Netherlands/Germany Trip - Enkhuizen      27th May:

Giant Rig by Amsterdam Marina

    We awoke to a sunny, breezy morning. I made a quick trip to a shop for fresh milk, croissants and rolls; a perhaps more healthy breakfast today. Then, fully replete, I hosed down the decks, quickly accompanied by frantic screams from Rex. The hatches were not completely closed, and I was soaking some of the bedding at the same time. Leaving the pontoon under the strong breeze went like a dream. Rex was so overjoyed with that, he was almost doing a hornpipe on the deck. Unfortunately we did not have thousands of spectators cheering and throwing their hats in the air at such a spectacle. There again, if there had been, often as not it would have all gone disastrously wrong.
    Many ferries weaved about us as we motored up the Ij past the Centraal Amsterdam Station. In a short space of time we passed through the Oranjeslizen locks and under the Schellingwouderbrug with minimum fuss, until "Bloody idiot!!" screamed Rex. Just after we passed under the bridge, a Dutch yacht shot across our bow at great speed. "His bloody boat is named Dockside, and that is exactly where it ought to be," he continued. "I can swear the Dutch are becoming more aggressive," he wailed aggressively. Hmmm ... perhaps Rex's hangover had not quite worn off.

Richard Trying the Helm

    Richard decided to bolster his skill set and took the helm as we rounded the lighthouse on Vuurtoreneiland. The island, just off Durgerdam, is a beautiful private island in the Markermeer. The original lighthouse on the island was built three centuries ago and is the only lighthouse in Amsterdam. The island is set up as a nature preserve and there are plans to restore the fort there so that visitors can experience it. It is possible to take a boat from the city to the island to enjoy a meal at the restaurant there.

Vuurtoreneiland Lighthouse

    Once in the Markermeer proper, we soon had reefed sails out and were zipping up the expanse of water in a Force 4 gusting Force 5. Het Paard van Marken (The Horse Of Marken) Lighthouse soon whizzed by. Built in 1839 by J. Valk, it lay on the Dutch peninsula, Marken, on the Markermeer. A primitive lighthouse had been on the location since the early 18th century. The current lighthouse has been a Rijksmonument since 1970. Did Rex take time out to admire this construction, not at all. He was more concerned with one of the boat's torches and a 12Volt - USB converter which had gone missing. An almighty search was instigated, without success. (The torch was found behind the cooker a few days later; Richard was charged with having lost the USB charger, but lo and behold it turned up in the "Rear Admiral's" cabin when we eventually returned to the UK. After much deliberation it was decided to extend the "Rear Admiral's" responsibilities to cover torches and USB chargers in addition to his existing duties of spreadsheet producer and bowline expert).

Het Paard van Marken (The Horse Of Marken)

    We reached the outskirts of Enkhuizen, turned into the wind and dropped the sails, a bit of a job in the fresh wind, and carefully avoiding the barges passing through, headed through the sluis with three other vessels. This sluis was located at the western end of the Markerwaarddijk, and another sluis lay at the eastern end of the dyke at Lelystad. The Markerwaarddijk separates the Markermeer from the Ijsselmeer, and acts as an insurance policy. Should the sea breach the Afsluitdijk at the northern end of the Ijsselmeer, the Markerwaarddijk would still serve to protect Amsterdam and other towns from flooding. A quick shimmy out of the sluis brought us into the Buyshaven marina. We were soon settled in.

Drommedaris

    Richard set about checking his transport arrangements for his journey down to Bergen op Zoom in the morning. To his horror, he uttered, "There is no public transport of any sort tomorrow, it is all on strike!" True enough, the web page announced the strike across the whole of Holland. He had intended to stay overnight on the boat and travel to his temporary place of work in the morning. He hastily checked the transport networks and found he could get to his desired location this evening. So, a new plan quickly evolved.
    With no time to spare, we walked across to the old town. Enkhuizen was the administrative centre of Friesland until 1289, when western Friesland became part of the County of Holland. Count Floris V granted the town its municipal charter in 1355, and thereafter it began to flourish. It was one of the harbour-towns of the VOC, just like Hoorn and Amsterdam, from where overseas trade with the East Indies was conducted. The town walls were built around 1550 and strengthened in the early 17th century. Enkhuizen was one of the first towns to revolt against Spanish rule in 1572. Its ships, along with those of Hoorn, Edam and Monnickendam, took part in the naval battle in October 1573 in which a Spanish fleet commanded by Admiral Bossu was defeated. The population fell sharply after an outbreak of plague in 1636. In the mid-17th century, Enkhuizen was at the peak of its power and was one of the most important harbour cities in the Netherlands. However, due to a variety of reasons, notably the silting up of the harbours, Enkhuizen lost its position to Amsterdam.
    The history of the East India Company, known as VOC, in Enkhuizen is still clearly visible. The VOC was in the 17th and 18th centuries the largest trading company in the world, and its magnificent ships travelled to Asian countries to trade. The convenient location on the Ijsselmeer made it attractive to settle here. A "Chamber of the VOC", the Drommedaris, the defence tower on the harbour, and the centre of the historic buildings, reminded us of this prosperous time.

Drommedaris from Oude Haven

    We walked past the Drommerdaris and strolled along the Oude Haven. This was a charming area of town, with boats tied up to the quayside, and a mixture of small businesses, restaurants, cafes and residential properties lining the quay.
    However, time was pressing, we needed to enjoy an early meal with Richard before his premature departure. We took a turn off towards the town centre and Rex naturally found a bar with an outside seating area. Whilst chewing the fat, Richard scanned the internet for a possible eating establishment. It was Monday, and most Dutch restaurants in the provinces would be shut. Hmmmm...., but we noticed the bar, which happened to be the jazz bar, Dubbel & Dwars, also served food, and was highly recommended. I walked in and asked if they had a table for three. "Yes, we have only one left. Give me a few minutes to clean it for you," replied a pleasant, young man. An hour later we left having eaten a splendid meal.
    We had time to return to Duonita, collect Richard's luggage, and help carry it to the adjacent train station. It was sad to see him go, he had been good company. From our chats we had gleaned that he had enjoyed his sailing trip. I would miss the jibing and banter between these two. It was as if Laurel and Hardy were being separated, or perhaps better put, Roger the Dodger and Billy Whizz from the Beano - they squabbled a lot like a pair of school kids.
    We returned to Duonita with Rex and I putting the world to rights once again. However, we were whacked, and retired for the night by 22:30. I floated off to sleep with images of Rear Admiral Davenport and cabin boy Beaven on the good ship Duonita floating before my eyes.