On the “high seas” by 9.30am towards our next destination. Our luck very much continues when it comes to the clear skies but today there is a true bit of Dutchness about the weather – the wind!!
Our route has been following a rough circul over the last five days. We are now getting very close to Schipol Airport which was the world’s third busiest airport by international passenger traffic in 2023. In 2019 there were almost 72 million passengers that passed through the airport. The closer we get the noisier it is going to get for us.
We are now both getting more confident around the boat and familiarizing ourselves with the tasks that are required to keep the boat functioning. Up to now, we have mastered the galley region and twirling the ropes. Unfortunately, the latter skill which we are adept at and required on canal boats 🤪 are of no value as they are just trip hazards but we did think they looked smart.
Wolfgang now thinks we are ready to improve upon our range of boat skills and under strict supervision has allowed us to take charge at the helm.
The cats have really got the cream now. Old Gilly is 12 meters long and 3.6 meters wide and handles very differently to a 60 foot narrow boat. Her engine is 105 hp whereas Ange De Leau was 43 hp, so she has considerably more power. This is very much required as the waterways in the Netherlands are substantially bigger and also have a flow on them.
Something quintessentially Dutch. In the Netherlands, windmills have historically served as vital tools for water management, particularly for draining and reclaiming land from marshy areas, and also for various industrial purposes like grinding grain, sawing wood, and producing oil.
A not so insignificant lift bridge. It is hard for us not to compare the British canals with what we are experiencing in the Netherlands. What we can tell you is that everything is one hell of a lot bigger, more solidly built and automated. Having said that though, it isn’t necessarily better. What is missing for us here is the quaintness and intimacy you get with the English waterways. Each country has its differences and one is neither better than the other.
Our cruising went through some beautiful built up areas with nice homes but also commercial areas with lots of cafes, bread and cheese shops and many people milling down by the canal edge. Today is Saturday so it was very busy on the waterways and also the fine weather has brought them all out. We have never experienced anything quite like this before and you have to keep your wits about you.
This is what is called a Dutch Barge. We are pretty familiar with these as there are a lot of them on the rivers in the UK being used as homes. Fraser was just talking to some people moored a little way up from us and there was an Aussie mother and son and a British guy of Carribean descent, who just purchased the Dutch Barge they were on and were making their way south to be able to cross the English Channel with it. Their intention is to moor it on the Thames and live on it. Crossing the English Channel is no mean feat and only for the brave hearted or suicidal ones.
Steps – damn watch isn’t working.
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