Slowly south through Holland

Sunday 14^th August 2011 – Holland and Charles’ 25^th Birthday.

Sunset over the Lauwersmeer

We left Norderney as planned in the mid-morning with just the last hour of the incoming tide against us; then we took the out going tide down the coast of the Frisian Islands.  There was little wind so the sea was pleasantly calm and we motored until the channel to Lauwersoog when we were able to have a short sail.  On arrival at Lauwersoog we were straight into the lock and out again in five minutes, that must be our record for the shortest locking through anywhere!  Once out into the Lauwersmeer we motored until we found a free staging for the night not far from the Willem Lorresluis.

Distance motored / sailed: 65 nm

Monday 15^th August 2011 – Northern Dutch Canals

James had me up early saying that the Willem Lorresluis (lock) opened at 7 am, we were there at 7.30 to find two red lights, so we began to wonder if it was a public holiday, as Belgium, and EU countries further south were showing in my diary as having public holidays.  It turned out that if you wanted to lock through before 9 am you had to arrange with the lock keeper the day before.  The locker keeper duly turned up at 9 am and let us through to the Dokkumer Ee canal along with three other yachts who were obviously in a hurry – this suited James as he could follow behind them at a good speed.  

When we got to Dokkum, I jumped ship with my bike and cycled along the tow path (not before I had got my hands black with grease from the bike chain which had come off and took me a long time to put back on).  However, I eventually caught James up and was able to take over paying the lock keepers, who put out clogs on a rod and line to collect their fees.  

Coming into Leeuwarden

Paddington by a restaurant we would like to stop at one day!

James photo of the 1st bridge into Leeuwarden

I cycled 16 miles into Leeuwarden where we stopped at a good supermarket beside the canal to do a large shop including more wine!  We then made use of the holding tank pump out facility and free water to wash the boat down etc.  We managed to leave the centre of the town before 4 pm when all the bridges close for the rush hour period but we still got stuck at the various out of town railway bridges and did not leave Leeuwarden until 18.30 which was quite frustrating.  We eventually pulled off the Prinses Margriet Canal at 8pm into a side canal with free staging for the night.

Distance motored: 36 nm

Tuesday 16^th August 2011 – to Amsterdam

Another early start heading south through the Prinses Margriet canal to the lock at Lemmer then out into the IJsselmeer and down to Lelystad where we added some diesel and were reminded of how expensive it is here about £1.32 per litre so we only put a little in!  Diesel was the one thing in Norway which was quite reasonably priced at around £1.10 a litre!  Then we locked out into Markermeer for the motor across to Amsterdam, where we cleared the bridge and the lock (Oranjesluizen) by about 20.00 but were not allowed to tied up there for the night so we found a wall up a ‘back street’ and tied alongside another boat that seemed unlikely to move!  Actually, it was rather pretty and there was a lovely sunset through an attractive bridge!
Distance motored: 68 nm

Our berth in Amsterdam and above

Wednesday 17^th August 2011 – more canals to the Kaagenplassen

Once again it was another day of motoring down canals, first the North Sea Canal, from there we turned towards Haarlem, knowing that the Spaarndam Bridge on the A9 motorway only opens three times a day, we were there with nearly 2 hours to spare for the midday opening and as the waiting posts have no way of letting one get ashore, James thought we should go back to a very rickety disused staging he had seen, it was too shallow to get completely alongside but we managed to nose in enough for him to get off for a short walk.  However, when we tried to leave we were well and truly aground.  In the end I got off and managed to push the bow off enough for our strong engine in reverse to get the boat back into deeper water.  I then had a run down the road to find a place where James could get the boat in close enough for me to climb back on!  I had thought that at the worse I could walk around to the Spaarndam lock to meet him.  However, in the end he was able to nose into a wharf near the bridge and I scrambled aboard under the stanchion wires.  Once through the bridge it is a short distance to the lock which since we were there in 2009 has been rebuilt and the lock keeper has a very nice new building beside the lock where one goes to pay the toll.  

Haarlem

Then it was on to Haarlem where there are ten bridges to be negotiated, with payment / bridge toll being paid about 3 bridges in.  Once again James dropped me alongside a wall to go and make the payment and then went through a further two bridges before I found a suitable place where he could get alongside enough for me to jump back aboard!  

We want one of these, seen just before the Sassenheim Bridge

After the bridge!

The next wait was at the Sassenheim Motorway Bridge which again only opens during three periods in the day, so we had a couple of hours to wait for the 18.30 bridge, which let us out into the Kagenplassen - one of our favourite lakes, southwest of Amsterdam, where we returned to a favourite anchoring spot for two nights.  The water is very shallow not much more than 1.8 metres anywhere so it was nicely warm and I was able to have my exercise with lots of swimming.

Wednesday race night in the Kagger plassen

Distance motored: 30 nm

Thursday 18^th August 2011 – at anchor

Other than swimming it was a day to read books and relax.

Friday 19^th August 2011 - Entertaining

Sheryll & James

We had arranged to meet a long standing friend – Sheryll Smith, who we met years ago in the Grevelingenmeer when she and her Dutch ex-husband used to have sailing holidays there with their children who were slightly older than Jeremy and Charles but nevertheless they all got on well and having an English mother there was no language barrier.  So we moved the boat to Kaag Island where we were able to moor for a few hours at a marina and take the ferry across to meet Sheryll who drove to meet us and then took us to Lisse where we treated her to a Chinese Rice Table.  Then it was back to the boat for tea and cake!  After Sheryll left we motored the short distance to the Westeinderplassen and found a free berth on one of the Islands.  Again the water is very shallow so nice and warm and I was able to swim daily.

Distance motored: 9 nm!

Saturday 20^th August 2011 – Amsterdamse Bos

This morning we decided to motor up the canal through the Nieuwe Meer in sight of Schiphol runways and went alongside some staging at Schinkelbos where we could get the bikes out for a ride.  However, poor James had to spend a hour of so repairing my chain guard before we could cycle to Amsterdamse Bos, a lovely recreational wooded park about 10 miles from Amsterdam.  Being a Saturday it was lovely to see the park so well used: games fields, goat farm, rowing canal, children’s play areas and paddling pools plus a very good pancake restaurant that we always enjoy visiting for lunch, this time it was a very late lunch!  Once back on the boat we returned to the Westeinder Plassen to anchor for the night and I had another swim.

Distance motored: 12 nm

Sunday 21^st August 2011 – Dinghy up and missing my Aunt’s 90^th birthday party!

Most of the day was spent at anchor relaxing.  I did manage to ring my Aunt in the morning to wish her a good 90^th birthday and I was sorry to be missing the family party, with all my cousins, as we rarely all get together these days.

However, during the afternoon we did blow the rubber dinghy up for only second time this year and certainly the first time the engine has been used for at least two years and we went on a trip around the various small islands and waterways primarily to see if there were any suitable spots we could move to. Once all the weekenders had left, we up anchored and in the end returned to the same island we had been at on Friday, time again for me to have another swim in the lea of the Island as it had been quite windy all day and the main lake was choppy. 

Monday 22^nd August 2011 – continuing south

I got up early to have a 30 minute swim before we left the Westeinderplassen soon after 8 am to continue south down the canal system.  We had a stop at Alphen der Rijn, where we always like to shop, however, I had not realised that most shops do not open until 1300 on Mondays (seems quite civilised if inconvenient for me), so we could not visit a good cheese shop we like but luckily the supermarket was open.

We then joined a convoy to continue down the canals through various bridges and just made the lunch railway bridge opening at Gouda, and then it was a very full lock out into the Hollandsche IJssel.  Again we managed to get through the Algera Bridge at Capelle a/d IJssel before the 3 hour break for the afternoon rush hours shut down from 1600 – 1900, we were getting rather short of fuel so we were glad to be able to fill up from a barge just the other side of the bridge and were even happier to find the diesel 10 cents per litre cheaper that at Lelystad, so we completely filled up and with water as that was also getting quite low.  Then it was on slowly to Alblasserdam for the 18.30 bridge before full throttle to catch the 19.16 bridges at Dordrecht.  We then continued on to Oud-Beijerland at the north end of the Spui River where we arrived just before 9 pm and the Harbour Master was still around to collect our berthing fee of 10.90 euros including electricity.

Distance motored: 53 nm

Tuesday 23^rd August 2011 - Oud-Beijerland

I awoke (James was already walking) to the sound of thunder, lightening and torrential rain, which continued until midday, by which time we had decided to stay here for another night, particularly as the tide to the Haringvliet would be against us in the afternoon and I wanted to find the library where I could use the Internet but this did not open until 1300 hours.  So as we have electricity and water available, I spent the morning was spent catching up with some washing.

Oud Beijerland by night

By the afternoon the sun was out and very warm, so were able to have a walk around, we have been here two or three times in the last 25 years but it is still a pretty small town on an island.  I was able to sort my Internet banking out at the Library but of course on returning to the boat I found James had found a free WIFI site which had only started working during the afternoon for a few hours!

Germany in the rain

Wednesday 10^th August 2011 – British Kiel Yacht Club

We left Fynshav at 0730 with a Beaufort force 4 winds from the west, so at last we were able to turn the engine off and sail.  Whilst we were sheltered by the Island of Als we had a smooth sea, as soon as we left that shelter the seas built up and the wind increased to force 5 -6 with gust of 7, so James had to take some sail in.  Whilst the motion was not very pleasant we were at least sailing for 6 hours until we reached the estuary up to Kiel, where the rain began.  We stopped for diesel at Strande between the heavy down pours, then motored the 20 minutes to the British Kiel Yacht Club for the night. 

The plan had been to get the bikes out and cycle into Friedrichsort, the closest shopping area to the BKYC to stop up with wine at German prices – much cheaper than the UK.  However, the rain never let up, we did venture off to the club house hoping to find the bar open to enjoy their good prices and find some company, but the bar remained firmly shut!   In the past we have enjoyed Hallo pizzas delivered to the club, usually ordered with the help of bar staff, particularly as James likes special fillings i.e. shrimp and hollandaise sauce, I did try to order some pizza’s mine would have come direct from the menu which was easy but I could not get them to understand what James wanted, so nothing arrived!

BKYC is available for non Germans to stop at.  Berthing is with long lines to stern posts.  The cost for our size boat was E18.  The ladies showering area also offers one bath!  If the bar is open then good value drinks are available.  Also at weekends you can book in for an excellent Brunch for just E2.50

Distance sailed 44 nm

Thursday 11^th August 2011 – Kiel Canal: rain and more rain

 The rain continued throughout the night, James did his morning walk in the rain and we midmorning started to walk to the shops, by the time we got out of the BKYC James said “this is stupid, we are already soaked” so we returned to the boat and then decided to order a taxi to town, whilst I put all the wet clothes in the tumble drier!

Between 2 supermarkets we managed to get a reasonable supply of the sparkling wine that we like and some boxes of wine and Martini to keep us going through the autumn and perhaps the winter and re-stocked the fridge for the next few days.  The taxi took us back and having loaded the boat we were off round the corner to the lock and entrance to the Kiel Canal.  We had rather a long wait for a lock; however, the cost for our size boat to traverse the canal is still 18 Euros. Yachts can only be on the canal during daylight hours, the times being set out in a leaflet I collected as I paid our dues.  At present this was until 21.00 hours

Ships in the Kiel Canal

We motored in the rain the 35 miles to the berths at the entrance to the Gieselau Canal and arrived with half an hour to spare.  We had to raft up alongside a Dutch Yacht.

Bow wave of a ship passing us in the rain in the Kiel Canal

Distance motored: 37 nm

Friday 12^th August 2011 – Cuxhaven

As we did not want to leave Brunsbuttel at the west end of the canal until the tide down the Elbe was going out, we were able to have a very leisurely morning and both of us took the opportunity to walk in the rain – unbelievably this is the third day of rain.  James did his ‘4 miles in the hour’ first thing and I went later on with my Nordic poles for two miles.  We eventually left the Gieselau berths at 11.15 for final 24 miles to Brunsbuttell.  Again there was a bit of a wait for the lock waiting for a barge that went in first before us yachties were allowed in.   We had an English sail training vessel alongside us who had been in the Stavanger with the Tall Ships, not that we had seen her there. They were on their way back to Plymouth due there next Thursday (18^th) and were planning to make their next stop at Ostend!

By the time we exited the lock the tide sluiced us down to Cuxhaven in less than two hours.  Having paid for our berth, we then walked into the town and found another supermarket and stocked up with more liquid supplies and a takeaway supper and we took a taxi back with all the boxes!

Later in the evening I was surprise to hear a knock on the boat and then see two Swede’s brandishing a bottle of red wine, it turned out that they were good friends of the Swedish boat “Trud” that we pulled off a spit in the Limfjord, who were heading south and had been asked to keep a look out for us and if they found us to deliver a bottle of wine as thanks.  We assume they must also have AIS to have been able to find us amongst the hundreds of boats in 3 marinas.

Cuxhaven – E15 p.n.  Electric & showers etc extra

Distance motored: 35 nm

Saturday 13^th August 2011 – Norderney

We had an early 04.30 start to take the last 3 hours of the ebb down the Elbe, at times we had 4 knots of tide with us.  It was still dark as we left Cuxhaven along with a lot of other yachts, so I did not return to bed until James had good visibility as there was a lot of shipping coming up the channel.  By the time I came up to take over the watch we were in the midst of the anchorage for the Elbe and Bremerhaven which was very full along with ships coming out of two channels, the AIS on the chart plotter looked horrendous, luckily James stayed up until we were out of it, I then had an easy watch!  As there was very little wind, James had given up trying to motor sail and other than a little swell we had a virtually flat sea – just the way I like it!

AIS on the Chart Plotter after Cuxhaven

We arrive at Norderney at 14.30 in lovely sunshine, what a difference that makes after all the rain!  In the late afternoon we had a gentle stroll (as much as James can stroll) around the harbour.

A fire ship at play, as seen on our passage!

Norderney Marina

Norderney

Norderney Marina: E21 plus extra for electricity, internet and card for washing facilities.

Distance motored: 72 nm

 

Old friends in Fynshav

Friday 5th August 2011 - Battling winds and current


On leaving Grenaa in the morning it was still a motor job into wind, though not as strong as yesterday and the sea was much calmer, however, the current continued to be against us all day - in the Baltic the tides are not very strong and movement is mainly wind driven.  We had hoped to get beyond Middlefart where we knew we could anchor for the night and only have only a short distance to cover to Fynshav on the Island of Als.  However, the progress was slow and by the late afternoon the wind had strengthened and the sea had come up again, so we turned round and sailed 5 or so miles back to a harbour on the Island of Samso - Marup Havn for the night.

Marup Havn cost: Dkk 155 for one night, payable at the machine in the harbour.  Showers & WC's available.  Also restaurant / fast food kiosk / small store with all sorts of things and limited food, but bread can be ordered the day before for 8 am delivery.
Distance motored / sailed: 86 nm

Saturday 6th August 2011 - Fynshav at last!

James & Astrid

We made an early start i.e. 5.30 am and continued motoring into wind but at least this was down to force 3 - 4 on the nose.  The sea had flatten so we spent the day chugging away at the miles, arriving at Fynshav in the late afternoon.  We were soon met by long standing friends of mine (James & Hanne Lawrie) from my childhood in Nigeria, who whisked us back to their charming cottage for a superb supper, their daughter Astrid, who had been my sister's best friend in Zaria, was also there to see us which was lovely.

Motored: 85 nm


Sunday 7th - Tuesday 9th August 2011

James & Hanne - supper on Paddington IV

On Sunday we spent the day sorting out the boat, lots of hand washing and a visit to the shop to re-stock our very empty fridge.  James and Hanne came for tea and then took us back to theirs for another very good supper.  The weather has not been very good but we were keen to try and get James and Hanne out on the boat, so when James checked the forecast we felt Monday was the best chance of a trip, the plan had been to sail across to an Island about 10 miles away for some lunch at the local Kro (inn).  However, as we approached the harbour the wind came up along with some thunder and rain so my James felt it was better to turn around and motor back as gales were forecast for the evening.  Being a deck saloon, meant that we could have a snack lunch sheltered from the rain but still with a view.  We returned to Fynshav in the mid afternoon, giving James and Hanne time to go home for a rest before returning to the boat for supper with us, our chance to return some hospitality!  I also had time to put our sheets through the washing machine at the Marina.

Tuesday dawned very wet with strong winds, making us glad that we had our sail yesterday.  However, I have been able to spend the morning in the Club House here using the Internet whilst heavy showers have blown through - stair rods come to mind!

Sundowners at James & Hanne's cottage

Tonight we are to have a farewell supper with James & Hanne and then tomorrow we hope the wind will have decreased enough to leave for Kiel.  Then we hope to leave the north sea end of the Kiel Canal on Saturday morning heading for Holland but probably with a night at Norderney.











Fynshav Marina: 8 - 11 metre boat Dkk 110 pn, over 11 metres Dkk 150 inclusive of electricity and water.  Free internet access up at the club.  A washing & a drying machine are available, tokens from the Harbour master (0830 - 0930 & 17.30 - 18.30).  Showers & WC block.  Diesel available.

Denmark and the Limfjord

Sunday 31^st July 2011 – Denmark again!

Leaving Norway

The rising sun over Norway

We left Norway at 5 am with the sun just rising and had an uneventful if rather lollopy crossing to Denmark, the sails were in and out throughout the day, the force 3 – 4 wind was behind us from the north west, and the motor on the whole way.  The 96 miles to the Thyboron entrance were accomplished in just over 12 hours we the continued on into the Limfjord for a further couple of hours before picking up a mooring buoy in a bay just before Lemvig.

Back in Denmark - not a mountain in sight!  

Distance motored / sailed: 107 nm

Monday 1^st August 2011 – Our first meal out since early May!

It was lovely to wake to sunshine and warmth, the water temperature in the Limfjord is between 23 – 26 degrees C, so I had my first proper swim of the summer, 40 minutes before we left and followed the channel the 3 miles up to Lemvig, where we re-fuelled – we are back to expensive diesel at approx £1.40 a litre (one of the few less expensive things in Norway was the diesel averaging about £1.10 a litre). 

We last visited Lemvig in the summer of 2006 when our main trip was to sail the Limfjord and a restaurant (Mathilde) that had been recommended to us was closed as it was a Monday.  However, to our surprise we found it open – now under new management – and we had a very good self-service buffet lunch, James said the fish soup was one of the best he’d ever had (I could not try it as it had shrimps etc in it!).  This was only our first meal out since 8^th May, when we eat at Burger King in Stavanger to get Internet access!

After lunch we did a quick shop, mainly to stock up with boxes of wine at £9 and Vermouth which I was nearly out of!  Then we headed off to another favourite anchorage of Harre Vig, arriving at 8pm.

Sunset in the Limfjord

Distance motored / sailed: 29 nm

Tuesday 2^nd August 2011 – Enjoying the Limfjord

Another fairly leisurely morning, I had my 40 minute swim before breakfast, on leaving the anchorage we were able to do our ‘good deed’ for the day and pulled a Swedish yacht off the spit at the entrance to the bay, on which they had grounded.

James' 1st swim of the season

We had a good sail to the Island of Fur, where we moored to the jetty and went for a cycle ride around the Island retracting our steps of 5 years ago!  Then we motored around the corner to a bay off the Island where we found the only buoy unoccupied. Here even James was persuaded to swim and I took the opportunity to sponge down the sides of the boat – amazingly not very dirty after more than 3000 miles.

Distance motored / sailed: 18 nm

Wednesday 3rd August 2011 – another meal out!

Livo mooring

Another bright sunny morning saw me doing my 40 minute swim to the beach for a walk and a swim back.  James also took a dip before breakfast.  Then it was off for the short motor (6 miles) to the tiny island of Livo, where once again we got the bikes out and retraced our route of a few years ago, instead of a new born calf and unafraid hare that we saw in June 2006, I picked wild red currents and yellow plums and we were plagued by flies!   

A view from Livo

On returning to the boat we found that the wind had got up and our berth was untenable as we were being blown on to the jetty and the stern buoy could not be made any tighter.  So we hurriedly      folded the bikes and left. 

We had a super sail to Logstor, the scene of a very good meal for our wedding anniversary in 2006, so we returned to the Kulgaarden restaurant for a late lunch of mussels and old fashioned Danish apple cake, overlooking our boat tied alongside the old canal wall.

Going through the bridges at Aalborg

We decided that as we had been able to eat at the restaurant that we would continue our passage through the Limfjord so left and motored to Aalborg to get through the railway and road bridges just before they closed for the night at 2100 hours.  We then negotiated the very narrow buoyed channel to the small club marina of Norre Uttrup on the outskirts of the town.

Berth at the marina DKK 100, water and electricity included.  Envelopes for money in the club house along with showers etc.

Distance motored / sailed: 44 nm

Thursday 4^th August 2011 – Strong winds on the nose

Nine hours after tying up at Norre Uttrup we were off, I went back to bed (neither of us had had a good nights sleep due to heat, probably a bit of sun burn, and a mosquito that kept buzzing us!) and slept very well until we started to crash around.  We had completed the last 18 miles of the Limfjord and were out into the Baltic with a strong easterly wind (5 -6 gusting 7) on the nose which made for an uncomfortable motion, crashing into the waves in fairly shallow waters 6 – 10 metres.  We debated turning back but decided to continue even though we were regularly losing between 2 – 3 knots speed over the ground, as much due to the wind as the tide, because the Baltic does not have much tide mainly wind drift.

It was a relief twelve hours later to be tied up in the shelter of Grenaa Marina.

Berth at the marina DKK 190, water and electricity (I think) included.  The payment sticker for the boat is got from a machine by the Harbour Office which takes local currency, Euros and credit cards, at the same machine you can get a harbour card on which you put money for showers, washing and drying machines.  There is free internet access.

Distance motored: 79 nm