Monday 8th July Ref: 2019/17
Today we cruised from Workum to Makkum.
The nearest bridges, of Noarderbrege and Sudergoabreg could be negotiated satisfactorily but once we turned into the Workumer Trekfeart, in a convoy of four boats, it was after midday before we arrived at the Nijhuizumerbrug. By this time, the bridge was showing two red lights and had closed or ‘paused’ for lunch for an hour from noon until 1pm. After this delay, we continued through the Workumer Trekfeart and then we turned into the Van Panhuykanaal at Tjerweed. Finally, we passed the Allingawiesterbrug and Hemmens Brege bridges, before approaching the Vallaatsbrug bridge and Schutsluis in Makkum.This latter sluis, or lock, was just wide enough to take both Ikon and Lady Martina alongside but not long enough to accommodate any others.
We had a good night at Kuperus Yacht Haven at Workum, but the wind got up with the rain falling heavily during the night and there were still occasional showers this morning, when I first woke up and started work. Chris Cole had problems aboard Ikon, where their main access stairs into the saloon had come loose again and so they wanted to cycle off into Workum to get some bolts and spare parts to fix it permanently. This meant that it was 11:45am local time before we started our engines and set off.
The nearest bridges, of Noarderbrege and Sudergoabreg could be negotiated satisfactorily but once we turned into the Workumer Trekfeart, in a convoy of four boats, it was after midday before we arrived at the Nijhuizumerbrug. By this time, the bridge was showing two red lights and had closed or ‘paused’ for lunch for an hour from noon until 1pm. We moored up and Ikon moored behind us and then two other boats came alongside as we waited for nearly an hour. I used the time to research the details in ANWB Book 2 and to brief my neighbouring boat on its use for revealing the bridge opening and closing times. In this case, our bridge number 281 came under the Friesland region and was listed as being subject to ‘pauses’ during the day. Because there was nothing special about bridge 281, the pauses with a standard time of 12 noon to 1.00pm and so we should have been aware and could have avoided this delay if we were more organised.
The convoy then continued through the Workumer Trekfeart and then we turned into the Van Panhuykanaal at Tjerweed which was a sharp turn which I misjudged and grounded my starboard prop before quickly putting the drive into neutral and using the bow thruster instead. As we cruised along the Van Panhuykanaal, we saw two Roe deer grazing a mile away on the port side. Then we passed the Allingawiesterbrug and Hemmens Brege bridges, before approaching the Vallaatsbrug bridge and Schutsluis in Makkum.
This latter sluis, or lock, was just wide enough to take both Ikon and Lady Martina alongside but not long enough to accommodate any others. Even so, this space narrowed at the exit and so, when the exit gates were opened, we had to perform some tight choreography. I first took Lady Martina astern, and Ikon then went forward and out and then I slewed Lady Martina sideways and forward using left throttle and left bow-thrust ; the accomplishment of which drew applause from the watching crowd; firstly when we left the sluis and secondly when I performed a theatrical bow in acknowledgement.
We then cruised along the Makkumer Dijp until turning into the Fiskers Haven, where we moored in boxes at Gebr.Van Enkhuizen after some difficulty in finding the place and then coping with the wind. We chose to moor Lady Martina bow into the wind, and we were sheltered. After some time adjusting our ladder and binding we had access to the shore via our port bow.
