Netherlands Trip - Harlingen      2nd June:

    We arose before 6am and were out on the Ijsselmeer before 7am.
    Rex plotted a straight-line course to the lock at Kornwederzand, and gateway into the Waddenzee. The wind was already up and we bounced along in a quartering sea. Little traffic was out on the sea to bother us.
    We ploughed on passing Stavoren, Hindeloopen, Workum and Makkum on our starboard side, all places we had visited over the years we had been sailing together.

Kornwerderzand

    Kornwerderzand is located approximately 4km from the coast of Friesland, on a former artificial island which was created during the construction of the dam.
    The shipping locks at Kornwerderzand, also known as the Lorentzsluizen ("Lorentz Locks"), provide access to the Waddenzee from the IJsselmeer, and a complex of discharge sluices control the water level in the IJsselmeer.
    A second complex of sluices and locks is located at the other side of the Afsluitdijk, near Den Oever. The Afsluitdijk provides a road link between the provinces of Friesland and North Holland. Since North Holland was part of Vesting Holland ("Fortress Holland"), the national redoubt of the Netherlands at the time, and control of the sluices in the Afsluitdijk was necessary for planned defensive inundations in case of a military invasion, Kornwerderzand was considered strategically important by the Dutch government.
    From 1931 onwards, fortifications consisting of seventeen casemates and three bunkers were constructed. The position was manned with approximately 220 troops in 1939.
    Our passage through the Lorentzsluizen at Kornwederzand and the associated road bridges took only 40 minutes; a miracle.
    We hugged the narrow channel along the coast in the Waddenzee. The wind was now well up, rain kept us cooped up in the wheelhouse, and the tide was determined to shove us out of the channel. A very smart boat with "go fast" stripes overtook us as we approached the entrance into Harlingen. Its fancy pants skipper didn't want to argue with us though, and he just turned to port and sped off in the direction of Terschelling.
    As true conquerors, we entered the large harbour of Harlingen, without the usual fanfares of course. We swung a left inside the harbour entrance and headed up to the Tsjerk Hiddessluizen, one of the locks that connected the Friesland canals to the Waddenzee. The locks derived their name from Tjerk Hiddesz de Vries, an admiral who was killed in 1666 during a sea battle against England. After a little gilling about, the gate opened and we entered a very large lock. We were eventually ejected into the Van Harinxmakanaal, then, an immediate turn right brought us to the HSWV marina; Harlinger Watersportvereniging (Harlinger Water Sports Association), active since 1932, in the Noordergracht. We slowly edged our way in through the narrow opening. This was a delightful little section of canal, quiet, lined with trees and some tasteful houses. At the eastern end of the marina, the pretty Franekerpoortbrug stood where centuries ago one of the town gates marked an entry point into the fortified town. A few berths existed on the other side of the bridge. We had stayed here several times before.

HSWV Marina : Harlinger Water Sports Association

    As we gently glided into the marina, I asked another sailor if the harbour master was around. "Back at 2pm," was the short response. I spotted room on the end of a long pontoon, the only pontoon, where we could tie up for the 30 minutes wait, We secured our place in the pouring rain and warmed ourselves with steaming hot coffee. At 2pm precisely I set off to find the harbour master, who I located as she climbed the staircase to her office. She was a very helpful, cheery lady with a ready smile. Check-in was a painless exercise, Duonita was already on her database. I booked for three nights with the understanding that we may extend it.

A Couple of Harlingen Characters

    We ensconced ourselves securely in a box. After a while the rain eased off, and we headed off into town to find a chandler; we needed to fix a leak around one of the windows that was leaking water over Rex's clothing. On reaching the premisses of the chandlers we had discovered years ago, we were saddened to find it had now become a shop for maritime curios, and appointments needed to be made.
    An internet search indicated there was a chandler in the fishing harbour. We took a hike there, and Rex was like a kid in a sweet shop; every goody you could wish for. We bought a special masking tape (it acted as a good masking tape but would not leave any residue when pulled off), and a tube of Sikaflex sealant. Rex bounded back to the boat, totally revitalised by the purchases. We would need a decent spell of dry weather to do the job, and today was decidedly iffy. So we taped over the gaping aperture between the metallic window frame and the fibreglass wall. That may help keep some of the rain at bay we thought.

Lovely Setting for a Lovely Boat

    Later, we headed towards the town centre. Our favourite watering hole, De Lichtboei, appeared to be shut, hopefully not permanently. Unperturbed, we walked down Voorstraat, the main drag. Rex was disappointed; his favourite tobacconist seemed to have sold up. We ate and drank at Wally's in Voorstraat. The food was fine and we slept well.