Saturday 29th June Ref: 2019/12
Our cruise today set off east along the Ramsdiep channel, crossed this Zwarte Meer before turning south-east at the Vogeleiland junction onto the Zwolse Diep and then up through the Meppelerdiepkeersluis and Beukerssluis locks (that latter after a long delay) and north through the Belter Wijlde meer to moor up at Giethoorn Haven.
After a very hot start to the night, it then became quite cold making us equally uncomfortable and then, this morning, the boat was covered in condensation to confirm that phenomena. I updated some of my Lady Martina cruising log and then the relevant website pages, but lack the time to fully organise the photographs and cruise data before Kathleen stirred and it was time to make the morning tea.
It was comfortable sitting in bed this morning, for a while, but soon the priorities of the day took over and we got ourselves ready and out to greet our cruising colleagues and make arrangements for the day. Chris was happy for me to spend a little while at the Marina investigating a few things and so I rode my bike down the pontoons and up the ramp to the balcony of the office where first I took photographs of the nearby seaside venue and also of the boats in the marina. I then cycled out of the marina and along the road, taking note of a sign which was advertising the presence of the local museum which I had been concerned to find. Upon further discussion with the Marina office staff, I established that it was a small exhibition situated some 15 minutes away by bicycle and with the interpretation in the Dutch language but it was an interesting one, in that it details the history of the area from its origins as a separate island before the drainage schemes united it with the mainland.
Once back at the boat, we had some fruit and cereal for breakfast and then made the boat ready for today’s cruise. It had started warm again and continue to get hotter until this afternoon the temperature seem to be in the high 30s°C and was quite unbearable at times, even under our sun shelter and inside with the air conditioning fully on. It was only after putting blankets over the windows to shield the saloon from the sun we got the internal temperature down below 80°F.
Today’s cruise started off well as we set off east from the Schokkerhaven along the Ramsdeip, crossing the Zwarte Meer before turning south-east at the Vogeleiland junction onto the Zwolse Diep and then up through the Meppelerdiepkeersluis and then approaching the Beukerssluis locks. This was where our cruise became delayed, the congestion arising from it being Saturday after a very hot few days times with a public holiday and so there were many boats competing to get through the Beukerssluis lock which led to a long delay.
Once through this obstacle, we cruised north through the Belter Wijlde meer to moor up firstly on the bank next to the entrance to the Giethoorn waterborne community area but, our companions not liking the idea of the wash from the passing boats, they investigated the nearby Giethoorn Haven, and called us across having found berths available in a much more satisfactory situation. The marina was quieter from the standpoint boat wash but all of the alongside berths had been taken, with local Dutch boat owners reluctant to shift along to allow us in, and so both Lady Martina and Ikon were moored stern-to, making the launching of our dinghies for the 'Dutch Venice Tour' impossible until our boats were moved tomorrow.
After a while where we were sheltered from the sun and in a breeze and could welcome our friends on board for drinks, continued to get hotter and hotter in the afternoon such that everybody became quite exhausted with a heat and had to seek showers and shady spots. After eventually sorting out the electricity supply, the air conditioning kept the Lady Martina cabins to approximately 80°F, and a little below, after I had shielded the windows with blankets from the sun. Kathleen walked off with Maggie to the shops for some groceries came back very hot and exhausted and, having failed to find the showers locally used our own aboard and then we both stayed inside to keep cool on a hot evening until the sun set over the bushes.
