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- Category: Horning to The Netherlands 2016
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Saturday 30th April to Sunday 1st May Ref: 2016/1
The Spring re-positioning cruise for Lady Martina to Brooms at Brundall for annual mechanical service, ventilator fan replacement, and repairs/modifications to stainless steel ladder and liferaft basket. The opportunity was also taken to welcome aboard Meridian Chartware for the installation of a built-in Vasari Solid state fanless PC and new chart software
Saturday April 30th was chilly with clouds threatening, as we had to stop, moor and drop our mast and canopy at Acle Bridge to get under the 11ft headroom. The late low tide also made a transit of Great Yarmouth that evening preferable but this involved cruising under the Bure Bridges and across Breydon Water at dusk and mooring up in Reedham in the dark, When fog had added to the hazards of cruising any further
The final leg from Reedham to Brundall was accomplished but after a long wait for the Reedham Swing Bridge but the rest of the voyage to Brundall was achieved without further difficulty in fine weather.
We filled up with 407.1 litres of diesel upon arrival and had a pump-out before leaving Lady Martina and driving home
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- Category: Horning to The Netherlands 2016
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Wednesday 18th May Ref: 2016/4
Short cruise from Beverwijk along the Nordzeekanaal to Amsterdam and there to find space at The Sixhaven Marina and a safe and pleasant refuge for the following day. Across by bike and ferry to the City Centre for transport tickets, local phone Sims and other necessities
I was first awake, up and dressed around 7am and was therefore around in time to see the Beverwijk workmen arrive. It was interesting to watch then as I made my morning tea and I could see them laying paving bricks around the new moorings. Later on, a group of people led, I believe, by the harbourmaster came to look at the work and when I called him on VHF 71 later to leave the harbour, he told me that we were the very first vessel to use them. We would also be very welcome anytime and he hoped to see us again! I think that I can take a little credit for this as we visited here in 2006, sketched the harbour and made notes in our book and, at that time, the harbour were embarrassed not to have better facilities for visitors and I reckon that now his wishes have been met my the municipal authority and they could see from our visit that they would be a success! We cruised out of the side canal onto the main one and then along to Amsterdam.
We had tried to phone Aeolis and established that there was no space there and so we cruised along past Amsterdam Marina (which is too big, expensive and impersonal) and in to the old Sixhaven marina. It has retained its charm but has had its facilities greatly modernised and we were accommodated on a very commodious pontoon for just €25 for the night with free electricity, WiFi but with a €1 charge debited from our prepiad services card for metered water.
Once we had settled, I got out the folding bikes and assembled them and then we took a ride around the area and across on the ferry from IJplein to central Amsterdam where we made our way to the tourist office so that I could buy two ‘anonymous ov-chipkaart’ travel cards. Rather like to UK Oyster cards they can be used for bus and train travel anywhere in The Netherlands and so I charged them with €35 each and then took them across to the railway ticket office to get them validated for train travel too. Next was the need to get our local Dutch Sim cards working for calls between us in The Netherlands and for use of local Data for surfing whilst we are here.
I now have the local number 0646 274 464 (or +31 646 274 464 from the UK) and Kathleen's is 0687 941 164 (or +31 687 941 164) which will be answered once we have ended our period of 'shore leave' and returned by car and ferry (with dog Max!) on Wednesday 25th.
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- Category: Horning to The Netherlands 2016
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This section describes the cruises that started with preparing Lady Martina for the cruising season by getting her from Horning via Reedham to Brundall and then down to Yarmouth, via Reedham again, and then out to sea and along to Lowestoft for the first sea voyage of the season in controlled circumstances. Then from Lowestoft and across the North Sea to IJmuiden where we overnighted in the industrial town of Beverwijk before proceeding along the canal to Amsterdam, where we chose Sixhaven marina to leave Lady Martina for the week whilst we flew back to England and returned by car with our dog Max
This first section describes the cruises that started with preparing Lady Martina for the cruising season by getting her from Horning via Reedham to Brundall. There, her annual servicing and some other repairs were completed by Brooms Services on time and to a good standard ready for further action. Modifications completed by Brooms included work on the life-raft cradle and upgrades supervised by myself centred on the electronic navigation, for which a new state-of-the-art solid state navigation computer (with no fan or moving parts) was installed as a bulkhead fitting to replace the bungee-supported laptops that have adorned the Saloon shelf until now! http://www.ladymartina.com/cruise-logs/2016/horning-to-brundall/brundall-lowestoft-3
The second phase involved the cruise down to Yarmouth, via Reedham again, and then out to sea and along to Lowestoft for the first sea voyage of the season in controlled circumstances. By now everything was proved to be working and familiar to skipper and crew alike apart from the old Navman fuel monitor and rev-counter instrument, which had proved to be faulty after the winter. Its function was well duplicated by the multiple systems on board Lady Martina and so is no great loss but a look out will be kept for any modern engine-monitoring instrumentation that could be applied to older style Volvo power units http://www.ladymartina.com/cruise-logs/2016/horning-to-brundall/brundall-lowestoft-2
The third part of this phase of 2016 activity was to cruise Lady Martina out of Lowestoft and across the North Sea to IJmuiden where we opted to lock through into the canal and turn off into a side-canal for the first night; choosing the industrial town of Beverwijk where they were just completing the construction of some new visitor's moorings where Lady Martina was the very first vessel to moor and stay for the night; attracting the attention of the Town Council who came to see the outcome of their investment come to fruition! http://www.ladymartina.com/cruise-logs/2016/horning-to-brundall/lowestoft-ijmuiden4
The last short leg was from Beverwijk along the canal to Amsterdam, where we chose Sixhaven marina to leave Lady Martina for the week whilst we flew back to England and returned by car with our dog Max. At €175 for the week, this was €25 cheaper than the normal choice of the modern Amsterdam Marina, and had also more charm and character as well as being closer to the centre by ferry. Sixhaven has also had its own makeover with its automatic ticketing and new mooring pontoons, which give much more protection to other boats these days. http://www.ladymartina.com/cruise-logs/2016/horning-to-brundall/lowestoft-ijmuiden4-2
