The Voyage of Jacoba 2018

Jacoba 2018

Housekeeping

Just a reminder to myself that I started writing this for my kids and grandkids... that's all... Maybe they'll read it again sometime in the future and remember "that wonderful trip that Dad did with Robin and Lyall..."

The Crew

Lyall

Ken

Robin

The Route

The Boat

My Contemporaneous Notes

Day 1 Grou to Ossenzijl 7 hours

Fairly uneventful day except that we left the handlebars of the bikes sticking up above the roof - and only just stopped in time before going under a 2.4m bridge - but the bridgekeeper opened the bridge anyway!

It was the first time on a boat (in the Netherlands at least) for Lyall our crewmember from Canada. So it was interesting to be able to explain everything on the way. We hoped that he wouldn't get bored - but even after the first day, he is planning to cycle from Ossenzijl to Blokzijl the next day - 39 minutes by bike and 2.5 hours by boat.

Ossenzijl

Mooring at Ossenzijl

Day 2 Ossenzijl to the polder via Blokzijl

Only a quick stay at Blokzijl - no Dennis Burger - we move on and after about 1.5 hours I am in unfamiliar territory!

Into the Ketelmeer - under a few bridges, following channel markers - some markers are shown on the chart but are not to be seen on the (open) water - so a bit of guesswork required.

Off the Ketelmeer and into the polders through the unmanned Ketelsluis (lock) - with a 5-metre drop! Took me a while to figure out the "correct" procedure at the lock - it turned out to be nothing more than a simple press of the button (once found).

The lock had to be filled for us to get in and then emptied to let us out again (of course).

When doing some of these things for the first time, it takes a bit of nutting out. I walked to the lock - no lockkeeper and the lock was empty - so if someone was watching via the many cameras, they would have seen me working it out - I pushed the button and it all started to fall into place. The lock started to fill with water, the lights turned red and green (one of each) which means "get ready, you're next". The lock doors opened, the lights turned green and in we went. You don't tie up in a lock - always a running line around a bollard.

Finally tested out the new toilet (works well - very pleased with the end result - in a manner of speaking)

It was fairly flat in the polder but it seemed easier to get a truer impression of the enormity of "that" task - of reclaiming the land.

Day 3 The Polder to Almere Haven

The polder is fairly uninteresting (except for "being there").

Through Biddinghuizen and through a "keersluis" - a lock gate or barrier that can be closed in an emergency - to retain the integrity of the dyke.

More uninteresting polder land until a long stretch of houseboats before entering Almere Haven.

Floating bollard at Almere Haven - going back up - 5 metres

The lock here feels very "tight" - only boats under 2.5 metres headroom and 1. 2 metres draught can get through.
A 5-metre rise to get out and the realisation that we had just travelled through the whole polder at about 5 metres below sea level.
Jeroen, the haven master at Almere Haven is very talkative (in English) and gives us a potted history of his family, kids, the dog, and his work (for the Local Govt.). He also came on board for a whiskey and to accept our payment of 12,95 euro for one night - not bad for 3 people and a boat!

Day 4 Almere Haven to Nigtevecht via Naarden

Market Day in Almere Haven - Robin goes shopping for bread, buns, wine and cheese - thus further endangering the diet!

1030hrs Naarden

A walk around to see the star fort - about 10km round trip!
A €5 day mooring fee at the haven - worth it for the security. Some up-market boats here!

1700hrs Nigtevecht

A lovely place with room for only ONE boat at the punt crossing - for pedestrians and cyclists. The punt was being operated by a woman who duly swept the duck droppings from our jetty!

Mooring seen from the other side

We are indeed early in the season. She explained with the aid of a "You Are Here" map just where we could go to watch the big ships passing on the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal.

This we did and then went to the Cafe 100 (a pub), for a delightful beer on the terrace at water's edge.

Lyall and I walked further and found a new cycling path being built across the main canal - with the aid of European Union money.

Day 5 Nigtevecht to Utrecht

By now I have developed a daily routine of checking water, oil and the leaking diesel tank (thankfully not leaking). Noting Engine Hours and starting time.

At 1200hrs we have an enforced stop at Maarssen - it didn't happen often, but sometimes the bridgekeepers stop for lunch - as do we!

1700hrs. Our first stop at Utrecht is at one end of the main canal through the city. We walk through the shopping crowd - very busy! Robin tries in vain to talk us out of eating out every night!

The shower block under the Monica Bridge - looks dodgy from the outside, but nice and clean once inside. Another project partly funded by the EU.

A fairly long day in hours and effort, but only about 29km travelled.

My notes record that it is "fantastic to be in Utrecht".

I also noted a few of the costs:

€5 for going through the lock

€19/night for the boat

€15 for a hamburger! (but it was worth it as I continue my quest to find a good hamburger).

Dennis Burger in Blokzijl

Pickle Burger in Utrecht

The quest continues...

Sunday 15th in Utrecht

15kms walking/sightseeing - somewhere we saw an old paving stone dating from 1100 and something.

Moved the boat to the other end of town - via the delightful canal passing through the town centre.

Odd things started happening with the fridge - flashing lights on the control panel - probably indicating a failing house battery - after 10 years! - can't complain, I guess.

It was here that I woke up thinking that it might be nicer to "stooge around" doing some sightseeing rather than a pointless dash to Maastricht and back. Chief Engineer and Galley Hand heartily agreed - and so we set off with a different outlook for the rest of the (unplanned) trip.

Monday 16th

Using Whatsapp to communicate with a Battery Company, I was able to arrange two new batteries at €200 and 45kg each! They were delivered to the boat. (I had to help carry them down the stairs)! And they were installed as part of the deal.

I was also able to get two new keys cut for the boat - something I have been trying to organise for a few years without success!

Robin convinces us to "eat in" and prepares a wonderful meal of chicken and mushroom pasta with an entirely appropriate "Fat Bastard" Chardonnay.

17th April

This end of Utrecht is only 5 minutes walk from the new Central Station and large shopping mall. It also has good EU funded toilet facilities for boaties. I rather fear that there would not be room to move during peak season.

Lunchtime at Montfoort. 75 litres of fuel at the canalside fuel pump - so easy, and yet few and far between.

1700hrs Gouda

Just too late to go through the inner part, so we had to overnight on a tidal mooring. That is to say, a floating dock that rises and falls with the tide - well over a metre. Checked it a couple of times overnight, but no discernable problems.

Our "friends" from Chechoslavakia (we spoke with them in Utrecht) arrived after we had eaten and were on our way back to the boat. They appeared to have tied up at the very last mooring spot, which was not on the floating dock. It did have provision for the mooring lines to slide up and down.

18th April False start then to Oude Wetering

A false start - we left our floating dock intending to bypass the centre - but the HUGE locks on the main canal convinced us to go through the minor lock into Gouda itself. Although not yet shown on any charts, we managed to find the brand new toilet facilities and left again at 1200hrs.

Entering Gouda

We had to follow a tall ship through some equally tall bridges - opening to a height of 24 metres!

There were some major canal works being done along this stretch. The Water Police stopped us to ask if we had a mariphone on board - there was no explanation given, but I later thought that it might be so that we could be warned by any big ships coming in the opposite direction. They just told us to keep going...

We went through Alphen aan de Rhine - a very posh looking place. I had to push a button to get a bridge open - the intercom answer was unintelligible to me, but a nearby worker said that it would "open in a minute".

We then decided to take a shortcut across a lake to spend the night in Oude Wetering.

We had a freebie "on the wall", although we did discover that there is a very nice marina just around the corner. The owners had been to Australia 39 years before! They let us use their showers and washing machine, even though we hadn't stayed there.

...and our first BBQ during a spell of extraordinarily good weather!

Lyall bought some more Canadian Whiskey and Robin bought some extra meat for the barbie - even though it had been his idea, he argued that we had spent too much money on dinner the night before!

19th April Oude Wetering to Ouderkerk aan de Amstel

1030hrs start, bright, sunny day - shorts, no less!

1230hrs stopped for lunch on the Amstel river - the border of the provinces of North and South Holland.

1615hrs arrived at the lovely village of Ouderkerk aan de Amstel.

Excellent supermarket (about 50 metres away), lots of restaurants - but we had another BBQ!

We saw an old Jewish Synagogue - with graves of Jews from Amsterdam. We heard a story from a friend of Lyall's, who just happened to live in this village! Apparently, Portuguese Jews in the 1600's were not allowed to be buried anywhere else but here...hence the graves.

20 April Ouderkerk aan de Amstel to Weesp

via Amsterdam!

Later in the day, we skirted around Amsterdam - much easier by boat than by car!

near Amsterdam...

1600hrs arrived at Weesp. We were going to stay at a marina but then found a much nicer mooring closer to the town centre.

Robin will be picking up visitors from Australia here - in June - so this is a good chance to look around and plan the moorings, train station, and possible routes. (bearing in mind that it will be much busier).

Again I marvel at just how lucky we are with being so early in the season and to have such good weather (record temperatures).

3 bridges and two times €3 to get 2 of them opened - why not the third? Who knows?

We now find ourselves at a place we skirted past on the way through. We have made a small circle and have to backtrack a little.

Saturday 21 April Weesp to Polder via Almere Haven

for lunch - then on into the polder

Back to Almere Haven for lunch and then back into the polder via the 5-metre drop at the lock.

The polder has a "high" route and a "low" route. We had already done the high route so we chose to go back via the low route - which meant dropping down another metre!

We stayed overnight in a secluded lake with only about 4 or 5 well-spaced moorings. It really did feel like being in the middle of nowhere, but it was only a few hundred metres from the busy freeway that we use to go to Amsterdam.

Sunday 22 April Polder to Kampen

The Lage Vaart (low route) past Lelystad - quite pleasant motoring, with the prospect of a storm later in the day.

At about lunchtime, we found an "interesting" looking place so I swung in to have a look. We had no idea what it was but it turned out to be the Mechanical Heritage Museum - well worth the stop. I had to chase someone to take our money for the visit - they were more set up for visitors coming by car rather than by boat.

1700hrs Kampen (An old Hanseatic League City)

A really nice mooring and a pleasant Havenmeester!

Monday 23 April

Start 1000hrs Kampen

End 1700hrs Echten 6.5 hours

Through 2 locks - about 6 metres UP.

Rode into Hoogeveen - but couldn't find an "old" section - concluding that there isn't one - but the history dates from 1551 - so maybe we just didn't look hard enough.

Echten had good facilities - again partly funded by the EU.

Tuesday 24 April

Echten to Klazienaveen

Another 6-metre lock at Hoogeveen - and the discovery of more facilities on the Northern side. Yet another lock at Noordschut - another +/- 2 metres making about 13 metres above the level at Kampen.

We seem to be the only boat heading in our direction and all the locks and bridges were clear and ready as we came through - all very helpful and cheerful. We did see one boat going in the opposite direction, flying an England flag.

We motored through Veenoord/New Amsterdam - which looked like it had had lots of work done to the moorings and facilities for "boaties". Fair to say that the Province of Drenthe has been busy in upgrading all the facilities. The notices refer to EU contributions for "tourism and remote area development".

Arrived at Klazienaveen - good facilities at the lock.

Restaurant OK, but nothing of note for the Hamburger Quest.

Wednesday 25 April Anzac Day...and Robin's Birthday!

Klazienaveen to Ter Apel

We went through a couple more locks - making a total of 20 metres UP.

In 2013, a "joining canal" was completed - and named after the new King - the Koning Willem Alexander Kanaal. It was quite interesting to see the work and the route required for the new section. It is now possible to make a complete circle through Drenthe and up into Groningen - such an obvious thing to do! ie why wasn't it done earlier, I wonder?

We stopped at the outdoor Peat Museum - mainly just to buy some cake for Robin's birthday.

Lyall was allowed to open one of the old lock gates...

On the grounds of the Peat Museum, we found a Harmonica Museum - open and unattended...(one can only wonder...)

Ter Apel 1645hrs

Route into Germany

We discovered another route into Germany at a turn off just before Ter Apel.

To be considered at a later date. It saves going upstream on the busy Rhine or doing an open crossing from Delfzijl.

Lots of bridges had to be opened for us - all done in a timely manner.

Dinner at the local Boat Club - again for Robin's birthday.

At some stage, I might get around to counting all the bridges and locks we went through! It really is a grand enterprise when you think of what is involved throughout the whole country - from big shipping to small pleasure craft like ours.

Ter Apel is a surprisingly beautiful place - at least it took me by surprise.

It even has an old Abbey, dating from 1465.

26 April Ter Apel to Stadskanaal

I thought I heard something about a bridge needing work - at Veendam, further on our route. So the best advice was to stop at Stadskanaal until the end of the long weekend - King's Birthday.

So, three extra days in Stadskanaal - when 1 would have been more than enough!

Not sure what they intended with the little man spitting on the boat as we approached...

The Europa Bridge - another example of European funding - it also included a new toilet/shower block.

Monday 30 April Stadskanaal to Groningen

0800hrs start aided by an equally early start by the bridgekeepers - presumably local government workers beginning their summer duties.

We picked up another boat just out of Stadskanaal and went in convoy to Bareveld where we picked up a third boat. We had to wait a while as there were 5 boats coming in the other direction. So we three went into the lock and then down and out as the other 5 boats hugged the bank until we got past.

We had two teams of bridge-openers working for us - and I assume that there were just as many helping the 5 boats going in the other direction.

At Veendam

It turned out to be a very long day, but ALL of the bridges were opened for us in a timely manner - except ONE. We had to push a button (the only way to get the bridge open) and a pleasant voice said "good afternoon, what can I do for you?" duh - the only possible response was to say open the bridge - which is why we pushed the button... oh well, it was late in the day.

1730hrs arrived at Groningen.

The wind was starting to pick up - it continued into the night and was strong enough to sit it out. Beaufort 5-6 with the promise of sun and wind force 2 the next day.

As luck would have it, we stumbled upon a 12.5-year celebration (they do that here) at a Pub called the Oude Wacht (the Old Guard). We ordered drinks and then discovered that we didn't have to pay for anything including food and live music.

We discovered that Netflix works with the free wifi - not that we have needed any such entertainment. Long days and early nights as befitting 3 old blokes. Lyall and I managed a few cryptic crosswords and more often than not fell asleep whilst listening to the latest (daily) Trump News.

Wednesday Groningen to Hogersmilde

Left Groningen with half a plan to go to Heerenveen via the Turf Route. The best-laid half-plans... The Turf Route is not open yet, even though it is under new management.

We pass around Assen and instead of turning right into the Turf Route, we go straight on to Hoogersmilde. A middle of nowhere stop that at least had showers and toilets.

Thursday Hogersmilde to Giethoorn

This stretch of Drenthe is very nice - forests and well-maintained waterways and facilities.

We take a while to get through Meppel. I'm surprised that it is such a big shipping port. We have to wait for bridges to be opened and couldn't even get near the button for another bridge - due to the wash from a working barge that was holding itself in position. I waited, with discretion, for the next boat!