15 July Gouda to the Island of Kaag

Leaving Gouda today.......

The Sun has not forsaken us!



What a joy to see a blue sky, spotted with fluffy white clouds scudding along in a gentle breeze!

The forecast is good (as reliably confirmed by dongle), and we are raring to go again.

Engines 869, water 1/2, fuel 7/8=, checks ok.

.0910   Cast off, following a couple of the neighbours we had been talking to yesterday.

.0920   Clearing Gouda railway bridges. AOK .  7kn. Bilges given a precautionary pumpout af     ter yesterday’s downpours

.0930   Clearing bridge 664—nominally 2.5m, but with1m to spare.

.0945   Holding station at Waddinxveen bridge, which was already showing “approach”

.0950   Cleared bridge and speeding up a little to rejoin “convoy” of  lower motorboats in front

A lifting bridge

.           Summer is restored! The scenery is unbelievably good. 5kn. Little traffic.

.1010   Boskoop lifting bridge, which only needed a 2-minute hold.

.1045   Clearing Alphen railway and lifting bridges, which are close-by.

.1055   Tied up waiting for Swaenswijkbrug. No reply from VHF, but soon opened.

.1100   We are clearing bridges much faster than thought, which is nice. 2nd Alphen bridge.

.1110   Albertschweitzerbrug. We are now cruising through peoples’ back gardens!

Back garden gnomes

.1145   Hazerwoude Rijndijk, a very pretty area, and immaculately kept.

.1220   Just a 2-minute wait for the Leiderdorp bridges.

.1230   Watched nonchalantly by a heron on the bank, just cleared Spanjardsbrug.

.1300    In the breath-taking Kaag lakes & lagoons—a yachting and boating heaven. Passing  some very well appointed yacht clubs, with dozens of dinghys from training schools, and sailing boats of every size and shape. Colourful, stimulating, enjoyable.

.1330   Requesting a berth at Jachthaven Kaagsdorp by mobile phone –VHF31 “error”?

A bankside spectator

.1345   Arriving in VV Kagdorp, assisted by friendly harbourmaster, tied up in an open aspect pontoon “box”. Lunch served in the open cockpit.  The weather is “scorchio”, and the natives are friendly. The marina is spacious and sparkling,  with the minor drawback of being in one of Schiphol’s take-off paths, but no real issue there. Marina fee is Euro13.20 per night (about £12) incl electricity. Wi-fi (which is down at present) is free, showers are 50c, and laundry wash & dry is Euro 10, the steepest yet. When we enquired about shops, we learned that the Island is only served by a mobile shop which doesn’t attend on weekends, so we dried off the bikes and made a 1-mile foray down the lanes to locate it (successfully) Countryside is beautiful, and it needs a double-take to see sailing yachts cruising through the fields. The more we see of Kaag, the more magic it seems.  

Dinner, on board, in the open, watching the antics of ducks, grebes, and other species was as good as any West End show, and the food supplied by the resident chef was well up to her usual cordon-bleu standard. Sure, where would you get it?............