In Haren we were forced to wait for the weekend to pass before we were allowed to proceed in the small canal linking the Netherlands and Germany. The canal is tree lined, passing through farms and scattered settlements. A small sign marks the border between the two countries.
Across the border lies Nieuw Amsterdam with free moorings. You just pay for electricity and water if you choose to connect, paying via an app. Gone are the days when you stuck a.50c piece to acquire these services. Automation has taken the jobs of those who collected the coins and responded to complaints. Many of these small towns employed harbor masters who collected the nightly fee, now considered uneconomical. In some harbors the app charges you for mooring if you use electricity.
The deep lock at Ketelhaven
We turned south after a rest day, during which we met up with some folks we met during their visit to Valencia. It turned out they were heading to the same marina in Potsdam where we’d moored our boat for last winter’s sub-zero winter. Boaters look out for one another so we were happy to help them with the information we’d collected.
In mixed skies we proceeded towards Almere where we’d scheduled some minor repairs to our rain hood. The first long day ended just outside Genemuiden in a tiny harbor, with room with just two boats at most with an entry just barely wide enough. We left at 0700 the next day under sunny skies. The winds tend to increase as the day goes on, thus our early departure, and there is some open water ahead. When the wind crosses the water from the east you would get some broadside waves, making for some discomfort.
We passed just a few pleasure boats and barges before we turned southwest towards the lock at Ketelhaven. At the two locks there you drop about 8 meters into the reclaimed land province called Flevoland. These locks and pumps keep Flevoland from flooding.
There are no further locks until you come to the Ijseelmeer in Almere. We are not going that far, stopping in Almere Buiten. Here we have friends dating from 2000 when we were aboard Caprice, our first Dutch boat.
From here on we can slow down, slowing down from the very slow to the super slow. We are free to roam the country, where the boating infrastructure is the best.
