Dutch cruise - May/June 2005

28/29 May - Waldringfield to Vlissingen

The intention was to undertake a short cruise over to Holland both to experience a longer passage in Morzen and to recce the Dutch cruising grounds for a possible longer return visit with the family later in the year. I was accompanied by a friend, Rod, who although he has worked with and around boats, lacks sailing experience but learns quickly and steers a steady course.

We left the Deben on the early ebb at around 17:30 on 28 May. Whenever I start a passage Aeolus seems to haul a good blow out of his bag and this was no exception. As we crossed a rough Deben Bar an all too brisk 26 knots SSW was blowing, producing steep breakers as far as we could see. It didn’t look promising so we motored very slowly against the tide towards Wadgate Ledge whilst assessing the options, the favourite being heading for the Orwell overnight.

After a very uncomfortable hour of slow progress, the wind moderated as forecast to 22 knots SW and I made the decision to bear away for Roughs Tower and the general direction of Belgium under 2 reefs and a partially furled jib. The passage plan gave us plenty of options should things get too bad, with Harwich, Ramsgate, Calais & various other ports as possible refuges.

Immediately things settled into a better rhythm with an angle to the steep waves, steadier motion and the pleasure of good progress towards a new destination. Unfortunately this came too late for poor Rod who was laid low for the night with mal de mer after our previous hour’s battering.

By 2050 we were passing the Sunk lightship at a healthy 6 knots with the wind continuing to moderate under a clearing sky. At midnight we reached the North Falls with reefs shaken out and 15 knots of SW wind, the sea state remaining rough after the earlier blow. Just two hours later we were reduced to motoring across the shipping lanes with only 6 knots of fitful wind remaining, knocked out of the slapping sails by the remaining short swell.

A dim glow in the North staved off complete darkness and a clear view of the stars provided a glorious backdrop and steering reference for the night passage, culminating in a beautiful half moon rising dead ahead in the East. Perfect and revivifying after the tense start.

Out of the shipping lanes and with the engine off at last, the cruising chute went up at dawn and carried us onward past the West Hinder until a couple of hours later at 0600 the wind faded away once more, forcing us to chug towards the concrete Legoland silhouette of the Belgian coast, turning NE after the second shipping lane past Nieuwpoort, Oostende, Blankenberge and Zeebrugge before nearing the Westerschelde estuary on the late ebb.

By 1330 the adverse tide had turned in our favour and with the push of the flood and a little more wind we raised the sails and reached towards Vlissingen at 5 knots in light rain showers, crossing the shipping in the estuary and mooring at 1550 BST in the Michiel de Ruyter marina in the Koopmanshaven. Having greeted the harbourmaster in the Café Montparnasse and handed in the Schengen forms we took a brief walk around the town in the drizzle, and then cooked up a good dinner before catching up on sleep from the night passage.

Log distance 161nm, 23:20 hours

30 May – Vlissingen to Goes

Morning brought unforecast grey mist and constant rain, not an inspiring start. Donning all the oilies again we slipped out at 1030 and motored the couple of miles against a very strong ebb to the main port to lock into the basins and canal.

The lock proved prompt and efficient on Ch18, though our search for diesel fuel in the basins and jachthaven proved fruitless with no sign of life to be seen.

We then progressed slowly along the Kanal door Walcheren through the various lifting bridges, many of which involved long waits, particularly the Schroebrug and Stationsbrug in Middelburg. On the bright side the rain began to ease off and the pauses gave us chance to appreciate the surroundings. Sadly we didn’t have time to stop in Middelburg on this short cruise, but it will be on the list for exploration in future.

At 1430 we locked quickly out of the canal into the peaceful Verse Meer, bearing away with the wind behind us past the various islands and holiday sites, all with immaculately cut grass and neat pontoons. The sun came out and provided a restful and scenic sail through the Meer and on to the Zandkreeksluis lock by 1715, where a long wait allowed three other UK yachts to join us on the waiting pontoons, two of us deciding to go on to Goes for the evening.

Locking out at last at 1820 we negotiated the narrow and steep-to channel into the Oosterschelde and bore away under jib for the short distance to Sas van Goes and the lock into the canal. Amazingly our depth sounder recorded over 50m only a short distance from the bank rounding the point just before the canal entrance – that is steep!

A quick and efficient lock in with our new friends in a Trapper 28 from Shotley Marina took us into the tree lined Havenkanaal, passing through fields and villages to arrive in the municipal marina at Goes by 2015. ‘Municipal marina’ does not do this remarkable place justice. It is the most peaceful, scenic and courteous mooring I’ve encountered, a serene haven set in the centre of a square of historic buildings, one of which houses excellent shower and washing facilities. And all for €13.

After an excellent meal at ‘De Lachende Koe’ (The Laughing Cow) we explored the town on foot and vowed to return to spend longer in future.

Log distance 25nm, 9:45 hours

31 May – Goes to Roompot

Dawn brought a perfect sunny morning and a light breeze. The lifting bridges out of the marina operate at 0850, 0950 and 1050, so after a lazy start, chats with new neighbours and a few repairs we made ready to depart again on the last opening. Once through the second bridge we tied up alongside and made a brief shopping excursion into town before retracing our wake to the lock and joining the ebb down the Oosterschelde at 1300.

Beating towards the impressive two mile long Zeelandbrug road bridge I even managed to take a conference call back to work for 20 minutes – far more inspiring than being behind a desk somewhere, though I expect they wondered what the background noises were!

Beware passing under the Zeelandbrug… I calculated the clearance carefully but on approaching the centre of the spans very tentatively inching backwards on the tide with engine ready to pull us clear we bottled out on realising that we would likely lose the aerial and wind wand if we continued. Best to head straight for the lifting section at the North end which seems to open every half hour for waiting craft. Clearing this at 1430 we then enjoyed a reach down the Roompot on the tide, arriving at the marina at 1720.

Roompot marina is large and efficient but relatively expensive (€19.40) and soulless. Onshore is a large holiday village complex with nothing to inspire a visit, though there is access to good sandy beaches for swimming.

Log distance 20nm, 6:20 hours

1/2 June – Roompot to Waldringfield

Having filled the diesel tank we departed the marina at 0950, motoring the short distance across to the Neeltje Jans and sea lock (Ch 18) which opened promptly before exhaling us onto a calm sea in 6 knots of southerly wind under a hot sun at 1020.

Motor-sailing down the winding channel in a fitful light breeze we gained the ZBJ buoy by 1245 and headed for our entry point to the TSS. Two hours later we experimented with the cruising chute for a while in the light SE breeze over calm and hazy seas.

With clouds on the horizon the wind shifted into the SW and started to pick up by 1515, bringing us onto a close fetch under main & jib. Then, passing over the north end of one of the shoals that fan out from the coast at 1545 we were joined for 20 minutes by three playful porpoise who jumped and dived all around the boat, putting on an exuberant display just feet away and treating Morzen like a playmate as they dived underneath, raced ahead and then disappeared to resurface astern and repeat the game. A memorable experience.

The wind continued to build and by 1730 we had a reef in the main, making 5.4 knots SOG in 17 knots SW wind. At the Oosthinder Bank we saw more porpoise briefly, approaching Birkenfels at 1830 and entering the TSS at 1900, steering 310˚ at 6 knots in a still rising wind to exit the shipping lane again at 2040.

Dropping the main for while to steady the motion I cooked up a risotto as we ploughed on in a 20 SW breeze – quite an achievement to prepare and an equal one to eat it, though the latter challenge proved beyond Rod in the increasingly steep sea! Suitable refreshed I put 2 reefs in the main, rolled the jib back a notch, set a course towards Harwich and settled in for the night watch.

After a close fetch for 2½ hours I was forced to tack several times in the rain showers & gloom to clear the Galloper and Inner Gabbard safely. The hours between 0030 and 0330 passed slowly in rough seas and 20-22 knots SW wind with the Q lights of the North Galloper and South Inner Gabbard seemingly immobile whilst ships and fishing vessels loomed and passed clear of us again in the murk.

From 0430 a grey dawn brought a slightly eased and more favourable wind, with the flood tide further assisting our progress by allowing Morzen to sail freer and faster at 6.3 Knots SOG towards Woodbridge Haven. Sighting the coast only about 2 miles out we reached the Haven at 0730 and crossed the Bar at 0740 into home waters, picking up our Waldringfield mooring at 0840.

Log distance 152nm, 22:50 hours

All in all a very successful short cruise, with many miles sailed in sometimes testing conditions, new destinations visited and many more earmarked for future exploration. Everywhere we went the Dutch people were warm, generous and instantly engaged in a common love of boats and a pride in their remarkable landscape. A place to return to at the earliest opportunity.