Monday 7th July 2014 Arembergergracht to below Ketelsluis Flevo. 33.1kms 3 lks

Rainbow over Arembergergracht

12.5°C Grey clouds with hot sunny spells. We set off at 9.15 am, winded and ran south down Arembergergracht to the lock Arembergersluis. A cruiser overtook us halfway there. More boats had just gone into the lock so we both had to wait until they’d gone up and the lock emptied again. We couldn’t fit in with the one who’d overtaken us, the lady keeper said he was 11m long and the lock was a touch under 28m long. No problem, it didn’t take long to turn it round. She said she’d seen another narrowboat the previous week, a green one, heading north (later someone else told us it was called The Hustler). Must have missed it while we were out joyriding round the dike roads. We were soon heading for the Zwarte Water where we turned right and followed a cruiser that was also heading towards the Zwarte Meer. The Genemuiden ferry was still carrying bicyclists across the river although the road on the far side (N331) was completely closed for resurfacing. We paused while Mike put the pins in so we could do some washing. At

Tug pushing a pan of dredgings. Sheepvaartgat

the start of the Zwartediep we turned left into the Sheepvaartgat, a narrow, shallow channel along the southern edge of the shallow, reedy Zwarte Meer. We were surprised to see the bows of a commercial coming towards us and a cruiser catching us up fast. The commercial turned out to be a full dredging pan pushed by a small tug - the dredger was working just around the sharp left corner in the wider channel called the Groot. We passed a cruiser on the bend which was followed by a large LeBoat hire boat with student Australians on board. Had to slow off for the dredger which was listing over well with the grab

Dredging in the Groot.

out as far as it would reach. Mike took the mast down and the flagstaff off to go under the only liftbridge on the navigation, called Mandjeswaardbrug, which was remotely operated and lifted as we approached it with perfect timing. Mike put the mast and flag back up. I changed wash loads. There were cruisers everywhere going upriver into Kampen on the Ganzendiep, two were overtaking us as traffic was coming towards us. Big sweeping bends of the river were lined with holiday bungalows, each with its own boat, or two, of all shapes and sizes. The Ganzensluis was closed for lunch when we arrived. Tied on the wooden stumps with a cruiser behind us. Within

Garden ornament or a real radar speed trap for boats??

five minutes another lady keeper pressed buttons to lift the guillotine gate and we went in, followed by the cruiser. We rose a matter of 2cms and the top end guillotine went up. A crowd of cruisers were waiting on the other side for the lock, some were milling about as there were not enough stumps for all of them. Down a short channel and we turned right heading downstream on the Ijssel in Kampen. The far bank was lined with old buildings and old sailing boats. A fast open speedboat went tearing past us on the wrong side, then stopped to fish! The river was very busy with pleasure

Waterfront. Kampen on the banks of the Ijssel

boat traffic in both directions, including another very large LeBoat hireboat. An empty commercial overtook us, just before the junction with the Katerdiep off to our right; Nawa 9 (80mx8.8m 920T) from Szczecin, was the first Polish boat we’d seen in the Netherlands. We carried on, following him straight on down the Keteldiep towards the Ketelmeer. A large wedge-shaped German cruiser was fast catching up but he eased off to go past. In a lull in the traffic we drifted for a few minutes while Mike disengaged the Markon drive. Soon after a small empty coaster, called Klagarie, went past heading upriver. A cruiser following it went up on the plane after he’d passed us. A loaded boat called Takana (70mx7.20m 853T) from

Kilometre marker 1000 - from upper Rhine?

Rotterdam went past heading upstream as we reached the lake. I’d forgotten how many swans live in the shallow lake, hundreds and hundreds of them, tails in the air dredging the plant life off the bottom. We went across the corner of the Ketelmeer to wait above Ketelsluis at Ketelhaven behind another cruiser, which had also just arrived. We could see there were now cameras surrounding the lock and the couple on the boat in front said they had rung the keeper (who resides in an office in Lelystadt and works everything on the island from there) and the lock would be ready soon. Ah! No lock keeper means no drinking water at the lock now,

Motorway bridge with lifting span

so we decide to shove across to the yacht haven opposite and get some water. As we moved off the lock gates opened and the cruiser went in. A very pleasant young woman with two small boys who were playing by their boat told us where the tap was. There was no coin in the slot but she said the harbour master would be back in about an hour. We’ll still be here, it wasn’t a fast tap. We had just finished refilling when he arrived and he had a chat with Mike. No charge! That was very nice of them. While we were filling up, a Waterways boat came past with masthead light and full navigation lights on – Mike was on his soapbox – “you’re the first boat we’ve seen this year travelling with lights on in full sunshine!” – they waved. (We’re used to a big percentage of the Dutch driving their cars around with lights on in daylight, so it was only a

Waterways boat - all lights on!

question of time before we saw the first boat doing it!) We moved over to the waiting area for the lock. Mike called on VHF Ch18 and got no reply; he called the number on a notice board - no reply to that either; there was a button to press – he tried that and got no response. Then another cruiser arrived whose skipper spoke a little English and told us that all the VHF radio on Flevo was on CH1. The guy said the controller was probably busy, just as a loaded 40m commercial called Voorwaarts arrived – looked like he’d been sand dredging as he had a hold completely full of wet sand. Strange to see such a small boat still working in the Netherlands. It wasn’t in a very good state of repair and Mike said to me if you want to know what gearbox whine sounds like listen to that as the skipper put it in reverse when his bows were almost in the lock gates. I made a cuppa as it was going to be a long wait. Eventually the lock refilled and we dropped down 5m. Moored among the cruisers next to a wooden landing stage with square wooden mooring stumps. It was

Moored below Ketelsluis - 5m below sea level

4.50 pm. Unloaded the moped off the roof and Mike went to get the car – a long way round as the N331 was still closed and the best and most direct route would have been across the Ijssel on the ferry at Genemuiden to the N331. 

Ketelsluis - 5m up to the Ketelmeer

Monday 30th June 2014 Uffelte to Arembergersgracht. 26.8kms 4 locks

Below Paradijssluis

10°C Grey clouds, sunny spells and heavy showers. Breezy. Mike went by car to get some bread from Albert Heijn in Havelte before we set off. Unusually for NL, the keeper for the next bridge came up on his scooter to ask what time we were leaving. Mike told him 15 minutes and we set off at 9.25 am. It was just a short distance to Uffelterbrug, which the guy on a scooter worked for us. On into Uffeltersluis which was worked for us by an older man who spoke excellent English and told us his daughter lived in Bury-St-Edmonds. Down another 1.9m and the young

Lokbrug swingbridge

man off the scooter helped open the gates. Below the lock the tjalk that was following us a couple of days ago was moored, no name on it.  A cruiser heading uphill passed us as the rain started again. As we came around the bend in the canal and could see the bridge in the distance we saw that there was another cruiser coming through Havelterbrug that had just come up Haveltersluis. Again there was a keeper to do the bridge and another to do the lock. Mike asked if he could close the gate for the keeper and he said OK but he was not at all happy about us going out through one gate and started shouting (the second person to do that in 21 years Continental

Three limekilns (now attached to a restaurant)

boating!) Why we have no idea, regulations probably. There was a beautiful dog on the lockside running up and down like sheep dogs do, it had a grey/blue coat and a white tail so I asked the keeper if his dog was an Australian sheepdog – he just said “it’s not my dog” so maybe he was having a bad day. Two cruisers were waiting below to go up, hope he was pleasanter with them. A short distance to Boschkampsbrug, where the busy N371 road crosses the canal right to left. It was a double swingbridge, cycle path and road deck, and was operated by a keeper in a cabin. In the few minutes it took to open it, us to pass through and then close it we had a queue of fourteen cars, lorries and vans. Just beyond the bridge there were lots of boats moored by a toilet block, many of them braving the showers with washing hanging out to dry on their side and bow rails. Not far to Lokbrug, another swingbridge where a minor road joined the N371. An older man pressed buttons on a panel by the bridge, this time just two mopeds had stopped by the bridge. The canal passed through lots of open meadows

Railway swingbridge by A32

with herds of grazing cows and horses as we went down the long straight to Pijlebrug swingbridge just before the A32 motorway where our busy road disappeared off to the left. Five cars and a double-decker coach stopped by the bridge this time. The next bridge was a swinging railway bridge and worked at set times. A train had just gone across it as we stopped by the wooden stumps, Mike spotted the big red button which was above the notice that said call here, 2m above the water. Glad he could reach it, I couldn’t! I checked on an old railway bridge opening times chart that we had, and we were in one of its

Contrasting cloud formations

times for opening – before I could ring the number on the board it swung open for us. On down to Paradijssluis. There were lots of boats moored by the lock and we had to tie up and wait as the lock was empty with both bottom end gates open. The keeper spotted us and refilled it. No problems with him when we went in through one gate. He was beaming smiles as we went into the lock. Down another 2m and out through one gate. There were two boats waiting to come up so he had to walk round and open the other gate, wishing us a good journey as he did so. It

Houseboat. Mepperlerdiep

was 11.55 am as we left his lock, the last on the canal. Now we were on to the river that runs through Meppel called the Meppelerdiep. There were islands in the river and a long row of houseboats behind them. The first commercial we saw was Wendelien (85mx9.5m) that was moored by the dry dock as we came into Meppel. It was almost 12.15pm as we tied on the quay wall by Galgenkampbrug liftbridge. The notice said it opens on the hour and half-hour. I made some lunch and Mike gave the keeper a call just before 12.30pm on VNF channel 22, the reply came back immediately that he would open the bridge, which he did. We waved as we went 

Arembergersluis

through the next bridge, Kaapbrug – a footbridge - where his control cabin was situated. On to the next Eshuisbrug which lifted as we got near to it. There was a row of pans (and a tug) which were being loaded at the silos and Vogue (110mx11m) was loaded with containers at the next quay. Meppel was bustling as usual, boats everywhere. Several huge marinas were full of boats of all shapes and sizes. A tug went upriver pushing a pan with tubular legs that lower to anchor it to the bottom. On down the Meppelerdiep and out of the town back into open windswept countryside. Three large cruisers came out of the Hoogeveenschevaart, two went upriver

Barn for storing cut reeds for thatch

and one down. More cruisers were coming upriver as a big black cloud started dropping a lot of rain on us. An empty called Lukkelie (85mx9m 1300T) overtook us as we went past the town of Baarlo as three large cruisers came out of Beukergracht on our right and sped off downriver. Into the town of Zwartsluis, many more moored boats and a slipway with big boats out for docking. It looked like they were making a bigger cabin for maybe a new bigger swingbridge to the left of the current one, there was lots of building work going on so maybe a new flood lock too. Under the deck of the

Just one of the many beautiful houses
and gardens 

liftbridge with ample headroom for us without having it raised and out on to Zwartwater, turning right, more moored boats and another huge marina full of boats. Round the left hand bend and turned right under a low bridge (3.3m) with our mast down and into the little harbour before the Arembergersluis. A short wait while a cruiser came up in the lock and we went down in the little lock, worked for us by a white-bearded keeper; he gave us a new chart of waterways of the northwest Overijssel region. Mike’s Mum loved the houses and gardens below the lock and the barn full of cut reeds for

Moored at Arembergersgracht

thatch. A reed boat towing an empty boat came out of Oosterlijke Wetering, a narrow channel through the reed beds on the right to the gracht, then left into another narrow channel. A deer started to swim across but saw us and turned back before I could grab the camera. There were about a dozen boats moored so plenty of space for us to choose a mooring. Tied to the wooden stumps and almost sank into the boggy grass along the moorings! Three hungry ducks came to beg for bread before we’d finished tying up. It was 3.15pm.

Reflected clouds. Arembergersgracht