On 8 June 2013, the time had come: the final section of the waterway between the towns of Erica and Ter Apel in the Dutch province of Drenthe was opened with a large public celebration: the "Nieuwe Veenvaart" - the "New Journey through the Moor". This canal system connects the north-west German water sports areas via the Ems and Haren-Rütenbrock Canal with the region to the east of the IJsselmeer.
For water tourists from the Groningen area, the Stadskanaal also opens up a new circular route - the Drenther Runde - through the southern part of the province of Drenthe and the province of Overijssel. The distance from the western point of the Haren-Rütenbrock Canal on the German-Dutch border to the IJsselmeer is reduced by around 60 kilometres thanks to the new connection.
The revitalisation of old, disused waterways and the construction of a new four-kilometre-long canal arouse our curiosity. In addition to two locks, several new bridges were built in just six years - just for boating tourism! Coming from Friesland, we set off in July 2013 in glorious weather from Meppel via Hoogeveen to the Veenpark and on to Haren on the Ems. Meppel is located in the south-west of the province of Drenthe, about 40 kilometres from the IJsselmeer.
Our journey begins at the Meppeler Diep at a permitted speed of 9 km/h and continues for 29 kilometres on the Hoogeveensche Vaart to the eastern edge of Hoogeveen. The relatively wide canal is also used by commercial shipping, so there may be waiting times for pleasure craft at the locks. The three locks and five movable bridges are operated remotely; radio traffic to the east is handled via channel 84 and to the west via channel 18.
We first moor in the small harbour of Rogat, where we get the last spot at lunchtime. There is "Art on Land" here - an initiative that encourages water sports enthusiasts in particular to take a look at the works of art on the shore. Later, a mooring near Hoogeveen invites us to spend the night, albeit without any infrastructure. Hoogeveen is a sprawling, rather faceless place that we cycle through in search of the harbour, which also offers no service facilities, but should certainly have potential for development.
The route continues for 32.5 kilometres via the Verlengde Hoogeveensche Vaart to the outskirts of Klazienaveen. Before the first lock, the Noordscheschutsluis, there is a seasonal traffic jam, as the capacity of the locks decreases from here onwards. From now until Ter Apel, convoying at a maximum speed of 6 km/h is the order of the day almost all the way, but friendly lock and bridge keepers ensure that there is no displeasure. In many cases, several bridges are operated by one bridge keeper "in combinatie", which also takes time. Nevertheless, we marvel at how smoothly our convoy progresses, even though two locks and 21 bridges are opened for us on the Verlengden Hoogeveensche Vaart alone.
Halfway along the route, we pass the railway bridge (opening twice an hour) of Veenoord and Nieuw-Amsterdam, places whose appeal is not apparent to us at first glance. The banks here offer kilometres of moorings (mostly without any service), most of which are occupied by long-stayers. The following bridges and the Ericasluis are operated remotely by video surveillance as required.
On the outskirts of Klazienaveen, we turn north-west into the Bladderswijk and are startled: There is no space left at the 100 metre long waiting area in front of the Oranjesluis. We are kindly asked to simply drive past and forwards: The boat owners are using the new jetty (and its infrastructure) as a berth! Shortly after the Oranjesluis, the newly built King Willem Alexander Canal branches off the Veenvaart to the east. The number of boats decreases as a height limit of 3.50 metres applies from the first bridge crossing. Now alone on the Veenvaart, we reach the Spaarsluis, which lifts us to the level of the Hondsrug ridge.
We chug along the four kilometre long, newly built canal through barren but impressive nature and through unique high moorland areas. The banks of the Hondsrug Canal are up to three metres below the level of the surrounding area. The construction method gives nature free rein along the banks, with hiking trails, a cycle path and even a wildlife corridor accompanying us to the next lock.
The Hondsrug forms the western border of the Bourtanger Moor, once the largest contiguous fen marsh area in Central Europe. Its sandy heights were the only dry land connection until the moorland was cultivated. It is therefore hardly surprising that the term moor - in Dutch: Veen - gives its name to a number of places and canals in the area.
The most complex structure on the "Nieuwe Vaarroute Veenvaart" is the paddock lock near Oranjedorp, which opened in February 2013. A drop of five metres is overcome by two connected lock chambers. The area around the paddock lock is designed to attract visitors: There are rest areas and viewpoints over the locks to the nearby Trambrug. There, at the confluence with the Scholtenskanaal, the new construction route ends.
On the way to the Veenpark, we pass the Veenparksluis - without realising it: Construction work has raised the water level, so the Veenparksluis is now only important as a historical monument and is always open. There are numerous mooring facilities in the Veenpark, for which a mooring fee must be paid.
The Veenpark, which is now accessible by boat for the first time in 40 years, is the largest open-air museum in the Netherlands. The history of Pro-vinz Drenthe comes to life here. In a historic village there is a bakery, a shop and a clog maker. During a hike or a ride on the narrow-gauge railway, you can learn all about the peat extraction that has characterised this area since the mid-19th century.
In order to reach the peat extraction areas on the one hand and to be able to transport the peat away on the other, canals were built, from which water sportsmen still benefit today or do so again. The Stadskanaal, today's Ter Apelkanaal and the Compascuumkanaal were the most important routes for transporting the "brown gold". Villages on the Hondrug were connected to the main route via branch canals.
In the first half of the last century, however, peat extraction for fuel in the Netherlands came to a standstill and the last cut was made in 1950. A number of waterways were closed and bridges and locks were replaced by dams. By the end of the 1970s, all connections between Drenthe and Groningen (and therefore Germany) had been severed.
The renewed navigability between Erica (province of Drenthe) and Ter Apel (province of Groningen) began after long preparations in 2007. In addition to the municipalities, the provinces of Drenthe and Groningen, the regional water authorities, foundations, the Dutch state and, last but not least, the European Regional Development Fund contributed financially. The work on the 20-kilometre stretch cost 35 million euros and was divided into two sections: Reconstruction of the 14 kilometres between Ter Apel and the Veenpark and the new construction and extension of the 6 kilometres from the Veenpark to Erica.
The first construction phase began in 2008 and involved renovating, dismantling or refurbishing twelve movable bridges and building three completely new ones. Two of the three locks were refurbished in the old style and the third was electrified during the renovation. The first section up to Barger-Compascuum was opened on 10 June 2010. The second construction phase was completed with the opening of the King Willem Alexander Canal in summer 2013.
There are no yacht or passer-by harbours along the entire stretch between Meppel and Ter Apel, but there are numerous designated moorings at intervals of a few kilometres, where long-term mooring is also permitted in the summer season. Mooring is generally alongside and a mooring fee is rarely charged. The shore-side bollards are often very small; you need correspondingly long lines to moor to trees.
Ground pegs are also a must, which can be used to create additional fixed points for mooring. The supply of water and electricity is only available at a few points, moorings in their vicinity are quickly occupied and sanitary facilities are rare. It is therefore highly advisable to start the journey, which will take at least three days, with a full water tank and an empty faeces tank. The province has promised to quickly improve the infrastructure at the moorings.
The "resurrection" of the canals between the villages of Erica and Ter Apel is already a success story that is hard to imagine in Germany today. In the first year alone, twice as many boat tourists visited the region as in previous years - a development that took everyone involved by surprise.
Local business people confirm a major economic effect. The Haren-Rütenbrock Canal has also seen a significant increase in traffic, with 200 more boats being counted in the first four weeks after the opening of the Veenvaart in Haren (Ems) than in the previous year. Harbour master Herrmann Riddering is proud to report that a further 75 berths have been created.
Even if some skippers refer to the new route as a "race track" due to the significant shortening, you have to realise that overall progress will be slow. This is mainly due to the operating times of the bridges and locks, especially during the lunch break. It happens from time to time that a convoy of boats is "trapped" between two bridges without a jetty. The boats then dutifully sail in small circles for an hour ...
