Friday 3rd July 2015 –
Oudeschild, Texel – Day 31
It is
another fine warm day, in the morning Syd went off to the supermarket, while I
busied myself getting the boat ready for leaving.
 |
| Noorderhaven Prins Hendrikbrug |
At 10.15 we
left our berth and waited along with others for the Prins Hendrik bridge to
open at its designated time of 25 minutes past the hour.
Once through, we did not have to wait in the
basin as the Sasbrug was already opening and into the main harbour.
Outside in
the Waddenzee, we waited for the tide to turn, while hoisting the mainsail and pulling out the
genoa, then it was back down the Boontjes Channel.
 |
| Dutch Sailing Barge |
We were not
the only ones sailing down this route, staying within this narrow channel. We even saw one seal, popping up to take a
look at this convoy of various craft, making their way along in his backyard.
 |
| Kornwerderzand sluices |
After one
and a half hours in the channel, we were passing the entrance to the Kornwerderzand
locks with sluices on the Afsluitdijk, which help to control the water levels
within the Ijsselmeer.
When we
reached an area off the Frisian Island of Texel, with light airs and a flat
sea, this is where the tide runs strongest within the channel, the effect being
of a train running underneath us, we were racing along in the Texel Stroom.
 |
| Effect of tide on buoy |
This is why you have to be very precise in the
tidal calculations to take advantage of this phenomenon, get it wrong and you
are going nowhere.
 |
| Etrance to Oudeschild |
 |
| Beam Trawlers |
At 15.45, we
were off the entrance to Oudeschild and made our way into the harbour, one side
of the dock there was a line of Dutch beam trawlers. For fishing boats, they were immaculate and
their normal fishing grounds are off the German and Danish coast.
 |
| Marina |
Arriving in
our marina berth, we were very happy to see ‘Dart’ on the next pontoon with
Dennis the skipper, whom we had met in the Sixhaven marina, Amsterdam. We invited him across for a cold beer on this
very hot afternoon (our fridge had been running since leaving Harlingen). Telling tales of what been had been up to in
the past couple of weeks, helped to put us into relax mode.
 |
| Havenhotel |
Ashore for
the evening, we walked past the line of well-kept trawlers back to the harbour
entrance.
Sitting
outside in the ‘Havenhotel; we dined on a bucket full of mussels, cooked in the
local beer ‘Skuumkoppe’, with salad and chips, it was delicious. Inside the bar there are wonderful
photographs of this harbour being flooded by the winter storms.
We ended up
in marina bar ‘Compagnie’ with its fine views over the harbour, drinking the
lovely Texel beer, before heading back.
It had been
a grand day, the warm sunshine, fine sailing conditions, reaching the Frisian
Islands and meeting up with old friends.
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