Which route to Vlissingen?

[stu9000]

Last season I sailed Harwich to IJmuiden, on to Amsterdam, and into the Markermeer.
It was a great trip. I ramble on about it here if you're interested.

I am thinking of doing a very similar trip next summer. But my crew have to be back within 10 days and I quite fancy a slow solo meander through the canals to Vlissingen, then down the coast a bit before hopping across to Ramsgate and home. I'll drop my crew at Amsterdam, or maybe Rotterdam if they want to do some of the canal bit. They will get the train or ferry and I will continue on alone.

I have seen people (e.g. Sam sails on YT) solo the 25 hour crossing direct from IJmuiden to the Uk. That seems hard work to me. Even with two of us if I found it pretty tiring.
Anyway, a solo canal route through Holland sounds pretty dmn good to me.

A few questions for those that have been before, if you don't mind:
There seems to be two routes south from Amsterdam.
One is a night convoy route where the bridges do not open during the day.
The other, via Harlam, can be done day or night.
Is this still the case?

I think the Harlem route is the most westerly, heading south from the north sea canal.
Can this be done comfortably in three days? By comfortably I mean 4 to 5 hours on the move.

Thanks.

 

[DanTribe]

3 days is possible but pushing it a bit and will remove much of the fun out of the trip.
I did Middelburg to Dordrecht in 1 day last season and it was pushing the clock all the way in order to make bridge times and tidal gates. There were a number of bridges and locks out of action for days so don't assume the passage is guaranteed.

 

[SvenH]

Recently it seemed to me that there was a lot of news about Amsterdam route being closed. Haarlem is longer but open during the day.
I found Night passage through Amsterdam a great adventure but would prefer not to do it again, unless I have crew that would allow me to sleep a bit.
I went through Haarlem twice, staying at a marina on Kaag lake (I think), gouda, and Dordrecht. It is a more relaxed route.
Through Amsterdam to Dordrecht can be (Is designed to be) done in 24 hours non stop.

 

[stu9000]

Through Amsterdam to Dordrecht can be (Is designed to be) done in 24 hours non stop.

Thanks. That is good to know.

 

[stu9000]

3 days is possible but pushing it a bit

Yeah I did wonder. I'll have to see how much holiday time I can block out.

 

[johnalison]

Haarlem and Gouda are each sufficiently interesting to be worth at least half a day for a preliminary viewing, Dordrecht a bit less so but the museum is excellent. There are a number of places along the way where you can pass a night with having to deal with a large town, including a small marina in the Braassemermeer and at bridge approaches. There are fewer bridge openings on Sunday, which is usually best avoided.

 

[DanTribe]

As speed is crucial I suggest you get a trusted source of information
I found Water Map Live one of the best last year. The run between Spaarndam and Dordrecht was very tricky.
Even so there was a lot of conflicting information and I had to interrogate each bridge and lock. A phone call to bridges is worthwhile for confirmation. VHF operators often too busy to chat.
I agree Haarlem and Gouda well worth a visit but I also love Dordrecht. If you can spare the time, a diversion to Leiden is magic

 

[johnalison]

As speed is crucial I suggest you get a trusted source of information
I found Water Map Live one of the best last year. The run between Spaarndam and Dordrecht was very tricky.
Even so there was a lot of conflicting information and I had to interrogate each bridge and lock. A phone call to bridges is worthwhile for confirmation. VHF operators often too busy to chat.
I agree Haarlem and Gouda well worth a visit but I also love Dordrecht. If you can spare the time, a diversion to Leiden is magic

People do seem to enjoy Dordrecht. I have had many happy days there - it just looks a bit forbidding from the main canal. There is a very friendly little club in Maartensgat which would be my first choice. The nearby church has an amazing carillon which gives mini concerts, on Saturdays I think, and we had a lovely chat with the carillonist when we went up the tower.

I don't know if it has changed, but we had trouble paying our dues at Haarlem last time because they wouldn't accept our debit cards. I always made it a point of honour to get to the front of every yacht convoy as this made jilling around at the bridges easier. Being unable to understand Dutch helps.