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Category: Friesland 2016

Published: 30 April 2016

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Friday 10th June Ref: 2016/12

A smooth cruise diagonally across the Ijsselmeer from Medemblik to the quaint sailing port and attractive village of Hindeloopen. 

I had reckoned that Medemblik was only a venue for a single day and so it was always planned that we leave after one night and the other factor was the wind; which had calmed down to a Force 3 today.  I walked Max to the bakers for some bread and also settled our mooring fee; which amounted to €18 for the night.

Kathleen had been running the washing machine twice to wash clothes and so I got out the hose and filled up Lady Martina’s water tanks from the nearby tap. This water was free but had a ‘pop-out’ timing mechanism and so I had to get a wrench to clamp it in position to make the task much easier! As I did this, I engaged a local man in conversation; he making the usual comment about us having come across the North Sea (it being so 'dangerous!') and he had his elderly mother with him who was wondering about the origins of our boat’s name.

This all done, and the boat prepared, we started the engines and made our way along the Westerhaven, over to the Kwikkelsbrug bridge which opened for us. We then had a very pleasant cruise for two and a three-quarter hours in a north-easterly direction for 16nm at a speed of 6 knots, directly against the wind but the breeze rarely rose above 10 knots (and that was more than the 6 knots forecast) and so the sea was smooth to slight and the passage very comfortable.

We arrived in Hindeloopen and then entered the Hylper Haven (rather than the marina) to find the same old harbourmaster, who tells me that he has been here over 20 years, dressed with his white-badged skipper’s hat and grand mustache. We were directed to the south-east wall, which suited us as we could moor bows-to the afternoon sun and then I walked back to the harbourmaster to introduce myself. Later on, he introduced me to three guys on board a neighbouring old tugboat who reckoned that they had met me 12 years ago when I was with another boat and skipper called ‘Michael’.

A good walk with Max along the flood-wall and foreshore and were able to let him off the lead for a run with two other dogs. There had been a ‘dogs on lead’ sign but the sheep were in other sections which made it possible. Once back, I started writing my ship’s log and journal and then we decided to have an evening meal out; it being the 4th anniversary of our first meeting at the Northampton Ceroc dance event!

I took advice from those guys who said that ‘De Hinde' had the name but 'de3harinkjes’ (the Three Little Herrings) around the corner was the restaurant of choice these days and so we changed and I took Kathleen there later. We had house specials; delicious garlic soup to start with and then baked eel to follow, before the inevitable apple-cake and cream to share.

19-23degC, 39-32%RH, 1013mb pressure steady, good viz, dry, and sunny, F3, slight sea  with a 3-10kn N/NEasterly breeze

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Category: Friesland 2016

Published: 30 April 2016

Hits: 4109

Sunday 12th June  Ref: 2016/13

Cruise from Hindeloopen down the eastern IJsselmer shore to enter Stavoren, which proved to be a dull place, especially on a June Sunday, but a quiet and pleasant one, nevertheless, in  which to complete some chores and ride our bikes

We awoke this morning to another dull and damp day, but a much warmer one and thunderstorms were threatened for later but failed to arrive.  We merrily started washing the boat when the harbourmaster came and pointed out that the supply was for drinking water only but I got over that by connecting the hose to our deck wash facility and then topping up our tank again afterwards!

We soon started our trip on a day so misty that I felt it necessary to start the radar for the journey. It was only six miles and took just an hour as we cruised past the Oude Haven and then pulled into the Buitenhaven entrance further south. The sluis keeper responded on Channel VHF18 and invited us into the southern of the two locks but we could hardly see the entrance until we got there.

We rafted against another large motor boat and saw three more vessels cram in behind us before the gates closed the 0.3 meter drop commenced. This was all very uneventful until it was time to leave when the stupid skipper of a German all-male boat tried to push through a gap which was not wide enough and scraped all along our vessel. I was furious and let him know by my signals that I thought so. There was no damage but the contact between us on the motor boat inside deposited a thick layer of antifoul on our hull transferred by the pressure, which took a while for us to remove later.

We moored on a pleasant grassed island in the Stavoren Buitenhaven with access to the shore by a small bridge and other boats with friendly dogs on board for Max to play with. We unloaded the bikes and went for a long ride around the town. Now, it was a Sunday out of season in June but, having said that, the best conclusion you could come to about this place is that it is a mere over-night stop-over location when en-route to somewhere more interesting!

It is a quiet and pleasant enough place, and the Buitenhaven moorings are comfortable with unlimited electricity and a communal water point, but there is really nothing to recommend the place for tourism. Even the Tourist Information place specialised to selling tickets to leave the place by ferry, opened on and off through the day and had no stickers of Savoren.. I decided that we would just stay the night and leave along the canal inland tomorrow and see if we could get along to Workum. The moorings were nice and low and so we could get at Lady Martina’s port side; where the deposits from that incident were at their worst, and we successfully cleaned them off and polished the side accordingly. 

30-31degC, 40-32%RH, 1006/7mb pressure steady, poor viz, slight drizzle, F1/2, smooth sea  with a 1-6kn breeze starting SWly and backing SEly

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Category: Friesland 2016

Published: 30 April 2016

Hits: 4232

Monday 13th June  Ref: 2016/14

A full day cruising from Stavoren via the Friesian Meeren, stopping for a picnic at Paardenhoek polder and then visiting Heeg before carrying on to Workum

This was a very full day of cruising, much more than in recent times, as I opted to take Lady Martina inland from Stavoren through several of the Friesian Meers until we could stop on an isolated meer at Paardenhoek for a lovely lunch-time picnic with Max who was very relaxed and behaving himself even though a number of walkers and cyclists came by.

With thunder clouds threatening, we pressed on back onto the De Morra, along and across the De Flussan mere until we approached Heeg. I look around for somewhere suitable to moor but the place was quite busy and so we turned back, cruising along the Koarte and Lange Fliets until we could pass under the three lifting bridges and approach Workum. I was then able to find a space at the same place I moored in 2004, which was then known as Kuperus Watersport and is now just known as Workun Watersport but still had un-metered electricity for us to connect to. 

Earlier on, we left Stavoren, turning inland and along the Johan Friso Kanaal. The first bridge lifted without delay of need to call them on VHF 85 and then we cruised along with another motor boat in a general north-easterly direction  across the De Morra mere. I had wrongly interpreted the charts and thought we had gone much further than we had when we came to Galamadammen and so it was understandable that it did not look like Heeg! I turned back and went north west up what I thought was the Yntemasleat but it was actually the other end of the canal that led back to Hindeloopen and was restricted to 3m headroom! In the event, we just went a little way along, found an excellent informal grassy mooring and could let Max roam whilst we sat on chairs outside and enjoyed a picnic. Another boat joined us eventually and I sought their advice but they spoke no English and so they could not warn me that I had turned off of the meres too soon!

In the end, I realised and we embarked upon the rest of the journey across the De Morra and then through the De Fluezen mere, passing our turning at first as I wanted to check out Heeg. It looked like a nice place but it was mid afternoon by then and all of the better moorings were taken and I did not want a marina box or to raft up to another vessel with my dog Max on board and so I turned back and we followed out original course towards Workum. It was about then that I noticed that there was a track on my MaxSea chart plotter from 2004, when  I had cruised through the Freisian Mere from top to bottom. I followed this course along the canal through more meres and then under three lifting bridges to find that mooring.

Thus ended a busy cruising day

20-30-25degC, 75-37-49%RH, 999-9977mb pressure falling slowly, good viz, slight drizzle showers but warm, F2/3, smooth sea  with a 2-8kn SWly breeze

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Category: Friesland 2016

Published: 30 April 2016

Hits: 4246

Wednesday 15th June  Ref: 2016/15

A  cruise in good conditions from Workum and up the East coast of the IJsselmeer to Makkum; staying outside of the red and white buoys for deep water, negotiating sea locks and bridge lifts with the cost of €5 at both locations, until we moored up in Makkum's lovely Gem. Binnenhaven. The entrance to Makkum always has to be taken carefully in the buoyed channel from the north-east  without cutting the corner due to the sand spit.

The cruise was very straightforward and I made it the more so by deciding that we would ship the ropes and fenders and take the folding chairs and bicycles down below. The Ijsselmeer was benign today but there was a beam sea again and it was a little choppy at times, but this meant that we did not have to worry. The bridges and sluises opened easily for us both leaving Workum and the same at the other end, as we cruised into the Binnenhaven at Makkum to find a space in the very centre of the town.

We took our dog Max and walked to the harbourmaster’ office, overlooking the Schutsluis , paid for two days and then had a beer in the town square before finding the recommended bakery for some lovely cakes. Kathleen then used the supermarket as I walked Max on a nearby green cycle track and then we relaxed on the boat for the afternoon; Kathleen catching up on some sleep whilst I worked writing. I let her sleep for quite a while and then called her with some tea rather later and she was worried that she might not be able to sleep tonight, but she need not have worried!

We then took a walk together later, seeing the rest of the Binnenhaven, the town and taking pictures of things. There was a pretty house just beyond the moorings and with a fine English style garden with climbing roses and the gentleman owner was out there later dead-heading the roses and appreciated our praise. He loves his place and we could see why.

After this, we came back and I sat outside in the evening sunshine and Kathleen made our ‘gala dinner’ of a prawn cocktail starter and then grilled cod and minted vegetables. We had found the excellent bakers, bakker 'Kluft', which enjoys a regional reputation and bought some cakes which we enjoyed for our desert.

A nice view from our boat and we dined outside late into the evening under our porch and thundery showers completed the day before a fine sunset.

21-27 degC, 47-29%RH, 997mb pressure steady, good viz, slight drizzleand  showers but warm, F2/3, smooth/slight sea  with a 2-8kn SWly backing Sly breeze