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Tuesday 18 June 2013

Monday 3rd June 2013 Aremberger Gracht to abv Ossesluis. 25.7 kms 3 locks


Boats at Zwartsluis on the Zwarte Water
Grey skies, cold North wind, sunny spells later. At 10.25 a.m. we winded and set off back down the Aremberger Gracht with the generator running to power the washing machine. There was a man with a white beard working the lock (Arembergersluis) today, he was a bit concerned at first about the two boats going into his lock side-by-side and the length of the Snail. The lock was 4.6m wide and 27.8m long. Masts off to get under the 3.3m bridge over the top end of the lock beyond the top end gates. 
Liftbridge and floodgates Meppelerdeip
Under Whaabrug and out on to Zwarte Water, checking for traffic as we did so, only a few cruisers milling about, the commercials were all moored none moving. Turned left on to the Meppelerdiep and had to wait a short while as the flood gates below the liftbridge were closed due to work in progress. They opened and we went through followed by a cruiser. The keeper leaned out of the window of his cabin way above us to say good morning and wish us a pleasant voyage. Anne said on the radio that they had something on the prop and would have to stop. We motored on as the washing hadn’t finished. 
Boat slip at Meppelerdeip
As we were approaching the lock on to the Beukers Gracht a large cruiser increased speed to overtake us, making sure he arrived first at the lock. We smiled as we kept going, past the lock, up the Meppelerdiep. About four kilometres later we turned on to the “new” bypass canal around Meppel, it was 12.20 pm. Several cruisers had overtaken us and we found them moored by the liftbridge, Staphorster Grote Stouwe, it was lunchtime, we took the mast off and sailed past them under the lifting span which was 2.7m above the water. The washing finished and we paused next to a couple of old posts to take the generator drive plate out which gave the Snail chance to catch up. 
Moored above Ossesluis
A chunk of willow tree had been round the prop making a loud noise so they had to stop and get the weed hatch up. I made some sandwiches for lunch. We had a short wait at Rogatsluis as a cruiser was catching us up. The lock and liftbridge were worked from afar, the keeper watching us via cameras. The bridge lifted, we entered the chamber and he cruiser came in behind us. There were bollards and vertical bars in the piled walls of the lock to hang our ropes on. The lock filled gently and we rose about 2m. Five kilometres of wide deep canal later we were at Ossesluis, again operated remotely, and we had a short wait while the lock emptied as the cruiser had gone up some time before us. A concrete-sided chamber this time, with bits of vertical cord down the walls plus recessed bollards. Attached our centre rope to one of the bollards and Mike hung on to the rope, lifting it up from one bollard to the next as the lift was 3.5m. Above the lock on the left hand bank there were some wooden dolphins for boats to tie to whilst waiting for the lock and there were signs to say there was a mooring along the bank behind them. We dodged between the dolphins and moored behind a sailing tjalk with its masts down. Oll brought the Snail alongside us. It was 3.30 pm

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