterways when perfect scorcher weather is forecast. Leave her in Flushing, or nearby.
Fly back – long weekend to do Flushing-Harwich.

I would really like some suggestions on which are the best places to visit on the week-long trip down to Flushing. I have Navin’s book, but there are so many permutations and as a result I am not sure where to start?
Being an East Coast sailor I like less discovered, less crowded places. I am equally partial to nice old towns though. Any must see towns I should do with the odd pretty anchorage/canal side stops which can start dictating my routing?
 
We did this route a few years ago, except we coast hopped to get to Nord Zee Canal. It would be a shame to miss the Isselmeer and Markemeer, some great places there, but very busy in locks July and August. May be worth considering Harwich to I think it is Den Helder to go through Meers but would take a few more days, or spending some time, in Markemeer to at least get to Hoorn and Marken before the canal trip back. Too many good places to mention.

Sixhaven very convenient for Amsterdam, but extremely crowded and doubt you would be able to book longer stay berth, other marinas slightly further out probably better to leave boat. Night convoy interesting experience and great fun. They would never stop traffic on motorway to let boats through in UK!!!!!

Would definitely recommend the trip. Strongish current in parts of river system need a bit of motoring, but nothing to worry about. Will try and look out our cruise notes.

Regards

Steve
 
I have done both the Midnight Convoy & The Haarlem route twice.
the Amsterdam Midnight is fine once & not to be missed BUT there are dead lines to meet Schiphol motorway & Gouda bridges, if you cant keep-up you will have to find a berth for the night as you will be stuck between thes 2 bridges.
i would go the Haarlem route, bridges are slow @ lunch time.this route you can also sail on the "Kaarg" an area of lakes beyond Haarlem with a very Fine Club a good stop over.
this route & the overnight converge @ "Alpen en Rijn".
Dordrecht another good stop over we use the "Kalk Haven" a motor boat club right nxt to the Church & just b 4 the road / rail / bridges . its a must to get to bridge opening times & be out on the water ready.

A better jumping off point & short stay berth would be the "Aeolius" Club same side as the Sixhaven but say 4 cables further on. very friendly small club & the cheapest S.Mkt in holland out side their gate.
 
I have made this trip many times and always find it interesting. Sixhaven can get very busy in July/August but it is a very convienient marina for Amsterdam. You can take the alternative fixed mast route via Haarlem where there is a friendly yacht club or you can more against stageings right in the town centre. Travelling South the Sassenheim bridge only opens at a few restricted times in the day. From here you can go via Oude Wetering into the Brassemermeer where it is possible to anchor in 1.5 to 2 meters or you can go via Leiden, both these routes join up at Alphen. further south there is Gouda which is worth a visit. The railway bridge has restricted opening times but there are stagings where you can moor, overnight if necessary. There is a small yacht club to stay at or you can go into the town canals and moor. Once south of Gouda you are in a river and it is subject to tidal flow. then you have several choices of direction, through Rotterdam or via Dordrect. Before Dordrect there is a very small yacht club at Alblassadam that welcomes visitors and is in walking distance of Kinderdyke where many traditional windmills may be seen working. Dordrect is a very interesting town with 3 marinas. Down onto Hollandsdiep there is Strijensas, Willemstad, Numansdorp and through the bridge Hellevoetsluis. In the Volkerak Ooltgensplaat and Oude Tonge are worth a visit there are many places in the Grevelingemeer and Zierikzee and Goes from the Oosterschelde followed by the Veersemeer.
You would be better off with a couple of months instead of a couple of weeks.
Enjoy the trip.
 
I have my boat on the Haringvliet. If you have time a diversion under the Haringvlietbrug to Hellevoetsluis and Middelharnis is worthwhile, but is probably a day on its own. Almost any route from Amsterdam to Vlissingen will take you right past Willemstad as you leave Hollands Diep - provided its not the weekend you'll find a berth overnight there OK, but at busy times you can make a short trip into the Volkerat to Dintelmond and overnight there. On the Haringvliet there are visitors bouys that you can moor to overnight provided you don't want access to land.

Middleburg Yacht Club half way down the canal to Vlissingen serves the best steak I have ever tasted, after 6pm, and is very welcoming of water borne visitors.

Hollands Diep and the Volkerat are very busy with commercial barges - they are often low lying and travel quite fast compared to a yacht under auxilliary power. By and large the major commercial routes have a jachtslius separate from the main locks - much more relaxed than mixing it with Rhine barges.

You might need to check on moorings in Vlissingen - the marina at the end of the canal is small and busy - the newer marina in the old fish haven has a tidal sill, I believe. Breskens is just across the Schelde but is reputed to be very expensive.

Happy planning,

Mark
 
I agree with all that's been said and would also prefer the Haarlem route if in no hurry. Amsterdam itself is a bit sleasy but there's plenty to see & do. My favourite is the "Tropen" museum, a wonderful collection of ethnographic stuff.

Aim to spend a day or so in Haarlem to see the fine cathedral and the Frans Hals museum which houses one the the great pictures of all time - the "Regentesses".
 
Agree with the others especially about the time it can take..Last year we came back from Ijmuiden but our friends did the route back to Vlissingen(Flushing) via Haarlem/Leiden.There are something like 60 locks/bridges to navigate & would you believe it some of the bridges were stuck in the day due to heat expansion.They lost a few days en route so allow plenty of time.
By the way there is a book better than the Navin one(in my opinion)
Inland Waterways of the Netherlands by Louise Busby & David Broad.Published by Imray £25 ish.It has alot of detail.
It does seem a pity whilst you are there(Amsterdam) not to do Markermeer at least,& Ijsselmeer if you can.It is a nice sail up to Enkhuizen,the Zuider Zee Museum is brilliant.The steam raiway from Hoorn to Medemblik is not to be missed as well.Sorry to go on but there is so much to see & do.
Sixhaven is mega busy as part of it has been lost to the Metro extension work,but very welcoming & still only 11euros per night.
Have a good time.
 
Well it looks like I am being a bit too ambitious with the timescale to really enjoy my original plan it at a relaxed pace.

The reason Amsterdam is in the itinerary is that I have (non boaty) Dutch friends that live there and they have invited me out to dinner as an incentive!

So my thoughts now (thanks to ditchcrawler) are maybe to come in via Den helder, do the Ijsselmeer and Markermeer first, then stop-off in Amsterdam before heading back via the Noordzee canal. Maybe this is more realistic given my time off? Then do inland stuff and the South next year.

So, sorry, any must see's in the North now...?
 
Notes for you:

Sixhaven very busy - go east few hundred yards to quieter marinas - less risk of damage whilst you are away - just as easy to get to station via free ferry.

Better still, don't go to Amsterdam to leave the boat, go to friendly cheaper family marina beyond motorway bridge on route to Haarlem. No damage risk. Easy bus to station and home.

Take Haarlem canal route south: visit Haarlem, more interesting than Amsterdam!

Overnight:
Woubrugge
Gouda (historic and accessible)
Dordrecht (great place!)
Willemstadt (super little town)
Bruinisse
Zieriksee
Goes, (also good place to leave boat - station easy to hand)
Veere (lovely old club)
Middleburg, lovely city and good club (best place to leave boat - Mr Arne will look after you) Train right on your doorstep.
Breskens, and take 7 hrs tide home to Harwich

Great trip, and have fun! PM me for more, if you need it.

Peter Gibbs
 
I have done the journey from flushing to Amsterdam via the mast up route (schipol etc) then up the Markermeer, into the Islemeer (sorry about spellings) and back via north sea canal to Harwich in 2 weeks easily, it took 4 days to Amsterdam from flushing
2 bits of advice - take a folding bike as we found supplies hard to get and all the times of the bridges have changed from the version of Brian Navins book that we have so it was a bit of a lottery.
 
[ QUOTE ]
By the way there is a book better than the Navin one(in my opinion)
Inland Waterways of the Netherlands by Louise Busby & David Broad.Published by Imray £25 ish.
It has alot of detail

[/ QUOTE ]

Now £19 for the 2008 edition from Amazon - and excellent service too.
 
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