Netherlands Trip - Amsterdam      17th June:

    I was awoken at 7am by a lot of hammering on the pontoons nearby. A workman was making repairs, bless his cotton socks. I headed off to pay our dues to the harbour master, who informed me that the marina was about to fill up. One of the classic Dutch yacht races was about to finish just off Ijmuiden, and most of the craft would then tie up in the marina, where a big party was planned for them all in the evening.
    On my return to the boat, Rex was chatting to our Dutch neighbours, Apparently, they did not hear us berthing next to them in the early hours. They were keen to make us aware of the dangers in the Markermeer due to weed. We first became aware of the weed when we came across it near Hoorn in 2019. We had been forewarned the weeds grew to lengths in excess of 3m, lending itself to wrapping around propellors, hence causing havoc. Apparently, it was a much larger problem now. The chap showed me an application on his phone, which showed almost all the western side of the Markermeer from Hoorn down to Durgerdam and Muiden was full of the weed, with only narrow channels to get through. We thanked the couple profusely.
    Another Dutch chap we met echoed the issue, pointing out that the issue was apparently caused because the water is now too clean. He and his wife had just sailed across from Lowestoft; 6 knots all the way relying totally on wind power. They had been visiting all the usual East Anglian waterways, pubs and restaurants.

    I prebooked a berth for us at Amsterdam Marina, and once we had taken fresh provisions on board, we slipped our lines and entered the North Sea Canal via the sea lock. Thereafter it was a four-hour slog through increasingly more and more industrial landscapes. Convoys of planes flew over us destined for Schipol airport.

Cruise Ships on the North Sea Canal

Big Kiss

    The Noordzeekanaal (North Sea Canal) is a waterway in the Netherlands that extends in an east-west direction between Amsterdam and Ijmuiden on the North Sea coast. Its construction was first proposed in 1852; work started in 1865; and the canal opened in 1876. It has been enlarged several times. Navigable by 90,000-ton oceangoing vessels, the canal is 24km long, 15m deep, and 235m wide. It gave Amsterdam access to the sea and made it a major port. The sea locks at Ijmuiden were destroyed during World War II but were later rebuilt; the largest is now 400m long by 50m, wide. The canal ends at Amsterdam in the closed-off Ij bay, (the Ijmuiden name literally means "mouth of the Ij"), which in turn connects to the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal.
    Ships and barges were constantly emerging from the huge dock complexes on our starboard side: Afrikahaven, Amerikahaven, Westhaven, Jan van Riebeeckhaven, Petroleumhaven, Coenhaven and Mercuriushaven.
    Throughout the day I was updated by my children's activities. They were all meeting up at Chislehurst Caves in the afternoon; a special treat for the grandchildren. The caves were near Sally and George's new home. Katie had decided to drive there with her three children, while Dan planned to catch a train. When he approached Colchester station, he found he wasn't allowed into the station; there was a security alert. Soon a police helicopter was circulating above. After an age, train services resumed normal operations. He managed to meet up with the others by the skin of his teeth.
    Eventually we peeled off the canal and entered the Amsterdam Marina. Evening was a beer quite close to Centraal Station, followed by a meal at Restaurant & Pizzeria Lucca Due, a restaurant full of a labyrinth of mezzanine levels and a petite courtyard, all crammed with as many tables as possible. The young waiter was highly impressed with Rex's command of the Dutch language.

Restaurant & Pizzeria Lucca Due