With a morning visit from the autopilot engineer it was 11.30am before we got underway, which left us in a rush to clear Workum's remaining two bridges and the sea lock before the 12 noon lunch deadline. We just made it although we had to do some creative lock queuing in the process. Our first destination was the neighbouring port of Hindeloopen, described by one of our guides as "too picturesque for words". We were no sooner clear of the Workum breakwater, than it was time to turn south east and head for the small harbour. We fell foul of the mooring arrangements by trying to stop in an overnight berth and were redirected to a less glamorous spot alongside a fish stall. Nevertheless, the village was not a disappointment with the 17th century lock and bridge formal a central feature.

It is obviously a popular spot for tourists, and picnickers lined the harbour and the grassy bank, gazing idly over the IJsselmeer whilst munching their fish bits. We concluded the best table in the village to be on Lady Martina and we lunched in style under a cloudless sky. In the afternoon we continued our IJsselmeer passage, skirting the port of Stavoren and then heading south east towards the fishing village of Urk. The open waters gave us a chance to open up the engines and with the weather nice enough for a bikini on the front deck, one of boating's holy grails was finally achieved.

There is plenty of space for visitors in the West and East harbours, although rafting is the norm, and we were welcomed alongside by the owners of a beautifully kept Dutch motor boat. Formerly an island standing some 15km offshore, Urk was brought into the mainland by the Noord-Oost Polder, but a small fishing fleet remains. The narrow, sloping alleyways of the old village did feature the occasional authentically dressed local, but we got the impression it was mostly for the benefit of the tourists who have taken over the town. The Museum Het Oude Raadhuis presents the history of the island and the fishing industry, with a neighbouring fisherman's cottage added to the collection in 1998.

Cruising Statistics

Distance: 27 nm

Total to date: 1273 nm

Avg Speed: 9 knots

Duration: 3:00 hours

Diesel: 92 litres

Mooring: €13

Electricity: Included

Bridges

Bagijnebrug (lift)

Zuiderbrug (lift)

Locks

Sluis Workum

Charts

ANWB B "Friese Meren"

1810.4