The mast-up route through the Netherlands
Russell Yardley enjoys an unforgettable 500km sailing odyssey through the Netherlands in his Bruce Roberts 34 yacht
I’d not heard about a mast-up route through the Netherlands until I chatted to a sailor in Germany. She had a 42ft yacht with a 1.5m draught and had just completed it.
I’d already left the Baltic and was making my way south, so this tip led me to a leisurely solo six-week journey through the length of Holland. It has been one of the best adventures of my sailing odyssey and helped me avoid the North Sea coastline at a time when the weather was more unpredictable. I encountered towns and villages packed with old and picturesque buildings, and I moored close to historic boats, many of which are home to their proud owners. I gained an overview of a wonderful country populated by friendly, helpful people who remain in touch with their maritime history.
My research led me to a readily available book, Staande Mast Route, which has comprehensive charts of the available routes. It is in Dutch but the information about the bridges, locks, marinas and facilities is easily comprehensible. I also used Inland Waterways of the Netherlands by Louise Busby and David Broad.
My 500km adventure began in Delfzijl in the north of Holland. Shorter alternatives are from Den Helder and Lauwersoog. From the south, you can start at Vlissingen
and motor to Amsterdam and then sail either side of the inland seas or motor up the canal to Den Helder before crossing to the canals from Lemmer, northern Holland.
I chose to go south in the canals from Delfzijl to Lemmer. This took me through Groningen, a beautiful historic university town. I then stopped at Leeuwarden with its 16th century abandoned leaning church tower that competes with Pisa. In the north they still use a fishing rod to swing a wooden clog over to collect Brug geld (a modest fee for the bridge staff – there is no charge for the main canals in the central and southern canals). The last small town before the inland sea Ijsselmeer is Lemmer. This small, visual gem has great eateries and I moored in the town centre close to an entry lock dated 1616.
I then chose to cross the sea to Enkhuizen. This was once a major Dutch East India Company port, packed with buildings and history. It fell into disuse as the inland sea began to silt up and prevented the bigger ships access. Nowadays the Dutch maintain the depths when necessary. I took a train trip to nearby Hoorn.
From there I sailed up to Den Helder, passing through a major lock that protects the country from the ravages of the North Sea. This is the beginning of the second part of the mast-up canal route leading south.
I passed through Alkmaar and the open-air museum at Zaandam with its seven windmills and other traditional timber buildings, and on to Amsterdam. It is possible to visit Rotterdam by canal. From there I went to Dordrecht and to the bottom of the Netherlands.
Keen boat people
The Dutch are avid boat people. Tens of thousands live full time on vessels ranging from gin palaces to antique barges.
And then there is the considerable commercial traffic. These barges can exceed 100m in length, have comfortable accommodation for families and usually one or two cars on the roof. They are close to the waterline and can usually pass under the bridges without disturbing the vehicle traffic above.
I have Navionics plotter software which is excellent for all the canals. There is also an exceptional app for computers which show all vessels in every canal. Their identity and size can be ascertained by
clicking on each symbol. Bridge and lock details can also be found. This highlights the fact that most boats have AIS transponders. These inform the canal authorities where everyone is and enables them to prepare bridge and lock openings in advance.
In the summer there are a lot of leisure craft moving through the maze of canals. Those without masts are able to travel more extensively. At busy times the preference is for yachts to travel in convoys at around 9km per hour to keep bridge openings to a sensible minimum.
My own journey began in mid-October. This had the huge advantage that, for many days, I was the only leisure craft on the canal. Most bridges opened as I approached, others required me to radio ahead on specified frequencies. Later into my trip and after 1st November a few major bridges had to be booked up to 24 hours ahead. I only experienced two significant delays – I waited three days after I approached one bridge on a Saturday and the other one held me up for 24 hours due to repairs. Generally I had few delays of more than half an hour.
Most towns and villages retain many old buildings dating from the late 1500s. Almost all are in excellent condition despite many leaning at precarious angles due to subsidence. History is all around – the Dutch East India Company left a legacy of a great many warehouses, town halls and fortifications.
The regulations for using the canals require possession of insurance and the ICC with the CEVNI (inland waterways) certificate. If you have the RYA Day Skipper qualification it’s possible to obtain the ICC by applying to the RYA. For the CEVNI qualification I bought the RYA book on Inland Waterways, studied it, took the online test and received the certificate a couple of weeks later. This qualification is added to the ICC.
No-one in the Netherlands checked that paperwork (customs did board and registered my identity and passport) but if there is an incident you could be in trouble without the documents.
Another tip is to buy a second-hand bicycle in Holland to explore the towns and countryside. There are many Waachplaats along the canals, which are purpose-built moorings, free to use for up to 72 hours. These tend to be outside towns but most canals run alongside good paths or roads.
The great advantage of going via the canals is to miss the challenges of the North Sea. Distances between marinas along the coast and islands are not short and good tidal and wind calculations are essential to avoid being caught out. In the canals, however, I was very comfortable late into November.
The use of sails is obviously possible in the inland seas and lakes and I did pass a couple of yachts sailing in the canals but the many commercial barges with limited manoeuvrability have priority. Particular highlights were Groningen, Lemmer, Enkhuizen and Dordrecht.
Moving through Amsterdam is done as an organised convoy at night. I took easy side-trips by train to Edam, Bergen, Utrecht, Den Haag and Delft which were all worth the effort. I’m now wintering near Willemstad, a fortified town which saw action in World War II and still has a mix of 17th century and German defences. I have been told there is delightful and fairly protected sailing and mooring in the area leading to the southern marina port of Vlissingen. There are marinas and facilities of a high standard, and it is also possible to moor in the centre of historic towns, surrounded by scenic buildings and great atmosphere – but in the summer there will be stiff competition for these moorings.
I paid around r15 per night for my 34ft yacht. Fuel and repairs are readily available, the standard of living is high and restaurants are popular but a bit pricey.
In the south around Amsterdam there is a lot of commercial traffic and depths are usually more than 2.5m, but the north from Leeuwarden requires paying strict attention to the buoyed channels. I did touch bottom a few times with my 1.4m draught but the soft mud didn’t cause much of a problem.
The Netherlands is completely flat and at times I was motoring above the adjacent fields. I also passed over four motorways in aqueducts. There are a lot of very old windmills and traditionally-designed bridges. For avid travellers, photographers, bird watchers and history buffs in particular this adventure would be unforgettable.
‘The Netherlands is completely flat and at times I was motoring above the adjacent fields. I also passed over four motorways in aqueducts’