Day 42 - Harlingen

Tuesday 14^th July 2015 – Harlingen – Day 42

It is another warm day but overcast.  The yacht alongside us left at 08.45 and thereafter a convoy of boats, also moved out every half-hour, when the bridge was open.

With sufficient space, we also moved across the dock to one of the vacant pontoons and would be happy there for the rest of the day.

Street behind marina

Jack and Dave wandered off at lunch time, to explore the town but Jack came back early feeling very tired, maybe he has not fully recovered from the cycle ride on Texel.

Fine buildings around marina

In the evening Dave and myself went off to the supermarket for stores before exploring more of the town, ending up on the high street, sitting outside a bar enjoying the beer and watching the world go by.

At 20.00 we went into the Chinese restaurant ‘Xin Hua’, where we had an excellent meal of pork dumplings, then more pork with prawns with a bottle of white wine, highly recommended.

Back to the marina and into the ‘Noorderporte’ bar, the lady behind the bar appeared to be not too happy but we struggled on, as she began to mellow.  While another lady at the end of the bar, gave us wonderful information on the Frisian Islands our next stop.

It is now the school holidays and ever one who has a boat takes to the water, especially to the island of Vlieland, where they have been known to close the por,t because of too many wishing to enter and you have to anchor.  Not the best option, I thanked her for this very important information.

Left the bar at midnight to find the marina full of boats once more, looking forward to tomorrow and the escape to the islands.

Day 41 - Harlingen

Monday 13^th July 2015 – Harlingen – Day 41

It is a wet morning, as the light rain falls from the overcast sky.

We moved the yacht over to the fuel berth and took on 55 litres of diesel, then went onto a lay-by pontoon for two hours to await the lock.

In the Zeedoksluis, I done it again and ended up the wrong way round, but this time ending up alongside a kind-hearted Dutch yacht.  When the gates opened, I managed to turn the boat inside the lock and headed out bows first and waved a goodbye to the lock-keeper.

At 13.30, clear of Den Helder harbour into the Waddenzee with the Texelstroom underneath us, the stream was pushing us along and ¾ hour later we were passing Oudeschild on Texel.

In the light airs and overcast sky, we made our way in the bouyed channels, watching seals on the exposed sandbanks. At 18.00 passed the Kornwerdsandsluis, the eastern end lock which takes you into the Ijsselmeer.  Then into the Boontjes, narrow channel and at 19.00 we were at the Harlingen harbour entrance.

At 19.15 we passed through the Sasbrug and waited in the basin for the Prins Hendrick brug to open and into the marina at Noorderhaven.

Noorderhaven was very full with yachts and cruisers moored everywhere, the harbour master put us alongside the quay wall telling us to have long mooring lines because of the tidal range.  An hour later another yacht came alongside us, the place was now packed.

We had a walk ashore but the rain did not cheer us up.  All being very tired, we returned on board, had our usual ham, cheese and tomato sandwiches and in bed for 23.00.

Day 40 - Den Helder

Sunday 12^th July 2015 – Den Helder – Day 40

An early start, as we want to catch the outgoing Texelstroom tide, leaving the pontoon at 06.45.

West Cardinal Mark

Out of the harbour by 07.00, running with the tide and on our way back to Den Helder on the mainland.

A very fast passage as we were inside the Zeedoksluis by 08.15 and alongside the Willimsdok pontoon at 08.45.

In the pleasant sunshine, spent the rest of the morning in the cockpit asleep, while Jack returned to his bed.

In the afternoon, I went to the station and met Dave Durrant, who came off the 15.30 after his flight from Newcastle to Schipol airport and onward train journey.

In the evening, Dave and myself wandered off into another part of the town, while Jack stayed in his bed. The walk did not prove to be fruitful, as we could not find anything resembling a bar, so headed back to the centre of town.

Once more had a meal in the ‘Sphinx’, the owner remembered us, and we were well catered for, after he had explained to the Armenian waitress, we drank large cold beer, not the wee bottles she was serving.  The steaks were excellent and the waitress turned out to be a lot fun, practising her English.

Into the ‘Bar 60’ Eaten & Drinken in the dockyard, for our night caps, enjoying the oude genever.

Back in Noord Holland with three on board, can now turn my attention to making our way back home.

 

Day 39 - Texel

Saturday 11^th July 2015 – Texel – Day 39

This morning it is bright sunny and very warm.

Today is an adventure as we hired bicycles from the nearby marina shop for 9.5 euros (£8) for the day.  The usual Dutch sit up and beg model but with seven gears, although most of the island is flat, they did come in handy.

Oudeschild Church

On the way out of Oudeschild following the dyke, we came across this lovely church, the cycle path led us past the low lying fields and their irrigation channels, until we came to the island’s main road. 

This connects the capital Den Burg and the ferry terminal at t’Horntje.  There is no problem cycling,as there are well defined paths for cyclists which are respected by the motorists.

After a mile down the main road, we turned right and headed off for the village of Den Hoorn.

Jack's Bic

Here we stopped at a very busy café and enjoyed an iced tea, with lots of other cyclists, so we were on the correct tourist route.  This fine example of the village church built in 1646, the church steeples are the highest points on the island, therefore fine reference points.

De Dennen Forest

Although coming out of the village, we managed to miss the correct path and ended up passing through the De Dennen forest, this was very pretty with a suitable path which eventually led us to the west coast of the island, over the sand dunes before reaching De Koog.

   

Here the area was very busy with many camp sites hidden away in the dunes, the white sandy beach was packed, as we watched from a café, while having a ham and eggs lunch.

There are many bars and restaurants overlooking the beach, we later found out the big influx of people was because of a beach party staring at 18.00 and finishing at 04.00 (dawn).

De Koog 

Town Square

Moving off the dunes into the village, it was a thriving, one street was just more bars, restaurants and shops.  It became very clear this was the main tourist spot on the island; we sat in the square watching the people going by, enjoying this beautiful summer’s day.

Time to move on, the main road taking us to the capital at Den Burg.

Jack at Rest

Alex's Bic

In the centre of this wonderful town we found a small park just off the main square with convenient empty benches. In the shade of the trees a nice resting place after all of this exercise on the bics.

A refreshing ice tea and ice creams in the square before heading back on the road for the journey to Oudeschild.

Passing the pretty villages on the way surrounded by the well cultivated fields, it was a joy to be out exploring this beautiful island.  We handed back the bicycles at 18.00 after covering a distance of twenty miles.

Jack headed back to the boat, while I went off to the harbour restaurant of ‘De Kombuis’, here I had a wonderful meal of pork satay with a local beer, before  returning to the boat and in bed for 22.00.

It had been a grand day out, something different, a cycle tour and well worth the effort.

Day 38 - Oudeschild, Texel

Friday 10^th July 2015 – Oudeschild – Texel – Day 38

It is a clear bright morning, the wind has eased and now from a favourable direction.

We left the pontoon at 10.00 and headed for the sea lock, this turned out to be a bit of a challenge with the wind and tide, I managed to end up facing the wrong way in the lock.  As it was originally built to take large ships, there are not many places to hang onto when coming alongside the wall.  You aim for one of the small bollard inserted into the wall and a convenient ladder, if you are not quick enough, ooh, ooh problems.

When the lock gates opened, I sheepishly came out stern first; luckily there were not too many people about, just us and a bemused lock keeper.

Beam trawlers

Outside Den Helder and back in the Waddenzee, the tide was running in our favour and very quickly we arrived in Oudeschild, on the island of Texel.

Passing the long line of beam trawlers inside the harbour, as we made our way to the marina pontoon and happily alongside by 11.30.

The afternoon was mostly spent relaxing in the cockpit, enjoying the warmth of the sun while, watching others parading inside the marina.

Havenhotel

In the evening, I took Jack along to the ‘Havenhotel’ at the harbour entrance, to dine once more on a bucket full of mussels cooked in the local beer which was absolutely delightful.

Back to the ‘Compagnie’ bar in the marina for night caps of the Skumkoppe local beer before retiring back on board.

Good to eventually escape from Den Helder and arrive on one of the Frisian Islands.

Day 37 - Den Helder

Thursday 9^th July 2015 – Den Helder – Day 37

There had been very strong winds during the night and this morning the strong breeze is accompanied by heavy showers.

With Jack, took a walk through the dockyard and to the top of the dyke, looking over the crossing to the island of Texel.  There was a heavy swell running into the channel from the west and the sea looked uncomfortable, so the sailing for today was cancelled.

Jack decided to visit the exhibits within the dockyard museum, while I went off to the chandlers and received my spare parts for the toilet pump.   I spent the afternoon re-building the pump and sorting out other minor jobs which needed attention.

In the evening went off into the town to the Hotel Weinernof, near to the railway station for a meal of pork schnitzel, chips and salad.

The centre of the town is dominated by this ornate building which once was a water tower.  Someone had the bright idea of turning it into a home, hence the elongated windows, it is now unoccupied and may have been a wonderful residence.

We wandered back to the marina stopping off at a very lively honky-tonk bar, but the noise was too overpowering, so into the dockyard cinema complex for a quiet beer, before making it back on board.

Hopefully tomorrow, the wind will have abated, allowing us to carry on with our adventure.