Steve Smith

No wind at start, punched tide for first 4 hrs, wind on nose all way so motored, fore Sail out for about 20min. Never seen Ramsgate so full. It was the end of Ramsgate week much reduced attendance from pre covid era with only 30 ish participants. Harbour/marina entrance seems to be silting up, we arrived 18:45 draw 2m and had no clearance under keel about 1h 25min before low water!. Tide on this day: Ramsgate Friday, 25 Jul 2025 BST ▲ 00:40 4.8m ▼ 07:40 0.7m ▲ 12:50 4.9m ▼ 20:10 0.4m I have been to Ramsgate many times over the years never experienced this. Good fish and Chips at Pete’s opposite Witherspoon’s. (4.5m) 51º20'.0N 1º25'.0E

Due to strong Winds day of Tourism. First Visited wind driven saw mill. De Rat IJlst Houtzaagmolen https://houtzaagmolenderat.nl/ Amazing place untouched by modern Health and Safety standards you are allowed to walk around while it is operational. It’s a must see if you are in this area. It was a gusty Day and in the gusts you can hear and feel the increased speed of the cutting of the huge logs. When we were there, they were cutting huge beams for a restoration project. Then into Sneek, while Daphne and Gill went shopping and found a C&A. Brian and Steve visited Fries Scheepuaart museum Nautical museum at Sneek www. FriesScheepuaartmuseum.nl Well worth a visit. Evening meal was at a small hotel in Akkrum it is very popular, we had to book on Friday to get a Saturday table. Every table was taken on Saturday from 7:30. The popularity was due to the excellent meals. We all had something different, all meals were outstanding. Something different, a rhubarb purée was served to accompany the dishes, you would not recognise the taste as rhubarb, very pleasant, it has subtle taste of mulled wine about it, but complex including red wine and spices. Cost €30 each with drinks and main course. https://krommeknilles.nl

A shorter passage today, due to the hight forecast winds for Saturday we decided to return to the Marina a day early. We did refuelled Foxtrot at Grue 102 ltr. €193.50 and went on to a wild camping site island. This was clearly On a main barge route, saw many including a gas carrier. The U-turn in the track today was to move us out of the way of one barge who just got under the 7.4m bridge. The depth of the canal was the deepest seen at 5m. We finished the day with a perfect reversing manoeuvre back into the tight berth in blustery conditions. Well done to Brian.

Started the day with a walk down allegedly one of the longest and straightest high streets in Holland. Picture in the log shows the clock Tower in the middle of the town. Leaving Joure was problematic as you need to turn around in the marina cut and there’s only enough room once turned round for one boat to exit between all the boats moored each side of the Canal. Unfortunately there seems to be a lack of consideration for leaving boats coming in, they just steam at you. Exiting boats have to try and find an empty space to drop into. Stopped for lunch at our favourite island then decided to stay for the night wild mooring. During the afternoon the staff came and mowed the lawn on the island, bringing the lawnmower trimmer and crew by Boat. We had a competition for Lap time for a Walk around the island perimeter. Results Brian 1m 19s special commendation for collecting litter (Glass Bottle) Steve 1m:28s Gill 1m:32 Daphne 1m40s amazingly Daphne predicted her lap time at the start as 1m:40s During the Daphne had no time measurement devices. The island was one of a pair Adam and Eve. The shape of the island clearly influencing the name. We were on Eve. Today it was good sailing weather with a good number of sailing craft out including traditional craft. See photo. And to finish the day a lovely Sunset. I

Started day with finally finding the water supply to top up. Well hidden. We were behind a German in the Queue, when he finished filling he rolled away the hose and we had to then immediately pull it out again!!! Had a great lunch stop small island on the ether of a Meer. See photos. Arrive at Joure was able to get a good mooring a the bank just down from the Dowe Egberts coffee factory. Electricity is extra to mooring fee. Have to purchase a €7 card (€2 euro of electricity included and €5 deposit return when card is returned. However peculiar sequence to get the power started. We failed two attempts office was no help but we found out eventually circuit breaker tripped inside the box. We were able to reset it and all was good. Bonus was it had probably tripped sometime ago and €5 of Power had already been credited and not used so we had no concern about paying an extra. Evening meal was very good at Fred‘s bistro well worth a visit. €35 a head with tip. Berthing fee was €28 Facilities Plenty of showers €0.5 for three minute shower No control of temperature or flow rate but warm enough flow just adequate. Okay, size cubicle nicely set out with imitation wood as the decor. Very limited opening hours by Harbour Master 17:00 to 18:00 each afternoon, with a half hour between 8:00 and 0830 for a refund of electricity card. To cross canal an electric drive yourself ferry exists very interesting see the video. Note final destination selected by SailTies is Shown as Snikzwaag but is actually Joure. F

A very hot day (41.7 in Cabin), went over three aqueducts today. Fantastic scenery and lovely houses on the canal banks some with boat docks. Marina berth in Grou, scan QR code on pontoon and complete on line form and pay on line with credit card all in English. Email received with code for shower etc. €25 for boat and 4 People.

Very warm day, tee shirt and shorts. Spot the Robot lawnmower reached a new level at start of passage. See video Steve and Brian took turns in paying bridge fee by Clog. Many bridges today. Berthing Fee €18 including water, Electricity and shower facilities. Facilities clean 5*, 50c coin gives very long shower, temperature 5*, shower head fixed hight, good flow and spread, cubical standard size, wet clothes possible for unwary/rookie shower user, shelf for shoes and bag. Excellent meal, drinks and deserts plus tip. €150 for four of us. In hotel De Stadsherberg. Web site allows table reservation, worked well. Plus English menu available. https://www.stadsherbergfraneker.nl Visited Amazing planetarium. The oldest working one in the world completed in 1781 made from wood and pegs driven by a weights and pendulum. A UNESCO world Heritage site granted in 2023. https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1683/

A warm, windy overcast day, canals were not very busy, met extremely large barge on the corner which caused some excitement. Went through two bridges where we had to pay Steve feeding money into a swinging clog from the Bridge operator. Video is available. On arrival, Dokkhum it was quite busy. But we found a berth at the end of the line. Mooring Fee at Dokkum for two nights four people plus Electricity €36.30 Total engine hours for day Start 4017 End 4020

Stopped for Lunch in the middle of Burdaard village between two bridges and adjacent an authentic wind mill which was operational, the sails provide power to grind grain or drive a saw mill.