A two day stop at Urk for rest and recuperation was accompanied by an impromptu rendezvous with BOC members Alan & Sheila Gregory on Broom 9-70 Espero, who had extended their visit to Holland at the end of the BOC cruise-in-company the previous week. The nearby T-mobile hotspot at Restaurant De Zeebodem provided an ideal venue for a mobile web-clinic and we attracted astonished glances from neighbouring tables as we brought the third laptop out.

We made full use of the unmetered water and electricity to catch up on our washing before moving off on Saturday for a path-finding cruise through the Flevoland polder. Most boats choose the Markermeer or Randmeren routes, so we wanted to find out what lay within the 5 metre dykes of the Netherlands newest province. The steep drop in the lock delivered us into a surprisingly pleasant and wooded waterway, which we had almost to ourselves. When the Markermeer is busy or too windy for comfort this would make an ideal retreat for those who like to cruise in peace.

We stopped for the evening by Natuurpark Lelystad, where accordinding to the guide books we could see wild animals roaming free! We weren't too sure this was a good idea, but we ventured off on our bikes and were very impressed with what we found - a low-key wildlife park where we saw four types of deer, two types of otter, and at least a dozen storks all within a half hour bike ride. There is no admission restrictions for pedestrians and cyclists so we could enjoy the park almost to ourselves on our evening visit.

The next morning we decided to review the more traditional boating facilities at Lelystad and locked out of the Noordersluis, by Lelystad-Haven. Again, the level difference in the lock is about 5 metres, reminding you that you are on borrowed ground. After a visit to the passantenhaven and the newly opened polder museum we continued south along the Flevoland coast following it all the way round past Almeerderzand and into the Randmeren, where we stopped at Almere-Haven.

Often overlooked in favour of the traditional harbours on the east coast, Almere-Haven was planned as the leisure area for the huge Almere conurbation, and a rally of traditional yachts had brought out the crowds on a sunny Sunday afternoon. A boulevard of restaurants overlooks the traditionally designed harbour and the boats are the focus of attention for those walking by. We enjoyed a rare seafood platter in Krab aan de Haven, which turned out to be rather more sophisticated than its cafe-bar neighbours.

The final leg of this cruise was designed to bring us to Nijkerk, a town on the east coast of the Randmeren, where we had earmarked a jachtwerf that we hoped would be able to help us with a bowthruster problem. We made fact-finding stops en-route at Huizen, and the much more attractive Spakenburg, where we were introduced to one of the 300 local ladies who still wear the traditional dress daily. The fleet of wooden botters in the harbour and the proximity of the old village make it a must-stop port on a cruise along the Randmeren.

By the end of the afternoon we arrived safely at Nijkerk, negotiating the enthusiastic lock-keeper/harbour master who wanted our mooring fee before we had even arrived at the harbour. Fortunately, Langmans Watersport were able to help us and we settled down for a period of shore-based research prior to our visit home.

Cruising Statistics

Distance (inland): 64 nm

Total to date: 836 nm

Avg Speed: 5.3 kn

Duration: 12:00 hrs

Diesel: 74 ltrs

Mooring:
Free at Lelystad;
€14 at Almere-Haven;
€9 at Nijkerk (Gemeentehaven)

Electricity:
N/A at Lelystad; 0,50/kWh at Almere-Haven (16A); N/A at Nijkerk (except via Langman's)

Water:
N/A (except via Langman's)

Charts

ANWB Noord-Nederland (electronic folio)

Schipper Vaaratlas - Midden Nederland (Watersportverbond)

Locks

Ketelsluis

Kampersluis

Noordersluis

Arkersluis

Bridges

2 opening

21 fixed (min 5.9m)