Visiting Holland this summer?

[dansar]

Mooring in Holland, as far as I can find out, is mainly in "boxes" with some alongside moorings, but are there many alongside moorings or are they few and far between? Reason for asking is my better half has a problem of climbing over the pulpit rails--a sort of vertigo-- and would prefer to be alongside.

Thanks for any replies.

dansar

 

[davidej]

My memory of Holland is that if you go onto the town quay (Middleburg, Goes, Veere, Zirksee, etc) it is mainly alongside but usually rafted up 3 or four deep.

 

[sabashahid]

Yes there are so you have to take safety measures.

 

[Dockhead]

In coastal ports -- Ijmuiden, Den Helder, Scheviningen -- it's all alongside in my experience of three consecutive years.

Ijmuiden does have box berths besides alongside ones for visitors and you might need to go into one of those if the alongside pontoon is full. But Ijmuiden is not an interesting place to stop and is better avoided anyway.

In the Ijsselmeer, there is a combination of different types of berths, and you may need to go into a box between thin booms or tied off to piles, especially in a smaller boat.

It's not that hard to go into a box berth if the weather is reasonable. Just fender up both sides and go slow. A Scandinavian bow ladder helps a lot getting onto the pontoon.

 

[PetiteFleur]

And on many of the small islands, you moor to the jetty alongside.

 

[De.windhoos]

In a box without a finger, why not go stern first?
A lot of marinas have fingers though.

 

[sailorman]

In a box without a finger, why not go stern first?
A lot of marinas have fingers though.

Only if you have an AWB
real yachts have retroussé stern

 

[De.windhoos]

Passarel will solve that

 

[theguvnor]

Just starting our 8th year as a liveaboard cruising Holland on a 13 X 4m Steel Cruiser so we have stayed in most of the inland harbours & have always moored alongside. Even you are guided into a box the pontoon fingers are always long enough to disembark from either side of your boat

Harbours are second to none for the facilities we require ( showers / toilets / water / Wi-Fi / beer @ 1Euro a pint etc )

Budget for 1-euro (=/-) per meter per night

lots have fuel & pump out if needed

I can advise of the best stops if needed, depending on your route/timescale but would highly recommend the book

INLAND WATERWAYS OF THE NETHERLANDS by LOUISE BUSBY for thousands of Stand up routes - or email me

mikeonodessa@hotmail.co.uk

regards Mike

 

[Fossil]

Would second what Theguv'nor said. Alongside mooring is pretty standard in Dutch marinas and in the scenic harbours, but as a casual visitor especially in the very popular places up North, and in the islands, you must expect to be rafted. Harbourmasters are usually very kind and helpful and will try hard to accommodate you if you call on VHF and tell them your crew might have difficulty. Does her vertigo apply to stepping across guard rails and then crossing foredecks, in a rafted situation?

Box moorings are more common in Germany and Denmark, if you get that far, than in Holland. But no need to get freaked out by them. We found the easiest way to do it was to have all the mooring lines prepared before you get anywhere near the marina, then take it slow and easy. As regards trapping the pole, you can either tie a big bowline loop and drop it on with a boathook or hold both ends of the rope and lasso it. Anyway, get one outside pole (preferably the upwind one if there is a crosswind) as you go in, then use the rope to control your approach to the pontoon. Once stopped, get the bow lines on, but don't firm them up until you have both back lines on. If you want to go in backwards, same thing applies - upwind pole first, control approach to the pontoon with the rope, pontoon lines on, other pole line on, then make off. It's actually very secure once you are in and many marinas have lines run from the poles to the pontoon to help you get in and out without swinging. And it is better to have the fenders on deck as you go between the poles, as they often catch.

 

[sailorman]

Passarel will solve that

My wife isnt an acrobat these days, its alongside for us,or raft.

 

[dansar]

Hi everyone

There's been some very useful advice given and it's very helpful.

Thanks Fossil ""Does her vertigo apply to stepping across guard rails and then crossing foredecks, in a rafted situation?", and your other advise on box moorings is good to know. She has no problem with this or rafting up. It's the height from the bow to the pontoon she would not be able to do. Because of where the furling drum is and the pulpit rails we cannot fix a ladder there ---if we could then we are back to the height problem!

Sailorman-----"My wife isnt an acrobat these days, its alongside for us,or raft." Yes, hence my post. I didn't want to moor up somewhere so she couldn't go ashore.

Any other advice would still be useful.

dansar

 

[sailorman]

Hi everyone

There's been some very useful advice given and it's very helpful.

Thanks Fossil ""Does her vertigo apply to stepping across guard rails and then crossing foredecks, in a rafted situation?", and your other advise on box moorings is good to know. She has no problem with this or rafting up. It's the height from the bow to the pontoon she would not be able to do. Because of where the furling drum is and the pulpit rails we cannot fix a ladder there ---if we could then we are back to the height problem!

Sailorman-----"My wife isnt an acrobat these days, its alongside for us,or raft." Yes, hence my post. I didn't want to moor up somewhere so she couldn't go ashore.

Any other advice would still be useful.

dansar

In 2015 we spent 6 weeks in The Netherlands

We only had an issue in Middelburg, told to use a box, couldnt moor alongside on the Northern side as its is "for MoBo`s". Wife had a real struggle & if alongdside not possible will give the very nice town a miss. Having been visiting since 1984 that would be a shame.