AFLOAT  in FRIESLAND    -    Alan Murphy  (1990)

Although Friesland is the NE province of the Netherlands, it's not 
typically Dutch. Frisian people are strongly independent, with their own 
language, character and customs. Their 'national' flag (blue and white 
stripes with seven, red water lily leaves) is used as a courtesy ensign and 
can be seen on almost every vessel afloat.

Thirty lakes interconnected by a net-work of canals make Friesland a 
paradise for the small boat yachtsman. Many of the bridges open 'on 
demand' making it easy for vessels with fixed masts to explore most of 
the region. The major limitation is that deep draft vessels (greater than 
1.5m) will find some of the smaller canals too shallow. However there 
are no such problems with trailer sailers and as Friesland is less than 24 
hours away by road, my wife and I decided to trail our boat, Tiger Lily 
there for a two week holiday.

Tiger Lily, a Swift 18, trails easily behind a 1.7 litre estate car. Her four 
berths give adequate room for a crew of two. When trailing, the boat 
provides cooking facilities, sleeping accommodation and all the usual 
creature comforts.

We crossed the English Channel the easy way, aboard a P&O ferry. The 
captain took the strain whilst we snatched some sleep before starting the 
road journey. It's 236 miles from Ostende to the pretty Friesland town of 
Lemmer. After examining several marinas (or jachthavens) west of the 
town we chose to launch Tiger Lily on the slipway of the Jachthaven 
Iselmar. There was adequate parking for car and trailer and the showers 
and toilets were spotless. Having moved Tiger Lily into one of the 
traditional 'box' moorings, our first task was to walk round to the 
adjacent Jachthaven Tacozilj to buy petrol, a chart and the Dutch 
ANWB Almanacs. We only needed one chart for our planned cruise - 
the ANWB chart 'B' titled Friese Meren and costing about £5. Every 
boat in Dutch waters is required to have a copy of the Dutch Sailing 
Regulations on board. These are published in the ANWB Almanac 
Volume 1 but only in Dutch. However, it does have a useful section 
showing the lights, shapes and water-way signs which are used on the 
canals.

The second volume of the ANWB almanac is much more useful and 
even contains a few pages written in English. Published yearly, it 
contains the operating hours and tolls of the various bridges together 
with a description of the jachthaven facilities. Although both almanacs 
are printed in Dutch and cost about £8 the important information is 
relatively easy to translate with the aid of a dictionary. We used the 
Berlitz Dutch/English pocket dictionary and soon deciphered many of 
the important bridge signals. Decoding the Almanacs proved to be an 
interesting diversion.

Time for more homework
We had done some preliminary planning before leaving England using 
the Henry Levison's Dutch Inland Sailing Pilot and Brian Navin's 
Cruising Guide to the Netherlands. Now we needed to do some more 
careful and detailed work using the Dutch chart and almanacs. Our basic 
plan was to explore the region, if possible without retracing our course 
and avoiding the large Prinses Margriet Canal which carries commercial 
craft and large barges. The chart shows the depth of water in the canals, 
the heights of the bridges and whether they are fixed or opening. A 'BB' 
symbol on the chart means a Beweegbare Brug and signifies a moveable 
or opening bridge. We found it was possible to make a circular tour of 
the major lakes without having to lower the mast (you can't do that on 
the Norfolk Broads!).

Lemmer is an ancient seaport on the ljsselmeer. An old lock, the 
Lemstersluis, separates the Isselmeer from the inland system of lakes 
and canals. Just inside the lock, the walls of the inner harbour (or 
Binnenhaven) provide mooring space for yachts. There's a lovely stretch 
of canal where yachts can moor on each side right outside a line of 
restaurants and snack bars. Here we first discovered the delights of 
Appelgebak met Slagroom (Dutch apple pie with whipped cream). We 
could have stayed there longer, but it was time to make a start on the 
sailing part of the holiday.

The first lake out of Lemmer, the Grote Brekken, is about two and a 
half miles long. We were greeted by a strong headwind which provided 
a nice beat up to the entrance of the Follega Sloot, a short stretch of 
canal leading to the large lake Tjeukemeer: The broad reach down the 
canal gave us time to admire the flat landscape, the black and white 
Friesian cattle in the fields and the rich wildlife along the banks. At 
Follega the 'Ophaalbrug' (or typical Dutch draw-bridge) tested our 
understanding of the light signals As we approached, the 2 red lights 
changed first to a red and green, the bridge opened and then the 2 green 
lights indicated that it was safe to proceed (not too difficult really). 
Within a few seconds the bridge closed and road traffic was restored. 
The operation was so smooth and efficient that we came to regard 
bridges as equivalent to road traffic lights where you might simply have 
to wait a minute or so.

The next bridge into the Tjeukemeer doesn't have BB against it on the 
chart signifying a fixed structure. The chart showed a clearance of 11.8 
metres and mathematics told us that our 10.2 metre mast should pass 
under without difficulty. Nevertheless, we approached with caution. 
Once under the bridge, the Tjeukemeer opens into a lake 4 miles by 2 
miles and provides some good sailing. On reaching the northern end, the 
wind direction forced us to motor along the next stretch of canal, the 
Niece Rijn. Here we encountered a fleet of small dinghies busily beating 
up the narrow waterway. One became stuck in the mud and required our 
assistance. This episode delayed our arrival at the next bridge until a few 
minutes after 5pm. The 3 red lights which greeted us showed that the 
bridge was not working. It was time to moor alongside the waiting jetty 
take a tea break and decipher some more of the Almanac. This told us 
that this 'Basculebrug' or bascule type of bridge would be operational 
again at 6pm, At exactly 6pm the 3 reds turned to a red and green and it 
was all hands to cast off rapidly. Further on through the village of 
Scharsterbrug we came across the Jachthaven Woudfennen which had 
all the facilities for an overnight stop.

A worthwhile diversion
Levison's Pilot Book mentions that the village of Langweer at the south 
end of the Langweerer Wielen 'is a worthwhile diversion'. We can 
testify to this, the inner harbour is very pretty although somewhat 
crowded. It was too early in the day for another Appelgebak, and so we 
pressed on through the Noorder Oudeweg canal and into the open 
waters of the Goingarijpster Poelen. The next bridge nearly caught us 
out as it has a bridge toll (an earlier look at the Almanac would have 
told us this fact) . Luckily we had 2 guilders (about 65 pence) handy and 
it was time to try our ability with the 'Klomp'. The bridge operator 
swings a clog attached to a kind of fishing rod to a crew member who 
catches it and inserts the toll. Once through the bridge, the Terkaplester 
Poelen offers more sailing, then it's only a short distance to the town of 
Akkrum. Levison's pilot does not recommend this little town, but we 
found an excellent Chinese/Indonesian restaurant in the main street 
which was well worth the visit.

Passage through Akkrum requires negotiating a series of 5 bridges. A 
sharp bend near the first one obscures the operator's view of 
approaching boats and he had failed to notice Tiger Lily. However, on 
sounding the morse letter 'K' on the foghorn (Long-short-long, meaning 
I wish to communicate with you), he waved back and gave the red and 
green light signals. This is the standard method to request a bridge to 
open during operating hours. The second bridge charges a toll (2 
guilders) while the third is a railway bridge which rather than opening on 
demand, adheres to the train timetable. Railway bridges usually open 2 
or 3 times an hour, the times being published in a leaflet available from 
an ANWB office. We had to wait 15 minutes and decided to take a 
coffee break. It's essential, however, to become skilled in the art of 
casting off rapidly as soon as the red and green lights appear, even if you 
do have a cup of coffee in one hand.

A picturesque canal
The little canal north of Akkrum is very picturesque, we watched several 
local people cycling along the tree lined road adjacent to the canal. On 
reaching the 'Wijde of Peanste Ee' our sixth lake we raised all sail only 
to find that there was hardly a breath of wind. Mooring places are 
plentiful along the banks so we took the opportunity to stop for a 
leisurely lunch. Several magnificent Dutch barges sailed gently past 
adding to the idyllic atmosphere. With a gentle NW wind, we found it 
was possible to sail the next stretch of winding canal past the reed 
fringed banks and clumps of yellow flat irises. At the 'Wijde Ee' we had 
intended turning north but a waterside hotel offering Applegebak met 
Slagroom tempted us to drop the sails and tie up for another 30 minute 
delay...

It was now a fairly short distance into the Prinsen Hof which Levison 
describes as 'a maze of small lakes, reed fringed islands and 
interconnecting narrow waterways'. We agreed with him that this area 
of rural lakeland is one of absolute delight, particularly for those 
interested in bird watching. Public mooring places are scattered 
throughout and after tying up for the night at one of these quiet 
bankside settings, a local Frisian family invited us aboard their boat for 
an evening drink. They told us much about Friesland, its history and the 
independent character of its people.

Our plan was to spend a whole day exploring the Prinsen Hof, but first 
we needed to pick up fuel and supplies in the little village of 
Earnewoude. There's a very picturesque windmill near the entrance to 
the Nauwe Saiter canal but the canal itself was so narrow that care was 
required to avoid tangling the mast in overhanging trees. By the end of 
the day we had explored most of the area under sail and consumed a 
large quantity of photographic film. After tying up at the Passanten 
(visitors') Jachthaven in Earnewoude, we still had time to further explore 
the delights of this pretty village.

The next stage of our tour required sharing the large Prinses Margriet 
Canal with commercial barges. There's normally plenty of room to pass 
but we found that large unballasted barges created nasty wind shadows 
and made sailing difficult. The journey to Leeuwarden requires turning 
west down the Schalke Deep canal. Although this is quieter, it's still a 
major inland route for yachts travelling to the River Eems. There are 
several jachthavens east of Leeuwarden but we decided to negotiate the 
8 extra bridges round the outside of town so as to moor in the 
Prinsentuin park right in the centre. This is a beautiful setting with 
mooring posts set into the grass banks. Water, showers and toilets are 
all available nearby.

Leeuwarden is the capital of Friesland and contains plenty of shops 
within easy reach. The town guide, obtainable from the 'VVV' tourist 
office at the station lists 54 restaurants and many other bars and cafes. It 
was in one of these bars close to Leeuwarden's famous leaning tower 
that we tasted the local Frisian Beerenburg Brandy This drink was very 
popular with the skippers of the old Frisian 'Skutsjes' (small spritsail 
barges) which used to sail across the Zuiderzee to Amsterdam. 
Numerous historic buildings and museums coexist amongst the rows of 
modern shops, cafes and canals. The central canal and narrow lanes add 
great charm to this capital city but we found it too crowded with people 
for our taste.

Back to the lakes
It was time to return to the more serene atmosphere of the lakes. Our 
passage back round the outside of town was delayed by a 10 minute 
wait at each of the two railway bridges. A favourable NNW wind made 
it possible to sail the canal journey as far as Grouw. This small town is 
well endowed with marina berths and yachting facilities. Round the west 
side of town we discovered some visitors mooring places which were 
conveniently labelled 'Ligplaats Passanten'.

The east side of Grouw looks out upon the Prinses Margriet canal and is 
exposed to wash from passing commercial traffic. Five miles SW of 
Grouw a large lock guards the entrance to the Sneekermeer. Normally 
both lock gates are kept open and you can proceed straight through into 
a superb expanse of sailing water which is very popular with dinghy 
sailors. After enjoying a wonderful beat south westwards we were 
rewarded by the sight of another lakeside hotel (the Pavilijoen 
Sneekerrneer) offering the usual Appelgebak met slagroom. The journey 
to the town of Sneek is fairly straight-forward but passage through the 
town includes three bridges with a 2.5 guilder toll on the first one.

The quay opposite Sneek's ancient 'Watersport' gives a perfect view of 
the passing traffic. It's convenient for shopping but we had arrived on a 
Sunday and many shops in Friesland stay closed from Saturday until lpm 
on Monday. However, Sneek has an interesting nautical museum; well 
worth a visit.

The short trip from Sneek to Heeg involves three bridges (2 with tolls). 
The first bridge operator appeared to be reading a book, but a morse 'K' 
on the foghorn soon attracted his attention. Our arrival at the Jachthaven 
Foekema at Heeg gave us plenty of time to explore the excellent 
chandlery in the main street. Heeg has 5 large jachthavens and a town 
quay which support the busy yachting activity on the adjacent Heeger 
Meer and Fluessen lake. These two lakes together are 7 miles long and 
offer more good sailing. The lake nearly tempted us to dally too long but 
luckily we had timed our arrival at the Woudsend bridge for 10 seconds 
before noon. Once through, the bridge promptly closed for the lunch-
time break and displayed 3 red lights. South of the bridge there's plenty 
of mooring space alongside the town quay, in the shadow of a very 
attractively restored Windmill.

Beware midges!
Continuing south into the Sloter Meer, our red, orange and yellow sails 
seemed to attract all the local midges, forcing us to drop sails and motor 
at full speed down to the little village of Sloten. Here the bridge had just 
blown a fuse causing it to go non-operational (a rare event I was told). 
The engineer had been called and within 90 minutes it was working 
again. Just south of the main bridge the visitors mooring spaces 
(Passanten Steiger) provide a wonderful view of the village windmill. 
The village itself consists of a main canal and some quaint little streets. 
There are also two excellent bar/restaurants overlooking the canal.

The remaining four mile canal passage to Lemmer completed our 
circular tour of Friesland. Seven herons standing erect like sentries along 
the bank watched our return. We still had time to make a short trip out 
into the Isselmeer. The route through the town involves 3 bridges, a set 
of lock gates and a 5 guilder toll. It seemed strange to have to go up to 
the open waters of the Ijsselmeer particularly when you remember that 
this is already below mean sea level.

The main channel from Lemmer skirts rounds the Noordoostpolder part 
of Flevoland. This land is entirely man made having been reclaimed from 
the sea in 1942. The fertile agricultural land is several metres below sea 
level and very rich in flora and fauna. A common sight in Flevoland is 
the Marsh Harrier which hunts water wildlife.

Outside the lock at Lemmer there are six jachthavens catering mainly for 
larger 30-40 foot yachts. Tiger Lily's 18 feet seemed a little out of place 
moored amongst them in the well appointed Jachthaven Fries Hock. We 
interrupted our return through the centre of Lemmer to buy a few 
souvenirs by mooring alongside the quay right outside the shops. Back 
at the Jachthaven Iselmar it was only a short walk across the bridge to 
the Chinese/Indonesian restaurant for our last Dutch meal.
By 9.30 next morning Tiger Lily was back on her trailer and ready for 
the journey home. It was Friday a day for perpetual traffic jams. A 
broken down lorry on the bridge over the River Waals and rush hour 
traffic round Antwerp delayed our arrival at Zeebrugge by several hours. 
However, despite this, Tiger Lily was parked outside our house in 
England less than 24 hours after leaving the water at Lemmer.

During the twelve days afloat in Friesland we had seen little rain but the 
clear nights and northerly wind kept it cold for much of the time. We 
had chosen the last two weeks in May when the canals would not be too 
busy (apparently it gets fairly full later on). In general, the Jachthaven 
facilities were plentiful, clean and cheap (we paid about 6 or 7 guilders 
per night, approximately £2. Compare that with the £8.50 we get 
charged at Ocean Village in Southampton). Tiger Lily' s red ensign was 
the only one we saw and on several occasions it triggered conversations 
with friendly local people Language was no problem; many of the 
Frisians spoke good English.

 Perfect for trailer sailers
The area fulfilled its promise of being a sailing paradise. The verdant 
fields, rich variety of birds and wonderful sights of traditional leeboard 
barges, combined with excellent facilities and safe water make it ideal 
for trailer sailers.