We set off at about 2:30 on Wednesday afternoon. We were expecting an obstruction which would reopen at about 5pm - and we hoped to pass is before it closed again the next morning. We got there at about 4pm and there was nothing there so continued on. That first day we did a lot of learning about how the boat reacts. A little paint was lost but all in all a good day. We tied up at Uithoorn, and wander down to the nearby pub for dinner. Next morning Howard did some fishing just by the boat and got a nice little haul. The problem we had when we got up was that only half of the power on the boat was working. Some of the lights worked and the water pump, but most of the appliances like the kettle, the the fridge and the stove were not working as well as all our powerpoints. Luckily we were able to email the previous owner who had insisted we got in touch if we had any issues. This started an ongoing email trail which is still going as we know how to restart the electrics, but it trips every now and again and we are not sure why. Anyway we got underway and professionally went under the first lift bridge of the day, but got too close to the second bridge which was actually a swing bridge so we had to back away. We then we provided the locals with some amusement as we did a couple of laps of the harbour trying to line her up for another tilt at the bridge. At the next mobile bridge we moored up and Howard went up and had a chat with Bridge Master who gave us some good advice. We then felt more confident at subsequent bridges. At the end Friday, just before we tied up at Weesp for the night, we had to go through a lift bridge and then cross the Amsterdam-Rijn-Canal, and then go through another lift bridge. The Amsterdam-Rijn-Canal takes major commercial traffic and we felt a bit like a mouse scurrying across the path of a herd of elephants. But we got across OK and after tying up, wandered back to have a look at this impressive waterway and the canal traffic. We also met a man walking his two chihuahuas - King Kong (who was bought in Hong Kong) and Diva (who was about the size of a small rabbit but still tried to scare us away. Howard was also pleased to have a chat with a fisherman on his bike. The next day we went from Weesp to Jachthaven Erkemederstrand. Before we set off we had a cycle around the town of Weesp to check out the mobile bridges that we had to go through. The three bridges were managed by one man who cycled between them on his bike. We had a quick chat with him before heading back to the boat. We headed north then, going through the remainder of the canal before heading into the IJ-meer. We saw some interesting boats. We went through 2 locks that day. One raised us up 20cm, the other only 10cm. The first one we were through before we had finished tying up. The second was 90m long and we locked through with 3 other boats, one of whom was towing about 10 tinnies, so that took a little longer. It feels odd to us to bother with a lock for such a small amount. It also seems odd to be going up when we are approaching the sea, but much of Netherlands is below sea level so maybe it does make sense. We got to Jachthaven Erkemederstrand at about 4pm after calling ahead to let them know we were coming and that we are a 22m barge. The harbour master had an idea of where to put us so we went down a narrow channel where boats were moored on each side. Unfortunately when we got there, there wasn't enough room for us, nor was there enough room for us to turn around. So we had to back out. Let's just say that that was challenging ,with Deb on the helm and Howard on the boathook, and the harbour master giving us advice and instructions in Dutch. We are very glad that we had a bow thruster. Luckily no damage was done and we ended up moored on the outside of the harbour, but as it was a lovely still evening we were quite content. Howard did some fishing. Today, Saturday we just had a short run to Harderwijk. Half way here we had a drama - the noise of the engine changed and we had smoke in the engine room. We were tempted to head for the nearest harbour but found that slowing down relieved the excessive smoke and noise. Later Howard worked out that a flexible exhaust pipe had split and was able to do some running repairs, which should get us to Elburg tomorrow.
We are now in Harderhaven which is where we plan to leave our barge when we leave. We had a quick visit to town on the bikes and are now meeting my friend Mike for dinner.
4 Comments
Ian
27/9/2015 01:30:42 am
Well done on the reversing Deb, amazing what you can achieve when needs must! We exited Weesp on our fourth day of cruising, and I gave the wall of the bridge where they collect the geld a fearfully severe whack while trying to position for Lisette to drop in the coins, did a nice turn exiting the last bridge, then proceeded in the wrong direction and had to turn around. You learn soooo much in these first few weeks. Great photos, keep it all coming.
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Barrie and Carole Grant
27/9/2015 06:42:13 pm
Well done on your maiden voyage. We are just learning how our Tjalk responds and runs in all kinds of conditions so can commiserate with you. Each journey is an adventure. Looking forward to more from you!
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28/9/2015 06:42:45 am
Hi, Good luck, Just checked today 66 months before we get going . Joined the DBA about two years ago. Its the way we want to go and we will learn all we can from your blog . Thanks Regards and Bon voyage
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Neil and Margaret,
29/9/2015 10:47:04 am
Just caught up with your posts.What an adventure learning the ropes.The fishing "looks' great. It looks as though the weather is being very kind to you. Hang in there!
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