Friday 15 July 2016 Our departure from Lauwersoog inner marina at 10:40 took us down the Lauwersmeer and off into the Friesland canal system to take advantage of the "Standing Mast Route" through this part of Holland. Essentially a route yachts could use with their masts up meaning that all the bridges would open for us. Almost immediately at the first bridge out swung a clog on a fishing rod line to collect the "geld" or toll. As we passed along the route th...

Thursday 14 July 2016 Studying the weather for today last night, after a long day at sea, and hating Borkum and its vile U-Boat pontoons, a way out had to be found. The weather we had coped well with on Wednesday looked as if it might continue on into Thursday morning. The tides was high at about 0600 and that meant the 30nm sea section of the passage to Lauwersoog could possibly be done before the strong winds arrived mid morning. Up at 03:00, breakfasted a...

Wednesday 13 July 2016 Our intended departure time wobbled between 07:00 - 08:00, either one or the other and not somewhere in between. We chose the earlier option and the forecast looked promising for the day, but that was all, and taking this meant, if progress was as hoped, we might be too early for Nordeney but would be not too late for Borkum. We motored down the dull grey estuary for over three hours in some light rain and a slight swell, the weather...

Tuesday 12 July 2016 Our day started with a bright departure from the very interesting facility for pleasure boats at Brunsbuttel. Perfectly adequate and an easy walk to the one street town it provided a simple and basic mooring function for those wishing some respite or unable to make the distance to the next mooring. Pleasure boast are not permitted to move in darkness and have to be in a proper berth at night. We cast off and went straight into an empty l...

Monday 11 July 2016 The thunder storm last night was an impressive display of natural energy lighting the entire Schleswig-Holstein sky fo half an hour or son before raining heavily and reducing the temperature to one we could sleep with. Jasper walked promptly, we set off at 0800 and motored into a stiffening breeze down the North Sea canal to Brunsbuttle. We have followed advice from the Sadds who said it was worthwhile stopping here and looking around and...