Our departure from the Royal Dutch naval base at Den Helder was permitted and we proceeded out into the broad expanse of turbulent water rushing eastwards. We crossed to the northern side and then copied a snake path through the sands generally moving east and north closing the polder dam that separates the Ijsselmere from the North Sea before bending NE towards Harlingen. The passages are quite anrrow in places, possibly a cable wide, and yet one cannot see la...

The forecasts were not promising and the coastguard was repeating his "gale" warning on E force 6 but the other forecasts were all giving a 3 or 4 easterly backing NE later so we left Ijmuiden at noon and once outside stopped the engine and sailed northwards against the tide. It was a lovely easy sail in warmish overcast but fair conditions. The wind varied in strength but never got strong and we sailed with sheets eased for less than six hours turning into th...

After a morning searching for a clever person to modify a VHF hand held radio for me, we had a relaxed lunch onboard, complete with 10 minute nap, before departing the very full marina in Scheveningen. It was full because of a major sailing regatta next weekend and the boats had positioned in good time. We got out to sea, raised the sails, switched off the engine and off we went. A glorious sail in 14 to 20kn and a calm (ish) sea, because the wind was easterly...

Breskens turned out to be a lot more than we expected and we enjoyed a walk into the centre for some bread and ham before preparing to depart at 11:00. Acroos the Scheldt we closed the beach of Walcharen and then followed the coast of the island for six miles, just a few hundred metres offshore. Beaches that were full of people enjoying the glorious weather, but we saw no bathers as the water temperature had not reached 12deg. Our trip across the Delta was in...

Saturday, 07 May 2016 Leaving the friendly and well situated YC de Mer du Nord marina jest before 11:00 we motored down the harbour, put the mainsail up and almost as soon as we were outside the engine was switched off and we sailed. Passing through the gaps in the sandbanks that parallel the coast we got into clear water. We have sailed this coast before, the last time bringing this boat back from Holland, and it has towns, some quite large, built along the ...