Jun. 10, 2007 - There at Last!

After leaving Folkestone on the 7.20 am shuttle, we arrived at Vlissingen at 10.30.  Our original plan was to leave the car in Vlissingen, take Emjaytoo to The Veerse Meer and return by bus and train to Vlissingen on the Sunday.  However, by the time we arrived at Vlissingen, the plan had changed.  So, after unloading all our gear onto the boat and having cup of tea and a hot cross bun, we then jumped into the car and drove over to the marina.  This journey took about half an hour by car.  Having parked the car up at the marina, we were just in time to catch the once hourly bus to Goes at 12.09.  Twenty minutes later we got off the bus and walked straight on to the next train to Vlissingen.  The result was that we were back on board Emjaytoo by about 1.30, and had the engine on ready to leave at 2!

Having studied the charts and the Brian Navin book, we knew that we had 5 bridges to contend with between Vlissingen and Middelburg.  We had to wait around for about 25 minutes for the first bridge to open, but thereafter the next two opened more or less on our approach, obviously synchronised to the passage of boats going up/down the canal.

This was bridge number 2 - the Sloebrug.

When we got to Middelburg, bridge no. 4 opened more or less immediately but bridge no. 5, which was no more than a few hundred yards further on, was another 20 minutes or so opening.  Since both these bridges carry the town centre traffic across the canal, it's hardly surprising we had to wait!

Thereafter we had a leisurely trundle up the canal at 5.5 knots, watching cyclists whizz past us on the tow path.  Also lots of herons, cows and sheep along the banks, all very peaceful.  Arrived at Veere lock at 5.20 and had to wait for a very large barge to come out, before locking through with half a dozen other boats.  Although it was rather murky, it was a great sense of achievement to eventually poke our nose out into the Veerse Meer.

We motored down to where we saw a likely looking pontoon to spend the night (where we had anchored in scorching weather this time last year!).  Kim went in (a bit too) close to have a look and, despite the warnings of a friendly Dutch mobo, managed to run Emjaytoo aground!!  After a few half-hearted attempts at trying to reverse out, friendly Dutch mobo suggested giving it full welly in reverse in order to dislodge the soft mud, and this worked.  We then went round again and tied up to a section of the pontoon where there was an adequate depth of water!

Although it was still very murky this morning, this is what our Dutch weekends are all about (we're 2nd yacht in from the left).

After a leisurely breakfast, we finally moved off on the last leg at about 10.  The wind instrument was recording all of 1 - 2 knots so we gave up any hope of sailing and poodled along at around 4 knots under power, arriving on the fuelling pontoon at the marina at around 12.  Wendy brought us in alongside very nicely after aborting the first approach when an old boy in an inflatable insisted on attempting to run us down whilst resolutely looking at where had come from, rather than where he was going!

Twenty minutes later Emjaytoo was finally settled in at her new home on the first attempt (helped by the complete absence of any cross wind!).

We wandered over to the chandelry to get some bits and bobs and as expected, Jackie knew us immediately, all of which made us feel really at home.   We gave the boat a good clean inside and out and got away by 3, walking back indoors at about 7.15.