Drydock

After a week in dry-dock we are afloat again and the result of a week's hard work is great.

It was tough on Michel because he has worked as helping foreman and for me because I couldn’t get off the ship for a few days (did not dare) and therefore had to stay inside. After all it wasn’t too hard as I had time for useful things and also for serving the coffee, rolls etc.

There were three boys to help and they stripped the whole ship from just below the waterline to the ‘berghout’.

 

fully protected all-over, it was hard and dirty labour

That part of the ship had not been treated yet (that is to say, in our time) and the many layers of tar were cracking and the hull was getting rusty underneath.

 

this is what it looked like and this is not the worst spot

Each year we had to choose between applying a new layer or do the right thing and strip.
We decided to go for the second option and to our delight now you can see the original depth marks next to the rudder and on the bow.

depth marks next to the rudder

now well discernable where previous invisible

 We hebben besloten tot kaal halen en tot ons genoegen werden nu ook de oorspronkelijke diepte merken naast het roer en op de boeg weer zichtbaar.

It was heavy and dirty work, but after 2 days it was completely bare and smooth and the first layer of primer was on, giving the ship a silver shine, which looks very strange; we finished with two layers of paint.

a pinkish-silver coating of primer

and than the black, for security we went for anchor so nobody could steal this beautiful boat

Now we are back on the quay where the conversion took place and this coming week we’ll do a bit of painting on the outside and some repairs.

But first all the black dust and grit has to be washed off, ‘t Majeur was really dirty.

I’m happy that I have the run of the ship again and can work alongside (vertigo is impractical).

In the middle of April we can go back to pleasure cruising.

On our way to Groningen we passed a curious barge. 

At the time we decided that the pilot house on our barge was too small, so we had it removed in order to get a more spacious one.

Now, when you think your cramped for space you can also get an extension by putting a second one on top. Practical???

Haarlem-Groningen

We left Haarlem on March, 19^th to the start of a new barging season. We left earlier than last year because we will go to Groningen first to go into dry-dock and to do a bit of work on the hull. 

After six stationary months we left, neighbours waving us goodbye – we are settled in Haarlem – on a beautiful, sunny spring day.

Our plans originally were to go North via the Randmeren, but at the last moment – going down the North Sea Canal (Noordzee kanaal) we decided to go to the Flevo-polder, first cruising the Markermeer and entering a lock near Almere.

The weather was very calm, so crossing the Markermeer was no problem. We will do the Randmeren on the way back as we go to Amersfoort.

the IJ, left the new museum and at the right the Central Station

But first we cruised the IJ, passing the newly built Film Museum and the Central Station, feeling Amsterdamers again.

The welcome in the Flevo-polder was a bit confusing as at the first opportunity for mooring we came across this sign.  

But, no problem, cruise a bit further and we spent the night in the Noorderplassen, pitch dark, very quiet and heaps of stars. Really no comparison to Haarlem.

What to say about the Flevo-polder, it really is a polder, flat, rather barren, windmills and the A6 highway all over as background.

lots and lots and lots of windmills

architect played around with colours in Almere, this is modest

  

But also vista’s, beautiful skies, remarkable architecture in Almere, Easter eggs on the bank and nature reserves like the Oostvaardersplassen and the park near Lelystad.  But also vista’s, beautiful skies, remarkable architecture in Almere, a kind of "Easter eggs" on the bank and nature reserves like the Oostvaardersplassen and the park near Lelystad.

in the background the A6

Easter eggs, Hunnebeds, whatever

This picture shows the water level of the former Zuiderzee – now IJsselmeer, we did go down some 6 meters when entering the polder.

the water level was at the top of the pole

Like the Schokland harbour in the midst of pastures we came upon the remains of a ships wreck, a 17^th century fishing boat in the middle of this wood.

 After the drainage the wreck became visible because of the surrounding land going down as a consequence of lowering the water level. The wreck was now drying and exposed to the air it was a feast for fungi.

They made a very ingenious construction, covering the wreck with earth, having an underlayment of plastic sheeting and now the wood is wetted by rain and conserved in a kind of tumulus.

 

We left the Flevo-polder through the Ketellock and then cruised the Keteldiep, the Ramsdiep and the Zwarte Water (Black Water) and via Zwartsluis to Meppel.

There we were entering well known territory because we cruised the Drentsche Hoofdvaart in 2010, when going from Groningen to Meppel.

All the more fun because we knew that Smilde offers very good French fries!

French fries delivered on board

  


















We are the first ship to cruise the canal this season, very quiet and nowhere we had to wait as the man who operates the locks and bridges accompanies you all along this stretch.
As you can see the locals are well prepared for a season of barge watching.

A new season

After another good winter in Haarlem we start travelling again today, a new season and new adventures.
We start a route that we do not know, so far we came in and left Haarlem from the south side,  now we are going  North and through the North Sea Canal and the Orange locks to the Randmeren (all of our plans can be found on the web site) and all the way to Groningen,  more about this in following blogs.

We have, in the end, had real winter and the Spaarne was fully frozen over. A lot of skating around the ship good for pretty pictures.

 

Although the winter is really is over now, Apollo's foot, standing on the shower building in the centre of Haarlem is still dressed with the sock a creative knitter has put on it, it looks cute.

This winter again a lot of work was done in and around the ship. The biggest eye catcher is the new (collapsible) platform  Michel build in front of the steering wheel, in any case, whatever we will have good visibility.

2012

Next week the renewed website can be seen and will we leave Haarlem again. I shall start blogging again bout our travels in 2012.
On the new site lots of new photo's, prices and opportunities ( adjusted, certainly not higher and clear  ) and of coarse our boating plans for the coming months.
Who wants can get a warning when a new blog is published.

Hope to find you back here soon,

best wishes Rebecca

Maastricht-Haarlem

last stage

We arrived in Maastricht on a Sunday afternoon, the official mooring quay was all filled up so we went to a location next to the bunker ship. We moored up close to the barges selling weed and a large (former) factory occupied by squatters, a fine spot, no noise or goings on.

Michel left for Amsterdam and I went to recon Maastricht together with Panache. It was fun because the Maastricht Uitmarkt (music and theatre throughout town) took place.

We stayed in Maastricht for another few days and were pleasantly surprised to come across the Sinclus, a barge that was moored next to us in Groningen, the owners also working very hard on a conversion.

We had not seen them since and found out that they had been taking the same itinerary as we had, only a few days behind us, some coincidence.

Thursday, September 15^th we tanked up with water at the bunker ship, bought a coil of rope and some items. The owner was quite surprised that we had not been visited by the police, because apparently we had moored on a quay were it was forbidden.

the quay in Maastricht, a big barge is taking fuel

The barges that had been moored behind us were indeed sent away. I did see the police, we even waved at each other friendly, but they never said anything. Special treatment apparently.

After spending a night at Torn, the white village, we set sail for the Zuid-Willemsvaart.

Because of an appointment with some relatives we wanted to be in Beek en Donk on Saturday, which implied making miles on the Zuid-Willemsvaart. We thought we’d make a long day because there are very few mooring spots in that canal, which was alright for once. It turned out to be such a long day that we had to pass the last bridges in the dark, which was quite an experience as we had not been sailing with the lights on (tunnels apart).

The picture of the signpost, this trip I took pictures of all signposts, could only be made when Michel turned the spotlight on.

in the dark but the spotlight works well

The reason for the delay was – again – the engine stalling spontaneously.

We were lucky enough to be able to get to a quay and after lots of calls to the man who installed the engine and the importer of the engine the decision was made to remove the solenoid (stopping magnet) that was at fault.

So now we have to go down to the engine room to stop the engine by hand instead of using the switch on the dashboard, until a new one has been fixed.

Not very practical, but no big problem for our last leg. After all, we are almost in Haarlem.

After a pleasant stay in Beek en Donk we went to den Bosch. It turned out to be just as well that we had not gone there on the Sunday as ‘s-Hertogenbosch Maritiem took place that weekend. The town had been stuffed with boats, many of which had been coming our way when we came close on Monday; we would not have fitted in.

soldiers were deconstrucing the pontoons with special craft

The harbour for passing ships was still filled up, but there was a quay where we could only get up on a ladder, not pleasant but very quiet and a nice spot.

We were almost neighbours to the old Verkade factory, now converted to a movie house and theatre. We grasped the opportunity and went to see the latest Woody Allen pic and a play by Orkater; wonderfull!

In den Bosch we talked to the harbourmaster and a man from the council – the Water Expert, really his official title – to find out about winter moorings. Although all facilities are in place the moorings are not used in winter time, such a waste as we would love to spend a winter there, a real nice city. Now at least they will consider it.

After den Bosch we planned to sail through the Biesbosch for a few days; on the trip going south we had done the western side which was no great success due to shallow waters and a lack of mooring places for us (laying at anchor is not practical when you still have to walk a dog in the evening).

We left den Bosch on Sunday, excellent sailing conditions, nice barging but not so smart.

good sailing on the Bergse Maas

The Biesbosch was crowded and there were an awful lot of small yachts that thought we were too big and in the way.

There were a only few other big barges, the roomier mooring spaces were all taken but we did manage to find a nice spot.

We have now decided that the Biesbosch is not our thing, unless as a through fare.

When we left the Biesbosch we found ourselves back in known territory as the route back was mostly how we had come down.

We spent the better part of a week in Dordrecht. Our barge is not “historically satisfying”  enough to be granted a mooring for a prolonged period – winter e.g. - in the Wolwevershaven but we might get permission for the Riedijkshaven (very new and although almost in the centre set off with apartment buildings and not by beautiful historical buildings). So we tried out this mooring and we concluded: something to give a second thought.

between apartment buildings in the Riedijkharbour

From Dordrecht we went to Schiedam were we both had never been. A village with a beautiful old centre and lots of windmills.

the mill from Ketel1 genever as you enter Schiedam

We were moored right next to a mill that had been built the previous year. A sight to behold, with all the specially made bricks, curved and tapered.

Schiedam still is genever-town, all famous brands are still there and there is a genever-museum (fun).

Schiedam centre

anchoring and sudpoles forbidden

In Schiedam we came across the first signpost that not only prohibited mooring but also the use of spud-legs. We are afraid that we will see more of these in the near future which is unfortunate because till now spud-legs were allowed were mooring was not, unless forbidden explicitly.

Out last stop for the night was in Leiden and we arrived in Haarlem on October, 8^th thus rounding off our itinerary.

On the map below you can see the trip we made some 1900 kilometres, about 260 locks and over 400 times we had to be serviced (bridge or lock), covering some 325 hours motoring. 
Doing an average 5 hours barging per day it works out to 65 days sailing out of the 188 days that we have been on the move.

roundtrip 2011

It is nice to be back in Haarlem, we were heartily greeted by the neighbours and it felt a bit like coming home.

The Strontrace (manure rally) – barges that have to make the Makkum – Warmond trip without the use of an engine – went by already.

Some of them poling underneath the bridge, others using their front-sail when the bridge was open, all of it very impressive.

Our appointment book is getting cluttered already with fun (friends, theatre, concerts) and functional (dentist, GP) appointments and Michel is busy working on the ship.

 


The pilothouse must be finished this winter and the starboard cabin has to be converted (this being just 2 items from a very long list of honey-do’s).

Another important item is planning next years trip and updating our website.

This will – for the time being – be my last blog entry; when the site is up to date and the itinerary is posted I will inform you.

PS Save for one tomato-plant, there are still 3 tomatoes growing, the garden is winterised and filled with violets.

We will get the outside lights up soon so we will have a festive look when darkness falls. Let winter come!