North Holland - Alkmaar to Den Helder

From Haarlem we went back to the Noordzee Kaanal to make our way north. Once again we got into the thick of the sea traffic. This is a very busy canal and at one time I counted 8 boats in one photo shot.

We turned off the canal and what a contrast as we passed through Zaandam.



The houses here are just as they were hundreds of years ago and the windmills still work as grinding mills or saw mills or water pumping.

Our next stop was Alkmaar where would stay a few days to see the Cheese auction in the main square.
The day before the auction all was quiet in the square as we wandered about.


Friday is Auction Day.


We left Alkmaar to travel up to Den Helder situated on the North Sea. Once again we found some of the bridges we passed through a little different.

We can get under a 2.6M bridge without dropping the canopy now, so travelling is a little faster if we don’t have to wait for the traffic to stop and the bridge to open.


On this part of the canal we saw some interesting patterned thatched houses, lovely irises growing in a paddock ready for the flower market and many wind turbines situated along the canal..

Haarlem

We all left Amsterdam to go to Haarlem where we would meet Diana and Arthur who were travelling up from Rotterdam to meet us. We had an exciting or terrifying trip however one likes to look at it, up the NoordZee Kanaal before turning off for Haarlem. As we make our way along a truck ferry comes from one side of the canal to the other.
Huge ships pass close by

as well as suddenly coming out from harbours at the side, you need eyes in the back of your head.

This dredge and 2 barges were anchored in the middle of the canal.

This photo of Oliver,s boat is like David and Goliath.
Thankfully after 20 k we turned under the bridge and down to Haarlem which is a lovely city reached by passing under many small bridges.
I think we may have set a record when we had 4 Australian boats in the harbour.

While shopping in Haarlem we came across one of the large street organs. The music really livens up the pace.


The old part of the city has very small streets and we spent some time wandering along them.



While out riding we came across this magnificent cathederal.


While here we took our bikes on the train to the sea side resort of Zandvoort on the Noordzee. We had all our winter woollies on but did see some people trying to pretend it was nearly summer.

The beaches are lined with little holiday cottages.

Amsterdam

We crossed over at Weesp into a canal leading into the Amstel then onto Amsterdam. So far we had a reading on the chart for the air draft which is the height from water level to the underside of each bridge to calculate whether we could go under or call for the bridge to be opened. Suddenly right in the city centre the bridges weren’t marked.

We pulled over to the side and took the flags off as they were the highest point after the canopy and from here we went through the last 7 bridges with one of us outside while the other drove under the bridge very slowly to check that we would fit. After this experience we have made the flag poles shorter and put up a marker pole right at the front and know exactly how much room we need.

After a very long day we crossed over into Six Haven Yacht Club which is on the opposite side of the river to the Amsterdam train station. It was great to see Penny and Russel and Oliver who had both arrived earlier in the day. Three Australian boats side by side certainly caused some interest. The next couple of days we found all sorts of places as we rode our bicycles around. The city is made for bicycle travel with cycle paths along every street. To cross over to the city side, a ferry boat just down from Six Haven leaves every 15 minutes and is free. Bicycles, motor cycles, pedestrians and very small cars about 1 metre wide (smaller than Smart Cars) all make their way onto the ferry at the same time.
Peak hours are amazing and he who hesitates is lost, we quickly get used to melding in with the others.

Crossing the harbour the ferries have to dodge the huge barges making their way up or down the harbour as they cross.

Where else but Amsterdam would you get a building similar to a 4 story carpark full of bicycles with not a car in sight. How people are able to find their bicycles is beyond me as almost everyone is black with a carrier.

Bicycle attire here is not the usual casual dress we come to expect when going out riding. Seeing someone dressed for the office or a cocktail party and riding a bicycle is strange to us but the norm here.

I am astounded at how much can be carried on one bicycle. One Mum we saw shopping with two toddlers in the back in seats one behind the other, a baby in a seat in front of the handle bars and a rack in front for the shopping.
Many people also ride a type of three wheeler with a huge box in front which has two seats and probably carries 4 small children.
This little fellow even has his own windscreen.

Into the Netherlands and on our way to Amsterdam

Into the Netherlands the Meuse River changes to the Maas.

We entered the Netherlands where the Meuse changes to the Maas River through the huge Lannaye lock which is 136 M long and 16M wide and looks like the grand canyon when you are sitting at the bottom of it. As there seemed to be a queue of barges, Kevin moored the boat and went to hand our papers in from our travel through Belgium and the lock master said to go in the lock first then the largest barge waiting would follow. In a previous lock we had done the same with a huge 11.5 M wide and 110M long barge behind us in a 136M lock. Usually barges go in first then small boats, but we noticed as the boats came out of the lock that the small boats were up front.

Following instructions we entered the lock along with an English couple on ‘Beats Working’ we had been meeting along the way and moved to the front of the canyon. Half way into this manoeuvre the lock master came out to tell us to back out as the barge wanted to come in first. This was done with the barge breathing fire and brimstone at the mouth of the lock while we scurried along like little mice to get out, and, of course I was having a heart attack as I had been balancing out front ready to attach our ropes.

Back in again after the barge, ‘Beats Working’ got to a floating bollard and managed to tie up. We got caught in the barge prop wash before we could tie up and as we were trying to get back to the wall a small speedboat with inebriated driver and passengers drove between us and the bollard we were heading for. Kevin just kept driving forward while I was yelling obscenities at them while balancing out front and they decided it was best to get out of our way. Kevin came out to help tie up and made use of all the rude aussie words he knew. The lock doors closed and we rose up the 13.5 metres.

Needless to say, I don’t have any photos of this lock, but I do have of the one before with Kevin hoping to hell that the Barge knew when to stop.

Maastricht is the first big city we stay in. It is very strange being in a city where we have no idea of the written or spoken language, although it seems hallo is universal. We are able to moor alongside a wall just inside the river where the barges are passing, which gives a bit of shelter. The town is opposite our moorings and a chandlery was in a barge opposite, where we could get fuel and charts for the next part of our trip to Amsterdam. One of the problems we face, is that in France the chart booklets were written in French, English and German, here the charts are only in the dutch language. While here we managed to buy a Netherlands sim for the mobile, look around town and stock up on food.

We follow the Maas or a canal alongside, through countryside full of lakes. Our next town was Maasbracht and we have had no further trouble negotiating the locks which are growing longer, they are now 142 M long. Most of the route is commercial with huge ships going both ways carrying huge loads, but with a wide river like the Maas we can get out of their wash OK.

Making our way to Amsterdam

As we approached Nijmegan, Kevin decided we would make our route to Amsterdam via the River Waal which is a tributary of the Rhine. After being convinced that as it was Sunday and hardly any boats would be going along it I agreed. I quickly found out the Waal is a huge river with huge ships even if it was Sunday and the current was running at about 6k, Courlis sailed along at 16.5k an hour. We hugged the side to keep out of the way, Kevin is very competent and did not worry at all, so I did enough of that for the two of us.

This pusher pushed 3barges long x 2 wide.


A huge tanker passing by.
There were lots of other boats but I was too busy hanging on!!

From the Waal we turned into the Amsterdam Rhine canal and had a good run down. As it was late we decided to pull into an overnight mooring area just off the Amsterdam Rhine canal on the Lek canal which to us on the chart looked like a quieter canal. Wrong again!!! Our new experiences were building up quickly.

No sooner had it turned dark and we were getting ready for bed, a huge pusher barge minus anything to push came down the canal at a about 20kph. The canal sides here are steel shutters which don’t allow the wave action to calm down and we bounce off the wall as they keep coming back for what seems like hours( probably 30 minutes). It was the worst time we have had in the boat, Kevin was outside and nearly got thrown off the side, I was inside and and got knocked over along with the glasses of wine we were just going to enjoy at the end of an exciting day.

The rest of the night was spent with barges passing us and the boat rocking and rolling. I spent the night jumping up each time I heard a barge coming ready to abandon ship. At daybreak, once there was enough light we quickly untied and made a break for it before another barge came to terrorise me. I think the night was even enough for Kevin to decide that we should be more careful where we pull up for the night.

Paradise at last

What an enchanted paradise we found as we turned into a small canal called the Vecht. This was our first experience of how much people here use every bit of space. All along the way we pass houseboats permanently moored on the side of the canal with just enough space for boats to pass through.




As we travel along there are many picturesque small bridges we need to pass through. At the first one we were wondering what to do and then saw the button at the side and Hey Presto the bridge opened.



As you pass through a clog is lowered down into which we pay a donation unless there is a set fee written on the side of the bridge.


We wind our way through small villages and lakes and get excited on seeing our first windmill.

Soon we were seeing windmills with all sorts of variations.

Some are part of very fancy houses,

some out on the side of the lake


and still others in the villages.

2008 Belgium to the Netherlands

Travelling from Givet in France to Belgium we were not sure of the arrangements for paying to pass through. At the first lock, on enquiring we found out that on the Walloon side of Belgium if you are transiting straight to the Netherlands you are not required to pay any fees for the locks. Once we had shown our boat papers we were given a certificate which had to shown at each lock.

The scenery is quite spectcular, the Meuse winds through the Ardenne forests which come right down to the river edge.There were also many cliffs which appeared to be slate.

We stayed in Namur on the town moorings


and Dinant where there were citadels on the high cliffs.


We also passed a chateau with a beautiful maze garden.















and pretty towns clinging to the side of the canal.

Along the way we saw many rock climbers, see if you can spot them looking like flies on the vertical cliffs.



We pass many barges carrying sand or stones. It seems the whole country works on moving some type of earth from one place to another.




and more cliffs and more climbers.

So far most of the Belgians spoke French and we still felt quite at home after being in France for 4 years. Now it was getting a bit scary as it was time to enter the Netherlands and we knew only a few words and could not read any of the signs.