Wednesday 27 July 2016

I failed to record yesterday as it was so abysmal as to be worthless, a mere 18nm in 8 hours of endless frustration with three sluices which were beyond slow, they were awful. The waits were in excess of two hours at each with the last one having a "problem".

Evidently the Government economies mean the waterways cannot afford maintenance any more and so they fix problems that arise. The problem is the guys that fix the problems don't know the equipment as they are new contractors and the fix takes an age. Today we passed a bridge which had only opened today after 14 days of being out of order.

However we made it from Willemstad to Bruinisse yesterday and today from Bruinisse to Vlissingham, and finding no suitable mooring in Flushing, apart from some box moorings in a derelict area of the old port, we went into the Westersheldt and arrived in Breskens at about 20:30, pleased to be free of the claustrophobic Dutch canals. They had served us getting through while the poor weather went through, the problem was they were so much slower than we remembered so the weather patterns had turned fair and then not so good while we travelled through, it would have been quicker, less frustrating and probably more enjoyable to go outside as we did going up.

The schools in the south of The Netherlands do not finish until the end of this week, so it is not really busy here yet. We found the waits very frustrating and often for no apparent reason. Many of the bridges and sluices are now operated remotely, lights often left on red when all is clear to pass, boats dawdling through when asked to move quickly, lots of wasting time.

At least now I will not hanker to return to the Dutch waterways, it is not quite as we enjoyed it all those years ago and I am very pleased to be back in umpty dumty salty water!

We have now completed the second part of the loop, calling here on the way up. With only four passages to make to be back in the Solent, we just have to get Jasper home. Unlike Sweden the UK authorities do not trust us so we have to indulge their idocy and rent a car, take a ferry and play their stupid game. No one over here can understand the rule and no one over here can understand why we obey it!