Weesp and Amsterdam

Tonight we'll spend our fifth night at this charming little marina with showers as good as home, a beautiful garden all along the wharf and free water. Alas no washing machines. We came to this town because we heard it was lovely, very, and the train station is a five minute walk to a 15 minute ride to Central Station in Amsterdam. The Marina is private, but they will take a boat if they have the space while a member is out cruising. Rob just happened to notice it on the chart. We are tucked away behind a green hill (a former bunker from the war) that is covered in green grass and wild flowers On the other side is a quiet back road, popular with people out doing "recreational" things.

We've gone into Amsterdam several times now to play the tourist. We have done three art museums on three different days and added other walks to the days. First we went to the Van Gough Museum, which didn't make the impact that it did 30 years ago, and after the wonderful show they had at LACMA with all these and more. The next day we went to the Rijksmuseum. When Napoleon and his army invaded, he put his brother here to be their King. He took over the Town Hall as his Castle. We couldn't see it as it's covered from head to toe for restoration. It was he who founded the museum which to our disappointment is also behind canvas for total restoration until 2012. They have about 3% of the total collection available for viewing. Only the best of the best of the Dutch Golden Age! Exceptional Delftware (about 30 pieces), to blow your sox off miniature houses and the icons of Dutch art (I took that from the guide). Instead of walking through rooms of work that all blurs together after a while, we feel so fortunate that an expert chose what we got to see, close up and to savor. We saw four Vermeers and 10 wonderful Rembrandt, including "The Night Watch". The next day was the Amsterdam branch of the Hermitage. They had a small, but impressive show called, "Matisse to Malevich, pioneers of modern art". 80 great pieces each with very good details on the work, the artist and where they fit into the new movement.

Each evening we return to our little boat and a glass of wine on the back deck. We watch the water birds and the many people who use this back road to enjoy an outing. There is an Equine Center near so we see many riders who remind us of Tess and her Pony Club days with the velvet helmet, high boots and straight backs. Between 6-8PM we see groups of young people on bikes in uniforms having come from soccer or field hockey at the sports park. Rarely is their not someone passing on a bike alone, families or couples, joggers and roller skaters. Tonight took the cake though. From town came a group of 30 people wearing yellow, pink or orange swim caps and full wet suits. Once past they slipped into the water at the end of the marina, right past our boat and swam back to where ever they came from.

We are running out of clean clothes. Our arms almost fell off as we carried groceries ten minutes back from the store. Things are not always easy or comfortable, but we enjoy not knowing what tomorrow will bring. We'll have one last trip into the city before we set off again down the quiet waters. On our next leg we will pass through the most expensive real estate and beautiful area called the Vecht.

Long Weekend

Our "not moving on weekends" strategy is a good one, except when there is a long weekend and we don't know it. Seems that every other weekend is a long weekend here. Nevertheless it was a beautiful day and we passed thousands of boats. The locks at Muiden that are the entrance to the Vecht River was a zoo. Despite all that we found a quiet marina just off the river. We will moor here for three nights and take the 15 minute train ride into Amsterdam and do the museums and other tourist stuff. Then we will head off up the Vecht river, supposedly the most beautiful river in The Netherlands.

Weekend Parking

We had figured that travelling on a weekend might be busy and we may be better getting somewhere on a Friday and staying put. Down here, nearer Amsterdam, that is certainly true. We got into Spakenburg about 4:30 on Friday, entering via a narrow channel already lined with boats and were directed by the harbormaster to a berth in and even narrower portion closer into the old boat harbour. We got in with literally inches to spare and enjoyed a peaceful night in a great location.

Today it got busy. Some of the old boats left their moorings for the weekend and have been replaced by giant fiberglass cruisers that make Armida look puny. Around 1pm the little harbor was jammed with boats mooring, turning or leaving, with the harbormaster pedaling around on his bicycle keeping it all in order.

We had a box seat sitting on our rear deck watching all the action. Who needs to go to the movies or a sports game on a Saturday.

Spakenburg

A nice mooring, good weather and free Wi-Fi.  Life is good.

Really Going

Today is the first day I really feel like the journey has begun. Up until now everything has been getting the boat ready and even the first few day I worried about how we would handle the moorings and whether we can find what we need. Now I am beginning to feel that we can handle the boat and that everything is working fine. Plus the weather is good at last! Today I wore shorts and a tee shirt for the first time.

We had motored down from Sneek to Giethoorn via the Princess Margriet Canal alongside the large barges, and then down small canals, across a large, windy lake and through some more canals. The first night we moored beside the canal in a free mooring at the edge of a national park. It was very peaceful. Then next day we got to Giethoorn after lunch and moored in a Marina, hoping to get some washing done, but their machine was broken. We rode bike around the lovely little village with its picture perfect little houses along a tiny canal. Super cute.

A short trip the next day took us to Zwartesluis where we moored right in town and got some laundry done (more on laundry later), and this morning the curtain people arrived and installed the curtains in the Salon and Galley – now she is complete!

So today was warm and sunny, with a brisk wind on the open water. We motored from Zwartsluis down to the Issel (one on the major rivers of Holland draining the Rhine), out the Issel to its entrance in the Isselmeer and a short stretch to the inland channel around Flevoland. The short ¼ mile stretch had enough rolling to make one of us a little queasy. Then down the inland channel past marshes, and hundreds of Swans to Elburg, an old town that was once a major port on the sea and is now tucked away behind a province that had only existed since the 1930s. It is a neat little town encircled by a canal and the remains of the old wall.

So today was not about getting things done testing things out, organizing or shopping. It was about the journey. I look forward to many more.

Sayonara Sneek

Today we set off from Sneek as we begin our journey south. We have been here for a long weekend (Thursday-Sunday) and have thoroughly enjoyed it. Sneek was the first place we came to in Friesland last October when we were looking for boats, so we have seen it many ways: staying in a hotel, visiting by car, dropping in for shopping, and now we have done it by boat. And that is by far the best. We are moored on the main canal that snakes (pun intended) its way through town and exits through the main bridge just past us. So between 9am and 7pm there is constant interest as a multitude of boats float slowly past our windows. In the evening it is a charming residential street. On the other side we have all that we need including a great little ships chandler, a hardware store and, two blocks away, the main shopping street.

This is the first time we have felt part of a community as we have met other English speaking couples on their boats. After a month and a half it is the first time I have overheard and English conversation between native speakers. We met the Fishers, Fran, Dwight and their dog Yogi who, in their seventies, are setting out on yet another adventure (www.serialvoyagers.blogspot.com) after selling their previous canal boat a couple of years ago and finding that they can't do without it. Also Chris and Bob from the UK who have been coming to Friesland boating since 1999 and have a wonderful cruiser moored opposite. And also John and Viv who wrote the Dutch section of Tom Somers excellent Eurocanals Guide (http://www.eurocanals.com/) that we have been studying for months. Tea, coffee and wine were shared all around.

Our goal today - Giethoorn.

Evening in Sneek (Snits)

We are off!.  We left Sloten this morning and are now moored in the local metropolis of Sneek (Snits in Friesian). We had a good run across the Slotemeer, a small lake, but far enough away from land to prompt Terry to don a life jacket.  We went through three opening bridges where we had to put the toll in a clog the bridge opener dangled from a fishing pole, and arrived in Sneek about 3pm.  We were helped into our berth  by a guy who recognized us from Sloten, which was fortunate, as parallel parking a 40' both is an art we still need to perfect.   The weather was something that would have had us cozying by the fire at home but here had us out with all the other boat owners.  Now our world has narrowed to within a bike ride from the water, but when you can moor in the middle of town and walk to all the shops it's not such a big deal.  A nice meal on board and we will read our books watching the people walk past; not so bad.

On Our Way

We are ready to roll. All the items on the list have been done; the boat yard and the diesel mechanic have been paid and we are heading out tomorrow. We have done a practice run in the local waterway and didn't hit anybody! Terry did a masterful job of navigating back into a tight berth in the marina. The only problem is the weather has turned lousy. The locals smile and say "now you have the real Dutch weather". That means cold wind and rain and grey skies. It is supposed to improve tomorrow and get "better" for the weekend. France is looking much more attractive.

So tomorrow we are off to Sneek/Snits where we will moor in town and get any last minute things we need, and then we are really on our way.

It’s not sinking.

Ta, Da. We are in the water hoping to spend our first night on the boat. Currently the floor panel is up to expose the engine to I'm trapped in the galley. Theo, the engine mechanic, Reinier, the boat broker and Rob are huddled around the engine with Dutch and English going back and forth. Theo will change the oil, put in new filters, new transmission fluid and the works. Rob is taking notes and photos so he will be able to do it all himself next time. Last a liquid will go into the gas tank to kill any bacteria that might have grown in the last two years. We have water on board for the first time. That's exciting. No more schlepping clean buckets of water from the boat house up the outside ladder to the deck and then down the stairs to the interior to clean.

Speaking of cleaning, I spent Mon-Wed scrubbing every nook and cranny inside, used bleach here and there, vinegar on the widows. It's sparkling. Friday a guy came to clean the carpet and upholstery. We unpacked our suitcases, put our clothes away, I went to the grocery store to stock up since we still had a car, bought a nice plant for the cabin, put a cover on the bed and we were ready to go into the water as soon as the gas is hooked up. At 4PM Theo comes to do just that. He first puts in a gas detector with an alarm before checking all the new lines and valves for leaks. All good. Now to check the gas stove. It seems the stove had leaking valve that can't be repaired. We need a new one. Can't get it until Monday. Can't go into the water. We call back the B&B that we checked out of that morning, to book another two nights. Veip, the owner welcomed us back with open arms. Monday Rob and Folkert go to take our rental car back and to bring back new stove. The same model, but the newer version has a box underneath that seems to be 1cm bigger. We had to pull up tiles from the counter around the hole, Kole gets his jig saw to take shave down two sides, we glue the tiles back down, put a heater on them to dry and grout. Good thing we had the supplies from the toilet room. Now have a nice new layer of fine saw dust covering every surface. Tomorrow I will clean, again.

So it's now an hour later. They are still futzing with the engine so the floor is pulled up blocking my way out of the galley. The door is wide open and the temperature a chilly 44F. I'm in my coat with a table cloth over my legs and still cold. The sun goes down about 8:30PM, it takes an hour to get dark and it's only the beginning of May. The engine is now running. It must run an hour and checked again. Theo has gone home for dinner, Reinier has gone home for good, the door and windows are closed AND WE HAVE HEAT for the first time. Soon the hot water will start heating up. What a day!!

We've decided to go to one of the only two restaurants that serve decent food for our last dinner out in a while and a bottle of wine to celebrate. I would say a nice bottle of wine, but they don't have them here as few people drink wine. Beer is the drink of choice and they are all very good. Believe it or not a beer costs less than a bottle of water. Oh, and the hot chocolate is to die for.

In two days we'll are have everything in place and looking good. We'll invite Veip, the lady from the B&B, and the Dutch/American (she) couple who had us over for dinner on board for nibbles, beer and wine. Our first official guests. We've decided to get the guys who worked on the boat each a for being so great and friendly to us. It's been very pleasant here in Sloten and the stunning surroundings. Our experience has been a positive one, even if it took much longer than we ever imagined.

So that's our news. We miss our friends, family and dogs.

Some Photos

• Rob working
• Spotted lambs
• 10 hour old goats owned by an American who loves living here
• Five day old colt
• Western Days for the kids of Sloten
• Cows and windmill out our window at the farm B&B
• Queen's Birthday, her color is orange and kids decorate their bikes
• Place on honor for four members of the UK Royal Flying Squad who where shot down in this village by Germans in 1943
• A beautiful day on the canal draws everyone to the outdoors.
• The last photo is a view from the skylight of the B&B where Rob would stand on a chair and hold the computer to download.

Tulips

The pictures tell the story

Nearly there?

It's been a good week for Armida and a lot has been done. She now has new standpipes (through hull pipes) all around, a new waste water tank and toilet, a new gas line (almost), new vinyl wall lining around the windows in the bedroom, shower and bathroom and a new coat of antifouling paint on her entire bottom, thanks mainly to Terry. Notice the port name, Terherne is gradually disappearing, soon to say Morro Bay, CA. That will be weird.
We are "hoping" that she will get out of the shed on Tuesday so we can wash and wax the hull and get the inside steam cleaned, and then into the water on Wednesday. There are still several smaller things to be done and the engine needs to be serviced but we hope to be living on board this week and setting off sometime next week. Emphasis on "hoping". We will probably take her into Sneek where we can moor right in the middle of town and do our shopping for anything we have forgotten. But first we will go to some smaller out of the way places where we can practice running into things with no one watching. The weather has turned lousy this week which is OK while we are in the shed but hopefully it will be better next week.

Getting closer, getting excited.