When an old college buddy rings you up and says, “I’m chartering a sailboat for a week and need a crew-member”, you try to reschedule your life to go. And go, we did. Actually, he messaged me on What’sApp and I am paraphrasing his message, but you get the idea. First time on a sail boat in over 15 years, so it was an adventure.
We went to North Holland, two large man-made bays called the IJsselmeer and the Markemeer which are connected by a loch. The bays were created in the 1930’s when the Dutch government built a dyke closing off the inlet. The bay is now freshwater as there is no saltwater coming in from the sea. Freshwater comes in from several rivers. Today, the area is a source of freshwater for agriculture and drinking as well as a home for numerous birds.
Our departure marina was in Lelystad. It’s a very nice marina but the town is not much to speak of. It was a great place to spend the first night on the boat so we could start off early in the morning. Paul and Penguin also bonded and learned about the area.
We set out on Saturday morning. Our first stop was a town called URK. It is a nice little place with a lovely walking promenade around the water. The evening was stunning. We stayed two nights here as we were just getting used to the boat and we had some not great weather.
Slide show. Click on arrows to view.
Our next stop was Enkhuisen. This is a charming town on the water with wonderful walking and pretty parks. We arrived later in the afternoon, so decided to spend two nights. I loved the harbour and all the birds. I woke up early one morning to a beautiful sunrise and lots of bird activity. The last photo in the slide show is worth a close look. The boat is a Dutch design. The large wood thing on the side is a keel. There is another one on the other side of the boat. In high winds, the keels can be lowered.
Slide show. Click on arrows to view.
After Enkhuisen, we sailed to the incredible town of Hoorn. Hoorn was once an important port city and one of the major posts of the Dutch West India Company. The statues of the boys in the slide show are a tribute to the young boys who would watch and later join the ships that left from this port. Today, it is a commuter town for Amsterdam and a holiday destination. It is clearly also a sailing hub. I think it was my favorite of the towns we visited. So many areas to explore! I know it is possible to go by train, so I hope to return one day.
On our last day aboard, on our way back to Lelystad, we stopped at a nature preserve. It is a man-made island and estuary called the Marker Wadden. The Dutch are the world experts in water control and dredging. The island was made with the silt and sand that was dredged from the Markermeer lake. Today it is home to thousands of birds and was such a delight to see. There were so many Terns going back and forth, many carrying fish for the unseen baby terns. I would love to spend a whole day there, just watching all the birds.
So, that was the sailing trip. It was unexpected and tons of fun. Paul and I are still friends after a week together on a boat, which is the most important. There are more exciting trips coming up, but for now, I gotta go…..
