Left at 08.30 just as the wind started to fill in, sunshine and light winds forecast for the day. We sailed out of the Veerse Meere into the Oosterchelde via a very large automated lock. We had to make to the north for about 8nm this was dead to wind in about 9 to 11 knots of wind, we had about 4 or 5 tacks before we we were able to turn and enjoy a free wind that stayed with us for the rest of the day. Our route took us through the keeten Mestgat then into the Grevlingenmeer. We have sailed over 200 nm from the UK to the centre of Holland without seeing any dolphins or whales, when in the middle of this inland commercial waterway we saw 3 dolphins. This route had very heavy commercial traffic as well as lots of yachts. It also involved us going under a bridge with an electronic sign that said the clearance was18.4m, we had to do some quick mathematics, we had measured the mast when it was off the boat back in the winter, it was saved in my phone !! But where !! Under notes, it said 15.2m then we needed the height from its bottom to the water, all this with the bridge looming add 1.8 m and we have a air draft of 17m. This should have been done before,but like other jobs it got left. As we went through with our 1.4 m clearance , we held our breath, we passed under but it looked mighty close.
We anchored for the night with a few other boats right at the top of this waterway, as we were having supper the man on the next boat was waving and shouting to us in Dutch, we did our best to understand him but did not know what he wanted, he gave up and we carried on eating. After about half an hour we saw a very fast patrol launch coming straight for us, thankfully they passed us by, to go to the guy on the small cruiser. After much talking they set a second anchor and took him away, leaving his boat. About 23.00 he returned on another work boat and towed it away, looked like an expensive evenings boating!!
Just heard that Holland beat Spain 5 1 we chose the wrong night to anchor out.