Spakenburg to Elburg

29 October 2014

Yesterday we spent a good couple of hours wandering around the town of Spakenburg.   It is an interesting place with a busy boatyard repairing and maintaining old Dutch wooden vessels.   In any other country it would have been called a 'working museum', but it seemed to us to be fully commercial with plenty of business.   Fascinating.   Probably hasn't changed in 300 years apart from the fact that they are now using power tools.

Even the ditches are pretty here.   Looks like the Canal du Midi:

Anyway, that was yesterday.   Today started misty and calm in the harbour.   We were underway by 0930 with the breeze, once we were in the channel, still in the SW.   Nice change to have it behind us.

By 1000 the vis had dropped to about a mile but pilotage is very easy in this area, with port & starboard channel markers every 500m or thereabouts.   Probably overkill actually, but at least you know exactly where you are.

A commercial barge of about 80 meters was closing from astern so we slowed to let him past, and also to delay our arrival at the lock Nijkerkersluis as he would have priority and we couldn't both fit in.   We still arrived early at the lock so jilled about while the commercial locked through.   The vis was now well under a mile but just as we were about to line up in anticipation of getting a green light, another commercial loomed out of the fog.   I thought he would have priority again, and I was now in the wrong place, blocking his entry to the lock.   Oops.   We managed to shuffle our way sideways by which time the lights were green.   I called the lock on VHF  Ch18 to say that we would move aside to allow the commercial through, but the keeper said "you have a green; please come into the lock".   So we did.   Locking up was as easy as locking down;  we didn't actually notice any water turbulence.   I was still feeling a bit awkward about pushing in front of a commercial but, as far as we could see through the fog, he didn't in fact lock through.   Phew;  all OK then!

Lunch on the hoof as vis was still poor and it was now raining as well.   Quick MoB drill carried out using the 'bucket and fender' trick.

Met our French friends and neighbours on M/Y Leisure (great name) going in the opposite direction.

Vis still poor with rain showers.   Our pontoon friend arrived to say hello:

By 1800 the visibility had improved and by 2000 the fog had gone to leave a calm and clear evening. 

/Rich.

Spakenburg

27 October 2014

Over the last few days we had been discussing where to base ourselves for the summer of 2015.   Our original plans to move the boat to Southern France (overland) had been scuppered, so we have been pretty much forced to remain in the Netherlands for the time being.   Dismay rapidly turned to joy when we found out that the cruising possibilities in this country are huge and that there is so much to see.

There are 2137 km of navigable canals and rivers (or over 6000 kms if we include all the little canoe routes) with 84 locks.   Just as a comparison,  Le canal du Midi has 89 locks over a distance of 256 km from Toulouse to Sète.   Neither is better than the other, just different.

Our decision for summer 2015 is to move into Friesland - Fryslân in Dutch - so for the remaining time on this trip we thought that a quick visit in the other direction - south west - would be a good idea.   Hence our visit to Spakenburg with an overnight stop near Harderwijk.

We left Elburg at 1130 in a near flat calm.   Once through the Elburgerbrug we were more exposed to the southwesterly breeze with about a Force 4 on the nose.

Our lunch stop was at another of the wonderful 'nature harbours'.   This one is known as 'De Ral' [N52° 24.7;  E5° 44.0].

It reminded me of Finland, but without the pine and birch trees.    Also there was no sauna on the island…   

Shortly before arriving at the entrance channel to Harderwijk, we crossed an aqueduct.  Always an interesting experience, not least to realise that if this thing leaks, there is going to be a Big Problem.

The approach to the JH De Knar on the outskirts of Harderwijk was totally different from that shown on our 2014/15 chart but was so well buoyed that it was very clear where the channel lay.   Extensive works are being carried out on the harbour.

Overnight fee was €1 per metre and we were rounded down from our 13.25m to €13 including free WiFi  ("WeeFee'" here, as in France).  Electricity 50c per 'unit'.   'Unit' not specified - our first 50c lasted about 20 minutes without any serious load so we disconnected from shore power and had the generator running for 90 minutes instead.   The 'WeeFee' worked very well.

Met three friendly Dutch sailors who had noticed our Port of Registry - Cowes - and came over to say hello and that they had been in Cowes during Race Week some time ago.   (They had also nicked our allocated berth on the hammerhead…)   The skipper had sailed his 34' motor-sailor around most of the UK, including Shetland and Orkney, through the Caledonian Canal and down through the Irish Sea.

10 miles for the day.   Pleasantly warm at 15°C with a very calm evening and night.   Pressure 1024mb and falling slowly.

28 October 2014
Engine on at 1000.   Wind still in the SW; thin cloud and warm again after a cool start.   Pressure 1021 falling slowly.

Went through our first lock - the Nijkerksluis.   Approached with some trepidation but the lights turned to green and we motored straight in.    10 meters wide and 90 meters long.   We watched the gates close behind us and without us being aware of anything happening, we had dropped a bit less than a metre and the exit gates had opened.   How easy was that?   We gave a cheery wave to the lock office.  No idea if anyone was there as the anti-glare glass prevented us from seeing in.

Arrived in the Old Harbour at Spakenburg at 1300.   Hbr office closed but there was a number to ring and in due course the HM arrived for the dues.   Again €1 per metre.    Rounded up this time to €14 plus €2.50 per night for electricity.    Free 'WeeFee' but a code was needed which we didn't have.

What a beautiful place:

/Rich. 

First cruise

25 October 2014

Feeling slightly anxious, we cast off the lines and reversed very gently out of our mooring.   First time with just us on board.   We probably both looked like Cheshire cats.   This chap was our only spectator:

…but he - or she - soon cleared off

Well, the rain soon cleared off as well and we motored slowly NW out of the marina at Elburg Jachtcenter towards the Drontermeer and our first pilotage challenge: a bridge!   The Elburgerbrug is a lifting bridge (marked BB on the chart) but its air draft is shown as 5.6 meters, confirmed by a very large clear sign on the bridge structure.  Our air draft is a bit over 6 meters to the top of the VHF aerial so I lowered our mast and went through - at about 2 knots.

About 1 mile SW of the bridge is a fueling station.  Our fuel gauge was showing about 20% remaining but as the boat is new to us, we have no idea how accurate it is.   One job for the future is to install a sight gauge on the tanks if it is possible; by far the best method of knowing the fuel level, especially when the electronic gauge decides to play up.

The fuel berth is part of the JH (Jacht Haven) Rivera Beach.   Very easy access, but shallow immediately to the N of the pontoon.   We came alongside although the place looked deserted.   We looked at the pumps, trying to work out how they operated - there appeared to be an automatic card machine alongside one of the pumps but it had been taped over and clearly was not operational.   However, after less than a minute a helpful chap arrived on a golf buggy to operate the system for us.   We had learnt that almost nowhere in the Netherlands accepts credit cards - including ones issued by a Dutch bank.   Either you use a Dutch debit card or pay cash.   We filled up with €300 at €1.40 a litre, giving us 214 litres.   I said to our new fuel pump friend that if he had taken credit cards, we would have bought 600 euros worth.   The fuel gauge was now showing just under half, so at least it appears to register something.  The fuel pumps are open 0800-2000 every day in season and if the attendant is not around, but available, he leaves a notice with his phone number on the pumps.

Passing back under the Elbergerbrug, we carried on for a couple of miles to one of the many 'Nature Moorings' for a lunch stop.   This place is called Kleine Zwaan.   Very peaceful and probably mossie city in the summer.   The grassy bank was fine but the wooden pontoons were extremely slippery at this time of the year.   It is a lovely place:

And then a return to our berth at Jachtcenter Elburg.   So ends our first voyage on Pirramimma.

/Rich.