Friday 7th June 2013 Geebrug to Nieuwe Amsterdam. 19.6 kms no locks.

Queue for the bridge. Verlengde Hoogeveenschevaart.

Sunny and hot, sheltered from the wind between high banks to start with, breezy where it wasn’t sheltered. Three armadas of cruisers went past, two in the same direction as us (a pushy Belgian from the day before went past fast and broke the wooden piling we had our stern rope chained to, Mike temporarily attached the rope to one of Oll’s bow pins) Set off at 10.10 am. At the first liftbridge in Geesbrug Mike went to look for the keeper and asked the crew of the boat moored on the far side of the bridge, they said he was at his other bridge and would be back shortly. He operated Geesbrug and Zwinderschebrug for us. A large DB called Sincfal from Delft came past heading in the opposite direction just before we came to Driftbrug, the first of a series of manually operated swingbridges. We’d collected three cruisers and managed to make it through Dalerbrug and Oosterhesselerbrug before the keeper said the bridges were closed for lunch until 1 pm and told us to moor just after the bridge we’d just come through. 

Alpacas. Verlengde Hoogeveenschevaart.

The first cruiser ignored that and went on to the next bridge. A large cruiser went past quickly then stopped right in front of our bows as we were still moving forward to the end of the bollards for mooring. A few words were exchanged with him by Mike and Anne about us not being able to stop as quickly as him, but he professed to know little English, (they didn’t believe him), but he managed to tell them that although the speed limit was 6kph he wanted to travel at 10 kph and wanted to away first. Not all Dutch people have this type of attitude. At 10 to one the cruiser in front set off so we untied and followed it and the two big cruisers through Hesselerbrug. There was a longer stretch before the next bridge, Klenckerbrug, and the young blonde lady bridge keeper (obviously complicit with the cruisers who were speeding) had already let them through before we got there, but had kept the bridge open for us and the cruiser which was  still behind us. 

Windmill at Veenbrug.
Verlengde Hoogeveenschevaart.

A kilometre and a half before the next and the cruiser behind overtook on one of the longer straight sections. Wide open flat fields on either side were being grazed by sheep. When we arrived at Haarbrug the lady keeper had let the two big cruisers through and gone on with them to the next bridge, an electrically operated liftbridge, so we had to wait for her return. Mike had just jumped off with the centre rope on a sloping bank when she came back and pushed the manual swingbridge open for us. She said it was getting warm, then closed the bridge behind us and drove off in her bright yellow van. We waited under the new N34 road bridge before the electric bridge, Holslootbrug, as she had gone on to the next to let the two cruisers through. Mike hopped off with the centre rope and wrapped it round a pillar under the road bridge while we waited. Through the liftbridge, then a short distance to Hoolbrug, another manual swingbridge where a small DB and a large cruiser were waiting under another road bridge on the far side. We followed the Snail into Veenoord and had a short wait for the vertical lift railway bridge. Two trains went across then the bridge lifted. It was remotely operated. A very short distance beyond it was an electric liftbridge, Veenbrug, and a man on a bike came to press the buttons for us. 

Railway liftbridge. Verlengde Hoogeveenschevaart.

Another very short distance to a press button liftbridge with no counterbalance (we thought it was a swingbridge) Nieuwe Amsterdam footbridge. The keeper asked if we were stopping. Beyond his bridge was a wooden landing with steps and the first two cruisers that had been just ahead of us were tied there so we didn’t stop. The next mooring by the shops was full, no spaces long enough for us, so we pressed on through Kerkbrug, an electric liftbridge, and moored just before the junction with the Stieltjekanaal that leads to Coevoorden. It was 3.30 pm. The bank had a gentle slope up to a minor paved road and had trees along the top providing shade but not allowing satellite access so Mike put the extension cable out and planted the dish by a tree. While we were getting the bike off the roof we were surprised to see an empty commercial called Veridis Quo from Haarlem, which went past and turned down the canal to Coevorden.

Thursday 6th June 2013 Ossesluis to Geesbrug. 20.2 kms 2 locks

Nieuwe Brugsluis Hoogeveensche Vaart

Sunny and warmer, gentle breeze. Mike moved the car closer to the lock then we set off at 10.20 am with the generator running. Three cruisers were coming up in Ossesluis and were not long in overtaking us. The Snail stopped at the first mooring along the canal to look at a museum. The boat that had been moored there went off down to Ossesluis. Saw a marsh harrier gliding on huge brown wings over the fields to our left below the canal. 

Krakeel liftbridge Hoogeveensche Vaart

Followed a rowing skiff with two rowers and a cox, they soon decided to stop – in the middle broadside to us - but moved quickly out of the way when they saw the boat. At 11.35 am we came to stop below Nieuwe Brugsluis as the cruisers were going up in it. Nobody else about but us. Mike tried calling the Snails on the handheld radios, unintelligible answer, so they switched to marine VHF channel ten and that worked OK, they weren’t far behind. As the lock gates opened a small cruiser arrived and went in on the left, we followed in and hung on bollards fore and aft. The keeper called us to go further forward as there were three more boats to come in. My fore end side rope ended up wrapped around a vertical cord, fingers crossed it would take the weight! The Snail came in behind us and two more cruisers came in on the left hand wall. 

Brug om der Ooost. Velengde Hoogevensche Vaart

The keeper filled it slowly, we rose about 6m and then he came over the gates and gave us all the new booklets with the maps of the new canal and circular tour of the Drenthe canals. Well timed as the commercial Jetta, now empty after unloading in Hoogeveen, was waiting above to come down the lock. It was 12.20 pm. The keeper said we would have to wait until 1 pm so we could moor above the lock on the right. 

Lock and bridge gear Noordscheschutsluis

Made sandwiches for lunch then, as we had a low quay, we started cleaning the port side gunwale – only got as far as the side doors when the boat in front set off for the liftbridge as it was 1 pm. Nieuwe Brug lifted, operated from the lock, and we went through with the Snail and three cruisers which all overtook us before Vlinderbrug the next liftbridge. The washing had finished so we coasted to the bank and Mike took the plate out and the Snail hovered until we set off again. Not long after we set off a tug from Zwarte Water went past pushing a decked pan carrying baulks of timber. 

Keeper Noordscheschutsluis note
statue of lock keeper closing lock gate in the old way!

Teenage lads that had been swimming by the swingbridge, Krakeel, (a footbridge decorated with twisted steel tubes) were standing by the bridge shouting hello. The wide deep canal continued to our left into Hoogeveen and we turned sharp right, following the Snail on to the Verlengde Hoogeveensche Vaart and immediately under a liftbridge, Brug om der Oost, and a swing foot bridge Schoolvonderbrug – all worked remotely from Nieuwebrug. Two men were strimming the grass by the swingbridge. The canal was now much narrower and shallower with houses on both sides. Followed the Snail round a sharp right hand bend to Noordscheschutsluis and liftbridge, all manually operated by a man and a girl. 

Bridge at Geesbrug

We followed a cruiser into the lock on the right, it stopped halfway up the 40m chamber so we had to ask them to move forward a bit so they could close the gates behind us. Snail was OK on the left. There were strange double hoops to thread ropes through on the top edge of the lock wall. We rose about 2m. A short way further on a string bean of a lad swung the manually operated Noordscheschut footbridge open for us and after about two kilometres another young man pressed the buttons to lift an electrically operated liftbridge called Trambrug. 

Moored near Geesbrug

The banks on either side became higher and steeper with narrow roads along both, they were covered in buttercups and ox-eye daisies. We moored near to KP 34 at the foot of a steep bank not far from Geesbrug at 3.40 pm.

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

Sunday 2nd June 2013 Aremberger Gracht, trip round lakes and back. 24.3 kms no locks.

Stork flying over Thijssengracht

Sunny with white clouds, but a strong, cold North wind. Set off at 10.10 a.m. following the Snail across Kleine Belter Wijde, where three quarters of the circumference of the lake was occupied with moored boats. Made a cuppa as we went through Belter Wijde lake and followed the Snail through liftbridge Ronduite, now remotely operated from Blauwe Hand, and therefore free! Through a very choppy Beulaker Wijde with about half a dozen brave souls on windsurfers and in little sailboats bouncing across the waves. Into the relative calm of Walengracht where a masted tjalk was moored among the cruisers and little sailboats. Turned right on the Vaart Sloot which lead  on to the Giethoornse Meer. A police boat came whizzing past at about 50 khp with blue lights flashing while I was sitting on the front deck making a phone call. 

Low bridge Thijssengracht

Turned right on to the Thijssengracht, a narrow virtually straight canal that was marked on our charts as being only 80cm deep, but our echo sounder read 1.6m most of the way. Took the mast off to go under a fixed bridge of 2.4m. At Middenbuurt we turned right and headed south down the busy Kanaal Beulakerwijde-Steenwijk with the scenic village of Giethoorn on our left and a little canal through the village made a circular tour that was being enjoyed by hundreds of people in small open motor boats. We started looking for drinking water and stopped by a small boat club. 

Thijssengracht - remains of an old swingbridge

The guy who was standing by their hosepipe said we’d have to see their Harbour Master, but there was a place a bit further on down the canal on the left hand side. We stopped at a fueling station on the left where several small open motorboats were filling up. There were two hosepipes, one at either end, so we went to have a look to see how much they wanted to fill our tanks. 4€ for 10 minutes, about 300 litres, he said. Free if we had diesel. How much diesel, a litre? No. 5 litres. No. We gave up and carried on. Almost missed the hosepipe with a notice beside it saying mooring for taking on water only. 

Reed cutters boats Aremberger Gracht

Snail went into the mooring and we went alongside. 50c in the slot. It worked out to about 50c for 100 litres. There was a constant procession of boats passing in both directions and overtaking in both directions, most of them doing more than the 9 kph speed limit until they all slowed down as a police RIB went past! Set off again, joining the mêlée following the canal again. Turned right into the Blauwe Hand lake and into the choppy waves again – no more open motor boats! In fact very little traffic on the lake except for a few diehard sailors. Back through Ronduite liftbridge, waving to the keeper on the main canal to say thanks via the camera. Back across the Belter Wijde and more speeding motorboats appeared from the moorings around the lake. Through the bridge and we tied up on Aremberger Gracht again, but closer to the bridge than where we were the night before. It was 4 p.m.

Friday 31st May 2013 Ketelhaven to Aremberger Gracht. 32.1 kms 2 locks

Below Ketelsluis

Sunny with white clouds, but breezy. The weather forecast for today said winds of 3 to 6 on the Beaufort scale. A gaggle of cruisers went up the lock around 9.40 am. The lock emptied and we went up around ten am. Wrapped fore and aft ropes around vertical ropes from bollards on the lock wall and rose 5m very gently. The keeper, walking with a stick, came down from his cabin to give us Navigation newspapers and a map. 

Rams Diep litbridge open for two sailing boats.

He told us he was born near Zwartsluis lock 68 years ago and had been a marinier; his last boat had been a 67m that had gone to the ship breakers when he stopped working. We could have stayed chatting longer, but there was a boat below the lock hooting so we had to go. Out on the Ketelmeer the wind was picking up. The first bit of navigation was complicated by the fact that they’d built a big island, plus there were shallow bits with cardinal markers around them. We headed off towards the Ramsgeul, passing between the shore of the new island and the West cardinal bouy. 

Demolishing the old road bridge

As we aproached the entrance to Ramsgeul we saw “No entry” signs so we had to turn back to the East to the entrance into the Ramsdiep (a “sheltered” channel along the Northern edge of the Ketelmeer) - we’d never been along there before as it is used by commercial craft and boats that were higher than 2.6m (the maximum to pass under the Ramspolbrug). Cruisers and sailboats were going in and out of the Schokkerhaven at the start of the Rams Diep, which curved round to the right. Still no shelter from the cold North-west wind. 

Bridge keepers cabin Rams Diep

Lots of boat traffic went past us and overtook us, including an empty péniche called La Vie. There was a flow in the channel of about 0.75 kph and we were going against it. A large cruiser from Zwartsluis full of large blokes overtook us. The liftbridge on the N50 opened, creating queues of traffic to let a single masted yacht through. Several sailing boats caused the bridge to be opened again before we reached it. We sailed under its 13m high fixed spans with no problem as did a small fishing boat heading out to sea. From the noise we deduced the old bridge was being demolished and that was the cause for the diversion. A little further on notices confirmed this and said the interruption would continue until the end of 2013. Traffic with masts up to 13m would then be able to use both the Ramsgeul and the Ramsdiep. 

Wind trying to rip our flags off the mast

As we left the Ramsdiep and the navigation opened out into the Zwarte Meer a cruiser from Sneek cut across our bows as it was racing to overtake an empty 80m commercial. Among the cruisers following it we spotted Austrian and German flags. The wind was blowing ever harder from our left as we 

went along the Northern edge of the lake. 

Heading for Arembergersluis

To the South was a nature reserve where boats were forbidden to navigate. Several hundred swans (we’d never seen so many in one group before) were feeding in what must be a shallow section. We kept within the red and green markers, heaving hard on the tiller and crabbing sideways. The landmark big light on a tall post by Vogeleiland had gone, not needed now with modern navigational instruments. We turned right along the Zwolse Diep and into the narrower channel of the Zwarte Water. The wind didn’t drop and was still blowing from our left. The cable ferry from Genemuiden went across several times before we reached it. 

Thatched barn for storing reed thatching

Mike took our mast down to get under the bridge at Arembergersluis, we had a green light to go under the road bridge and into the haven, then the lock lights changed to green as the gates opened, we sailed in side by side, the two boats practically filled the little lock. The lady keeper came out to speak to us and worked the lock from controls in a small cabin. She gave us charts and an Overijssel flag to fly. Sorry, no drinking water was available at the lock, nor the marina by the bridge, maybe the next marina after that. 

Moored on Arembergers Gracht

We sailed on along the Aremberger Gracht passing some very lovely houses with beautiful gardens where automatic mowers were trimming perfect lawns and then past a barn loaded with dried reeds for thatching before we were out into the countryside again of the De Weide nature reserve. A small open motorboat, Cool Cab, came out from one of the side channels between us and the Snail then overtook us and turned off into another side channel. We moored just before the first bridge to wooden stumps along a wooden edged grassy bank next to a small road. It was 3.45 pm. The wind was still trying to rip the flags from our mast.

Thursday 30th May 2013 KP40 to Ketelhaven 22 kms 0 locks

Moored at KP40 Hoge Vaart

Grey skies most of the day, light but cold breeze, no rain. Set off at 10.15 a.m. We stopped at Biddinghuizen to get some water. As we tied up the commercial we’d seen the day before, called Norma, went past, now loaded, heading back towards Almere. Biddinghuizen had completely changed, with new houses and a new waterfront - no mooring was allowed in front of the new houses on the posh new paved quay 

Commercial called Norma passing at Biddinghuizen

but further along there was an extended wooden staging with posts to tie to and bins, chemical toilet disposal and a water tap. We all cried hooray, we can fill up. But too soon as we discovered a new type of tap that wouldn’t allow us to connect a hosepipe because of the pressure which just blew water back through the fitting. Mike and Oll tried all sorts of ideas but the only thing possible was to get water in containers and fill the tank with them. We were down to less than 100 litres so we had to do some topping up, the Snail’s tank was half full so they didn’t need to bother. 

Below the lock at Ketelhaven 

They set off again and we carried on filling 5 litre containers until we had 300 litres in the tank, which would see us through the next few days until we found another tap. Set off again at 12.25 p.m. Just after we set off we could see the amusement rides at Flevoland’s Walibi park off to the right across the field. We tied up at 2.45 pm in Ketelhaven on the long wooden staging behind the Snail. Anne and Olly had been out looking for the Ship Museum by the lock. Alas, it had been moved to Lelystadt.

Tuesday 28th May 2013 Almere KP9 to KP40 Hoge Vaart. 30.4 kms no locks.

The Hoge Vaart

Sunny with hazy cloud, cold blustery East wind in our faces. 

Knardik floodgates

Set off at 10.15 am with the pins in doing some washing. I made lunch, which we ate on the move. 

Egyptian geese

We passed two small boats going in the opposite direction, one had overtaken us just after we set off, then we saw nothing else moving. One small cruiser was moored on one of the wooden landing stages. We arrived at the staging at KP40 at 3.20 pm. 

Adding extra wildlife habitat

Two cruisers were already moored there, one in the middle and one moored ten feet from the far end. We tied up on the other end and Snail moored alongside