Western Frisian Islands

[TLouth7]

I have been inspired by the Amsterdam thread to possibly head to the North of Holland, and especially the Westernmost Frisian Islands. Any advice for a hypothetical summer trip to the area would be appreciated.

Crossing from Harwich, would you aim for Den Helder or somewhere else? Where would you then recommend?

In the islands are you limited to harbours or are there nice anchorages?

How long would it take to get through the Zuiderzee to Amsterdam, and/or are there interesting places on the way down?

What is the shortest amount of time you think it would be possible to spend and do the islands justice?

 

[johnalison]

As I said, I once did it in three weeks in a Sadler 29, which involved going via Amsterdam, Harlingen, and then outside to Lauersoog and back. I wouldn't say that this invloved a full exploration. Den Helder is a good place to start, and has a fine naval museum which I haven't visited. For shorter legs, I would go via Lowestoft and Ijmuiden. You could miss out Den Helder and go to nearby Texel. This is a pleasant place with a aholiday atmosphere. There is a very good brewery which you can visit, and their beers are now widely sold. A nature reserve to the west is known for its nesting spoonbills, though I have seen them elsewhere as well. For Texel and other islands, a bicycle is desirable but they are usually available for hire.

Harlingen is a very nice town. The town harbour is sociable, as is the small YC round the back which we favour. there is quite a lot to see and explore, and a couple of good chandleries. A visit to the fish dock is interesting. From here it is a short way to Vlieland. This is especially attractive, but, like the others, gets very busy at weekends in the season. While on the subject, don't even think about transiting one of the locks into the Ijsselmeer on Sundays in August. A friend once took 4 hrs getting through.

I don't really know the other islands because we are usually on our way to Germany and beyond. It would be possible to visit one of the German islands, preferably Norderney rather than Borkum, and return outside or via Delfzijl, as friends of ours did on a 3 wk cruise.

There are anchorages, but I think they virtually all dry. They are popular with chartered barges and Dutch-style boats, but there are rules about doing this on some places for conservation reasons, so it would be necessary to research this first. I have not done this, but AliM of this parish has quite a lot of experience.

 

[wingdiver]

Harwich to Den Helder is a good option. Took us around 24 hours at 7knt
Once there, spend time at the Dutch Naval Museum and Lifeboat museum.
We didn't venture to the Frisians (apart from Texel by ferry). Others will help you here. Suffice to say, the waters are very shallow but many islands have harbours/marinas.
Heading south through the Ijsselmeer, there are dozens of places you could stop - Enkhuizen, Urk, Vollendam, Medemblick, Hoorn, Sneek, Lelystad, Makkum, Workum, Hinderloopen, Stavoren, Monnikendam, Marken.....
There is also a canal route south via Alkmaar.

 

[westhinder]

The West Frisian islands are certainly a worthwhile destination. Arriving from Lowestoft or IJmuiden you have the choice of going straight to Oudeschild on the island of Texel, or stopping at Den Helder on the mainland. The two are only a couple of Miles apart. Take care to arrive with a favourable current, or it will be a slow journey. In general sailing on the Waddenzee is governed by tide and the currents. Calculate the rise of tide carefully and you will be able to follow the shallower channels that take you across the watersheds, which is the real thing. If you can take the ground you can experience the Waddenzee at its purest as the tide goes out and the birds invade the sand flats. But be aware that you can't do that everywhere, as large chunks of the place are either nature reserves or used for mussel culture. If you can't take the ground, there are a few placets where you can anchor in deep water, depending on wind direction of course, but you may be anchored in strong currents.
Apart from Oudeschild on Texel, there are deep water harbours in Vlieland and West-Terschelling. They all get extremely busy in July and August and it may happen they can't accomodate any more boats. In that case, that will be broadcast by Brandaris, the traffic control centre for the Waddenzee. The other islands only have smaller, drying harbours. Take care when approaching the islands from seawards in an onshore breeze, there are extensive and dangerous shallows, and the channels are dangerous in wind against ebb conditions.
For all the islands, hiring a bike is THE way to visit. You can hire bikes everywhere.
As has been mentioned, Harlingen is very worthwhile. It is on the mainland and is your gateway to Friesland and its canals.

 

[johnalison]

The first time we went there, in the Sadler, our echo sounder self-destructed, which was disconcerting but not a terminal problem as we stuck to the buoyed channels.

 

[Ali-alshira]

It's worth visiting most of the islands, although they can get very crowded. Texel (Oudeschild) is, in our opinion the least interesting, Vlieland is traffic-free and very twee, but fun on a bike. Terschelling is larger and also excellent to explore on a bike. Ameland is our favourite- slightly harder to get to, so less crowded. We haven't stopped at Schermonnikoog, but the harbour dries out. If you get further east, then Borkum is easy to get into, but the harbour is a long way from the town. NOrderney is big and sophisticated, but the sand dunes at the east end are lovely.
Consider crossing to IJmuiden and sailing through IJsselmeer - minimum of 3 days to get to Harlingen (we agree with other posts that it's a charming town) but the IJsselmeer towns are lovely.
If it gets nasty when you need to get back, then you can duck into the canals and part of the mast-up route.

 

[johnalison]

Consider crossing to IJmuiden and sailing through IJsselmeer - minimum of 3 days to get to Harlingen (we agree with other posts that it's a charming town) but the IJsselmeer towns are lovely.
If it gets nasty when you need to get back, then you can duck into the canals and part of the mast-up route.

Hi. I didn't know about your new persona I'm afraid. Your route would not be my style. Having set my heart on the Frisians I would want to go straight there if possible, and meander back via the Ijsselmeer as time permits, and if it were my first time, save a few days for Amsterdam, which is scruffy but shouldn't be missed.

 

[Ali-alshira]

Yes - I forgot the password for AliM and had to start again!

The route depends a lot on the weather, of course. IJsselmeer is more pleasant than that exposed Dutch coast between IJmuiden and Den Helder in a strong west wind, but if it's fine or you are short of time, you might as well go straight to Den Helder or Oudeschild. If you have shallow draft, then you can sail inside the islands from one to the next along the drying watt passages - it's a different type of sailing! For deep draft boats, you have to go out between the islands and in again to access the harbours. They all have nasty bars and strong tidal currents, but are well buoyed. Get recent charts - and follow the buoys or withies carefully - we quite often find ourselves following a buoyed channel a good mile away from where the same channel was the previous year.

 

[Boz]

We didn't think much to Den Helder, but would have liked to visit the Brewery on Texel . the Mast up route from Den Helder to Amsterdam was pleasant enough and the town of Alkmaar half way down is well worth a linger ..... but as Ali says you are spoilt for choice on the Ijsselmeer and the Markemeer for that matter....

 

[westhinder]

If you have shallow draft, then you can sail inside the islands from one to the next along the drying watt passages - it's a different type of sailing! For deep draft boats, you have to go out between the islands and in again to access the harbours. They all have nasty bars and strong tidal currents, but are well buoyed. Get recent charts - and follow the buoys or withies carefully - we quite often find ourselves following a buoyed channel a good mile away from where the same channel was the previous year.

For Texel, Vlieland and Terschelling you do not have to go outside the islands. There are deep channels that connect them all, just take the tide with you. And if you do your sums and time it carefully, there are more possibilities. You can pass a number of the drying passages or 'wantijen' as they are called - in most yachts. We draw 2.1m and have sailed the wantij from Texel to Vlieland with 20 cm under the keel.
If you want to go further east with our draught we have no choice but to go outside, with a more modest draught the wantijen are practicable. It is a special kind of sailing but very rewarding. The buoys and withies are moved with the channels on a day to day basis.

 

[Prasutigus]

Greetings, W Terschelling is fun, lots of gorgeous ancient barges sailing about, very cheap bike hire, friendly folk. Interesting tides, you can't seem to avoid punching a foul stream for a bit, however you work it out, but that may have been me..

 

[Gargleblaster]

I will take up the point of anchoring. I once anchored with a number of Dutch boats off vlieland when the harbour was full. And that worked out well.

However twice I have anchored near the Dutch Friesians and found that someone has come to talk to me. Once the lighthouse keeper at Schiermonnigoog sent a search and rescue boat out to ask me what I was doing. It was night and I had just stopped for a sleep just outside the channel into Schiermonnigoog. On another trip I stopped off Terschelling for a sleep during the day and was woken by a Douane rib asking me where I had come from and what I was doing.

My conclusion is that as there are very few marked anchorages amongst the Western Friesians it is not seen as normal behaviour by the Dutch so unless you can find a marked anchorage don't anchor unless you like being disturbed.

In contrast I have anchored a number of times in the German Friesians without a problem.

 

[TLouth7]

Thanks all, you certainly paint an enticing picture, and make it sound quite achievable.

Is it possible to dry against a wall in any of the smaller harbours?

 

[Ali-alshira]

The Dutch anchor and dry out on the mud or sand a lot - you see traditional Dutch boats all over the place. We have anchored off Vlieland, too, just past the lighthouse, about a mile after the harbour, and also off Schermonnikoog. DUtch friends reel off a long list of suitable anchorages, but we haven't tried any but those.