April 2022 – Part 1
This year started with a few days on the island of Pierland near Harderwijk, and then back again to Harderwijk overnight so that we could take Pip along to the vet for her post operation check (all good, so stitches out).
We duly crossed back to Harderwijk, but as luck would have it, it was blowing a gale that morning and even hailed as we moored! Still, we made it in plenty of time to collect the car and drive to the vet, and afterwards I left Nicki and the dogs on the boat whilst I drove the car over to Groningen, where we had arranged to leave it over the summer months at Reitdiephaven marina, and I managed to spend a little time chatting to the harbour master before I had to leave for my return journey, this time by train. Everything had gone pretty smoothly, and I made good time …. but as I stepped off the train in Harderwijk, the bad weather was still in force and the wind was so strong that bikes and even scooters were being knocked over. Shensi was also under attack from the high winds but fortunately she was sheltered enough that it wasn’t uncomfortable.
The next day we woke to calm and sunny weather, which we grateful for as it was the day we finally left Harderwijk for the year, and we were soon on our way to Ketelmeer. Within a very short time though we got out first problem – the lock that should have taken us into Flevoland was out of action due to a lot of construction work going on, something that our navigation software had not alerted us to, so instead we made our way onto the Veluwemeer stopping at Eekt island for the night.
Our revised route now meant that we would now have to go through a number of locks (instead of just the one) and whilst it rained on and off all day, the journey was not that bad. However, arriving at the final lock of the day we found that it to was out of action … but luckily it was fixed again after about half an hour. By then though the wind was a bit brisk and as on arrival circumstances had meant we ended up pointing in the wrong direction at the sluis staging, we had to use a spring line to help us manoeuvre off the jetty – not our most ‘professional’ move, but needs must, as they say!
We spent a few pleasant (free) nights at the Ketelhaven mooring, managing some decent walks along the dyke and through the nearby grasslands, as well as a little boat maintenance, before moving on to our next destination at Emmeloord, passing through the old port of Urk on our way. Emmeloord turned out not to be the most exciting of places but it did have all the facilities we needed to chill out for a bit. Indeed, as we entered the town we were able to moor right next to a group of supermarkets, making it a lot easier to replenish supplies, following which we moved a little further along to a stretch of mooring alongside a nice, quiet grassy spot on the other side of the bridge.
Our free mooring end on Good Friday, and so we left at the start of the bank holiday weekend expecting things to get a little busier in the water because of this. The weather wasn’t that great though – it was clear and dry, but a little chilly – so as the day wore on there still wasn’t much of an increase in the traffic. Our travel plan for this day was to travel to Lemmer but at the first bridge we came to we were advised that, yet again, there was a lock out of action for a few days and we wouldn’t be able to get there! A quick revision to the route meant that although it was a bit of a detour we would still head to Lemmer, but this time via Blokzijl on the Noorderdiep.
On the way there were did have a nasty experience in one of the locks – it was a rising lock, lifting us about five meters, and the easiest way to secure ourselves was to attach our ropes around the vertical ropes of the lock and the then off. A technique we have used many times without incident. Unfortunately by the time the lock had filled, both of our mooring ropes were too tight to release. Rather than cut them though, we struggled to ease them enough that eventually/luckily we were able to detach them … with just a few broken finger nails as souvenirs.
By the time we arrived at Blokzjil it was lunch time and the lock was closed so we moored up to wait and give the dogs a break, and also h ad a chat with the lock-keeper who kindly have us a new flag for the region.
At that point we decided to find a place to stop for the night, and so kept an eye open for a mooring spot, coming across a nice grassy area that was ideal for just a one night stopover.
