Netherlands Trip - Tollesbury      4th-6th July:

4th July

Amsterdam Shipyards

    We did indeed sleep well. Despite Rex saying the night before that we could have a lie in, he was up bright and early at 05:15. Hmmm.. he needs more Diazepam I thought.
    Despite his back being sore from the previous day's pounding, he was determined to make the trip across the North Sea in the weather wind of opportunity we had before us. As we ate breakfast, we carefully analysed the large polar research ship opposite us in the dockyard. Loud hammering noises emanated deep from within its depths; its refit was lasting many, many months.
    After a hasty purchase of provisions, we set off at 10am in bright sunshine for Ijmuiden. We passed huge ship repair yards, and a very long string of busy docks. Barges hurtled along the Noordzeekanaal, and ferries scurried across it. I am always fascinated by busy working canals, rivers and docks, and this location had it all.
    After a while we were passing through the countryside, but there was always a rattle of construction equipment not far from the canal banks. Planes from Schiphol airport banked overhead, and followed the canal for a while before veering off to their far off destinations.
    Swans, ducks, and cormorants hugged the shoreline, accompanied by old fishermen. Yachts overtook us, their crew giving us friendly waves as they splashed past.

Modern Day Warehouse

    Soon the smoke and steam from the Ijmuiden steelworks marred the horizon, and in seemingly no time at all we were in the lock at Ijmuiden. This would allow us to pass through to the North Sea. A fair number of yachts filled this lock. We had a chance to chat with a pleasant Dutch couple opposite us in the lock. As we did so, a large barge slid into an adjacent lock, and we watched a middle-aged chap handle all the rope work single-handedly. It slowly rose in the lock, and once it had risen to sea level, it was allowed to leave before the yachts were released.
    Once out of the lock, all the other yachts got into a race as they tend to do on the continent. We tootled along at our own pace, allowing others to pass by in their pursuit of empty glory, often only a few metres away from us.
    We did a detour into Ijmuiden marina to fill the fuel tank, carefully avoiding the large gin palace leaving the fuel pontoon in reverse that seemed to require a football field worth of water to work in. Just by the fuel pontoon a yacht was having its mast lifted on to it; quite a long meticulous process. It would have been fascinating to stay and watch the whole process, but time was pressing. We slipped our lines at 2pm and headed out into the North Sea, performing a neat shimmy around the large ship entering the port.

Ijmuiden Sinks below the Horizon

    We passed by a large anchorage; lots of large ships swinging lazily on their anchors awaiting orders. Skirting around a wind farm, we weaved our way through a series of seemingly defunct oil and gas platforms. Another yacht was following the same course, perhaps half a mile to our starboard, and as the day progressed he slowly drifted away more to starboard.

Sunset Over the North Sea

    After a delicious spaghetti Bolognese at sea, which Rex managed to plaster all over the cockpit and ensign, I sent him below for some well-earned sleep. I took the 20:00-24:00 watch. Numerous ships were passing by, not really causing much of a problem, though I did have to give a wide berth to a tug like vessel towing a very large object that sat so low in the water it was hardly visible. I watched it crawl its way to the horizon on its journey up to Stavanger.
    The sun hung low in the sky over a bank of cloud on the horizon. A break in the cloud allowed a burst of sunlight to break through and set a patch of distant sea on fire - glorious. There would be no sinking of the glowing sun tonight.
    As the sky darkened to a steely grey, a 3/4 moon bathed the port side sea in its ethereal silvery light. After dodging a few more ships, Rex took over the "graveyard" watch. When I arose at 03:45, he was busy trying to avoid another yacht that was crossing our path in the darkness whilst quietly cursing - in English this time.

5th July

    The slow sunrise was not so spectacular today due to a bank of cloud over the eastern horizon, but the sun managed to peek through a gap in the clouds at 05:47. The rest of the journey was uneventful, and by 16:00 we were entering Felixstowe harbour. The tide was against us, but we could fight it all the way down to Tollesbury, arriving there around 11pm. However, it would then be low water and we would have to tie up to a buoy until almost high water before returning Duonita to her berth. We were tired after almost solid travelling from Ketelmeer, so we took the sensible decision and put into Shotley Marina for the night.
    After a thorough scrub in a rather smelly shower block, we retired to the "Shipwreck" by the marina for a beverage and food. By pure chance, when Rex was in the bar getting a round of drinks, he bumped into Max, his brother-in-law. Max lived in Shotley, and occasionally visited the Shipwreck. He joined us for drinks and a chinwag and regaled us with the latest episodes in his life, quite illuminating.

6th July

Felixstowe Docks at Dawn

    To make the best use of the tides down to the Blackwater estuary, we left Shotley shortly before 5am. We crept past the huge dock complex of Felixstowe, although why we were creeping I'll never know, an incessant din was emanating for the quays as it had done all night long. Two tugs nursed a huge cargo ship in as we passed Landguard Fort. As we approached Walton-on-the-Naze, I was overcome by tremendous weariness, and Rex kindly let me go below while he took Duonita down the Wallet. I came to as we skirted Clacton and headed up the Blackwater. It always felt good to be back in home waters after venturing across foreign seas. Familiar sights came into view: Brighlingsea, St. Peter's Chapel, Mersea Island and Bradwell nuclear power station.

Motoring up the South Channel

    We glided up the South Channel and picked up a buoy where we bided our time until there was sufficient water for us to motor Duonita into her berth.
    By late morning we were berthed, and I shifted our kit in a wheel-barrow up to the salting's boatyard whilst Rex got a lift from Barry up to his house to collect his car; Meryl was away. It was good to see Barry again, he and Yvonne had left Duonita in Enkhuizen for us a few weeks earlier. I explained to him about the fuse associated with the mains charging unit failing, and we both agreed it needed to be uprated to cope with the new battery arrangements.
    Safely ensconced ashore and Rex's kit back at home base, despite his tiredness and sore back, the kind lad gave me a lift all the way back to mine - a very kind gesture. Now two days of washing lay ahead of me, but my mind would be transported away by happy recent memories as I laboured. We had conquered the seas again and explored yet more towns and cities. Long may our adventures continue.