I continued down the River Vecht under clear skies and near still airs, passing more fine estates along the banks. Because the forecast was for increasing winds, I paused for the night on a wilderness mooring two kilometres from the mouth of the river and the beginning of the open waters of the IJmeer. Two days later, the weather app on my iPhone showed decreasing winds, but still a bit high to venture across the IJmeer and Markermeer, so I decided to follow the Randmeeren route. I passed down through the lock at Muiden and motored past the line of well-maintained historic sailing barges. Muiden Castle, or Muiderslot in Dutch, was originally built in the early 1280s by Count Floris V to impo
The River Vecht winds a sinuous path northward from Utrecht to the IJmeer, the southern reaches of what was once the Zuiderzee. Along the way, it passes through small towns and villages, but mostly it threads through open countryside and farmland. I left my peaceful mooring and continued downriver, pausing from time to time for lift bridges to be opened. Lining the river are many magnificent estates. Some of these started as farmhouses, and the barns and other farm buildings can be seen through the trees behind them. Most have riverside patios with moorings for their boats. There are also ancient castles along the way. This is simply a gatehouse for one of them. Nijenrode was built around 12
I had finished responding to the flood of comments, analysis and advice from the book club on my Posted As Missing, so on Monday, 15 May, I slipped my moorings in Nieuwegin, a southern suburb of Utrecht. After a half kilometre, the Hollandse IJssel ended, and I entered the Merwede Kanaal, following it northward. Less than two kilometres along, I locked down a metre to the level of the Amsterdam-Rijnkanaal, I squirted through the heavy barge traffic and the turbulent chop of the wakes to cross the broad canal and lock up a metre to the level of Utrecht. Pleased to be again in placid waters, I relaxed and motored toward the centre of the city. Rather than continuing on the Merwede, I opted to
For the past nine days, a book club to which I belong has had the first chapter of my novel, Posted As Missing, in the spotlight. This brought a flood of reviewers and an inundation of comments, analyses and advice. The continuing rain made it easier to remain in Haastrecht as I responded to the comments. On Wednesday, the skies cleared and I wandered into the centre of town for a look around and to visit the supermarket for supplies. The house in the foreground of this picture was built in 1656, when the Dutch still owned Nieuw Nederland, their colony in what is now New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. I prefer the peacefulness here. With the fridge, c
They had begun wrapping Molen Roode Leeuw late last week for a long-awaited renovation. Government funding had come through, and it was going to become noisy for a few months. My cruising plans fit well with this, as the work was to commence on Monday, 1 May. Zonder Zorg had been moored in the Historic Ship Harbour in Gouda for seven months, and she was itching to move on. During the past weeks, I had power-washed her exterior, done routine maintenance on the engine, generator and other mechanical systems. I had filled her water tanks and ferried two hundred litres of diesel oil in twenty-litre jugs from the service station a block away. We were ready to go. Monday dawned glum and drizzly. T
