There were gale and storm warnings in force for today, but we opted to go ahead with our scheduled passage to Gouda, confident that conditions would not affect us too much inland. Our first obstacles were the two harbour bridges which open independently of each other and have to be booked separately. Once we had managed to negotiate these we made our way into the main river and turned north into the R. Noord. We passed straight under the road bridge at Alblasserdam with its 11m clearance, but the sailing yacht who had left Dordrecht with us had to wait for the lifting section to open. We skirted round the outskirts of Rotterdam, foregoing this modern city with its poor facilities for yachts. Instead we turned north into the narrower Hollandse IJssel, changing to the ANWB Waterkaart maps from the more detailed 1800 series charts. Even the CMAP electronic charts gave up at this point, with just a blue line leading to Gouda.

We had expected to have to lock through at the Krimpen an de IJssel storm surge barrier but with the barrier not in use and a clearance under the fixed section of the Algerabrug of 8m we could pass through unimpeded. South of Gouda we turned left into the Gouwekanaal and came straight away to the Julianasluis. There, service was efficient and, contrary to our guidebook, free. Shortly afterwards we turned right into the Nieuwe Gouwe towards the central canalside moorings of Gouda. A series of lift bridges and a lock operate on approach and we moored alongside on the Kattensingel where electricity points are now available. By late afternoon the forecast strong winds and heavy rain had arrived and we had to take cover for the rest of the day.

By morning the weather had improved sufficiently for us to venture out to the weekly cheese market, held each Thursday morning in the town square. Along with the original Kaasweg building and its explanatory exhibition, describing the importance of this eponymous dairy product to the town's fortunes, this forms the main attraction in Gouda. We took advantage of the free third day's mooring to make the hour's train journey to Arnhem, site of the famously unsuccessful battle of 1944. The Airborne Museum, housed in the commanding officer's former headquarters at the Hartenstein Hotel in nearby Oosterbeek, presents the entire story in film, photos and realistic diorama's.

The nearby Arnhem Oosterbeek Cemetery is the final resting place of some 2000 Commonwealth, Polish and Dutch forces out of the 10,000 who were deployed in this ambitious mission.

Cruising Statistics

Distance: 19 nm

Total to date: 1002 nm

Avg Speed: 5 knots

Duration: 3:45 hours

Wind: SE-SW 4-6

Diesel: 62 litres

Mooring: €11/3 nights

Electricity: Included

Bridges

Alblasserdam road (11m)

Algerabrug (8m)

Steve Bikobrug (lift)

Rabatbrug (lift)

Pottersbrug (lift)

Locks

Julianasluis

Ir. de Kock van Leeuwen

Charts

1809.8

1809.5

ANWB Waterkaart J

ANWB Waterkaart H