A long time since our last post. Wifi reception has been like the weather, bad.
From Lauwersoog we locked out into a grey lumpy North Sea on Tuesday June 26th having waited for a window in the weather to make the two longish legs across the German Frisian islands.
We were now really into Riddle of the Sands territory and headed to Nordeney. We immediately got into the spirit of the book by following a channel which was marked on both the chart and the chart plotter but had no buoys! Shore to the right and breakers to the left for about 3 miles, and no Davies on board.
We have noticed before that buoys can be moved or missing. Good job the wind was only F3, although the seas were big as a result of the previous windy weather.
We passed by the entrance to the rivers Jade and Weser where we counted 12 ships waiting on the tide to go up river.
The entrance to Nordeney is tortuous and quite intimidating for a West country sailor, because the channel makes a number of turns and the sand banks are evident by the froth and breakers quite close to the buoys. Fortunately, in this case the buoys are easily visible. Nordeney harbour and marina had, for us, nothing to recommend it and is a long way from town.
The crew agreed that Erskine Childers can keep the Waddenzee!
On the next day (June 27th), we sailed to Cuxhaven. A long day sail of 67nm but quite enjoyable as the wind was fair and the seas quite calm. We were sailing in company with an English couple in a Westerly Sealord called Wandering Star, ( Janet and Chris) with whom we kept intermittent contact en route. The river Elbe, running into Cuxhaven is very impressive. So wide at the entrance that you cannot see any shore but actually quite a narrow deep water channel with sandbanks to right and left. Lots of really big ships going both ways, so yachts have to stay outside the main shipping channel. Feels like being a hedgehog by a motorway.
Halfway along the channel to Cuxhaven we heard Chris calling on channel 16 to say that his engine had failed! Nice timing! We acted as relay for the Elbe rescue services, Alan talking on the radio while Anne and I turned around to go to him and made ready our heaving line and long warp.
What a display when we got back to him about 15 minutes later! The Elbe pilot vessel was standing by, while a police boat came storming up to drop a big RIB off a ramp at the stern in true commando style, and then the big SAR ( search and rescue) launch did likewise. Wandering Star was already taking a tow from a big Dutch yacht, so Jomora and the SAR launch stood by while they were towed into Cuxhaven marina.
We were very impressed with the response to the distress call, but apparently similar events happen quite often in the Elbe, and because it is such an important river for the German economy every effort is made to keep the channels clear for shipping.
The big marina in Cuxhaven is impressive. Nice box moorings with pontoons, clean, efficient and a really nice restaurant all for €18 a night! It is also a short walk from the old part of Cuxhaven which is surprisingly pretty.
At Cuxhaven Jomora had a crew change on Friday June 29th. Alan and Ann left on the train to see Hamburg before flying home and Keren arrived with Mike and Theresa. They had very kindly picked Keren up at Hamburg station the evening before and after showing her Hamburg had taken the trouble to drive her to Cuxhaven. Mike had even printed the details of the Kiel canal locks for us. Thank you both of you!
On 30th June we sailed up the Elbe on the morning flood tide to the southern lock of the Kiel canal at Brunsbuttel. We had such a tide that we were sailing at 9 knots in a F3 with just the genoa, do not fall overboard in the river Elbe! We counted at least twenty boats waiting to enter the Alte lock which is the one reserved for little people. The other one had an enormous cruise liner in it. We let all the folk gallop in, and as recommended we hung back, let them tie up to the slippery floating pontoon and then went alongside. I have worked out that being last through locks and bridges is the way to go.
The Kiel canal is also very impressive, especially considering that it was originally built by the Kaiser before the first world war. It is wide, tree lined with 40m high bridges and lots of sophisticated traffic lights, which fortunately apply to the monster ships that use it as we did not fully understand the instructions Mike supplied! Yachts scuttle along the sides of the canal, but there is plenty of room for all. The big ships are closely regulated with pilots on board and travel quite slowly.
The weather was glorious, ( have we finally left the bad weather behind??), shorts and T shirt again.
Mid afternoon saw us turning up the delightful tributary to Rendsburg where we tied up at the tree lined Regatta-Verien marina. We are getting good at box moorings finally, slid into this one like Nordic professionals.
Sunday, 1 July 2012
Monday, 25 June 2012
Stuck in Lauweswoog
On the evening of Thursday 21st June, Ann and Alan Ramsden joined me at Grouw having got the train from Amsterdam airport. We had a long walk from the station as there are no buses that meet the train, and the only taxi service in the village went bust. Grouw is very pretty but not a teeming metropolis!
Never mind, we went to the same restaurant where Tina celebrated her birthday the day before and had a good feed and some liquid fuel. On Thursday 22nd we were weather bound, force 7 winds and impossible to exit our box berth, so more eating, drinking and reading!
On Saturday 23rd we were able to leave Grouw on a blustery but sunny day and motored to Leeuwarden. Leeuwarden has lovely moorings in the centre of town at Prinsen Tuin. These mooring have all the facilities but are in a grassed tree lined park area next to the old town. A very pretty stop.
The rain started during Saturday night and, by the time we left on Sunday 24th, it was pouring. Just our luck because we planned a long day through Dokkum and on to the marina adjacent to the sea lock at Lauwersoog. It rained and rained and rained. I have not seen it like that outside the tropics. Alan and I got soaked while Ann navigated and kept the spirits up with food and drink.
All things have an ending however, and we arrived to dry out, eat steaks and inhale two bottles of wine.
So here we are on Monday fretting to get to sea and on to German waters, but stuck yet again by F6 to 7 winds.
Never mind, we went to the same restaurant where Tina celebrated her birthday the day before and had a good feed and some liquid fuel. On Thursday 22nd we were weather bound, force 7 winds and impossible to exit our box berth, so more eating, drinking and reading!
On Saturday 23rd we were able to leave Grouw on a blustery but sunny day and motored to Leeuwarden. Leeuwarden has lovely moorings in the centre of town at Prinsen Tuin. These mooring have all the facilities but are in a grassed tree lined park area next to the old town. A very pretty stop.
The rain started during Saturday night and, by the time we left on Sunday 24th, it was pouring. Just our luck because we planned a long day through Dokkum and on to the marina adjacent to the sea lock at Lauwersoog. It rained and rained and rained. I have not seen it like that outside the tropics. Alan and I got soaked while Ann navigated and kept the spirits up with food and drink.
All things have an ending however, and we arrived to dry out, eat steaks and inhale two bottles of wine.
So here we are on Monday fretting to get to sea and on to German waters, but stuck yet again by F6 to 7 winds.
Thursday, 21 June 2012
Grouw waiting on a new crew
Interesting few days since last blog.
We spent three days in Einkhuizen, longer than planned but I had to pay a visit to my old company (Shell), in the Hague on Monday 18th June so it gave Tina and Lee a chance to visit what is probably the nicest city in Holland. While at Einkhuizen we also caught up with our good friends, Marianne and Casper.
On Tuesday 19th June we had a grand sail across the Isslemeer in the sun with a light breeze. We entered Lemmer through the large Princes Maargeret lock along with two 3000 ton barges. Three yachts like mice behind elephants!
The marina in Lemmer was easily the worst we have stayed in. As well as being expensive we had three tries before the stupid harbour master found us a box that was not already occupied or too narrow for us. Lee and I were fuming. Added to that there was a sign on the toilets that said that due to vandalism, they close at 10pm and open at 7am. This is in a marina that has no perimeter fence so free access to all.
We are supposed to be In a country where you are not allowed to flush solid waste through the toilets. So the marina management must assume that all the folk staying there have very strong bowels!
On Wednesday 20th June we motored up the canal to Grouw in sunny but breezy weather. Stopped at a nice marina, had a look around town and chose a restaurant for Tina's birthday dinner. Another marvellous meal.
This morning 21st June, we moved the boat to a more sheltered box in the marina, because a depression is moving in with strong winds, then Lee and Tina left to catch the train to Amsterdam en route home to Cornwall.
We spent three days in Einkhuizen, longer than planned but I had to pay a visit to my old company (Shell), in the Hague on Monday 18th June so it gave Tina and Lee a chance to visit what is probably the nicest city in Holland. While at Einkhuizen we also caught up with our good friends, Marianne and Casper.
On Tuesday 19th June we had a grand sail across the Isslemeer in the sun with a light breeze. We entered Lemmer through the large Princes Maargeret lock along with two 3000 ton barges. Three yachts like mice behind elephants!
The marina in Lemmer was easily the worst we have stayed in. As well as being expensive we had three tries before the stupid harbour master found us a box that was not already occupied or too narrow for us. Lee and I were fuming. Added to that there was a sign on the toilets that said that due to vandalism, they close at 10pm and open at 7am. This is in a marina that has no perimeter fence so free access to all.
We are supposed to be In a country where you are not allowed to flush solid waste through the toilets. So the marina management must assume that all the folk staying there have very strong bowels!
On Wednesday 20th June we motored up the canal to Grouw in sunny but breezy weather. Stopped at a nice marina, had a look around town and chose a restaurant for Tina's birthday dinner. Another marvellous meal.
This morning 21st June, we moved the boat to a more sheltered box in the marina, because a depression is moving in with strong winds, then Lee and Tina left to catch the train to Amsterdam en route home to Cornwall.
Friday, 15 June 2012
Enkhuizen
We left the lovely marina at Hoorn on a windy rainy Friday morning at 7am, ( 15th June). In view of the fact that this time doesn't exist for them in the real world, Lee and Tina were great, up and doing in fine style.
We headed into the F5 East wind to get around the first headland en route to Enkhuizen. The Isslemeer kicks up a surprisingly vicious sea, perhaps because it is so shallow. Lee felt distinctly average and Tina went from enjoying the pitching and spray to contemplative to being sick when we turned and started rolling.
The pain was not for long though as two hours later we passed through the lock at Enkhuizen and half an hour later were in the Compagnie marina.
The Enkhuizen lock is part of a long wall that effectively divides the huge expanse of the Isselmeer in half.
A small drama coming alongside a windward berth as Lee had not quite mastered the lassoing technique yet, which the Dutch seem to do with such aplomb. No matter, we went alongside near to the office which is supposed to be for two hours only and stayed there all day while we caught up with our horizontal time! We then moved to a box berth which was accomplished in fine style.
We will stay here for 4 days, partly to visit friends and go to the Hague, partly because the weather is going down hill for the weekend. No need to spoil a holiday for the young folk.
We headed into the F5 East wind to get around the first headland en route to Enkhuizen. The Isslemeer kicks up a surprisingly vicious sea, perhaps because it is so shallow. Lee felt distinctly average and Tina went from enjoying the pitching and spray to contemplative to being sick when we turned and started rolling.
The pain was not for long though as two hours later we passed through the lock at Enkhuizen and half an hour later were in the Compagnie marina.
The Enkhuizen lock is part of a long wall that effectively divides the huge expanse of the Isselmeer in half.
A small drama coming alongside a windward berth as Lee had not quite mastered the lassoing technique yet, which the Dutch seem to do with such aplomb. No matter, we went alongside near to the office which is supposed to be for two hours only and stayed there all day while we caught up with our horizontal time! We then moved to a box berth which was accomplished in fine style.
We will stay here for 4 days, partly to visit friends and go to the Hague, partly because the weather is going down hill for the weekend. No need to spoil a holiday for the young folk.
Thursday, 14 June 2012
Hoorn - with a crew
Lee and his girl friend Tina joined me on Wednesday 13th June and by 11am we had left the rather scruffy Aoelus marina and were motoring past the luxury hotel boats and out of Amsterdam and on to the Isslemeer via a lock and a road bridge. Good introduction for the younguns. The weather was sunny with a nice breeze, (but still cool) so we decided to see if the sails still worked. Naturally as soon as we had them drawing the wind died so back on with the donk.
The Isslemeer is a strange sort of inland sea for those who have not sailed there before. It is large enough that the far shore is not visible but no more than 5 m deep, in fact most areas are about 3m. It is funny to see what appear to be trees floating on the horizon to then find out that it is the far shore visible at anything up to 10nm away.
A short trip of about 10nm took us to the village of Marken. Marken used to on an island just off from Monickendam, ( it now has a causeway) and rumour is that, because it was isolated the folk were a bit strange due to inbreeding. Today it is a twee picture book village with green wooden houses small cobbled streets and restaurants / souvenir shops mostly catering for the tourist boat from Volendam. A small marina with average facilities, Lee and Tina's first experience of box mooring. They did very well. At 8pm we went out for dinner, (there are no less than five restaurants and a hotel). Would you believe they were all shut? Holland was playing Germany at football so they closed early! Maybe what the local folk say is true? Back to the boat for Dad's chicken curry.
Thursday 14th June dawned bright and sunny again with a very light N wind, and the young ones raring to go. So we headed due North to the town of Hoorn, another epic 10nm voyage. Here we found a very pretty marina. Tree lined, full of water birds and excellent facilities.
The Isslemeer is a strange sort of inland sea for those who have not sailed there before. It is large enough that the far shore is not visible but no more than 5 m deep, in fact most areas are about 3m. It is funny to see what appear to be trees floating on the horizon to then find out that it is the far shore visible at anything up to 10nm away.
A short trip of about 10nm took us to the village of Marken. Marken used to on an island just off from Monickendam, ( it now has a causeway) and rumour is that, because it was isolated the folk were a bit strange due to inbreeding. Today it is a twee picture book village with green wooden houses small cobbled streets and restaurants / souvenir shops mostly catering for the tourist boat from Volendam. A small marina with average facilities, Lee and Tina's first experience of box mooring. They did very well. At 8pm we went out for dinner, (there are no less than five restaurants and a hotel). Would you believe they were all shut? Holland was playing Germany at football so they closed early! Maybe what the local folk say is true? Back to the boat for Dad's chicken curry.
Thursday 14th June dawned bright and sunny again with a very light N wind, and the young ones raring to go. So we headed due North to the town of Hoorn, another epic 10nm voyage. Here we found a very pretty marina. Tree lined, full of water birds and excellent facilities.
Monday, 11 June 2012
Amsterdam - with me, myself and I as crew
Taking a yacht through the canals is much harder work than sailing at sea. At sea you just set the sails fire up the auto pilot and relax, (well almost). The locks and bridges in the Dutch canals are hard work. In some towns there are 5 bridges and each operator may keep you waiting for 10 minutes or so just to test your boat handling skills!
From the last blog you will know that Keren and Dianne left me at Dordrecht as Keren has "mum" duty.
From Dordrecht I braved the Oude Maas on Wednesday 7th June. This is a main through way to Rotterdam. Really big barges use this canal and it is not as wide as the more Southern ones. Fortunately they do not go too fast and know their business. However, at the first bridge out of the marina there was a strong current and nowhere to tie up. Interesting, stooging back and forth playing dodge the barge.
You learn boat handling under power fast here, especially with a dodgy prop!
From the Oude Maas, a handbrake turn right takes you up the Hollands Ijssel canal to Gouda, and another heap of bridges. At Gouda a good friend Ton van Beek joined me, stayed the night and then guided me to Warmond where I saw Dutch boat service in action. The yard owners wife gave us a cup of coffee while Jan Bakker lifted Jomora in his travel hoist. Rubbish in the prop. We went for lunch and came back to find the boat in the water having had prop fixed, hull pressure washed and topsides cleaned, all in the cost of a one way hoist, 150 euros.
I stayed in Warmond over the weekend to visit these good folk and another friend who lives close by.
Ton is on the committee and ex Commodore of the Royal Kaags Yacht Club. This club over 100 years old and owns two marinas in Warmond one of which is where I was berthed. So on Saturday 9th June I went to watch gig racing from the clubhouse with Ton and his wife Catharina. The gigs are exactly the same as those we see in Cornwall, and one of them "Dutch Courage" was made in Teignmouth and raced this year in Scilly.
Enough lounging around. On Sunday 10th it was time to head North again if I was to have any chance meeting Lee and Tina (our son and girlfriend ) in Amsterdam.
A lot of the canal work in Holland is governed by the opening times of the railway bridges because, whereas as most of the road bridges open on demand, (see previous comment), the rail bridges only open at certain times of the day. In this case the opening time was at about 6pm, so it made for a late start and a consequently late arrival at the next stop, Haarlem. Fortunately, met up with a very nice Dutch couple in an immaculately restored Contessa 32, so we cruised in company which made the journey less tiring. Quick look around Haarlem, a lovely city, before getting the head on the pillow.
Today, Monday 11th was again governed by a railway bridge opening time and the big motorway bridge opening time at Spaarndam. Lots of yachts making the transit in convoy so yours truly hung well back out of the inevitable melee close to the bridges. After the Spaarndam motorway bridge it is just a few hundred metres to the Nordzee canal which runs right through Amsterdam where there are two marinas ( Sixhaven and Aeolus) just a ferry ride from the central railway station. Most folk stay at Sixhaven but there is a tunnel being built next to it with all the attendant noise and dust, so I chose the other option. The weather was kind today breezy and sunny until I got into the Aeolus marina and got the cockpit tent up. Then thunder, lightning and the heavens opened. Don't think Keren need worry about me doing the town tonight in the rain. There is a restaurant around the corner with sea bass as the fish of the day so the hot spots can wait!
From the last blog you will know that Keren and Dianne left me at Dordrecht as Keren has "mum" duty.
From Dordrecht I braved the Oude Maas on Wednesday 7th June. This is a main through way to Rotterdam. Really big barges use this canal and it is not as wide as the more Southern ones. Fortunately they do not go too fast and know their business. However, at the first bridge out of the marina there was a strong current and nowhere to tie up. Interesting, stooging back and forth playing dodge the barge.
You learn boat handling under power fast here, especially with a dodgy prop!
From the Oude Maas, a handbrake turn right takes you up the Hollands Ijssel canal to Gouda, and another heap of bridges. At Gouda a good friend Ton van Beek joined me, stayed the night and then guided me to Warmond where I saw Dutch boat service in action. The yard owners wife gave us a cup of coffee while Jan Bakker lifted Jomora in his travel hoist. Rubbish in the prop. We went for lunch and came back to find the boat in the water having had prop fixed, hull pressure washed and topsides cleaned, all in the cost of a one way hoist, 150 euros.
I stayed in Warmond over the weekend to visit these good folk and another friend who lives close by.
Ton is on the committee and ex Commodore of the Royal Kaags Yacht Club. This club over 100 years old and owns two marinas in Warmond one of which is where I was berthed. So on Saturday 9th June I went to watch gig racing from the clubhouse with Ton and his wife Catharina. The gigs are exactly the same as those we see in Cornwall, and one of them "Dutch Courage" was made in Teignmouth and raced this year in Scilly.
Enough lounging around. On Sunday 10th it was time to head North again if I was to have any chance meeting Lee and Tina (our son and girlfriend ) in Amsterdam.
A lot of the canal work in Holland is governed by the opening times of the railway bridges because, whereas as most of the road bridges open on demand, (see previous comment), the rail bridges only open at certain times of the day. In this case the opening time was at about 6pm, so it made for a late start and a consequently late arrival at the next stop, Haarlem. Fortunately, met up with a very nice Dutch couple in an immaculately restored Contessa 32, so we cruised in company which made the journey less tiring. Quick look around Haarlem, a lovely city, before getting the head on the pillow.
Today, Monday 11th was again governed by a railway bridge opening time and the big motorway bridge opening time at Spaarndam. Lots of yachts making the transit in convoy so yours truly hung well back out of the inevitable melee close to the bridges. After the Spaarndam motorway bridge it is just a few hundred metres to the Nordzee canal which runs right through Amsterdam where there are two marinas ( Sixhaven and Aeolus) just a ferry ride from the central railway station. Most folk stay at Sixhaven but there is a tunnel being built next to it with all the attendant noise and dust, so I chose the other option. The weather was kind today breezy and sunny until I got into the Aeolus marina and got the cockpit tent up. Then thunder, lightning and the heavens opened. Don't think Keren need worry about me doing the town tonight in the rain. There is a restaurant around the corner with sea bass as the fish of the day so the hot spots can wait!
Tuesday, 5 June 2012
Dordrecht
Dutch hospitality and efficiency.
The harbour master helped us to berth alongside in his little launch then directed us to the local chandlery who ordered a new water trap that was delivered the next day.
Today, Tuesday 5th June I fitted it tested the engine and off we went to Dordrecht. A four hour motor along the Hoolandsdiep and turn right up the Oude Maas. Lots and lots of big commercial barges, monsters but all very sedate and giving us plenty of room. They only travel at about 7knots and the canals are quite wide so the wash is not too bad. Interesting event was going under the big railway bridge at Dordrecht called the Spoorhefbrug, a huge thing on which a section lifts vertically. The railway bridges are the real pinch points on the canals because they only open at certain very specific times so one needs to plan around them.
We were surprised at how strong the tidal current still is. We had about 1 1/2
knots against us while going up the Oude Maas.
Also surprising is the rural aspect of the canals. Dordrecht is a big city and yet the canal is tree lined and seems quite "countrified".
We are in a delightful small marina called Maartensgat, right below below the Grote Kerk in what seems like a residential part of the down town area. The marina has a little courtyard with tables and chairs. The tables have vases with flowers and there is a crested Grebe nesting under the pontoon.
The harbour master helped us to berth alongside in his little launch then directed us to the local chandlery who ordered a new water trap that was delivered the next day.
Today, Tuesday 5th June I fitted it tested the engine and off we went to Dordrecht. A four hour motor along the Hoolandsdiep and turn right up the Oude Maas. Lots and lots of big commercial barges, monsters but all very sedate and giving us plenty of room. They only travel at about 7knots and the canals are quite wide so the wash is not too bad. Interesting event was going under the big railway bridge at Dordrecht called the Spoorhefbrug, a huge thing on which a section lifts vertically. The railway bridges are the real pinch points on the canals because they only open at certain very specific times so one needs to plan around them.
We were surprised at how strong the tidal current still is. We had about 1 1/2
knots against us while going up the Oude Maas.
Also surprising is the rural aspect of the canals. Dordrecht is a big city and yet the canal is tree lined and seems quite "countrified".
We are in a delightful small marina called Maartensgat, right below below the Grote Kerk in what seems like a residential part of the down town area. The marina has a little courtyard with tables and chairs. The tables have vases with flowers and there is a crested Grebe nesting under the pontoon.
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