Gouda

We travel in a snail's pace since we are still on the Hollandse IJssel and so untill now have not decided wich route to follow to Haarlem.
From Montfoort are we went to Oudewater, a distance of only 8.5 km that took us about 2,5 hours. The Hollandse IJssel, especially that part, is very narrow and because we are big and therefore move much water we can go only very slowly to ensure that we don't get "unmanageable" because there is not enough water under the keel.
 That's no problem because you can control it,  much more annoying is oncoming traffic that does not move to the side and expect us to swerve to the side so far that it;s sometimeswe have that the tricky to get back to the center, especially rental boats are a nuisance.

In Oudewater we stayed until after the weekend, Michel went to Amsterdam for a day and we enjoyed the Port Days  of Oudewater,  much noise and when it grew dark and an illuminated procession of decorated boats that were sailing past us.

dredging

When walking in the neighborhood I saw the littledredge boat, I thought it was a goodsystem.
 A small boat with a huge pipe behind it. the booat was kept in the middle of the ditch  with two lines to trees on the side and the skipper pulled his boat forward. It was slow but it worked

In Oudewater we also found the perfect lamp above the table in the wheelhouse. 
 

Waaiersluis near Gouda

 Monday morning we left Oudewater with the intention at least get to Gouda. To get there we need  to pass the Waaiersluis, the transition of the channeled Hollandse IJssel, which we navigate  now to the Hollandse IJssel, the tidal river.
The lock is not big enough for us, just 24.5 meters,  but 4 times a day but the water level is equal on both sides and  all doors can be opened at the same time for 10 minutes to make  passage possible.
We had called and understood that we could pass at 13.00 hours. That was a mistake, we had to wait a couple hours.

Lock and ship in the morning

The place is so beautiful and a only a short biking distance from the center of Gouda, so we are still here and spent our time working on the wheelhouse
The lock was bild around 1850 and the special thing is that there is a double set of doors and the doors, through an ingenious system can be opened against the current.





 Autumn is coming now, the leaves change color and the morning mist hangs over the water, good for pretty pictures.


 After another visit to Amsterdam we leave here Tuesday, and than have to determine the route.

I forgot to report on developments in the vegetable garden, which was/is no easy task! The first seeds hardly grew since the combination of sun and wind is too intense. The earth dried out to much, despite my faithfull watering. I made a sort of wind screen around it, put in some new seeds and some small plants (otherwise it becomes too frustrating). Now  that it gets much colder at night and also occasionally we heavy rain we made a kind of greenhouse which  can be opened during the day and closed at nicht, it keeps me busy. Now the lettuce grows, the radishes are doing well and I'm  learning. Next year with the greenhouse I can do some early sowing.

 

All the flowers and the garden get a lot of, positive, comments  from passers by, both on the water and on the side.