Oostende to Den Helder

7^th June

We are still in Oostende and the weather has been poor to say the least.  Wind, and at times, torrential rain.

I’m thinking of heading north east towards Den Helder and ‘paper chart less’ I ordered some paper Dutch Charts and a new paper Imray C25 for a possible return across the North Sea to the UK from Holland.  I can’t do without paper charts.

DHL combined with bpost (Belgian Post) have made a mockery of the word ‘courier’.  I got an email from bpost saying the charts would be delivered to RNSYC on Saturday.  Patiently waiting and keeping an eye out for them all morning I was astonished to receive an email saying they had not been ‘able’ to deliver!  I emphasise ‘able’ because they had made no attempt whatsoever.  People not doing their jobs.  The stark difference between the efficiency of Dorit Benske at NV Chart Group GmbH https://nvcharts.com & https://www.hansenautic.de and DHL.

I’ve made a passage plan of sorts from Oostende to Scheveningen.  About 72 nautical miles which includes crossing the Rotterdam Entrance controlled by Mass Control.  I have a couple of options as bail outs … Roompot and Harringvliet.  But winds seem consistently strong from the south west and it is a lea shore.  I’ll bide my time.

11^th June 0730 CEST

Having spoken to various Dutch and Belgian sailor’s I was told the passage up the Dutch coast has few hazards so a stonkingly quick sail from Oostende to Scheveningen resulted yesterday.  Quite windy mostly from the south west with a moderate sea.  ‘Talisker 1’ flew and just did what … she does.  I often wonder if I got rid of the ton of stores and spares I carry, how much quicker she would actually be.

Mass Control were / are very efficient and it appears yachts crossing the entrance are well looked after.  You have to call about two miles out and then stick to the small craft lanes across the entrance to the port.  As I was approaching to cross the entrance channel a ship started to leave.  At Felixstowe, with those sorts of distances, I would have hove to and about to do so Mass Control called me!  ‘Maintain your course and speed!  The ship leaving the port will pass astern of you’.  The ship noticeably accelerated when we were clear!

The very helpful marina Harbour Master, Fabien, took my lines at Scheveningen.  A superb Pizza in the YC and an interesting chat with an Englishman who came to talk to me about my Typhoon.  Adam works in the Hague and keeps a Starlight 39 in Scotland.  He is thinking of sailing single-handed after retirement.

However good your seamanship is, and however well you sail and navigate, to sail alone you have to learn a completely different discipline to sailing with a crew.  Quite apart from being comfortable on your own, and very few are, you cannot disable yourself in any way!  To disable yourself disables your ship.  I had the master himself to talk to for many years in David Foremen, so it is not something I invented.  We learn a great deal with experience but by also standing on other peoples shoulders.  And not to banter in the YC but to proven expertise.  The principle solo, is taking care of oneself so one can take care of the ship!

Doc once said

“Never make the same mistake twice and never make a mistake you have read about”.

Another windy day from the SW and I plan to sail towards Ijmuiden today.

1.2 engine hours yesterday.

11^th June 1930 CEST

Amsterdam Marina!

It was a lovely sail up the coast!  A beam reach with westerly winds with a promise of much stonger winds in the afternoon and evening.

And more bad weather over the next few days.

Under the circumstances, my intention to be in Seaport Marina seemed daft.  I decided to arrive Ijmuiden and go straight into the lock.  I had to find my CEVNI regs book that has not seen the light of day since I passed the exam in the middle ages!

I am sailing Inland Waters for the first time since the Kiel Kanal ten years ago.

The Dutch are good with water.  The waiting area outside the lock was easy.  There was no turbulence in the lock and then a 12 NM motor up the canal in freshening winds, with a darkening sky, was straightforward apart from ferries suddenly darting across the canal.

It was blowing hard when we arrived in the marina and the berth allocated seemed tricky in the conditions.  I took a berth on a hammerhead, visited the marina office, and was given an easier berth by Alex who came down to help me.

By the time we berthed and connected shore power the weather arrived.  It’s still raining now and blowing very hard.  This marina has only been open for ten years.

Blimey June is cold …

4 engine hours today but 3.7 were from the entrance to the port of Ijmuiden to Amsterdam.

15^th June 2000

I arrived in KMJC YC Den Helder at 1820 having departed Amsterdam Marina at 0900.  It is the Dutch Naval Base and the YC belongs to the navy.

I’ve just had a lovely encounter with four crew members from the Dutch KNRM (the Dutch equivalent of the RNLI).  The Den Helder Lifeboat is in this marina.

Two of the Coxwains chose my boat to demonstrate to newcomers how to set up a bridle for a tow, so I was very glad to let them take advantage of ‘Talisker 1’ to show how it could be done on this boat.  Really nice men, nearly all volunteers, and much like our own stations, with one professional, normally the engineer, working full time at each station.  I gather there are 85 stations in Holland.  Like the RNLI, the KNRM survives as a charity!  Hats off to them.

It was miserable and cold this morning with the north west winds still strong but decreasing in strength.  Drizzle was in the air.  I could not believe I had to wear mid layers and oilies, gloves and a warm hat on the 15^th June.

Again, the lock at Ijmuiden was easy.  I let a barge go in ahead of me and he gave me the thumbs up when I was secured across from him.  He even asked if I wanted to leave ahead of him!

There was a lot of traffic coming into the port, and tugs were waiting just inside the entrance on the southern side, so although we departed the lock at 1130 we had to stand by on the southern side of Forteiland while three ships entered in quick succession.  We were cleared to go at 1150 and at 1205 cleared the Ijmuiden entrance to head north into the chop and the remnants of the week ends stormy weather.

I had missed Peter Buchan by a few minutes.  Peter had made the crossing last night arriving late morning.  Windy!

The weather steadily improved but remained cold.  There was a very busy fishing fleet in the southern approaches to Den Helder.  And the wind continued to decrease.  We managed to keep sailing most of the way only starting the engine a mile before Lichttoren LH.

More strong south westerlies are on their way.  I would like to visit Texel and Vlieland before I leave.

Engine hours today 4.5 of which 3.4 were Amsterdam to the Ijmuiden port entrance …