A mammoth three week stay in Meppel saw us complete all our research for Drenthe, Groningen and Friesland, using the car heavily to cover the remaining ground as the cruising season draw rapidly to a close. We ended the season as we started it, with harbour masters not so busy, and with plenty of time to talk to us. Meppel itself proved a hospitable base, with its half price weekly mooring rate and free wifi at Herberg 't Plein on Prinsengracht.

We decided to make our way fairly gently (for us) back to IJmuiden to prepare for our homeward cruise, and first made our way upstream on the Zwarte Water, retracing our steps past Hasselt and stopping at the city centre visitors harbour at Zwolle. Although we were pleased with the location, the facilities (graffiti covered) and welcome (non-existent) left something to be desired. We had conspired to arrive on the day of Zwolle's annual Mediaeval Hanseatic festival, and the first Koopzondag (shopping Sunday) of the Autumn season, and made the most of a brief respite from our busy schedule.

From Zwolle, we joined the river IJssel, cruising downstream with the 2 knot current to their Hanseatic neighbour of Kampen. We had visited here before and found a friendly reception from the full-time harbour master. Larger boats normally find alongside berths in the Oude Buitenhaven but there is little space to turn and it is always something of a challenge. We found a place alongside another motorboat who obligingly agreed to the suggestion.

The next morning we made a fairly early start, prompted by a request from the boat behind to leave 'about 9'. They were still asleep when we pulled out at 9.15 so we needn't have worried too much! We used the opportunity to call in at a few harbours where we were lacking details for our Flevoland chapter and made a thorough study of the numerous Lelystad marinas. We even toyed with the idea of stopping off at Pampus island in the southern IJmeer, where private boats can stop to take a tour of the 19th century fort.

Having checked that it was possible, we decided not to bother, and made our way instead to the linear village of Durgerdam. Despite describing itself as a Zeilvereniging (Sailing club), we were invited to berth at the reporting pontoon at "Het Y", where the members were engaged in their regular evening Tuesday night sail, which went on until well after dark. Only four kilometres east of Amsterdam this surprising little village is a delightful stopping place and with a regular bus service into the city would make a viable alternative to the hectic central harbours. The old wooden houses were all built along the dam, necessitated by the St Elizabeth floods in 1421. A mixture of ramshackle unloved examples and those gentrified as holiday homes, the village is topped off by the tasty looking De Oude Taveerne with its riverside terrace. A mobile shop comes to the harbour on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, and you can take breakfast at the West End snack bar Wednesday-Sunday from 1000.

Cruising Statistics

Distance (inland): 70 nm

Total to date: 957 nm

Avg Speed: 7.4 kn

Duration: 9:30 hrs

Diesel: ltrs

Mooring: €13/night

Electricity:
€0,50/2kWh at Zwolle & Kampen; Included at Durgerdam

Water:
€0,20/100l at Zwolle;
€0,50/100l at Kampen;
Included at Durgerdam

Charts

ANWB Noord-Nederland (electronic folio)

ANWB C Flevoland

1810 folio

Locks

Spooldersluis

Houtribsluzen

Bridges

4 opened

8 closed (min 5.2m)

6 fixed (min 8m)