With the start of the season in the neighbouring country, German sailors and thousands of owners with moorings in the regions are swarming out again. For North Rhine-Westphalian crews in particular, the Netherlands is their home territory. And one of its attractions is sailing through the countryside, meadows and cities: practically every corner can be reached on the many canals and river sections, so you don't have to rely on the large sailing areas such as the IJsselmeer or the large lakes.
The so-called Staande Mastroute has also achieved some fame. It allows you to sail or motor right through the centre of the country without having to raise the mast. The standard route, which long-time sailors know well, can be varied with alternatives that go through smaller towns, sometimes mean a diversion, but provide completely new impressions. We present three alternatives in the southern part of the route, roughly from Den Helder to Vlissingen, in an area history and give tips on where there are places worth seeing.
Of course, the sailing area update is also a must at the start of the season. After fewer Germans came sailing in the last two Corona years, we can expect a normal season with plenty of visitors again this year. A hot topic of discussion on site is the announced implementation of a final ban on private yachts using the outlet seacocks for the toilets and even sealing them. What is the current status? And also: where is construction taking place, where are closures to be expected, what service news is there from the harbours? Area expert Alexander Worms has compiled the most important news.
Environmental protection is becoming an increasingly important issue, especially for sailors. This is also supported by the company Sea Ranger, which trains young unemployed people to become sailors and at the same time sensitises them to environmental issues and aims to help record and ultimately improve biodiversity in Dutch waters. The young sailors are trained and drilled in boot camps. We asked one of the participants about her experiences.
Last but not least, the special gives worthwhile tips for a trip ashore with a visit to a museum - even, but by no means only, in bad weather. Firstly, there is the De Zaanse Schans museum park with its windmills, which were used for much more than just drainage. The second museum provides information about the saviours that crews will hopefully never need: The Redding Museum tells the story of the history, exciting missions and technology of the Dutch sea rescuers. The Naval Museum in Den Helder is all about military history, with exciting exhibits ranging from "ramming ships" to submarines. The Zuiderzee Museum in Enkhuizen provides information about the time when the Zuiderzee was still open sea, i.e. before the Afsluitdijk was built.
The big NL special now in YACHT No. 10/2022, can be ordered from the publisher here or you can download the individual articles directly via the links below.
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Andreas Fritsch
Editor Travel
