Off to the Netherlands we go...

[johnalison]

Thank you @vyv_cox, if we are brave and make it that far east my ferry gliding skills are pretty good, as the spring tides whistle past the entrance to Chatham marina and only lets go as you enter the lock gates (as Concerto will attest to). Alarmed visiting crew members are often concerned and dumbfounded as to why we are approaching the lock sideways, pointing in the wrong direction . What is the best tide state to enter?



Hey Roger! We are missing you in Chatham! I hope your passage went well. Ostend looks more built up and with less nature than Nieuwport? I hope @Concerto is well, she was looking very smart before you left us.



Thanks @MK101 , I haven't looked at Cadzand - the harbour looks like it could get quite a swell in there? I prefer the look of that to Breskens I think!



Thank you @johnalison, I guess staying on the islands a holding tank would be beneficial? I guess not being tidal, is our 2m draft a problem there? I feel with this first adventure for us we might not be brave enough to venture in past Middleburg to the Veere.



Thanks for the advice @WFA Good idea re the Chemical loo, and yes, we are keeping a keen eye on weather windows on PredictWind. Vlissinghen looks amazing, VOF De Aanlegsteiger looks like a cracking and easy to get into. We could reach Middleburg from that basin too.

Thanks for all the advice. Once we have done this crossing the once (a bit like the first time we crossed the Deben bar!) with the four kids, it'll become second nature and all (most?) of the anxiety will be removed (so long as we get the weather windows right ). Taking the young kids along will get them a sense of achievement too, so I am not keen sending them via ferry or plane (a decision I may live to regret ).

Re my point. When I was last there, there were very basic loos ashore. I can’t remember using them but I have looked in and they were not the worst I’ve seen.

Back in the days of cine film, I filmed our children in a sequence on the Versemeer that appeared to show the two of them sailing the boat without an adult in sight, doing all the helming, sailing, mooring and even navigating with a sextant on their apparent own. It will never get an Oscar but it was good fun.

 

[WFA]

You shouldn't have any problems with depth in the canals and note that the small pillar buoys which are outside the main channel buoys in the meres mark 2 meters depth. They are mostly marked as lateral buoys so stay the correct side and you should be fine.

If you want the full details you'll find them here
Waterkaarten: Boat Navigation - Apps on Google Play

 

[CJTurner]

I'm surprised by the fuss over a name that is included in the two most populated Dutch Provinces of North and South Holland - which combined border and include most of Netherlands's waterways.
A few practical notes :
Our passports are required to be stamped on first entry and last departure when visiting the Schengen area of the EU. My home port is in NE Essex so my experience only covers Belgium and the Netherlands. For convenience my favored Schengen entry/exit port is Zeebrugge and I cannot speak highly enough of the Customs/Immigration service provided there. This year I learned that unfortunately the Belgium and Netherlands Immigration systems do not blend which explains why we would often be visited by Dutch officials soon after berthing in Vlissinghen or Middelburg. Once the Crew list and passport stamps have been check everyone is happy - again the Dutch officials are really helpful and pleasant. UK and Belgium notifications are online.
If you need somewhere to "go" at night without the hassle of leaving the boat then buy a chemical loo from a caravan shop. All marinas have emptying and cleaning stations.
The only conservation area that I know of that requires a permit is Grevelingenmeer. Permits are not expensive and can be bought for periods from one day up to one year; best done at the Bruinisse HM office which is just inside the entrance of the first big marina you come to when you have cleared Gravelinghemsluice.
When the weather is not enticing you to go sailing then there are usually plenty of local attractions plus the public transport networks are excellent. I believe all public transport modes are tap and go with a credit /debit card and there is always a local on hand who will speak English and help. I use a Starling debit card (others are available) when traveling as it is one of the new breeds that is universally acceptable and cuts out all the additional conversion and charge hassles.
Finally, when planning the big passages, monitor the weather forecasts and take advantage of weather and tide windows that offer the most comfortable passage for your crew.
Enjoy!

I found credit cards not accepted in quite a few supermarkets in Holland. But that was pre Brexit. Good tip about the debit card

 

[Concerto]

Hey Roger! We are missing you in Chatham! I hope your passage went well. Ostend looks more built up and with less nature than Nieuwport? I hope @Concerto is well, she was looking very smart before you left us.

Hi Mark

It was sad to be leaving Chatham after a decade, even Emma was sad to see me leave. It only took 9½ days to reach Pwllheli. Originally I had planned to take 3 weeks and visit many harbours along the South Coast and the Isles of Scilly. Due to my much delayed start from early April to mid June, it became a fast delivery trip. Full details are here.

Thread 'Concerto is on the move'

16 Jun 2025

On Wednesday afternoon Concerto finally departed from Chatham Maritime Marina after just over a decade. It was a sad day think that I would never sail on the Medway or Thames again. No I have not sold Concerto, but last year I moved from Kent to Cheshire. Finally after having to clear out my old business storage unit which I finished at 10pm on Tuesday, I started to sail to new waters and adventures.

On Wednesday I had a few pre-leaving jobs to complete and caught to afternoon high tide at 3pm. As I left I did not know whether I should just go down river and moor in Queenborough or sail...

• Concerto
• Replies: 41
• Forum: Yachting Monthly's Scuttlebutt

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Hope you enjoy Belgium and Holland. It has been a longtime since I last did it, but visited numerous times from the late 1960's through to the late 18980's. No doubt things have changed but you should still find it an enjoyable trip. Your kids will love it.

 

[Pye_End]

I found credit cards not accepted in quite a few supermarkets in Holland. But that was pre Brexit. Good tip about the debit card

Still same in some. I use a pre-paid card as well (mastercard based) and also found this rejected at the same places as the credit card, so had to resort to bank card (Visa based) or cash. Very few times cash was useful, but when it was..... Harder to find high steet bank to withdraw money cheaply than last time. Cash machines around, but fee taken.

 

[DanTribe]

quite a few

Still same in some. I use a pre-paid card as well (mastercard based) and also found this rejected at the same places as the credit card, so had to resort to bank card (Visa based) or cash. Very few times cash was useful, but when it was..... Harder to find high steet bank to withdraw money cheaply than last time. Cash machines around, but fee taken.

Credit cards used to be a problem but I've not had any problems this year.
Currently held up in de Kaag and Bressemermeer until they fix the Gouda bridge on 28/7. It's heaven.
Just do it, you'll love it.

 

[Pye_End]

Credit cards used to be a problem but I've not had any problems this year.

Mine was rejected (this year) in a couple of Albert H's, just after I had packed a load of food into my rucksack. Strangely it worked in most of their stores, but not all.

 

[PetiteFleur]

We've been to Holland several times, never had a problem with having no holding tanks as have taken a portable potta which can be emptied at marinas.

 

[WFA]

Still same in some. I use a pre-paid card as well (mastercard based) and also found this rejected at the same places as the credit card, so had to resort to bank card (Visa based) or cash. Very few times cash was useful, but when it was..... Harder to find high steet bank to withdraw money cheaply than last time. Cash machines around, but fee taken.

No problem experienced in June using a Master Card based debit card.
I use the card only when abroad because so many payment systems are now tap or phone based and this card is issued by an online bank, it is separate from my main bank, handles currency issues superbly and is easy to transfer to when required.

 

[DJE]

I believe that you now have to purchase a ticket to stay on the islands and I have an idea that this was done in Veere. I don’t know for sure but for all I know it may be something you do you line these days. It shouldn’t put you off though.

We were there last year. We had to buy a permit to moor on the islands in the Grevelingenmeer but not in the Veersemeer. In the Veersemeer I seem to recall that there was a limit to how long you could stay in one place but plenty of places to move to. The moorings were timber jetties rather than pontoons as the water level doesn't vary. They were all well maintained and on most of them there was 2m of water at the outer end.

 

[Plum]

No problem experienced in June using a Master Card based debit card.
I use the card only when abroad because so many payment systems are now tap or phone based and this card is issued by an online bank, it is separate from my main bank, handles currency issues superbly and is easy to transfer to when required.

Yes, my experience too, debit cards are not a problem in the Netherlands and just occasionally you will find your credit card refused.

 

[DanTribe]

Mine was rejected (this year) in a couple of Albert H's, just after I had packed a load of food into my rucksack. Strangely it worked in most of their stores, but not all.

Yes, I've used my credit card in many Albert Heijns, but yesterday it was refused in Leiderdorp, after checking out our biggest load of shopping. Luckily I could remember my debit card pin.
Why some AH shops but not others?

 

[MagicalArmchair]

Getting all my paperwork correct and squared away, I looked at my liferafts documents. I thought it was this year it needed a service, when if fact it was LAST year. It's a 6 man RORC Plastimo guy. I am confident, from a safety perspective, that it will inflate, however will the Belgium authorities take a dim view? I could hire one - I still have time to get one delivered from the good people at Suffolk Marine Safety. I think when I sailed with my father his liferaft was about 15 years out of date - but that was a different age I suppose!

Also, we have red diesel on board - I will fill up before I go and make sure I have the receipt to show where it has come from, is there anything else I need to be aware of?

We have onboard:

• VHF cert
• Proof of ownership
• ICC cert
• Insurance
• Passports and EHIC cards
• SSR registration documents
• Q Flags and courtesy flags for whereever we could end up
• SART (No Epirb, but we are only hopping across the Channel, could hire one of these too I suppose!)
• Lots of Red Diesel...
• An out of date liferaft!

 

[Pye_End]

Re. VHF - both the registration and the operator's licence.

 

[Plum]

Getting all my paperwork correct and squared away, I looked at my liferafts documents. I thought it was this year it needed a service, when if fact it was LAST year. It's a 6 man RORC Plastimo guy. I am confident, from a safety perspective, that it will inflate, however will the Belgium authorities take a dim view? I could hire one - I still have time to get one delivered from the good people at Suffolk Marine Safety. I think when I sailed with my father his liferaft was about 15 years out of date - but that was a different age I suppose!

Also, we have red diesel on board - I will fill up before I go and make sure I have the receipt to show where it has come from, is there anything else I need to be aware of?

We have onboard:

• VHF cert
• Proof of ownership
• ICC cert
• Insurance
• Passports and EHIC cards
• SSR registration documents
• Q Flags and courtesy flags for whereever we could end up
• SART (No Epirb, but we are only hopping across the Channel, could hire one of these too I suppose!)
• Lots of Red Diesel...
• An out of date liferaft!

You need to have a radar reflector.

 

[Alicatt]

Sorry to be pedantic but in the interest of good international relations The Netherlands officially stopped using "Holland" as a reference to the entire country in January 2020. The Dutch government decided to rebrand and promote the country using its official name, the Netherlands, in all international contexts.

You will find that all Netherlands harbours/marinas/yatchclubs have good shoreside facilities so it is possible to survive without a holding tank.

In Nieuwpoort the marina in the East side is more convenient for the Border Police office to get your passports stamped if this is your first port of entry to the EU, the West side is closer to the town.

Oooh you are doing well for International Relations, last time I was there Nieuwpoort was still in Belgium

 

[Alicatt]

Marinas in The Netherlands are getting stricter on any gas appliances, some may want to see a gas safety certificate for the installation.

Compulsory for Belgium: (boat more than 7.5m long and/or sails faster than 20km/h)
A 2kg fire extinguisher within 1m of the helm plus others in the cabins, fire blanket for galley recommended but not compulsory.
VHF - VDES compliant (from 1st Jan 2025)
Anchor Ball
Fog Horn
Manual bilge pump
Minimum of at least 1 rope of 20m suitable for the size and weight of the boat
Anchor and line
Swim ladder
First aid kit
Life jackets for each person on board.

 

[Pye_End]

Marinas in The Netherlands are getting stricter on any gas appliances, some may want to see a gas safety certificate for the installation.

Compulsory for Belgium: (boat more than 7.5m long and/or sails faster than 20km/h)
A 2kg fire extinguisher within 1m of the helm plus others in the cabins, fire blanket for galley recommended but not compulsory.
VHF - VDES compliant (from 1st Jan 2025)
Anchor Ball
Fog Horn
Manual bilge pump
Minimum of at least 1 rope of 20m suitable for the size and weight of the boat
Anchor and line
Swim ladder
First aid kit
Life jackets for each person on board.

Presumably not for visitors? During a month in the Netherlands this year - apart from me going to get passport stamped - there was absolutely no hint of any other officialdom.

 

[Leslie frank]

I understand from a post on the CA forum that there are a couple of key bridges out of action near Haarlem making the stand madt route impassable. It's worth finding out before you proceed. Last time we went the canal to Groenongen was shut. You have the phone numbers in the Dutch almanac to check

 

[KompetentKrew]

Despite my inherently pedantic tendencies, I'm not sure I would be so pedantic about this. No Dutch person will ever raise the slightest eyebrow if you refer to their country as Holland.

I'm certain I have seen dutchies complaining about this, in fact.