MV Dirona travel digest for Harlingen, NL 2018


Show Harlingen, NL 2018 travel log map Click the travel log icon on the left to see these locations on a map, with the complete log of our cruise.

On the map page, clicking on a camera or text icon will display a picture and/or log entry for that location, and clicking on the smaller icons along the route will display latitude, longitude and other navigation data for that location. And a live map of our current route and most recent log entries always is available at //mvdirona.com/maps/LocationCurrent.html.


   

4/14/2018: Lock
In the lock with three other vessels as we depart St. Katharine Docks. The two months since our February 10th arrival have flown by—we had a fabulous time in London. But the next adventure in Norway beckons.
4/14/2018: Tower Bridge
A last view to Tower Bridge and downtown London as we head down the Thames. There's a lot more traffic on the river than when we arrived. Partly it's daylight on a Saturday, but also traffic is picking up as the summer tourist season gets into swing and more pleasure craft are about.
4/14/2018: Captain Kidd
The waterside of the Captain Kidd pub that we visited several times while at St. Katharine Docks.
4/14/2018: Cutty Sark
Passing the high-speed ferry dock at Greenwich in front of the Cutty Sark, the last of the great 19th-century tea clippers to sail between England and China.
4/14/2018: Cable Car
The cable car to Greenwich Peninsula that we took to visit Greenwich.
4/14/2018: Barrier Up
The Thames Tidal Control Barrier protects the Greater London area from flooding due to high tides and storm surges. It has semi-circular gates that lies on the river bottom and rotate into place when needed. One of the gates was up when we passed, presumably for maintenance.
4/14/2018: Tidal Control Barrier
Passing through the Thames Tidal Barrier.
4/14/2018: Canary Wharf
Our last view to the high-rises of Canary Wharf through the Thames Tidal Barrier as we depart London.
4/14/2018: Royal Iris
The Royal Iris went into service in Liverpool in 1951. It was used as both a ferry boat and hired out for cruises with local bands such as the Beatles providing entertainment. The ferry was retired in 1991 and towed to London in 2002 where it was left derelict and began taking on water. It now sits on the bottom, secured to the embankment and partially flooded at high tide.
4/14/2018: Patrol
The Gravesend pilot boat Patrol passing close off our stern. The vessel came off its dock on shore and ran parallel to us closer than we were comfortable with and then turned 90 degrees directly towards us. If we'd stopped or slowed, the boats would have hit. Even at the over 10 kts we are currently running, the pilot boat barely passed to our stern.

This seems like an unnecessary risk for an overtaking vessel—it's a big river, there is lots of room to maneuver with boats as small as Patrol and Dirona, and radio communications would have been easy.
4/14/2018: 12.5 knots
We're smoking downriver with a big push from the current and making 12.5 knots. At 2,200 RPM we'd expect to do about 9 knots. We're running under a little more power than usual, curious how fast the combined effect of current and more power could push us downriver.
4/14/2018: Richard Montgomery
The wreck of the Richard Montgomery at the junction of the rivers Thames and Medway. The Richard Montgomery was an American Liberty ship that sank here in 1944 with a cargo of munitions. The wreck is surrounded by buoys and well-marked on the chart as an exclusion zone due to the danger of the unexploded munitions.
4/14/2018: Garrison Point
Beautiful tractor tugs moored off Garrison Point at the mouth of the River Medway. The fort on the left was built in the 1860s as defense against a possible French invasion.
4/14/2018: SCA Obbola
Rolls of paper being unloaded by truck, at left, from the SCA Obbola at the Port of Sheerness.
4/14/2018: Stangate Creek
We spent a lovely evening anchored at tranquil Stangate Creek, a recommendation from Helen and Gus Wilson. We'd anchored briefly at Portland Harbour in January, but this was our first overnight anchorage since the Isle of Gigha in Scotland way back on October of last year. Although we've enjoyed our city time, it was wonderful to back on the hook again.
4/15/2018: Fog
Visibility was barely a hundred feet in thick fog this morning as we departed Stangate Creek for the Netherlands. This was the view from the helm for most of the day.
4/15/2018: 10.2 Knots
We departed before sunrise, at just past 4am, to pick up the ebb tide and currently are doing 10.2 knots. Normally at 2000 RPM we'd be doing about 8.4 knots.
4/15/2018: Entering Thames
We're seeing lots of ship traffic as we enter the River Thames. The squiggly red line is our track into London and the straight red line is our route out.
4/15/2018: Visibility
We were hoping for improved visibility as we got further from shore, but no such luck. On the upside, conditions are wonderfully calm.
4/15/2018: London Array
The windmills of the London Array Offshore Windfarm are visible on radar, but we can't see anything in the thick fog. The first phase of the array, completed in 2013, produces 630 MW with 175 turbines. A second phase was planned, but wasn't approved due to concerns over sea bird impact.
4/15/2018: 5.8 knots
The tide has now turned against us and we're making less than 6 knots at 1970 RPM. And we're still in thick fog.
4/15/2018: Sunk VTS
This is a screen shot from the US National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency's Sailing Directions Enroute for the North Sea showing the Sunk VTS area that controls the outer entrances to the rivers Thames and Medway and the port of Harwich. The Sailing Directions primarily are aimed at commercial traffic, but we've found them quite useful world-wide in supplementing the charts, and particularly for VTS information.
4/15/2018: Entering Sunk VTS
The Sunk VTS area looks straightforward enough on the Sailing Directions diagram, but the area feels a lot more complex when overlaid with chart data and lots of AIS traffic.
4/15/2018: Flashing Devices
James is wanted to move our standard Maretron DSM configuration to the DSM 410 we will be using on the tender. But since the DSM 410 is a fairly new piece of equipment, it was not recognized by any of the existing DSM 250s and DSM 150s on Dirona. We first had to flash the older products and then transfer the config to the DSM 410. While at it, we took the opportunity to flash all Maretron devices in the Dirona NMEA2000 network and do our spares as well.
4/15/2018: Greater Gabbard
As with the London Array, we can see the Greater Gabbard windfarm on radar, but it's invisible to us in the thick fog. The 504 MW farm was completed in 2012, with a 336MW extension expected to be completed in 2018. The large number of AIS targets in the area of the farm likely is due to that construction.
4/15/2018: 9.1 knots
We're back in some positive current now and are doing 9.1 kts.
4/15/2018: Visibility Improving
Visibility finally is improving and we can actually see one of the AIS targets we've been tracking. This is the 575ft (175m) bulker Sedna Ocean, just over a half-mile away.
4/15/2018: Amsterdam Traffic
After encountering fairly heavy traffic leaving the Thames, it has been relatively light since. That changed once we got near the traffic lanes into Amsterdam. In addition to all the AIS targets, several oil platforms are visible to our north and south. The platforms are brightly lit and we can see them a long way off now that visibility is improved
4/16/2018: Pilot
We reached the mouth of Vliestroom channel 8:30am the morning after we'd departed Stangate Creek in the UK. It's a busy channel with lots of traffic. At least two dredgers were operating in the distance and this pilot boat was the first we passed in the channel as we headed in from sea.
4/16/2018: Tiger
The high-speed catamaran Tiger followed shortly after the pilot boat.
4/16/2018: P85
As we neared Harlingen, a group of several police boats approached at speed, heading out on a training mission.
4/16/2018: Politie
This Politie (police) boat circled us, taking a good look. We expected they would approach and question us, but they continued on with the rest of their group. But they radiod into their shorebound colleagues who were ready for us when we arrived.
4/16/2018: Ferry
Another ferry departing Harlingen as we neared the harbor entrance. The waterway is busy enough that a separate channel for pleasure craft has been marked out along the south side. But the controlling depth of that channel is only 1.8m and we draw 2.1m, so we're using the main waterway.
4/16/2018: Port of Harlingen
Dirona in the Port of Harlingen about to pass through the first of two bridges to reach Oude (Old) Buitenhaven.
4/16/2018: Zuiderhaven
Entering Zuiderhaven, one of two basins with designated pleasure craft moorage in Harlingen. Large canal boats are rafted on either side, and the one on the left is being fueled, making entry a little tight.
4/16/2018: Clearing Through
The police boats we'd passed earlier had noticed our American flag and informed Immigration (left) and Customs, who arrived shortly after we'd docked. For Customs we just needed to show them our 18-month EU temporary import paperwork we'd received for Dirona in Ireland. But this is our first entry into the Schengen Area, so we needed James' passport stamped. (Jennifer is an EU citizen, so her passport isn't stamped.) We can now travel throughout the Schengen area, which includes Norway, without requiring further Immigration clearance.
4/16/2018: Moored
Moored in the one of the two pleasure craft marinas in Harlingen (the other is in the north basin). Medieval Harlingen got city rights in 1234, making it older than Amsterdam which didn't get city rights until 1300. The basin we are in, Ziuderhaven, dates to at least the 17th century.
4/16/2018: Schritsen
Looking east along Schritsen, one block off Zuiderhaven. It all looked very tidy and very Dutch. Many buildings have stepped gables typical of Dutch renaissance architecture, particularly in Amsterdam.
4/16/2018: Grote Bredeplaats
Outdoor seating at one of the several restaurants in the Grote Bredeplaats shopping area near the harbour entry.
4/16/2018: Gates
The bridge over the entrance to the inner harbour that we passed through earlier today. The large gates under the bridge are closed at high tide when strong westerly winds are blowing to prevent flooding.
4/16/2018: Wallys
It was just warm enough to have a great lunch outside at Wallys. Fortunately most of the restaurants here have English menus as the Dutch ones were pretty much impenetrable to us.
4/16/2018: Canal
Harlingen is full of interior canals dating back centuries. They are reachable from our berth through one of several locks.
4/16/2018: Lock
Dirona is berthed just on the other side of the lock at the far end of this waterway.
4/16/2018: Forward Spotlight
Our forward spotlight stopped working last night. My normal testing procedure is to check for voltage at the device and, if it's there, replace or repair the device. On this test, we have 13.2V at the device suggesting the lights are faulty. But, our forward spotlight is actually four independent spotlights and them all failing at the same time seemed unlikely so I dug deeper.

The 13.2V becomes 8V when the lights are on again suggesting an internal fault in the light but, again, four independent failures seems unlikely. I connected a 2-core wire to the 12V system and ran it up to the spotlight and it worked perfectly. I then tried using the existing ground wire and the temporary power wire. It failed, so I tried the existing power wire and the temporary ground wire. This did light so we knew we had a ground circuit resistance problem.
4/16/2018: Wiring Issues
I found two suspicious issues with the forward spotlight wiring. One was a current leak due to chaffing where the wires pass into the stainless rails that mount the lights. This may have caused increased current flow. And near the electrical panel I found a crimp connector that had obviously overheated. I tested resistance and it was high. The current the light draws and perhaps the current leak found earlier had overheated a butt connector and its resistance had gone up until the lights would no longer illuminate due to the voltage drop.

We replaced the wiring at the light to eliminate the damaged insulator and replaced the wiring at the DC panel where the butt connector had failed. It's all back to working properly again and will be ready for our night passage to Helgoland.
4/16/2018: Dusk
Dusk on our first night in Harlingen, looking down Zuiderhaven from the boat deck.
4/18/2018: Zuiderhaven
A beautiful, calm and sunny morning looking down Zuiederhaven from our berth.
4/18/2018: Boot Akkrum
Right on time, Boot Akkrum arrived this morning with our new tender. Read more ...
4/18/2018: Gates
To get the new Honda 50 broken in quickly, we're out exploring Harlingen. These are the big flood-prevention gates that are closed when stong west winds blow during high tides.
4/18/2018: Lock
We were planning to take the lock through to the inland canals, but it was closed temporarily due to a serious traffic accident requiring the bridge be kept down for emergency vehicles. Our tender doesn't actually require the bridge to be lifted, but the locks were close to all traffic.
4/18/2018: Nooderhaven
Looking down the nothern basin, Noorderhaven. The basin we are in Zuiderhaven, is deeper and wider with more commercial veseels than pleasure craft. Noorderhaven has a maximum depth of 2.5m and contains mostly pleasure craft.
4/18/2018: KMar
A friendly visit from KMar, the Koninklijke Marechaussee, who perform military and civil police duties. Here they are checking the registration status of our obviously-new boat and asking us to connect the emergency engine cut-off tether, since it's a fast boat.
4/18/2018: Ferry
One of the ferries that run between Harlingen and Vieland at the outer islands.
4/18/2018: Pilot
Harlingen pilot boats.
4/18/2018: Mars
We were intruiged to see a small car mounted on the stern of this commercial barge.
4/18/2018: Charlotte Ettwig
The German barge Charlotte Ettwig also had a car mounted on the stern, plus a nice tender. We realized that the operators liveaboard and travel throughout the canals, using the car for shoreside transportation and their tender for water-based excursions.
4/18/2018: Icon Yachts
Dutch shipbuilder Icon Yachts was founded in Harlingen in 2005. Their massive heated dry-dock can handle boats up to 150m long with a 7.5m draft.
4/18/2018: Ebony Shine
The 248ft Dutch-built Ebony Shine was built by Feadship in 2009 at their Makkum shipyard just south of Harlingen. The Ebony Shine was in the news in 2016 when Dutch customs siezed the ship as part of a corruption investigation of the owner's financial affairs.
4/18/2018: VOS Start
The 262-ft (80m) subsea support/walk to work vessel VOS Start moored at the Port of Harlingen. Walk to work (w2w) vessels are equipped with active heave compensation gangways and are designed to give safe access to offshore structures. The ship was built only a year ago at Fujian Southeast Shipbuilding in China.
4/18/2018: SeaZip Fix
The survey vessel SeaZip Fix being prepared for lifting at Damen Shiprepair.
4/18/2018: Diver
A commercial diver climbing out of the water after working on the lift supports for SeaZip Fix. at the Damen Shiprepair in the Port of Harlingen.
4/18/2018: VOS
The VOS Producer, VOS Prominence and VOS Power are one of two hundred vessels owned by privately-held, fourth-generation Dutch company Vroon.
4/18/2018: Joint Runner I
The pipe-supply vessel Joint Runner I looks incredibly narrow, but what's really going on is one third of what is showing is normally under water. The azimuthing props and other mechanical equipment are not yet installed. The vessel was launched in Kampen, Netherllands in 2016 and is being completed at Barkmeijer Shipyards in Harlingen.
4/18/2018: Thruster Tube
Looking down the thruster tub on Joint Runner I. Because the vessel is floating so high, the bow thruster tube is almost completely exposed.
4/18/2018: Lifted
By the time we'd returned to Damen Shiprepair, SeaZip Fix was already out of the water. That was fast.
4/18/2018: Chris Craft
The gantry crane at Icon Yachts lifting a beautiful classic Chris Craft onto Utopia, the ship on the left.
4/18/2018: Nets
A fishboat drying its nets.
4/18/2018: Lock Traffic
The lock had re-opened again when we passed, with several vessels exiting the canal.
4/18/2018: Lightvessel
Trinity House lightvessel no. 8 was an active light vessel in the UK between 1949 and 1991. In 2005, Radio Waddenzee bought the ship and brought it to Harlingen for refurbishing and to use as a broadcast vessel.
4/18/2018: Swimming
We were a little surprised to see swimmers in the water. The water temperaturs is 60°F (15.5°C) where we are berthed, so presumably it's colder out here.
4/18/2018: Tall Ships
Harlingen is one of the host cities for the 2018 Tall Ships race and several are moored here already.
4/18/2018: Canal Boats
Dozens of Dutch charter sailing canal boats are moored in Harlingen.
4/18/2018: Hotel Boat
The large hotel canal boat MS Allegro arriving into port.
4/18/2018: Canal
We returned down Noorderhaven and tied off the tender for a walk to the lock. This is looking down one of the canals in Harlingen—it's such a beautiful city.
4/18/2018: Accident
The the accident that closed the lock was an overturned trailer. It took several hours to clean up.
4/18/2018: Locking Through
A barge locking through at Harlingen from the canal to saltwater.
4/18/2018: Warm
The temperature was 73.8°F (23.2°C) today, quite hot for this time of year, and the next day was even warmer.
4/19/2018: Kees Verruijt
Way back in 2012, before we left Seattle, we began looking for ways to customize and control Dirona's NMEA 2000 data without having to dole out several thousand dollars for the proprietary specification. Adam Block, owner of N47 Eden, was facing the same challenge and came across software written by Dutchman Kees Verruijt that accessed the bus via an Actisense NGT-1. Kees made the software available as open source and it is became the core infrastructure of our control system. Given that Kees lives in Harlingen, Netherlands, we didn't expect to ever meet, but here we are. It was a real treat to meet him in person. Kees also is a boater, so gave us great tips for the area.
4/19/2018: NGT-1
Our Actisense NGT-1 NMEA 2000 bus interface failed a couple of days back. It locks up, the control systems notice that nothing is going out, and restart the interface which works for another minute or two and then locks up again. The automation keeps restarting it and so everything is running normally but it's restarting 30 to 40 times per hour. We suspect the failure might be the remaining fallout from the 12V system deep discharge we experienced in London. Upgrading the firmware in the device fixed the problem for a few days, but it eventually started failing again. So we’ve replaced it with a spare and will order a new backup next time we’re in the US.
4/20/2018: Harlingen Sea Lock
We set of just past 7am to test the tender on a longer trip and to enjoy the inland canals. Here we are passing through the Harlingen Sea Lock. Locking through is free, with boats of all sizes constantly passing through.
4/20/2018: Canal
The inland canal passing behind Harlingen, just around the corner from the sea lock off the main canal. Dirona could pass through the sea lock and run along the main canal to Leeurwarden at least, but these smaller canals are suitable only for vessels with shallow water draft and low air draft.
4/20/2018: 10 Amps
The power pedastals along the canal supply only 10 amps. Running on 10 amps would be a challenge for Dirona, but after we install our twin shore power design we could easily run on 2 10-amp, or even 2 8-amp, shore supplies.
4/20/2018: Zuiderhaven Lock
The sea lock into Zuiderhaven where Dirona is moored in front of the church visible at the center of the picture. The lock is operational by appointment.
4/20/2018: Railway Bridge
Passing, just barely, under the lowest bridge on our trip. Kees Verruijt recommended the circular route we are taking and suggested we run counter-clockwise to ensure we could get under this bridge from the start. Otherwise we'd have to return all the way back if we couldn't make it.
4/20/2018: Float Home
A spectacular float home in Zuidergracht, just south of Zuiderhaven where we are moored.
4/20/2018: Lawn Mower
An automated lawn mower was working on the one of the yards alongside the Harlingervaart canal.
4/20/2018: Agriculture
We've passed out of the more built-up area around Harlingen and into an agricultural area. The land here is very flat, and all below sea level.
4/20/2018: Kimswert
Passing through the village of Kimswert, the first on our route. We're having a wonderful time on our canal tour. The day is clear, warm and sunny and the scenery is fabulous.
4/20/2018: No Rails
It took a second to figure out why this road bridge looked so unusual—it has no side rails.
4/20/2018: Nesting Basket
One of several beautiful nesting baskets placed for the local ducks. The baskets give ducks a place to nest that is safe from land-based predators. Even other birds, such as crows, are less likely to enter an over-water nest. Historically, people used the baskets to encourage ducks to nest inside in order to collect their eggs.
4/20/2018: Arum
We tied off at the town of Arum for a walk around. The new tender is running well and looks great.
4/20/2018: Arumer Feart
Overlooking the canal we just passed through, Arumer Feart, on a bridge in Arum. We had an enjoyable walk through town—as with all things Dutch, everything was neat and tidy.
4/20/2018: Signs
We've passed many canal intersections, but none were signed. If we didn't have charts on our phone, we'd have had a difficult time knowing where to turn. This is the first intersection we passed with a direction sign.
4/20/2018: Windmill
A traditional Dutch windmill just north of Arum. These windmills were built to create new land through pumping the water out of lakes and swamps, and to prevent flooding.
4/20/2018: Fristabrege
We've looped back to the main canal about five miles east of the Harlingen sea lock we passed through earlier today. The Fristabrege on highway N384 has lifted to allow a barge and a sailboat to pass through.
4/20/2018: Marina
Checking out a small marina off the main channel.
4/20/2018: P. Valk Yachts
We passed several boat builders along the main canal. P. Valk Yachts builds some beautiful-looking steel boats.
4/20/2018: De Stadsherberg
The patio at the De Stadsherberg hotel in Franeker caught our attention as we passed. We returned back to have lunch at a wonderful table overlooking the canal with our new tender moored just behind us.
4/20/2018: Interior Canal
After lunch we tried to follow the interior canal through Franeker. We easily passed under this brige, but couldn't get under another a short distance inside.
4/20/2018: Franeker
Proceeding around the canal ringing Franeker, we found another entry into the interior canals and were able to run right through the city center.
4/20/2018: City Hall
The ornate Franeker City Hall building dates from the late 1500s. Nearby is the highly-recommended Franeker Planetarium, the oldest working planetarium in the world. We had planned to visit it a subsequent trip to Franeker, but didn't end up returning. Perhaps we will stop in on our way to our from Amsterdam this winter.
4/20/2018: Barely Made It
We barely made it under this bridge in the Franeker interior canal.
4/20/2018: End of the Road
We were close to getting all the way through Franeker and back out to the canal ringing the city, but we weren't going to fit under this bridge.
4/20/2018: The Korendragershuisje
The Korendragershuisje in Franeker, now with a distinct lean, was built in 1634 for the Corn and Grain Carriers Guild who were responsible for distributing corn and grain from incoming ships. The blue crest at the top is the old city's coat of arms and below is a grain carrier holding a grain meter.
4/20/2018: Habibi
We were all alone in the Harlingen sea lock this morning, but returned back out with the sailboat Habibi.
4/20/2018: Nets
The fishing vessels HA 41 and HA-13 in Zuiderhaven with their nets strung above deck.
4/20/2018: Bicycles
We've not ridden our bikes since last October in Inverness, Scotland. We're going on a bike trip tomorrow, so got them down today to perform any required service. They were in surprisingly good shape and only needed the tires pumped up and the chains lubed. We keep them on the flybridge zipped inside a canvas cover, and that seems to protect them fairly well.
4/20/2018: Anna Casparii
An excellent meal streetside at Anna Casparii overlooking the Noorderhaven basin. The temperature was just warm enough to eat outside, even without heaters.
4/20/2018: Boy Plugging Dike
The story of the Dutch boy who plugged a dike with his finger and saved his country is American folklore and not widely known in the Netherlands. The story is most well-known from appearing in American author Maye Mapes Dodge's popular 1865 novel Hans Brinker or the Silver Skates, a fictional depiction of early 19th-century Dutch life. For tourism purposes, statues of a boy plugging the dike have been erected in several Dutch cities, including here in Harlingen.
4/20/2018: Flood Gate
After walking through this pedestrian tunnel to the outer harbour in Harlingen, we realized that the wall was actually for flood protection and the tunnel has massive gates that can close to seal the opening.
4/21/2018: Rigging
Now that we've got the new tender running well, it's time to start rigging it. Read more ...
4/21/2018: Zuiderhaven
Our berth in Zuiderhaven in front of St. Michael's church, completed in 1881.
4/21/2018: Afsluitdijk
Jennifer cycling past sheep along the Afsluitdijk. The 20-mile (32km) dam, completed in 1932, protects the Netherlands coast from flooding and provides an important source of freshwater by transforming the saltwater bay Zuiderzee into a freshwater lake renamed IJsselmeer. The dam also provides an important road link between the provinces of Friesland, where Harlingen is, and North Holland.
4/21/2018: Convoy
Our destination today is the Afsluitdijk visitor center and the sea lock at Kornwerderzand. This group of trawlers likely just passed through the sea lock together.
4/21/2018: Fort Kornwerderzand
Fort Kornwerderzand is famous for successfully holding off an attack during the 1940 German invasion of the Netherlands. The fort remained under Dutch control until the Netherlands surrendered to Germany.
4/21/2018: Lockheed Hudson FK790
The tail of a Lockheed Hudson FK790 that was shot down over German-held Kornwerderzand while on a sabotage mission.
4/21/2018: Barge
A Dutch sailing canal barge passing through the opened bridge along the Afsluitdijk en route to the sea lock.
4/21/2018: Kornwerderzand Lock
Looking southwest across the the two Kornwerderzand Lock basins as both fill with vessels ranging from large commercial barges to small recreational craft.
4/21/2018: Crowds
The Kornwerderzand Lock is busy and filled completely, with some boats having to wait for the next opening.
4/21/2018: Dike Construction
A display near the Kornwerderzand Lock showed the various materials and technology used to build the Afsluitdijk dam. These stones are cast with a slight incline and a lip to prevent waves from washing them away.
4/21/2018: IJsselmeer
A fabulous view over freshwater IJsselmeer at the Afsluitdijk visitor center cafe.
4/21/2018: Visitor Center
The Afsluitdijk Visitor Center details the past and future of the Afsluitdijk and the constant battle against flooding in the Netherlands.
4/21/2018: Afsluitdijk Overview
This satellite shot at the Afsluitdijk Visitor Center shows the entirety of the Afsluitdijk (sea dam). We are at Kornwerderzand, visible just offshore from the northern end.
4/21/2018: Harlingen
The rooftop deck on the Afsluitdijk Visitor Center has sweeping views of the area. This is looking north to Harlingen. St. Michael's Church, adjacent to our berth, is prominent at the right of the photo.
4/21/2018: Lorenz Sluizen
The Lorenz Sluizen are one of two sets of sluice gates that control the water levels inside the Afsluitdijk.
4/21/2018: Canal
We'd cycled out to Kornwerderzand along the outside of the dike and returned inside for a change of scenery. The small town in the distance is Zurich. We'd been seeing highway signs indicating we were near Zurich and were a little confused until we arrived in the town a few minutes later.
4/21/2018: Tall Ships Races
Harlingen is one of the host cities for the 2018 Tall Ships Races. Their headquarters is right next to our berth.
4/21/2018: Noorderhaven
The convoy of trawlers we saw earlier today were all rafted up at Noorderhaven when we arrived later that day. The forward inside boat is a Selene—their Northern Europe sales office is nearby in Leeuwarden.
4/21/2018: Noorderport
Dinner on the patio at Restaurant Noorderport overlooking Noorderhaven. As with last night, it was just warm enough to eat outside without heaters.
4/23/2018: Spare Spitfire
Another spare Spitfire in the bilge underneath the guest stateroom berth.
4/23/2018: Loudhailer Replacement
Our foghorn failed when navigating through the fog en route to Harlingen from the UK. We have a backup loudhailer mounted in the cockpit on the second VHF radio, so we switched to that one for the remainder of the route. The forward loudhailer speaker takes a fair bit of weather and we've replaced it three or four times.
4/23/2018: Exhaust Cooling Failure
Yikes, this one looks scary. This isn't a likely failure mode and, to be extra safe, we also have an alarm on exhaust stack enclosure over-temperature which will trigger at only 140F. It seems unlikely that, at the same time, the exhaust fan failed and the over-temperature alarm didn't trigger. Even stranger, when tested the fan runs great and, if the fan is forced off underway, the stack over-temp alarm triggers quickly. I found this failure to be a super interesting one and, for those with similar designs, it's worth protecting against this one. The details are at Exhaust Cooling Fault
4/23/2018: Rob Westermann
We swapped boat tours with Rob Westermann, owner of Artnautica 58 Britt. Read more on Artnautica ...
4/23/2018: Zeezicht
An excellent meal with a harbour view at Zeeczicht Restaurant.
4/25/2018: Woudemansteeg
The Woudemansteeg, connecting the roads Lanen and Schritsen, shows in a map of Harlingen from 1613.
4/25/2018: Cheese
A impressive array of cheese on display at Homminga's Fijne Winkeltje.
4/25/2018: Xin Hau
We had a delicious meal at Xin Hau Chinese restaurant overlooking Zuiderhaven.
4/26/2018: Post NL
It's just a post office, but it feels exotic to be mailing a letter through Post NL.
4/26/2018: Albert Heijn
We didn't really need anything, but took the opportunity to top up on a few items at Albert Heijn along the Zuiderhaven before departing Harlingen later this morning.
4/26/2018: Tour Boat
A tour boat passing through the lock from Zuiderhaven into the internal canal.