My phone rings in mid-April 2019. It's Marc from Zurich: the "Rolling Swiss 2", the Swiss Cruising Club's own Trader 42, needs to be transferred. The crew has been cancelled for the leg from Amsterdam to Emden and a replacement is needed. She is due to set sail on 4 May. Travelling at short notice - no problem in times without corona. "I'm in!", I say.
Buiten: Marker- and Ijsselmeer
Our meeting point is the Sixhaven on the northern bank of the IJ, just opposite Amsterdam's impressive railway station. With our bags on our backs, we make our way from the hotel to the ferry and across the river. A quick welcome on board, then everything is prepared for departure just as quickly. We don't have much time, we want to be in Emden on Monday. The route there was supposed to take us across the North Sea to the Markermeer and IJsselmeer, but the weather has thrown a spanner in the works: strong winds and squalls are forecast, and I've already had a taste of this on the ferry.
So the only remaining route is via inland waterways, via the waterways of the provinces of Friesland and Groningen, right across the north of the Netherlands. It is around 130 kilometres from the east side of the IJsselmeer to the Ems. It may be shorter than the route around the outside, but it is also more time-consuming. Anyway, there's nothing we can do about the weather.
Farewell to Amsterdam, heading for the Markermeer. Things move quickly in the Oranjesluizen, we're lucky. Then on the Buiten-IJ to the lighthouse on the Hoek van 't IJ and out onto the IJmeer, the southernmost inlet of the Markermeer, past the low shadow of the old fortress island of Pampus. The north wind is icy cold and keeps driving gusts of rain in front of us. We have to close the cake stand completely. Anyone who sticks their head outside anyway is immediately whipped. Nevertheless, a regatta is underway up ahead, aaken, lumbering flat-bottomed sailing boats with centreboards. Crews in thick oilskins duck into the shelter of the deckhouses.
The sea is short and rough, our windscreen wipers squeal their hearts out and still can't keep up
The storm-swept panorama is spectacular, whitecaps everywhere. The few white sails on the horizon stand out like rags against the dark sky when individual rays of sunlight hit them. The sea is short and rough, our windscreen wipers squeal their hearts out and still can't keep up. Again and again, the windscreen is full of foam from the overcoming seas, and brackish water rains through the zips onto the fittings, what a ride ... After rounding the Paard of Marken, the country's most famous lighthouse, we even head in the opposite direction. I wonder what it will be like on the IJsselmeer? Our destination for the day is Stavoren: from there we can set off directly on our inland trip through Friesland the next day.
The Ijsselmeer is a little deeper
At 3.45 p.m. we enter the outer harbour of the Krabbersgat lock in the Houtrib dike and make everything twice as seaworthy. But then the IJsselmeer doesn't turn out to be as wild as expected. The wave is slightly longer than on the Markermeer and easier to weather - perhaps because the water is now a few critical metres deeper. We reach Stavoren in comparative comfort, and in Oude Haven there is even a nice place alongside the pier next to the flat bottom and cutters.
Before we can make a fire, however, we have to go to the Coop, as we haven't been able to do any shopping yet. Marc also packs a bottle of local babbelaar, a thin caramel liqueur, into the basket - even though the shop assistant explicitly advises against it. But it only arrives on the table after we've had our fill of spare ribs and chicken wings at Poosthoorn and are back on board. If only we had listened to the woman in the supermarket and kept our hands off the liquid speciality ...
The sky looks bad the next morning. Before casting off, we have to wait out a black wall of heavy rain, then briefly return to the IJsselmeer, as the entrance to the Johan Frisokanaal is a little to the south. But once through the lock, we are immediately in the flat inland of Friesland. Green meadows, some of which are much lower than the canal, grazing cows and little forest. A few avenues criss-cross the landscape. Farms and individual houses, neat and tidy, often with a jetty and boat in front of them. Plus lots of marinas with even more residential complexes. And above all, lots of water with navigable branches to the left and right. Boats seem to be travelling across the fields.
Inland: Friesland and Groningen
We cross Morra, Holken and the elongated Fluezen, wide, flat expanses of water, at the buoy line. The waves are as hard as boards, the landscape dark and cold. A few charter boats have to fight. Past Heeg (more harbours, boats and masts), the route takes us across the Jeltesleat to the confluence with the Prinses Margrietkanaal, which is also used by commercial shipping. We thread in behind a tanker, whose wake we follow via Aldhof to the Sneeker Meer - Snitser Mar, as it is called in Frisian on our waterway map. Unfortunately, we have to leave pretty Sneek itself, with its photogenic water gate, to the left. After all, an overpass is an overpass.
The bascule and swing bridges open immediately after registration, and we are also in Grou much earlier than expected. Behind it, we skirt the edge of De Alde Feanen National Park before finally entering the Van Starckenborghkanaal in Stroobos, which leads all the way to Groningen. Still in the Gaarkeuken lock, we finally decide to sail through. It's a tight squeeze and it's almost too far, but we make a precision landing before the last bridge, just as the operating staff are about to go home. We won't be able to get into Groningen harbour, however, so the only place left to wait until tomorrow morning is the sports boat waiting area at the sheet pile wall in front of the Oostersluis. We have covered well over 100 kilometres today - but in weather like this, any extended shore leave would have been modest anyway.
Our berth: clinker-built apartment blocks and faded tulip beds, old warehouses on the other bank. There's no electricity here, of course. But at least I finally get to Groningen - and it's worth it: 50,000 students keep things lively here. We make a pilgrimage to the Binnenstad on foot: the labyrinthine pub district begins at the end of the Eemskanaal (every shop sells Heineken), followed by the Grote Markt and Vismarkt, where we just manage to order something at the Huize Maas. Again at the minute. As wet as the day was, the evening was warm and cosy.
At the finish: After three days on the Ems
After getting up, it starts to hail until half the deck is white. And the crazy thing is not what comes from above, but that it stays there - at least until it starts raining again. The motorised cargo ship that is supposed to take us through the Oostersluis is also taking its time. The lock management announces its arrival in thirty minutes, but then it takes three times as long for it to slowly turn the corner and we are allowed to enter.
The following hours are only for the hardy: the grey sky, the veils of rain, the windscreen wipers - and the dull and seemingly endless dead straight Eemskanaal in front of us. And the freighter ahead, which is still in no particular hurry, but which we only overtake once - because we have to give way to it again at the next bridge. It takes us more than three hours to cover the almost 23 kilometres to the first uninviting outskirts of Delfzijl - a silo, warehouses, the Farsumerhaven. The countryside is dull and flat, this corner of the province of Groningen really doesn't stand a chance through the cloudy grey tinted glasses. At least our companion has said goodbye in the meantime.
But before the Zeesluis we have to wait again, even if we are alone this time. There are three chambers in a row here for safety reasons, but only the one on the sea side is used. The industrial harbour of Delfzijl is a long, dredged tube. A high concrete wall protects it from the Ems and the North Sea, with wind turbines on top. Lots of chimneys and industrial plants. Lots of old iron, two dry docks. Slowly we pass the cement terminal with a large Irish bulker that is being unloaded. There is a lot of dust on the pier. There isn't much free space on the floating jetty at Neptunus Jachthaven, but there is room behind tugs and between yachtsmen. The town's buildings are a colourful mix, with lots of car traffic on narrow streets. Next to it is the pedestrian zone with red paved paths and a Dutch mill in the centre, which, between the flat roofs and shop windows, the opticians, pubs and hairdressing salons, all the clinker brick and concrete, looks like the permanent loan of an open-air museum.
Sunshine for a conciliatory end
A view through the construction fence on the top of the dyke is a must. Nothing to see of the "bay" of Watum. So much silt has been dumped here from the dredging of the harbour that the solid sand stretches almost to the horizon at low tide, as it does now. In the far north, the Outer Ems shimmers like a fine silver ribbon. But at least the sun is now peeking through the clouds again. We all agree: it's closing time! The nearest restaurant, De Boegschroef - "the propeller" - right by the harbour turns out to be surprisingly nice despite its 1980s charm. We've made it from the IJ to the Ems in three days. That's something to celebrate! Tomorrow we just have to cross over to Emden. The weather forecast: no wind, plenty of sunshine - and twenty degrees in the shade ...
As the next crew is due to take over the boat with full tanks, we quickly go alongside the floating bunker station of Zeilvereniging Neptunus in the morning. The water in the harbour is as smooth as glass. The few clouds in the blue sky are barely making any headway, not a single wind turbine or windmill blade is moving. As predicted. So short sleeves and sunglasses on the last leg to Emden, which is the shortest of all. But better than nothing! While the "Rolling Swiss 2" slowly sets course for the Ems on the long Zeehavenkanaal, the "Freiwache" gathers on the forecastle for a vitamin D refuelling session. Yesterday's day is forgotten to the beat of the windscreen wipers. A relaxed end to three very intensive days.
Things are moving very quickly now; after reaching the river, which is wide and brown as it pushes towards the North Sea, we enter the main fairway and follow the buoys. To starboard, the Dutch shore recedes into the mist over the Dollart as if to say goodbye, while the green dyke line of East Frisia accompanies us to port. Shortly afterwards, the red pier light of Emden's outer harbour comes into view. We have reached our destination.
Area information Netherlands
Cruising stages
SAmsterdam - Stavoren: 74 km
- Stavoren - Groningen: 105 km
- Groningen - Delfzijl: 28 km
- Delfzijl - Emden (D): 18 km
Z Emden
Total distance: 225 km
Charters (selection)
Sanzi Yacht Charter Boats: comfortable steel displacement boats from Linssen, size: 2-6 persons, base: Sneek (Friesland). Contact: Sanzi Yacht Charter, Zwolsmanweg 10, NL-8606 KC Sneek, tel. +31 (0) 515-42 16 87. www.sanziyachtcharter.nl
Yacht charter Sneek Boats: steel displacement boats from various manufacturers, size: 2-10 persons, base: Sneek (Friesland). Contact: Yachtcharter Sneek, Jan Kuipersweg 5-7, NL-8606 KD Sneek, Tel. +31 (0) 515-43 83 83. www.yachtchartersneek.nl
Le Boat Boats: holiday home boats (displacement boats) of various sizes and equipment series, size: 2-12 persons, bases: Vinkeveen (Utrecht), Hindeloopen (Friesland). Contact: Le Boat, c/o Crown Blue Line, Theodor-Heuss-Str. 53-63, Entrance B, 61118 Bad Vilbel, Tel. +49 (0) 6101-557 91 75. www.leboat.de
Our ports of call
Amsterdam There are few cities in the world that are as closely associated with boating as the metropolis on the IJ. Of course, Amsterdam is worth more than just a trip, and the sights (not least the canal system) are endless. Visitors are centrally located in the Sixhaven: www.sixhaven.nl
Stavoren is the oldest of the "eleven Frisian towns", first located on the Zuiderzee, today on the IJsselmeer. It is connected to the inland waterway network via the Johan Frisokanaal. In addition to the city harbour, there are also marinas on the inland and sea side: www.marinastavoren.nl
Groningen With half a million inhabitants, the Groningen region is the largest conurbation in the north-east of the Netherlands (and capital of the province of the same name) and also offers plenty of tourist and cultural attractions. The Oosterhaven is located close to the centre: www.jachthavenoosterhaven.nl
Delfzijl As a seaport and industrial harbour, the town on the Outer Ems still has an important function; tourism comes second. Berths: zv-neptunus.nl
Literature
"Wateralmanak" area manual: Volume 1 with the legal texts for the inland waterways of the Netherlands and Belgium, with VHF radio (biennial, 2019/2020 edition, ISBN 978-9-01804-466-4). Volume 2 contains operating and service information on locks, bridges and harbours (annual, 2019 edition, ISBN 978-9-01804-594-4). Paperback; price: €19.95 each. webwinkel.anwb.nl
Cruising guide "Holland 2: The IJsselmeer and the northern provinces" by Jan Werner. Delius Klasing; 216 p., 75 plans, format: 16.7 x 24.1 cm, paperback; price: 34.90 euros. ISBN: 978-3-667-10954-5. www.delius-klasing.de
Pleasure craft charts "NV.Atlas Binnen (NL 6): Nederland Noord. Friesland, Groningen tot Arnhem" by nv charts. 23 area charts, 18 detailed charts, 3 over-sailing charts, format: A3, stapled; price: 49 euros. nvcharts.com
