2015 Barging Netherlands

The Guests get a break

Map

Yes, this one again, but the only track is the last (lilac – 08/08) one. As you can see, we covered almost as much distance in that one day as we had over the rest of the trip. However, it won G & G an extra day around Amsterdam.

Travels with Gill and Graham
Travels with Gill and Graham

 

The long haul

Last year, allowing for the detour to Amersfoort, we would have done this trip in three days. This year, we started at 7 am and finished at 4 pm, 88 km further on. Still with six hours of daylight remaining. As we had booked a mooring spot, we were not bothered how long we took. Graham and Ian took turns at the helm, and as there was only one lock, and no bridges to raise, the crew had little to do but relax and chat.

Last year our experience in Amsterdam harbour nearly ended in disaster, so we had some reservations about passing through this commercial hub. In the event, the lock was straightforward as was the cruise through the port area. Not uneventful however, as a huge cruise liner was reversing across our path, and a few minutes later rumbled past us. Still, it was all well under control – lots of room, and at least this time, we knew what we were doing.

Reversing near us as we came by
Reversing near us as we came by
Passing us a few minutes later
Passing us a few minutes later

We arrived at the Dukra Jachthaven in Zaandam, prepared to pay for a few days R&R, and went to our temporary mooring, rafted up against another converted barge. As this belonged to the Chairman of  ‘DBA – The Barge Association’ and his wife, the Membership Secretary, which serves many of the English-speaking barge owners in Europe, and of which we are members, we were relieved we had had that practice on Harmonie a couple of weeks previously. We landed nicely against Neeltje and later had a great evening with Andy and Caroline where we learnt heaps about the barging lifestyle and the DBA.

Carefully moored against The Chairman's barge
Carefully moored against The Chairman’s barge

We took a quick walk to stretch our legs, and have the obligatory beer. On the way, we stopped off to have a look at the Wilhelmina Sluis, one of the important modern locks built in 1903, which we would use when we left Zaandam on the next leg of our journey. Next to it is a much older, smaller historic lock, still in operation for small craft, and operated in traditional manual fashion by local volunteers.

One of the oldest operating locks in the Netherlands
One of the oldest operating locks in the Netherlands

Amsterdam

Next day, we first moved Catharina to her own mooring, and then off to Amsterdam, just 15 min away by train. Trains are clean, regular, readily available, efficient and cheap in the Netherlands. Wish we had even a fraction of that in Melbourne.

It was a bit of a rush walking around Amsterdam, but we made sure to partake of the Dutch (and Belgian) national dish – frites and mayonnaise.

Looks great and plenty to share - but not so happy five minutes later when the mayo was all over her top
Looks great and plenty to share – but not so happy five minutes later when the mayo was all over her top

Beers, light lunch, a trip around the canals on a tourist boat and visit to a museum.

Lots of low bridges, but not too busy
Lots of low bridges, but not too busy

I say ‘to’ rather than ‘through’ because the popular museums in Amsterdam – the Van Gough and Anne Frank museums – have huge queues by early in the afternoon, so you either have to be there early, or book online.

The closest we came to the Anne Frank museum
The closest we came to the Anne Frank museum

Lisette and Ian settled for a small ‘Cheese Museum’ which was more an excuse to sample some local varieties of cheese, than for educational purposes.

On the way back we picked out a few of the establishments (and the live advertisements in the windows) in the Red Light district, and saw, but did not avail ourselves of, several ‘drink and smoke’ places. Didn’t bother us, just getting a bit old for that stuff.

But not if you plan to keep your wits about you and see the sights unfortunately.
But not if you plan to keep your wits about you and see the sights unfortunately.

Footsore, we travelled back to Zaandam, had a huge Argentinian grill meal and returned to Catharina.

Windmills at Zaanse Schans

Next day, the last that G & G had free, we decided to head to Zaanse Schans – just a short distance north of Zaandam. This is a site where a number of Dutch windmills (molen) are preserved in working order, and there are various displays and recreations of traditional Dutch culture of this region. Also a nice museum, which again, we arrived at too late to enter.

It was close enough that it was possible to walk; 30-40 min, but we had been told of a ferry service that ran from just past the lock direct to Zaanse Schans. We hopped aboard and had a nice chat with the skipper who was keen to hear we had an ‘ex-local’ boat. Very laid back, he put Ian at the helm for the last half of the trip.

This little ferry had the big brother of the engine that powers Catharina. Plenty of get up and go!
This little ferry had the big brother of the engine that powers Catharina. Plenty of get up and go!

At its peak there were about eleven hundred molen working in the Zaandam area. It was the first industrial region in Western Europe. The invention of the camshaft allowed the rotary motion of the windmill to be converted to vertical motion of sawing and pounding, and the inventive Dutch found all sorts of way to apply this to mechanise previously manual work. Most important was milling timber, and the construction of ships. But also important was grinding of spices, powders and dyes, the extraction of oils, the processing of cocoa and textiles and a number of other applications.

Here’s a short video of them in operation (taken a few days later)

YouTube player

We toured two molen. “The Kat” which is an original molen, that has always been used for the preparation of dyes – by grinding chalk and other coloured material into fine powers.

'The Kat'
‘The Kat’

 

Formidable grinding wheels for crushing rock, there are two of them at 3000 kg each
Formidable grinding wheels for crushing rock, there are two of them at 3000 kg each

The other mill was the Het Jonge Schaap (The Young Sheep). This was a molen used for sawing wood built in 1868 and demolished in 1942, the last of these sawmill type. None of these remain in original condition, but fortunately this mill was recorded in meticulous detail before its demolition and the plans have been used to build an exact, working replica.

IMG_1647

 

Vertical blades for cutting logs into planks
Vertical blades for cutting logs into planks

Uncharacteristically, the weather in this part of the Netherlands was calm during our visit, and only just able to turn the arms of the molens, but with insufficient power to see them sawing wood. The miller was quite happy to spend time telling us about his mill.

Waiting for our water taxi to take us back to Catharina
Waiting for our water taxi to take us back to Catharina

After visiting some other cultural exhibits, having a relaxing beer and a little shopping, we headed back to catch the last ferry. This time, the skipper had Graham at the helm for almost the entire trip back other than mooring at the end. Well practiced on Catharina, Graham handled it easily, and just had fun.

Much livelier on the wheel than Catharina, but fun to drive
Much livelier on the wheel than Catharina, but fun to drive

Sadly, the next day, Gillian and Graham had to leave, but will hopefully be back soon – ready for more experiences and sharing the cruising duties.

The most important cruising duty is to relax - not hard work at all!
The most important cruising duty is to relax – not hard work at all!

 


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    3 Responses

  1. Love the beer pic. Can’t wait to be a guest!

  2. This looks like a great retirement.

  3. As usually a very detailed trip advisor and it is so great to see especially “The Kat”. I am sue when that ocean liner was reversing it was a little tense. We are so glad that Lisette is getting better each day and love to you both as the last pics with G & G smiles all round. We miss you both very much and can’t wait for you to come home. I know two little girls who are missing you so much or should I say one big girl and one very little girl. I am sure the stories are all documented as Ian would do and this has been a very memoriable trip one could say. See you soon in not too many more sleeps. XXXXX

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