but for the Grace

1st August
We as are about to depart the visitor's pontoon at Oostmahorn I get the idea in my head that it would be good to practice springing Grace off the pontoon. I always struggle to get her off and away without drama and loss of fenders when we are alongside. I blame it on Grace's fat bottom but it is probably my incompetence! I put on a slip spring from the stern cleat to one at Grace's mid point on the pontoon. I then go astern and her bows are gently pushed outwards to about 45 degrees, pivoting about her stern fenders. I then go forward for a perfect gentle exit!

Sailing in the Slenk

We are soon out into the Slenk. It is clearly buoyed and we soon have the sails up and are down the 5 miles to the Schildhoek and into the Zoutkamperril and through Hunsingsluis.

Hunsingsluis

A fishing village at the start of the Reitdiep, it looks Scandinavian!

We play at being Dutch and sail down the canal on our Genoa.

It is not long before we are sailing in the Reitdiep towards Lemmerburen. For the next 7 bridges we follow a large blue motorboat that sounds it's horn at the bridges – a completely useless exercise as they are all unmanned and controlled from an central office in Lemmer. We VHF the lock keeper on channel 85. Very soon I am on friendly terms with the controller and despite my terrible pronunciation of the bridge names he starts to anticipate us and the bridges are ready and waiting for us and we fly through! At Garnwerd he even warns us of lots of boats queuing to go to a restaurant on the other side of the bridge!

Another bridge and we are on the outskirts of Groningen and we go into the Reitdiep Jachthaven. This has an incredibly tight access through a very narrow channel and under another bridge! Once in it opens up into a large modern and empty Marina with all facilities including a very blond harbour master with incredibly short shorts! It really is a good place to stop to prepare for the 16 bridges you need to do to get past Groningen!

Safely in Reitdiep Marina, Groningen

Also a good place to restock vital supplies!

As I write this, it is a beautifully still and peaceful evening on the 31st July. We are moored along side on the visitor pontoon at the Marina at Oostmahorn. The place is very quiet with a very relaxed harbour master who said yes just leave where it is, there is water and power. 

Peaceful Oostmahorn

Oostmahorn is famous because it featured in Erskine Childers 1903 novel, ‘The riddle of the sands’ which I am currently listening to and is claimed to be the first spy adventure story.

We left our countryside berth at Miedum at 0930 in a flurry revs, diesel fumes and one of our new fenders disappearing off behind us down the canal! I am still not sure how I managed to completely cock up a simple departure from a nice flat landing stage with even the wind blowing us off…..but I did and added a few more scars to Grace! Oh well they will polish out in Sweden! 

Moored at Meidum 

We continue down the Dokkumer Le towards Dokkum where after handing over 5€ into the inevitable clog we entered the old moat around the town and moor up between two windmills. 

Two windmills at Dokkum 

We found a space on the starboard side but Grace sat quite far out! The wind must really be very strong and both Anne and I pulled on the bow line to work Grace in. At least she will be easy to get off when we want to leave…….

After a very pleasant lunch we return to Grace, release the lines and expecting to drift lazily out into the moat but nothing happens, plenty of power and a good shove with a boat hook but nothing happens we are not moving, this is very puzzling! I call out to a couple of old guys sat in deck chairs drinking beer and eventually they understand what I want and they come to help us. Together pushing and with the engine full ahead we slowly begin to move then suddenly we shoot free, one of our helpers does not step back quick enough and wobbles in mid air before his friend grabs him and pulls him back! We yell our thanks and head off! It is only while we are try to figure out what went wrong did we realise that we had run aground and got stuck in the mud!

Once through the 6 bridges at Dokkum we continue into the Dokkumer Grutdjip, then past Engwierum and through the Willem Loresluis and on into the Slenk.

The Dokkumer Grutdjip

Sailing across the Slenk

 The Slenk is a wide but shallow lake that leads north up to the dyke adjoining the Waddenzee, the North Sea, Oostmahorn and our Marina.

Oostmahorn Marina 

We leave the town wharf at Sneek. It had all been very easy and we have high hopes for doing the same at Leeuwarden. I take the opportunity to made a swift turn to port to enter the channel to the Sneekermeer but neglect to warn Anne about the manoeuvre and she goes flying across the deck, just stopping herself from flying head first into the drink by holding on to the shrouds! She was not impressed and I will work on my communication skills! 

Stormy looking day!

It is going to be a ‘motor on all day’ day! But we need to keep an eye closely on the weather as 25 to 28 knot winds are predicted between 1100 and 1500. The route is well marked but it is a diversion due to a broken bridge on the way to Groningen so we need to be very careful so not as to get lost! 

A well marked route!

The railway bridge at Grou.

We pass the storm sluice at Terherne, then the railway bridge at Grou but just before Warge the wind is so gusty that we decide to stop and sit it out, especially as we have more bridges coming up. We are now on the Eagumes Djip and seeing a suitable mooring place we turn around to go head to wind and go for it! It is blowing 25 knots and all a bit of a handful and poor Grace picks up a few more scrapes! Some serious hull polishing will be needed when she is over wintered in Sweden! 

Taking shelter near Warga
By 1500, the wind is dropping to 15 to 20 knots and we are good to go. It is a struggle to get off the bank and we lose a fender. Going around again a man has picked it up and passes it back to us! It is nice to have it back as it is a big one and I have become attached to it! We are moving briskly and going through Hempens we see its amazing lifting bridge, boats moor up on the waiting areas just to see it work! 

People come from miles around to see this bridge open. It really does look good!

We now have just 6 more bridges to negotiate before Leeuwarden. We have already done 8 bridges and it feels like that we are on for another record!
At this stage I am ‘tail end charlie’ of our little convoy through the bridges and very pleased to be so! Everybody else is trying to moor up on the waiting areas but I just hang back sailing backwards and forwards at ‘dead slow’ and wait, the bridges usually open within a few minutes. Leeuwarden charges 7€ to pass through its bridges which they collect in a clog on a string at the second bridge in! This of course causes mayhem as people doge about to find 7€ and then put the money into the clog without getting hit by a flying chunk of wood. There is no space and with 6 boats floating back and forth it gets all a bit fraught and we need to fend ourselves off a large brick wall after narrowly missed being squashed by a large motor boat. My close quarters boat handling skills are getting quite good although it still sets the pulse racing!! 

Collecting the cash in a clog on the end of a fishing rod!
The smart money at this stage would have moored up at Aldi’s own landing stage and waited until the scrum had passed! But not us, bulldog spirit and all that we were right in the thick of it, pirouetting our way through the smallest gaps! Disappointingly there is no space we can get into. There is no harbour master, so boats are not moored up efficiently and there is loads of wasted space with small boats parking where bigger ones can go. So we carry on out through town and out the other side.
We are on the Dokkumer le and it starts to get really pretty with nice waterside houses and little villages. Before long we are deep in the countryside and need to find somewhere to moor up and it now that our investment in the Friesland Cruising Association flag and map pays off as we realise how these moorings work. Soon we have no trouble in finding a space on a mooring with a couple of lads who have borrowed their father’s boat for a bit of a Swallows and Amazons adventure and to drink copious quantities of beer! It is a particularly attractive traditional small yacht called Neelje, which apparently every Dutch yacht is called, at least in comic books!
Once we are secure I realise that what I thought was a deserted stretch of the river was far from it! People on bicycles pedal past just behind the hedge, motor boats disappear into small gaps in the bank that lead to their homes! You are never from people in Holland! At least it is quiet and we are soon all asleep.

Quiet and peaceful.

Saturday 29th July and we make a very lively exit from Enkhuizen before the weather turns a bit windy! Trying to pick our moment to untie from the mooring when there was a lull in the wind is of course hopeless and we time it just when the wind is building to its strongest! At least the wind is head on and there is plenty of it to blow us backwards out of the box berth! Oh well, there are times when you have just got to go for it and this is one of them! I give Grace a good burst of full astern and full port rudder! We surge back but Grace is always slow to respond to the helm astern but she does starts to turn and we sweep round just missing the opposite mooring posts and boat sterns! Beautifully done, just like a pro. 

We still have plenty of speed astern – 5knots as we sweep into the fairway! Dead stop! Dead slow ahead and we exit the Marina through a flurry of ferries, barges and yachts which have take that very moment to appear from nowhere.

Crossing the Isselmeer

We start our crossing of the IJsselmeer on a bearing of 050 towards the channel buoys marking the approach to Stavoren. After about 8 miles we pick up the first of the green buoys. It has been really nice to sail again after a few days of motoring in the confines of the canals. It’s a Force 4 and on our mainsail alone we have be making 4 to 5 knots in what has been a bit of a choppy sea. A course change to 030 takes us down the channel, keeping green buoys to starboard for about 4 miles before taking in our mainsail just before the entry to the Sluis at Stavoren. 

Approaching Stavoren

It is 1330 and too early to stop so we press on, planning to stop at a nice hotel which gives you a mooring providing you stop for dinner. It’s a couple of miles past Stavoren but timing should be right by the time we have done the bridges. 

Our first Friesian cows in Friesland !

Everything really is going our way! We have no delays at the bridges but it is really busy. We have never seen so many boats on the canals. They are everywhere streaming in all directions! 

On the Johan Frisko Kanaal

Before we realise it we are through the Johan Frisko Canal and have rejoined the main Staande Mastroute from Lemmer in the Princess Margaret Canal. 

Boats are everywhere!

After crossing several large lakes we are at the start of the Sneekermeer. It is 1730, we have had a great sail but are tired and need to find somewhere to stop. Sneek looks a good bet. You can moor up in the street and they have space for 250 yachts. It an incredible feeling sailing into the centre of town and mooring up against a wall! A few minutes later the harbour master turns up on a bike and we pay him. Job done, free electricity, wifi, water and showers!

Moored up in Sneek

An eccentric woman turns up from the Woman on Barges association and sells me a burgee for 15€ and map of ‘free’ moorings around Friesland. It seems right to support what they are doing and I pay up willingly…….this proves to be a very handy investment! 

Our new blue flag! (Port side lower)

Sneek is not the biggest town but we have a nice supper in De Walrus which seems to be the only place with any life and it is all rather good!

Cheers! At De Walrus.

Oh and the record, we covered 27 miles and 3 pages in our ANWB wateratlas! The furthest we have managed in one day on the canals!

We spent a great day dodging the rain. The outside part is divided into little groups of houses that represent different parts of zuiderzee life. It was set up in 1947 as people realised that the 37 km dyke from Enkhuizen to Lalystad which formed the Markermeer in the late 1930’s was changing the fishing culture and heritage of the region. 

The inside part of the museum was a mix of strange Dutch modern art installation together with local history! This ranges from cabbages, traditional clothes, fishing boats and the Dutch East India Company! The DEIA or VOC is apparently the oldest trademark in the world.

July 25th. We went to collect Ellie today from Schipol Airport. 2 buses and a train ride later we made it with 10 minutes to spare! We could not face the bus ride back so we take a taxi. Trust us to find a taxi driver who had no idea where Durgerdam was and we had to show him on Google Maps – lots of Euros later we were back at the boat.

Back at the boat we were away quickly keen to get going but forgetting to put the mainsail reeling on to ‘free’ it meant we could not use it. We were careful to follow the Durgerdam channel as marked depths either side were less than 1 m. Past the barge mooring posts we turned onto a bearing of 065 into the main channel and attempted to cross over to the red P18 buoy. There were so many barges heading to Amsterdam that we had to dodge in and out and it was not until P14 that we were safely on the far side of the channel.

We then had two miles before the Hooft channel joined us at the red P8 buoy to our starboard and another stream of barges crossing our path to head down towards Amsterdam. At the earliest opportunity we turned to the NE on a bearing of 045. Our plan was to to stick with this for 12 m then head West towards Vollendam. By this time the wind had started to build rapidly, and we had a brisk sail just on the genoa alone. 

The Markermeer is only about 3 m deep outside the marked channels and it soon develops a vicious chop in strong winds…..which we had! The wind force was rising all the time, from F4 through F5 then F6 with gusts of almost 30 knots. Grace pitched a bit but punched her way along. At 052 35′ N and 005 14′.4E we made our turn towards Volendam. On a bearing of 085 we were close hauled for 5 miles until we made the channel for Volendam and a little bit of welcome shelter afforded by the land. The channel is quite complex with a spur to starboard into the new Marina. 

At the Ameldung Steiger we are directed to B17. And it had been all going so well…….oh dear in the fairway I turned too late to get into our box mooring and got in between two lines of boats with just a couple of feet to spare at each end! Grace does not like to turn out sharply on account of her big wide German bottom and no bow thrusters! However eventually I did manage to complete a 50 point turn, get her around then in for another go. By then and after much engine revving we had acquired quite an audience! The benefit of which was that as we jiggled into our box mooring their was some kind soul there to take our bow lines!

Volendam is quite a pretty place with a huge football stadium and rather a good chandlery which took my credit card! So we invested in a rather good boat hook and two new lighter mooring lines which might be easier than our thick old three stranders to throw over bollards and posts! Plus we stocked up on my favourite maps!

It is also famous for Dutch caps (as featured in the national dress)! It’s other claim to fame is that it the source of a style of pop music known as eel pop!

July 26th. The weather forecast is not looking great for Friday and Saturday morning. We feel we would like to be somewhere where we could be nicely tucked away out of the wind and would be interesting, with something to see before we cross the
IJsselmeer and head inland again at Stavoren. We were recommended by a man in a bar in Dordrecht to go to Hoorn and Enkhuizen as they were starting point for much of the East Indies trade. They were very old towns with real Dutch character. Also there is a great museum at Enkhuizen which must not be missed…..and ideal place to be for the bad weather forecast for Friday.

As usual, there are the predictable doom mongers who predict all sorts of weed related disasters ranging from a clogged propeller to being totally engulfed in weed and getting stuck, never to be seen again. As usual we ignore all the advice, good or bad and carry on regardless to make the same mistakes! 

Leaving Volendam 

It is a beautiful day with a Westerly F2 wind and after dodging the Edam Ferry we head out towards the North on a bearing of 019. All sails are set and we are gently ghosting along at 3 knots. After 5 miles we change our bearing to 330. Within a couple of miles we suddenly start to see bubbles in the water and then big banks of weeds. Anne steers while Ellie and I spot big clumps of weed to try to avoid. It is fortunate we are going so slowly as we glide our way through, almost avoiding the biggest patches.

As we approach the Marina entrance, we take in the sails and start the engine, but as soon as I put Grace in gear and give her some throttle there is a terrible vibration, our prop is fouled by the weed. Going astern to try to shift it the vibration is even worse and we no reverse motion. This is going to be interesting! I really hope our berth will be easy! We glide up to the Meldsteiger at dead slow, barely above idle speed the vibration is bearable! We are given a box number, fortunately it is quite easy and we glide into it! 

Hoorn Marina 

Big clump of weed fell off our keel and prop!

We make Grace secure and then notice a big patch of weed float away from our keel. That is reassuring but there is no option, someone has to go into the water to check that the prop is free. We have an auto prop, which although seems very efficient in forward and reverse over a fixed bladed propeller seems very sensitive to getting stuck and therefore becomes easily out of balance. It is just over a week since we had Grace lifted for another propeller problem and the prospect of saving lots of Euros soon has me donning my wetsuit! I ask the harbour master if the water was safe, he looks at me as if is I am mad and says that he would prefer to pay to get the boat lifted rather than go in! 

Braving the water!

God this water is cold! I can’t breathe easily, no wonder the RNLI say if you fall in the first thing you should try and do is to float and get your breathing under control. It is difficult, I put my head under but cannot see anything! There is nothing for it but to put my phone into a plastic bag and tape it to a boat hook and try to video the sail drive. Success! After two attempts and several mouthfuls more of Marina water we get a good enough picture of the propeller and no weed! I can come out and go for a hot shower.
The town of Hoorn is surprisingly enormous, I had imagined it to be a small town but it is packed with houses dating from the 17th century – they tilt at every angle and it is amazing that they stay up! The old harbour has lots of great sailing barges, including Hollands oldest one!

Views of Hoorn 

 After partially drowning and poisoning myself my priority now is a drink and food. We find the old customers house in the square and have something nice to eat and drink while we watch the day’s market close and get taken away, revealing a statue of Jan Coen, a local celebrity who was a ruthlessly cruel but efficient colonial administrator! They did say that the statue was a bit controversial!

Jan Coen  
It is the 27th July and we are going to Enkhuizen, we will spend a couple of days there and ride out the stormy weather and crossing the IJsselmeer on Saturday afternoon when it has blown itself out. It is a beautiful morning when we leave Hoorn. It is blowing a gentle F3 from the west, perfect for a very broad reach up towards the lock at Enkhuizen. Grace is sailing well, initially on the mainsail then with the genoa as well on a bearing of 120 and away from the horrid weed beds. At the yellow Sport-G buoy we gybe onto a bearing of 055 and pick up with a large sailing barge just off Appelhoek. 

Sailing in company 

We are both going about 3 knots and stay in company close inshore for about 5 miles until we reach the Naviduct Sluis at Enkhuizen. 

Heading for the Naviduct

Dividing the Markermeer from the ljsselmeer is an 37 km long dyke that runs from Enkhuizen to Lelystad with Sluis at each end to allow you to go through. The Marina, Compagnies Jachthaven is just through the Naviduct and on the edge of the town. In the Naviduct we hang back a bit behind the our sailing barge friend, coming out of the lock his stern is all over the place and the yacht next to him gets a few sweaty moments as this great big 30 tonne lump of iron slowly but irresistibly drifts towards him, with inches to spare the barge gracefully moves on and everyone breathes a sign of relief.
We cross the channel into the Marina, just at that moment we meet 3 yachts coming out and a ferry joins us coming in but by now I am used to dodging about and my heart rate hardly rises! Right down at the end is the meldsteiger and the pontoon manager tells us which box mooring we have, so a swift u turn and we are there. Squeeking through the piles we lose a bit of fender but the gelcoat is spared! We are soon moored up securely and ready to go exploring Enkhuizen! 

Grace safely moored at Enkhuizen 

The remarkable thing about this Marina are the swallows, the are everywhere flying in and out of the rigging at great speed, there are thousands of them roosting under the boardwalks and fly around you when you walk along it!

Off to explore Enkhuizen 

It is three weeks since I had a bath! For someone who normally has a bath everyday and often two, three weeks of showers is not quite the same! And this Marina has baths! It is probably the best view from a bath I have ever had, especially of the diners in the restaurant below! Which incidentally does a fine Schnitzel and beer!

Bath view

The view from Grace is interesting as we are sandwiched between a ship yard repairing drilling platforms and the ferry terminal on the other the other side but the river view if fantastic and always changing. There are also some beautiful yachts parked here and it is always interesting to watch the comings and goings to the bar as people turn up in their speedboats and moor up outside.

Drilling platform

Really expensive yachts

Always something going on on the the river

Centraal Station is just a free 15 minutes ferry ride away. It is Saturday and the place is humid and heaving with people. We have become used to the gentility of Dordrecht so all these people and the smell is a bit of a shock. It might have been the route we are following, my phone has Apple Maps but it seems to take us past every 'cafe' and the smell of weed is everywhere as are the teenagers looking for their first joints or the old derelicts looking for their last.

Our ferry ride to the station
We enjoy the Amsterdam Museum and their Amsterdam DNA exhibition is very good. I especially like the boat hook from 1310, it is exactly like ours…..we could do with another one! However, a very nice place is also the courtyard cafe that is shaded by a large Linden tree.
It is Sunday so it must be the Rijks Museum. We get there early to avoid the queue and download their app using the best wifi we have found anywhere! I should have bought my iPad so I could have updated that as well. Now their app takes you from the coffee shop (great coffee) to the restaurant (excellent 70's style Vol au Vents) in just over 90 minutes without stopping to see all the tedious Rembrandt portraits that he had to knock out to pay the bills. You just see the best stuff!

The good stuff

The interesting stuff
As it is Monday 24th July we move on to Durgerdam, it is only 4 miles from Amsterdam but it is through the Oranjesluis and bridge. This means we are out into the Markermeer and ready to go north towards Germany once we have met our youngest daughter from Schipol. It is so quiet here in Durgerdam that it is hard to believe that it is only a few minutes away from bustle of Amsterdam.

Grace in Durgerdam Marina

Durgerdam

When we set off from Kaag on Friday morning we did not expect to be in Amsterdam that night! As we had run on the motor for 32 hours and at 3.5 litres per hour, I estimated that we have used 112 litres of fuel so needed to refuel. There was nothing before Amsterdam so we had no option but to fill up at the chandler’s fuel pontoon. We only managed to take 40 litres of diesel. It was a good job as it was the most expensive fuel I have ever bought! Nothing backward here! 

By 0900 we were on the waiting pontoon for the railway and road bridges at Buitenkaag to open at 0932. I had learnt my lesson and this time I waited for the green light! And sure enough not one but two large barges came through heading south.

 We carry on north up the Ringvaart, passing the bridge at Lisse, then the Elsbroekerbrug, then the Hellegommerbrug at Beinsdorf. Then the bridges at Zwaanshoek and at Cruiquius (the home of the crocus).

We then went north up the Spaarne and the bridge at Schouwbroeker. We then entered the zone around Haarlem. This has 9 bridges which you have to pass through in convoy, but if you get the timing just right they open in sequence for you. We had a perfect run and had stopped at bridge 3 to pay our 10 Euro toll. 

It was 1345 and we had 30 minutes to make the bridge at the A6 motorway at Spaarndam. If we miss it then the next time it will open is at 1945. We still had a lock and 2 bridges to do!

All went well and we reached the Rijnlandsluis at 1400. We pay the 3 Euro toll, we are keen to get going but the lock keeper tells us to relax as we will make the A6 bridge opening. 

At 1415, the motorway slowly comes to a stop…..with the exception of the odd chancer! We are through and have one final bridge at Buitenhuizen before we enter the Noordzeekanaal towards Amsterdam. It is busy with shipping being the main route to the sea. 

Shipping in the Noordzeekanaal

It is just 4 miles to Amsterdam before we cross the canal and enter the Amsterdam Marina. They tell us to secure up to the wavebreaker. It is 1550, we have cover 19 miles and are safely in Amsterdam, just short ferry ride from Amsterdam Centraal Station.

Grace safely moored up against the wavebreaker

We decide to stay another at Kaag Island, the weather is looking a bit wet and stormy and despite backing onto a vast Royal Dutch Shipyard the island is very peaceful and sleepy. We top up with local produce from the dairy and make some excellent cheese omelette for supper!

It also gives us an opportunity to do a few jobs such as find the dinghy in the hold and test the outboard which has not been used for 6 months and dangled of the back of the boat in all sorts of weather!

Of course it is a Honda and it starts straight away once I remember the ‘killcord’ . I weave about the marina bouncing off posts and things before finally bringing it under control! Good job it is only 2.3 hp on an inflatable dinghy the size of a large tyre. 

The most important job and reason why we rediscovered the dinghy was to swap the gas bottle at the chandlery across the canal. We were in grave danger of not being able to make cups of tea! 

Of course there was a simpler and safer option which would have been to invest one Euro and take the ferry.

 But no, Anne and I perch precariously in the dinghy and weave our way across the canal avoiding ferries, barges, yachts but not quite a motor boat! 

We tie up and make the most dignified exit we can on our hands and knees, scrabbling on to the bank to avoid falling in the drink! 

The chandlery is really good and soon we have a big pile of ‘essentials’ only to discover that he doesn’t take bumpy credit cards! So back it all goes and we empty our pockets of cash and leave with the gas bottle and a map, interesting priced in Guilders! It is only 17 years since the Euro came to Holland! 

Our plan, to take the dinghy around to the restaurant and tie up outside while we make a cool entrance like film stars at Canne is put on ice after our experience of going to the chandlers as we think we will look more like a couple of vagrants arriving in Caen instead! So we walk to our lunch.

Our plan today (Wednesday) was to get through the railway bridge at Gouda at the start of our journey and then the one at Kaag at the end of the trip and then on to Lisse. This would put us in a good position to reach Haarlem on Thursday and an easy run into Amsterdam on Friday.

It is 1015 and we made a smooth exit out of our berth at Gouda Marina. There was only one boat length of space in the fairway. I swing Gracie out without the benefit of bow thrusters. Ace! I really am getting overconfident……As they say ‘pride comes before a fall’.

Back out in the main channel and heading towards our first bridge of the day for its opening at 1028 I noticed a large barge packed high with containers – our dilemma is do we go through the bridge before him or after. With two minutes to go that question was answered. He dropped his mooring lines and pushed to the front of the queue. I’m not going to argue with a 7000 tonne barge in my 7 tonne yacht! 

It was a good plan to hang back as commercial traffic get priority at bridges and locks and we get green lights all the way! Along with 4 other yachts we rattle along at 6.5 knots in convoy behind the For-Ever and through the bridges:

1. Railway bridge at Gouda

2. Boskoop bridge and the narrow one way 500m section 

3. Waddinxeen bridge

4. Coenecoop bridge

5. Gouwsluis rail bridge 

6. Gouwsluis road bridge 

It was here that we lose our guide at  the container terminal just before the start of the Old Rhine.

Once on the Old Rhine, we reached Alphen a/d Rijn and the bridge shuffle started again as we Have to wait for the bridges to open for us:

7. Swaenswijk bridge

It is at our 8th bridge of the day that disaster almost befalls us; as my overconfidence leads us into near catastrophe. At the Alphense bridge, its roadway is coming up slowly, there is not much space in the channel and the wind is blowing from behind and Grace is slowly but steadily and inexorably moving towards the bridge. The span is now fully open but the lights are still red but we are right there ready to shoot through. I don’t have much space left so I go, then I see it, the bows of a big barge pushing towards us. It fills the entire bridge span. We are in trouble. The bridge loudspeakers are shouting, the VHF is shouting but I don’t hear anything! Full astern, but the yacht behind us has pulled out to follow us through and we are boxed in. I crab sideways, the people on a small red yacht realise there is a problem and we throw them our lines. We are safe but shaken as the barge powers passed us. Gingerly I edge out through the bridge. I have learnt my lesson now, always obey the lights, red really does mean stop and commercial traffic always go first! 

We carry on in convoy with Grace as ‘tail end charlie’ and  are pleased to be there! Then on through:

9. Juliana bridge

10. Albert Schwiter bridge 

11. Molenaars bridge

12. Woubrugge bridge

We now break out into the Braasermeer which is a pretty, wide but shallow lake. We have to follow the marked channel, it is no more than 1.5 to 2.0 m deep. Then out to Oud Wettering and the junction with the Ringwaart van de Haarlemer Meerpoulder. 

Immediately we have to stop for our next bridges:

13. Basculebrug 

14. Meerbrug

For our treat of the day there are no more bridges but an aqueduct over the motorway instead!

It is now 1500 and our last railway bridge does not now open until 1932 and it is too late to push onto Lisse. 15 miles and 14 bridges means we are tired and looking for a stop. It really is a bridge too far! We have reach Kaag and pull into the Marina. We can always do the railway bridge tomorrow! 

Kaag island is very nice and once Grace is safely moored we have time to cool our feet on what turns out to be a beautiful evening!