Standing Mast Route

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Ian_Rob

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I believe that it is proposed to ban diesel engined craft from Amsterdam by 2025? If this is the case, will it affectively scupper passage via the Standing Mast Route through the city to the north or is there an alternative route?

PS: Draft 1.82m/Air-Draft 15.0m
 
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If they do it will stop an awful lot of ferries, commercial & cruise shipping docking there off the North Sea canal. One would expect water traffic on the main artery to continue as is. The Netherlands is a nation of cyclists, so banning diesel from the city centre would not be such a big deal for them I suspect. However, transport by water is equally important, so banning shipping through the North Sea canal would be very unlikely.
 
There was certainly talk of banning diesel vehicles within the area ringed by the A10 and extending it to include please craft. The standing mast route appears to go through that area?
 
I think the latest GVB ferries operating from Amsterdam Centraal to various places in Amsterdam Noord are now diesel-electric hybrids. There is certainly one, as I used it many times. I don't think they will have gone to the considerable expense to build such a vessel only to have it banned in 2025 (IMO). AFAIK it's the inner canal tourist fleet that is having to change over to electric - but that's a good thing I think.

The Noordzeekanaal from IJmuiden carries a huge amount of commercial traffic transitting to many parts of Europe - I can't see that suddenly stopping in 2025.

Of course I could be completely wrong ;).
 
There are half a billion cruising yachts in the Netherlands and I can’t see them being suddenly excluded from a main hub. I don’t know the regulations but would think it more likely that some law has been passed making diesel illegal for new craft based in the city, such as the tourist boats and private launches used to get around in.
 
I could not find a clear answer on the amsterdam website quickly, there is no mention of a permit on the staande mast route page.
However, you can still travel the IJ waterways with any engine.

So you can always follow the Haarlem route instead of Amsterdam, traveling by day.
 
SvenH said:
I could not find a clear answer on the amsterdam website quickly, there is no mention of a permit on the staande mast route page.
However, you can still travel the IJ waterways with any engine.

So you can always follow the Haarlem route instead of Amsterdam, traveling by day.
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Thanks Sven. I too couldn’t find any mention of any restrictions on the website. The press reports relating to this are all a year or two old and ambiguous as to whether it was to be applied to private leisure craft or not. At least one implied that it would be by 2025. Perhaps the idea has been quietly dropped?

Am I right in thinking that the Haarlem route is known for being a bit shallow in places?
 
If you enter Holland's wonderful inland waterways, you will happily discover that rules and regulations, qualifications and paperwork, eg ATIS, and the creeping bureaucratic interference which lefties love, but libertarians like me loathe, will vanish in a puff of smoke.
(Re. smoke: It is not unheard-of to meet your smartly-uniformed harbourmaster in a so-called coffee shop, puffing contentedly upon his 'pipe'...The Riddle of the Sands needs updating !)
They welcome nautical visitors of all shades, and the entire country's economy depends on noisy, roaring, smokey diesel engines. As it has for a solid 100+ years. Ban them? Not.Going.To.Happen.
 
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SvenH said:
I have done it with 180 cm draft no problem. If yours is deeper, some research might be needed ;)
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Thank you for this. I am 1.82m.

I have just bought a copy of the Cruising Association’s ‘Through the Netherlands via the Standing Mast Route’. It only arrived this morning and I haven’t yet had a chance to study it properly but at first glance, the only depth info given, relates to Grou Juction between Lemmar and Leeuwarden (1.9m) and Leeuwarden to Lauwersoog (1.95m)
 
I have been via Harlem with 1.8 draft several times. If going further than amsterdam one still has to go through it though. Via the north sea canal. Agreed it avoids the night route, which i enjoy, although it can be hard work getting from Amsterdam to Gouda in one hit which i have done.
 
There is one place ( forget name) where they load sand barges. At that point one has to keep tight to the opposite bank as they seem to deposite more sand in the canal than the barge. It can bring one to a sudden halt if not aware. However, plenty of water if one keeps well to the opposite bank. The route splits at one point so one has to pick the deaper route, without the Dutch book of the standing mast route to hand i cannot recall which route. I think it is the right hand bias one from memory
 
I think there is some confusion here.

In the Amsterdam city canals it is not permitted to use any kind of two-stroke engine. Note: the city downtown Grachten (canals). It is therefore quite likely that the restrictions for diesel engines also pertain to these canals only; this does not include the main thoroughfare which is a continuation of the Nordzeekanal. The inner city canals are not accessible to standing masts anyway.

This is, for what it's worth, my take on the situation. Unless you are operating a diesel powered canal tour boat, I think we can all relax.
 
According to the 2021 CA publication referenced above;

‘Air Pollution Measures
In some areas regulations restrict traffic to electrically operated-powered yachts and tenders, specifically within historic towns. This is currently being discussed in Amsterdam. However this should not apply to traffic passing through town(s) on major through routes. But you may be unable to explore the canals in your outboard powered dinghy (unless electric).’
 
Ian_Rob said:
According to the 2021 CA publication referenced above;

Air Pollution Measures
In some areas regulations restrict traffic to electrically operated-powered yachts and tenders, specifically within historic towns. This is currently being discussed in Amsterdam. However this should not apply to traffic passing through town(s) on major through routes. But you may be unable to explore the canals in your outboard powered dinghy (unless electric).
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Thank you, kinda was my point. With a mast up, you're not likely to stray all that far from the main routes anyway.
 
….while this suggests that the max draft is 2.5m between Willemstad & Amsterdam.
 

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Ian_Rob said:
Thank you for this. I am 1.82m.

I have just bought a copy of the Cruising Association’s ‘Through the Netherlands via the Standing Mast Route’. It only arrived this morning and I haven’t yet had a chance to study it properly but at first glance, the only depth info given, relates to Grou Juction between Lemmar and Leeuwarden (1.9m) and Leeuwarden to Lauwersoog (1.95m)
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We are also 1.8m [a bit more in fresh water perhaps?] and have been as far as Leeuwarden without incident. Some places are too shallow but it's not really a problem, plenty of alternatives nearby.
I would need to refresh my memory, but I think that the charts show winter levels, the summer levels are about 200mm higher [deeper]. Perhaps someone can elaborate?
 
There have been shallow areas through Dokkum but I think that this has been remedied. It is possible to spend a pleasant night or two in Leeuwarden but most of the bank is quite shallow, even for our 1.5m. Dokkum has a pontoon reserved for sailing yachts, with rather mystifying instructions for electricity. Most of the shallow bits of canal we have met have been between the Lauwersmeer and Groningen.
 
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