The Netherlands - in a motorboat

Momac

Momac

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I thought I should start this new thread rather than continuing with a thread drift.

The chief officer and I started with a 25ft cruiser in 2008 and in 2014 changed to a 33ft flybridge motorboat . We are based on the River Trent in Nottinghamshire. We have been on the Humber a few times and been out of the Humber and to Wells Next the Sea a couple of times . So have mixed with a few ships on the Humber and survived. Strictly fair weather cruisers so any journeys to sea will be May to September.
The boat is well equipped with navigation equipment and AIS.

Having seen a cruise report I am drawn to visit the Netherlands .
Goes , Middelburg, and Veere among other places in that part of the country seem attractive stopping places in a two week cruise. If this happens it will be in 2018. I like to plan early and thoroughly.

I am thinking Lowestoft as our UK starting point. Back up plan if weathered in is leave the boat in the Netherlands.

Having considered entering The Netherlands at Vlissingen I have been slightly deterred by talk of very busy shipping traffic. Therefore looking at other possibilities leads me to consider entering at Roompotsluis.
This looks like it will be less busy ? Other than it being tidal on the other side are there any issues with Roompotsluis ?
 
The Roompot is very straight forward but be careful in heavy S/W winds, (this is the case with most of the Dutch Gats ) winding shallow channels with breaking water.
But i guess you will be careful with the weather window.
Dont be put off the Shelde / Breskens/ Vlissengen approach,it will give you good options & a short trip from the Orwell
 
I'd avoid Dutch school holidays.
The tide on the inside of the Roompotsluis is not significant.
I haven't found the Schelde to be that busy on the three occasions I have been to Vlissengen. Coming in on the Breskens side it is only a short hop across to the lock.
 
Don't be deterred by the traffic on the Schelde, it is all pretty straightforward, as the ships follow the main channels and behave perfectly predictably. Just be aware that they change pilots off Vlissingen, which means they will slow down and then pick up speed again. The Schelde is a beautiful river and it is worthwhile to continue upriver to Antwerpen.
Alternatively, as has been said, the Roompot lock poses no problems either, always assuming you pick a fine day for your crossing.
You will be spoilt for choice, Zeeland is highly recommended.
 
We usually take our summer holiday in the last week in June/first in July, so hopefully avoiding school holidays and having long daylight hours. However I always have a look at tide times before deciding dates.

Thanks all for responding.
I have my ECF pennant so that should keep me safe !
 
MartynG said:
We usually take our summer holiday in the last week in June/first in July, so hopefully avoiding school holidays and having long daylight hours. However I always have a look at tide times before deciding dates.

Thanks all for responding.
I have my ECF pennant so that should keep me safe !
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South Region holiday dates for 2018 are from Sat, July 07 2018 to Sun, August 19 2018. Middle region + one week, North region + 2 weeks.
 
I hope you do not mind me mentioning this but if you haven't got it one of the best guides is the Inland Waterways of the Netherlands by Luise Busby
and David Broad. It is written with motor boaters in mind although I have used it extensively just bearing in mind that it covers some areas that are
not easily accessed by boats with tall masts.
My apologies if you are familiar with it already.
 
ditchcrawler said:
I hope you do not mind me mentioning this but if you haven't got it one of the best guides is the Inland Waterways of the Netherlands by Luise Busby
and David Broad. It is written with motor boaters in mind although I have used it extensively just bearing in mind that it covers some areas that are
not easily accessed by boats with tall masts.
My apologies if you are familiar with it already.
Click to expand...

Yes . I have the Netehrlands guide you mention,. But thank you . Bought it at the London boatshow this year. Full price of course but saved postage .
I also bought the RYA Cruising Almanac – which I obtained recently off Amazon for a fiver . Don't laugh but its It's the 2012 edition. But it was brand new condition , unused still in its original wrapping. I realise it will be out of date for charts but the details in it aren't really sufficient for navigation anyway . It is proving to be quite useful and covers a huge coastline.
 
MartynG said:
Yes . I have the Netehrlands guide you mention,. But thank you . Bought it at the London boatshow this year. Full price of course but saved postage .
I also bought the RYA Cruising Almanac – which I obtained recently off Amazon for a fiver . Don't laugh but its It's the 2012 edition. But it was brand new condition , unused still in its original wrapping. I realise it will be out of date for charts but the details in it aren't really sufficient for navigation anyway . It is proving to be quite useful and covers a huge coastline.
Click to expand...

if you have a lappi, install open cpn then from their site download the free Dutch & Belgian enc charts
 
sailorman said:
Lock tip

dont rush to be first in, hang back & raft up to those "already on the wall"
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On the other hand don't hang back at the bridges. Lights go 2 red, red/green, then 2 greens. Which you might think meant GO. The Dutch start to go at red/green, and if you hang back you will find the bridge closing again before you get there.
Fortunately it was a lovely day we were not in a hurry and there was a handy place to moor up and put the kettle on. :D
 
I am used to going through locks. There are some fairly large ones on the R Trent.
I take the point about being the one rafting up rather than being the one rafted to.
Good tip on going for it at bridges on red/green.
.
 
Leighb said:
On the other hand don't hang back at the bridges. Lights go 2 red, red/green, then 2 greens. Which you might think meant GO. The Dutch start to go at red/green, and if you hang back you will find the bridge closing again before you get there.
Fortunately it was a lovely day we were not in a hurry and there was a handy place to moor up and put the kettle on. :D
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Ah but you had one of those pesky sticky-up things in those days. The OP might not even have to wait for them to open.
The cheapest diesel in The Netherlands is usually the Jos Boone Shipwinkel Barge Middelburg

Other good / easy refuelling places
Zeireikszee
Willemstad
 
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I can pass under bridges with an air draft of 3.5m (if I fold antennas).

I believe I am required to have a copy of the ''Wateralmanak Deel1'' on board.
Given its in Dutch I will probably not find it very useful. Does the Wateralmanak carried have to be an up to date copy? (Last years version is cheaper)
 
MartynG said:
I can pass under bridges with an air draft of 3.5m (if I fold antennas).

I believe I am required to have a copy of the ''Wateralmanak Deel1'' on board.
Given its in Dutch I will probably not find it very useful. Does the Wateralmanak carried have to be an up to date copy? (Last years version is cheaper)
Click to expand...

yes, supposed to be latest edition.
in more than 30 yrs i have yet to be asked if i have one.
a copy is available from the open cpn site / links & is acceptable on a lappi
 
The Trent to the Orwell is probably more challenging than Holland itself.

Regards the actual crossing, if you are not used to crossing shipoing lanes, it is quite simple. Just be aware the bigger the container ships, the faster they go. 25kts is quite common these days. Also little white cargo ships go like the clappers.. Mostly they are reefers carrying fruit and perishable foods.

Once across the shipping lanes on the approaches to the coast it really is remarkably easy..
 
Tomahawk said:
The Trent to the Orwell is probably more challenging than Holland itself.

Regards the actual crossing, if you are not used to crossing shipoing lanes, it is quite simple. Just be aware the bigger the container ships, the faster they go. 25kts is quite common these days. Also little white cargo ships go like the clappers.. Mostly they are reefers carrying fruit and perishable foods.

Once across the shipping lanes on the approaches to the coast it really is remarkably easy..
Click to expand...

Bear in mine Tomahawk also goes like the clappers :ambivalence:
 
I fitted AIS which is connected to the main plotter screen . I find it very informative and of course it alarms when on a collision course (which is unavoidably often when on the Humber). On the Humber we have not crossed shipping lanes but we do need to travel quite close to ships . But the ships are not going fast. In a way the fact the ships are going slow can make it difficult to see, from a distance, whether a ship is moving which is where the AIS comes in.
My boat can cruise at 25 knots too but only in calm or slight sea. Appreciate the issue is when we will be travelling at 90 degrees to the ships.

I do not have Radar. Do I need to put it on my Christmas list ?
 
MartynG said:
I fitted AIS which is connected to the main plotter screen . I find it very informative and of course it alarms when on a collision course (which is unavoidably often when on the Humber). On the Humber we have not crossed shipping lanes but we do need to travel quite close to ships . But the ships are not going fast. In a way the fact the ships are going slow can make it difficult to see, from a distance, whether a ship is moving which is where the AIS comes in.
My boat can cruise at 25 knots too but only in calm or slight sea. Appreciate the issue is when we will be travelling at 90 degrees to the ships.

I do not have Radar. Do I need to put it on my Christmas list ?
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ais is quite sufficient, your spd is similar to Tomma in similar conditions but he is only a sailing yacht
 
Tomahawk said:
The Trent to the Orwell is probably more challenging than Holland itself.
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He's not going via the Orwell, he said he's departing Lowestoft.

OP, keep well offshore at Cromer, it's a pot marker maze. We found we needed to keep at least five miles off to avoid them.
 
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