[Thad E Ginathom]

Thanks again, Jeroen. Nice to see you afloat again.

Lovely trip with wonderful photographs, nautical titbits and personal touches.

[Jeroen]

Day 4: Home stretch Wijk bij Duurstede to Arkel and a potential problem in a lock!

Pretty Wijk bij Duurstede



The next morning we had an early breakfast and got Sirion ready to get underway.



We pass the Wijk bij Duurstede small harbour and the local ferry crossing the Nederrijn.





Within a kilometer, we crossed a very busy stretch of water, the Amsterdam Rijnkanaal, which required radio contact with the local traffic control. We were allowed to cross immediately. Once you cross the kanaal, you find yourself on the river Lek.



And we pass another old brick factory!



Passing a well-known landmark, the railroad bridge at Culemborg.



Soon we found ourselves at the locks at Hagestein. Another set of huge locks.

We had to wair for about 10 minutes as they got the lock ready for us.



With two green lights showing we entered the lock. Its good practice to always sail to the very front of the lock. Which allows more boats to fit in behind you. However, in these large locks, with a lot of height difference to accomodate I prefer to stay away from the low side lock door. Because that's where they release the water from the lock to lower the water level inside the lock. Which means the closer to the lock door, the more suction and eddies you will encounter. As we were the only boat in this massive lock we tied up about half way.



I noticed that the lock doors behind us started to close, which is normal. However, I could see there was open gap remaining, which meant they were not shut completely!



Sure enought the lock operator called me on the radio: Sirion we have a problem with the outer door. It won't close and it won't open either. Could you move past the middle door and we will see if that one works!

This lock has a third set of doors, built at about 1/3 distance from the lower side lock door. It allows for small vessels to be handled and uses a lot less water. So we moved Sirion another 20 meters or so. Sure enough the middle doors did work.



Another 3,5-4 meter drop!!



We thanked the operator for helping us out in this way and continue for another couple of kilometers on the river Lek. At the town of Vianen we turned port into the entrance of the Merwedekanaal and another lock.

We were allowed in ahead of a small barge.



From experience, I know that we will have to pass 6 bridges that all need to be opened for us. Also, you never know what the barges will do in terms of speed. I contacted the skipper of the barge to discuss how we would sail along the Merwedecanaal. We agreed I would go ahead and stay at least 300 meters in front of him. I would call the bridge operator on each bridge and advise them that Sirion and the Jan (the barge)would like to have the bridge opened. Luckily, we got a very accommodating bridge operator. All these bridges are opened remotely from Dordrecht Central Operations.

The bridge operator told me: Here's what I'd like you guys to do; Sirion at 500 meters from each bridge, call me and continue right up to each bridge. As soon as the bridge deck starts to rise, barrel through, ignore the red lights. The Jan, keep the speed up and aim to be at the bridge as the lights turn green.

So the Sirion was effectively running point for the Jan. It worked very well!

We minimized crossing time for us and waiting time for the traffic on both sides of the (open bridge.



The only bridge not under the control of our accommodating Bridge operator. The railroad bridge of Arkel. You can't call them on the radio, only by phone. Those of you who have read all our Sirion stories on this thread might remember we have had some delays here as the operator forgot us several times.

As this is a railroad bridge, the bridge operator needs to get formal permission from the railroad operations folks to open the bridge.

It took a 10-minute wait before they managed to open the bridge for Sirion and Jan. Not too bad.



We had to make a detour as the next bridge was closed due to maintenance. So we followed the Merwedekanaal further south all the way into Gorinchem. Normally, this stretch of the Merwedekanaal is for barges only. But due to the closure of the bridge, yachts were allowed as well as it provided a detour as you would join the river Linge in Gorinchem and sail back up the river.

Sirion is back at its mooring at WSV de Gors.



Today was only 45 km or so. But with two locks and lots of bridges. As a first trip of the season, things could not have gone better. Perfect weather, we explored many new towns and waterways. 4 days, 250km of perfect sailing!

The sailing season 2025 is off to a good start!

Jerone

[Jeroen]

I have been doing various jobs on Sirion during the last two weeks. My best friend and spanner mate Peter also joined me for a day of sailing. We took on fresh bunkers. Sirion is all clean again. But I still struggle to get my latest electronic box up and running. It is becoming frustrating, to say the least.

Just to recap what I am trying to do. For all our planning, I used the "waterkaarten-app". A fantastic app that provides all the insights about canals, rivers, bridges, locks and so on. You have seen many screenshots of it on this thread.

I don't use it to navigate with, I use my Raymarine Plotter for that. But I usually have my iPad standing next to my plotter, as it provides me with different information. My iPad has no SIM, which also means it doesn't have a GPS receiver. So to get a location, you need to slave it to your iPhone Hotspot. In itself, that works fine for data. Not so much for position. Because boats move very slowly, the Apple devices don't understand that we are moving. So the position on the iPad always lags considerably behind real-time.

So I bought this clever little box. You plug it into the Raymarine network that connects all my Raymarine devices (Plotter, auto-pilot, depth finder, fish finder, AIS, Radio, GPS etc). This is a standardised network. The converter puts the data out on a WiFi network to the iPad. It should provide me not only with a very accurate position but also full AIS information. Except it does not, as I can't get it to work.



It does connect properly to the network, but it doesn't show up as a WiFi device. And when it does, it won't let you join!

I have spent many hours troubleshooting, all to no avail. It looks as an interference problem.



I moved it all over the boat. even put it outside on the roof. I checked the cables, connectors, tried different cables, and different positions on the network bridge. I got a new device from the supplier, but the problems remain the same.

A couple of days ago, a friend of mine allowed me to plug it into his Raymarine system. And it worked, as advertised, plug and play. So I checked the software versions of his and my system

My software version



My friends software version



So I thought I might have found the issue. My software was not up to date. But when I tried to update the software, it tells me I'm running the latest version already? Some more hours of googling and trawling all over the Raymarine website learned that Raymarine has a very odd way of showing the software versions.

It varies from device, and there is a difference between what they call a software bundle version and individual device software versions.

This is the software running on the Axiom Plotter.



You might recall that last year I had some issues with the plotter and the radar. At that time, we also thought there was some interference problem. We solved it by connecting the radar with a cable to the Axiom plotter. But of course, that did not deal with the interference issues as such. It just meant the radar was not coupled via WiFi.

Even though the radar and the Axiom WiFi is switched of I still see the radar dome as a WiFi source. Now and then, the Axiom shows up as well. Something is amiss!



Anyway, I have spoken to technical Guru Michael of H2O, the company that provided and installed the Raymarine kit. He is baffled as well. So we are going to try and get hold of a Raymarine technician next week!

Yesterday, we had the traditional "boats back into the water" at our marina. The same huge mobile crane, same crane driver and hoist master as when we took the boats out of the water last year end of season. They have been doing this for years.









Sirion is looking good in the early sun!



I happened to come upon this YouTube video. It is two hours long, which admittedly might be a bit long. But it does provide a great overview of the huge diversity in boats, yachts in the Netherlands. Have a look and just skip through it. You will be amazed about how many different boats are floating about!

https://youtu.be/FFLGN7oGi8c?si=dIblm1HTJ3ynBEe9

Getting the boats back into the water goes much faster than lifting them out of course. We started at 07.00AM and by 10.00AM all 30 boats were back in the water. We could have finished at 09.30. But we had one boat that was picked up by trailer and it took about half an hour to get the trailer configured properly and the boat onto it.

Jeroen

[itwasntme]

Originally Posted by Jeroen

But I usually have my iPad standing next to my plotter, as it provides me with different information. My iPad has no SIM, which also means it doesn't have a GPS receiver. So to get a location, you need to slave it to your iPhone Hotspot.

Will a eSIM/SIM equipped tablet work seamlessly? Or will it still be laggy and unusable ?

Of course, this is if the troubleshooting doesn’t work and you can get a full refund for that interface box.

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by itwasntme

Will a eSIM/SIM equipped tablet work seamlessly? Or will it still be laggy and unusable ?

Of course, this is if the troubleshooting doesn’t work and you can get a full refund for that interface box.

A SIM equipped tablet will work better. But it will only provide a position, not AIS information.

Even so, I would never use a tablet or phone to really navigate. The position on these sort of devices is noticeably unreliable. It works ok-ish if you use it for road navigation. That's because on a road with a planned route there is also an algorithm running that does constant dead reckoning based on your speed, direction and planned route. You can see this clearly when you deviate from your planned route. Initially your device will show you following the route, till it realises you did not take that turn and jumps to your real, position.

On all mobile devices, location positioning is a low priority activity compared to all kinds of other activities. So a phone busy synchronizing a large file or downloading a big video is likely to have its positioning lag.

Whether I can get a refund depends on how courteous the webshop I bought it from is. They already checked out the first one and it worked fine. The second one works fine on my friends boat, so the problem is clearly with my boat and or equipment. Can't blame them for that.

I'm keeping them in the loop on all my troubleshooting efforts. They like to u understand what is going on for future reference as well.

This device is used by hundreds if not thousands of users here in the Netherlands alone, so it is a very curious case.

I'm going to put my problems on the Raymarkne forums and see if anybody can make sense of it.

Jeroen

[itwasntme]

Originally Posted by Jeroen

I'm keeping them in the loop on all my troubleshooting efforts. They like to u understand what is going on for future reference as well.

This device is used by hundreds if not thousands of users here in the Netherlands alone, so it is a very curious case.

I guessed the cellular strategy would be unworkable. Must be as you stated, one of your modern or legacy devices creating interference.

Surprised though why the WiFi switches on intermittently and even then refuses to let you connect. If it comes on even once, it should stay on unless you switch it off.

Cannot be a specific issue with your iPad right? As Holmes put it, “When you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”

Anyway, you’re the right man to resolve this with your background .

[Jeroen]

A few days ago, Mrs. D announced she wanted to be treated to a nice dinner. We have quite a few restaurants nearby. Food is fine, but nothing special. So I suggested we take a trip in Sirion to Heusden and have dinner at the Restaurant/Hotel “in den verdwaalde Koogel”. (At the lost bullet)

Heusden is less than 30 kilometres sailing, two locks and most of the time we would find ourselves on the “Afgedamde Maas”. A beautiful stretch of river. The weather was going to be nice, so we packed an overnight bag, booked the restaurant and set off.



Here we are waiting to be let into the “Merwede-lock"



Along the Merwede, some fishermen. Even though the weather was nice, the water was still very cold.



Turning into the “Afgedamde Maas” at the town of Woudrichem, you often see this herd of wild horses roaming the fields of Loevenstein castle.



Nice!



At the second lock, Wilhelminasluis. We had to wait about 10 minutes. We have passed through this lock before. Slowest lock in the Netherlands. Takes forever to open and close the doors.

The boat up front is an old fishing boat from Scheveningen, hence the SCH at the bow. One of the old fishing towns of the Netherlands.



In we go. Notice how this lock does not have the usual lock walls? It is essentially just the canal bedding! Only lock in the Netherlands like this.



Some more pretty scenery coming up





At the beginning of this thread we discussed “trawler Yachts”. This is one of them. It is a Grand Banks 42. Lovely boat!



One of the many movable floodgates in the Netherlands. Almost at Heusden.



We decided to moor at the WSV Heusden. We had been here last year as well. Excellent facilities and right next to the city centre. Here you see Sirion tied up. In fact, we had tied up on the other side of the other yacht at first. I had contacted the harbour master about a mooring, and he told me to head for pier 8 and take any empty berth. So we moored Sirion at the very first berth at pier 8. Tidied her up, locked up and started walking to the gate. At that moment, the harbour master rocked up in his little Zodiac. “So sorry, this is my first day on the job! You can take any berth on pier 8, except this one. The owner of this berth will be here in an hour, so could you please move?”.

Which we did, of course.



Heusden is a lovely old fortified town. More on this later, you can still see the old city wall, which is completely restored. And a windmill of course!



This is at the market square. Heusden is a very popular day out destination. Many people will come on their bicycles. Not so you would notice of course.



One of the reasons Mrs. D likes coming here, lots of Brocante shops!



The day before was Kings Day (Konings dag), the birthday of the Dutch King. Which is a big celebration party day here in the Netherlands. Stil a lot of the King's Day decorations were out. The weather was gorgeous, about 20oC. So all the terraces were packed.





Tell me you are in the Netherlands, without telling me you’re in the Netherlands!



Lots of car and bike clubs tend to use Heusden as a stopover location. Which means there is usually a steady stream of classic cars making its way through the village too.



Heusden has all kinds of quaint shops and ateliers. It’s that kind of town. This is a shoe shop where you can make your own shoe design. And anythign goes. They will make your shoes, or you can do it yourself with their help. Interestingly enough, we ended up sitting next to the original owner of this shop later that day on a terrace.



Another classic car, parked on the curb. A nice-looking Morgan.



Although Heusden is quite touristy, as soon as you step away from the main village square, you find yourself in a very tranquil, very pretty village. Lots of old houses, usually well preserved.











Look at the front of this lovely little house. You will find many houses like these.

Of course, there will be the obligatory “cute cat behind the window”



This is also a very “typical Dutch” thing. A so called “bakfiets” or cargo bike chained to the house. Parent will use it to transport their kids around town, take them to and from school and so on. Both my son and daughter have one. These days they are all electric and go like the clappers.

[Jeroen]

As I mentioned, Heusden is a fortified town. The first records go back around 800 AC. Around 1200, a castle was erected, and some of its ruins are still visible.

These fortified towns were built in a star shape for better defence.



That star-shaped wall and the moats are still intact. We used to come here when our kids were still small. They would love to run around and climb on the various cannons that they have scattered around the city walls.



Looking from the city walls into the city centre



One of the old towers on the wall and a cannon.



Back inside the city walls once again






Here’s an interesting traffic sign. Although it is not part of the official school curriculum, many primary schools will provide traffic rules and regulations training. Kids will learn how to ride their bicycles in traffic. This sign is part of the official route they will have to ride. All kids get a vest with a number and along the route, observers will be stationed checking they are doing ok.



And Mrs D found another Brocante shop. Amazing, we have been coming here for forty-odd years, and we still find new things to do and see.



By the end of the afternoon, we walked back to Sirion. Mrs. D had to offload all her newly acquired Brocante and we wanted to refresh ourselves a bit before going out for dinner.

There are two marinas at Heusden. The one, which is a society, where we are and a commercially operated one, right next to it. Some serious yachts out there!



Some Dutch boys, doing what Dutch boys do. Having fun and probably some mischief out on the water in a little dinghy.



We walked back into town. We walk along the outer perimeter of the city wall and climb up the stairs to the little bridge.



We had a fabulous dinner. three courses and coffee afterwards. We sat outside on the terrace even at 21.00 pm the temperature was still pleasant.







This hotel/restaurant is called “In de Verdwaalde Koogel”, which translates as “At the Lost Bullet”. This town has been involved in a number of sieges and wars over the centuries. There is still a cannonball embedded at the front facade of this hotel/restaurant. Hence the name.



Next to the two marinas, there is also a tiny little inner city harbour. (behind that draw bridge that I showed earlier. We never moor there for two reasons. It gets very hot as there is no wind at all, and there are no facilities. But it does make for a nice place to moor, otherwise



Coming back to Sirion at around 21.30PM.



The next morning, we cast off at about 0800AM. We wanted to be back in our home marina before noon.

It was very quiet on the water. No other boats at all, and virtually no wind.



Heusden has this gorgeous bridge!!



Back under the flood gate once again.



Very pleasant and relaxed sailing!







We passed the Elling factory. Elling is a Dutch brand of sea/ocean going yachts.



Back in the Wilhelmsluis which is about the halfway mark of our journey.



As mentioned earlier, notice the absence of lock walls!



When we got to Gorinchem we decided to take the small LingeLock rather than the large Merwede lock. It tends to be a bit quicker, unless other yachts are waiting. It also means we get to sail on the line as it makes its way to a very old part of Gorinchem, which is a nice way.



We tied up at WSV de Gors at 11.15. So, just over three hours. Not bad. Two very pleasant days! more to come


Jeroen

[Jeroen]

Earlier this week, our marina society invited me to attend a course on first aid and, in particular, on resuscitation and the use of an automatic heart defibrillator.

All our harbour masters need to be fully trained and certified to perform resuscitation (heart massage and mouth-to-mouth) and need to be able to operate the automatic heart defibrillator.

As it so happens, I am also a volunteer in our village for these matters. I go on a repeat course every December to stay current. But with these things, practice makes perfect. The Netherlands has more than 25000 AEDS as we call them (Automatic Heart Defibrillators) all over the country. Our tiny village has four!

When you are certified, you can choose to join the first aid group on an app. Which means you can get a call out on an emergency near your own location. When people have problems with their heart, the first 10 minutes are crucial! After ten minutes of heart stoppage, survival rates come down dramatically. Unless the body is undercooled. (E.g. drowned, slid under ice and so on.)

Over the years, we have had several medical emergencies in our marina that required resuscitation and the use of the AED! Partly to do with the average age of our members, I guess. I am considered one of the younger members!

The course is given by two of our local GPs. One is from the same village as we live in and we are practically neighbours.

It's always good fun and very useful!

When I arrived, the local fire brigade was out in force, busy with a training exercise on our parking lot. You might recall from an earlier post that during wintertime, we haul out some of the members’ boats and put them on the parking lot.

It always leaves a bit of a mess, so we invite the local fire brigade to have an exercise and clean our parking lot. We have a special bypass in our sewer system. All the water from the parking lot goes through various strainers and a big reservoir before being pumped out into the river again. So we catch all the debris.











These days, lots of young women join the fire brigade. Good to see these young ladies having fun and getting a bit of practice. Most of our fire brigades in smaller towns are volunteers! So they will have a regular job. But they need permission from their employer to make themselves available during a call-out. And they need to live/work near the fire station, obviously.

Quick update on the problems with my electronic convertor: I ordered a new one, a different brand. It arrived, I installed it and the exact same problems!!



Back to the drawing board as they say!

Jeroen

[Jeroen]

No solution on the converter yet! Alex was going to borrow a frequency/spectrum analyser from a friend. But the friend has switched jobs, so he no longer has access to the analyser.

I have had good support from the guys from the latest one. They actually proposed visiting Sirion and doing some onboard troubleshooting. Excellent service. We still need to set a date.

Yesterday I spent more than 6 hours on Sirion trying to fix another little, but very annoying, problem. When throttling up over 2000 RPM, the throttle handle begins to resonate. I investigated, and it appears it comes directly from the engine, through the two so-called Morse cables. (one for the throttle, one for the clutch).

I did some further digging into this phenomena. The throttle is made by Morse, lots of boats have a Morse throttle handle. One handle that controls the clutch and RPM.

The cables are a bit like Bowden cables as you would find on some cruise controls on cars. It can push and pull. Which also means it has quite a sturdy inside cable and outer casing. Because it is all pretty sturdy and inflexible, it actually makes the throttle handle vibrate. Luckily, I found somebody who makes a Morse cable damper set. I ordered two and set off as soon as they arrived.

Only to be met with two Drammers!!





You will have seen this second Drammer earlier on in this thread. It belongs to a very nice older gentleman, who has it since new. Every year around this time he locks up his house and spends the next 4 months sailing all across the Netherlands.

So we had a bit of a chat.

Onto the job at hand. The kit is fairly easy. In essence, a rubber enclosure that goes around the cable and isolates it from the engine mount.



But it wasn't that easy to install, or rather it was a pain removing the cables.

This is the clutch slide assembly.





This is the throttle (rpm) slide assembly



Part of the problem or why it is a bit more complex on Sirion, is I have two throttles, thus four cables. Remember I have a throttle in the open cockpit so you can steer in the open air.

Eventually, I managed to take the clutch assembly apart.



Put the end of the clutch cable into the rubber enclosure bits. Looking good I thought! It goes into a bracket, and I had to modify the bracket a bit to make it fit into the slider.

However, when I started putting everything together, I noticed a problem. With this new kit the cable sits almost 2 cm higher on the slider. Which means the cable won't line up properly with the rest of the slider and the clutch handle on the engine.



On the Throttle cable, the situation would be even worse. So unless I modifiy the slider, the bracket of the slider and probably the mount of the bracket as well this is not going to work.

So I tried to put everything back together again, using the old parts. Only to notice that there was a problem. At the end of the clutch cable is a fork that connects to a handle on the actual clutch. I noticed that it did not have sufficient clearance on the handle. Which meant that as the clutch moved forward or backward, the fork would touch the handle and be lifted up, or pushed down. This puts additional stress on the clutch cable and clutch slider assembly.

So I modified the clutch handle. Simply grind away some bits with my angle grinder. I also noticed that with the clutch cable removed, the throttle handle on the steering stand moved a lot more easily. I always felt it was too stiff. I suspect that it was related to this problem. As the clutch engages, additional forces are put onto the two cables.

After the modification of the clutch handle, that problem was at least solved.

I took Sirion for a quick trial run on the river Merwede. The resonance has become a little less and occurs at somewhat higher RPMs as well. So some progress.

I kept Sirion at full ahead for almost 30 minute whilst watching the engine. It is really those big brackets attached to the engine on which the slide assembly is mounted that vibrate!. I will need to have a good look at them. Maybe I can weld on a reinforcement rib, or attach some lead to make it heavier (chance the resonance frequency). More work to be done.

Saw another Drammer 935, moored at the marina of Woudrichem. I am pretty sure I have seen this one, moored right here before.

Sirion performed flawlessly. No bits came undone. Back in the Marina I hosed her down and got everything tidy. If all goes well I will be leaving for Antwerp, first thing Monday morning. I am really looking forward to that trip!

Stay tuned.

Jeroen

[Jeroen]

Four-day trip to Antwerp; fantastic sailing adventure and an impression on Antwerp City Centre

I just returned from a fantastic four-day trip to Antwerp, Belgium!

With Mrs. D showing her grandson Ben off to the folks in Barbados, I have the next two weeks to myself. I am under strict instructions not to buy another car. (Last time Mrs. D left me alone for two weeks, I purchased the Mini!)

Not everybody likes travelling or sailing alone. I do like company, but I’m equally ok just by myself. It also means I can do what I like/prefer.

The shortest way to get to Antwerp is still 125 km one way. Too much distance for me to cover in a single day.



Also, all my research and planning have shown that it is quite complicated to sail into Belgium and specifically into Antwerp Harbour. I had also learned via several marina reviews that the harbourmaster in Tholen knew everything there is to know about travelling to and from Antwerp by boat. I gave her a call the week before, and we had a very pleasant chat.

I told her I was a part-time harbour master as well, which always makes for a bit of bonding and gossiping about visiting sailors and their peculiar habits, of course.

Tholen was about 85 km, so doable in a day, if I left early enough. I left plenty early, because we got up at 03.45 am. We set off at 04.15 am for Amsterdam Airport to drop Mrs. D off for her trip to Barbados. Between 1900 and 0600, most of the Dutch motorways have a speed limit of 130 km/h. So it was pedal to the metal all the way. I dropped Mrs D at 05.05 am at Amsterdam airport. Again, pedal to the metal to get back home, made it at 06.10 AM I had all my things ready and loaded up the Jeep and made for the Marina. By 07.00 am, it was Lekko Fore and Aft! Sirion was underway!

The first stretch of this trip I had done before. All the way to the Volkerak-locks. Early morning, gorgeous weather.



On the Hollands Diep, it was very busy. Endless barges, tugboats, pushbarges and some yachts going both ways.



I made it to the Volkerak Lock and barges and pleasure craft were piling into the lock. I got close, but in the end could not fit Sirion in. Had to wait for about 45 minutes. The lockmaster let this huge barge in first and the yachts had to get in between the barge and the lock wall. It was pretty tight with about 70cm clearance for Sirion!





We passed the Volkerak lock without further problems. Tight, but if it fits, it fits!

Lots of traffic, this is a well-loaded barge!



Make no mistake, the Hollands Diep and the Volkerak are no open sea, but they are BIG waterways! But surprisingly, you have to take good care because it can go from 10 meters depth to less than 1 m very quickly. So accurate navigation and understanding what all the buyos mean is paramount!



Eventually, Sirion entered the Schelde-Rijn Kanaal (Canal). Which leads to Antwerp. It's a long stretch, but it’s pretty!



When I got close to Tholen I gave the harbour master another call. She remembered me and had reserved a nice spot for me in the harbour.





I spoke to the harbourmaster for about 30 minutes. She provided me with a lot of very valuable information on how to navigate around Antwerp Harbour. She provided me with a couple of booklets and a couple of tables on times, radio frequency, bridge opening times and so on.

I went for a little stroll around Tholen. Nice little town.



Of course, a windmill. This is the Netherlands, duh!



Notice how they put this electrical connection/switch box on stilts? That’s because during emergency floods, the water can get that high!!



The Dutch take their plants very seriously. They need to be looked after, taken care of, put out in the sun now and then.



I had a simple dinner in town and made my way back to Sirion. I wanted to fine-tune my so-called “passage plan” for the next day.

Here are some of the things specific to sailing in Belgium and Antwerp. First of all, in order to enter Belgium, all vessels must have an FD number. This is a unique number assigned to each vessel, including recreational vessels entering Belgian waters.

I had ordered it more than a week ago online. But it had not come. So I phoned them and checked. They told me they had issued Sirion with an FD number weeks ago. I told them, that would be unlikely as I applied only a week ago. After some confusion, it appeared another “Sirion” owner had applied several weeks ago and was subsequently given a FD number.

The Belgium guy told me he thought my mail was a mistake, resent from the other owner. No problem, he told me, I’ll process it right away! Sure enough, I had my FD number in the mail within minutes.

To sail into Antwerp Harbour, all vessels, including recreational vessels, must be equipped with AIS and VHF radio. And must be licensed to carry and use this equipment. Not a problem for Sirion and me.

The rules on the waterways in Belgium are a little different as well. The most important one is that large vessels (>20m) always have right of way from smaller vessels (<20M). In the Netherlands, that is technically not always the case. In practice, you would always let the big boys go first.

Once you enter Belgium by waterway way you need to call a specific radio station and announce that you are entering Belgium and provide them with your FD number. As in the Netherlands, all of Antwerp harbour is controlled by VTS sectors. Vessel Traffic Services. You need to call them every time you enter their respective sector. I found the Belgian operators very efficient and pleasant to deal with.

The last stretch of the journey was the one I was most apprehensive about. A stretch of canal is narrowed due to all sorts of ongoing construction work. There is an alternating one-way system in operations. Depending on the time of the day, traffic is allowed to flow East or flow West. You need to pre-book your passage. To complicate matters further, various bridges and locks to get to Antwerp Marina Willemdok were out of order. Which meant the two bridges I had to pass, had to be booked as well. Or rather, I had to be there at a designated time.

A lot of information to absorb. So I made a passage plan and I entered all radio communication points and frequencies in the map. Took me the better part of two hours before I felt comfortable with the plan and my understanding of all the various procedures and processes.



I turned in early and the next day Sirion slipped its mooring at around 08.00am.

Within five minutes, still in the Netherlands, I had to pass another lock, the Kreekrak locks. Huge locks. There was a lot of wind blowing across the canal.

I was told by the lock operator to enter the lock behind the barge. This barge is being blown sideways. He is not turning port, he is effectively side slipping to counter the strong cross wind.



This is one huge lock. The correct nautical term, if the moderators allow me, is “Big Ass” lock!



On my way to Belgium.





Once I reached the Noordlandbrug I called the Port Authorities to notify them of Sirion entering Belgium. They asked for my FD number! Good job I had one!

Only a few kilometres later, I passed Antwerp's famous Sea Locks. Until a few years ago, these were the largest Sealocks in the world. Obviously, the Dutch could not let that pass and built an even bigger one. Not much bigger, only 2 meter. But the Dutch have the record for the world's largest sea lock

(https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...ock-world.html (Visit to the largest Sea Lock in the world))



It was incredibly busy. Oceangoing vessels are making their way, an endless stream of various barges going back and forth. Tugs are buzzing around. Constant chatter on the radio. The Belgian traffic operators were very good. Very pleasant, very matter of fact and to the point. Always polite and helpful.


Twice I was not one hundred percent sure what to do, on which side of a bridge I was allowed to pass. I called them on the radio and they were very helpfull and provided excellent and practical details. Very helpful!

some impressions



I was told by the Sector operator to be aware of this huge tanker leaving. It reversed out of one of the docks, assisted by four tugs. I love to watch, so I just slowed down and more or less let Sirion float. Within 5 minutes, the Sector operator checked with me; was anythign amiss as I was not moving. I told her I had worked in the merchant navy and was just enjoying this well-orchestrated ballet of this grand old lady being helped out by four assistants. She liked that.







Notice how close Sirion is to some of these ocean-going vessels? I had to be on top of my game, constant attention is required, but still plenty to see and enjoy too!





If you ever find yourself in Antwerp, book yourself a trip on one of these sightseeing tours. Very comfortable and you get to see all of this. Or better yet, do it on your own boat as I did.

[Jeroen]

By now, I was getting close to the restricted passage. I had tried calling them earlier on their assigned VHF channel 5. Could not reach them. Luckily, I also had a phone number. I explained to them where I was. The operator told me I was still out of reach. I could only get on channel 5 more or less a kilometre in front of the passage. I apologised and confessed this was my first time passing through Antwerp harbour, and I was doing it solo, so I was a bit edgy. He was very understanding and friendly. Told me not to worry and he would take care of me, once I arrived at the passage.

Still a few other interesting sights to pass. Antwerp has various drydocks and ship repair facilities.





Finally made it to the bridge just left of the Amerikadok as you see it at the images below. The passage operator had told me to contact him on VHF channel five when I had the bridge in sight! Sure enough, he responded immediately. He told me in detail what the procedure was going to be, what to expect and gave some helpful suggestion on where to wait. A vessel like Sirion can’t moor anywhere here. The docks are fine for oceangoing vessels, but not for Sirion, so I have to float around, making sure not to get into anybody's way.



I called both bridges and the marina harbour master. Just to see what time slots they could give me. Again, very pleasant and helpful exchange of information.

The passage tends to be opened one way for about 45 minutes. So the passage operators assemble the waiting vessels in convoys. About 5 minutes before the passage is to start, they call each waiting vessel and assign a position in the convoy. Sirion, being the only recreational vessel, was going to be last. Fine by me.

Sorry, no images of the actual passage. I was to occupied, steering, navigating, listening to the radio. Luik bridge is controlled by the Passage Operator and was open, Asia bridge is always open. Made it to Mexico Bridge which was close. But opened as promised by the operator within minutes

I love how these bridges open, they sort of roll back and upwards!



I sailed into the Kattendijkdok. London Bridge operator had told me he would open the bridge in about 25 minutes. So I tied up Sirion at a nearby jetty.



Mexico Bridge, London Bridge and the Marina are all on the same frequency. Which is very useful, everybody understands the overal situation. The harbourmaster called me and told me he would come out in his dinghy as soon as the bridge opened and would escort me to our mooring. Quite the service.

Finally, made it. Sirion moored in the centre of Antwerp!!!



I had a nice chat with the harbour master as he checked me in. I really enjoy being in Belgium, especially the Flemish part. People are very easy going, take the time, they are polite and more than willing to help you out.

In all honesty, I was a bit knackered. A trip like this takes a lot of planning, preparation. Things that I am not particularly good at anymore. So these trips are a curious mix of stress and enjoyment. I know Antwerp reasonably well and decided to walk around a bit and take some photographs. So here goes:

This is a car forum, so lets say something about cars as well: Right opposite the marina; These are parking places for “deelauto’s. These are cars that are owned/shared by multiple people. They have parking for electric and ICE variants.



Believe it or not, but this is the very first shop I came upon: Nautical wear!



There must be hundreds of similar little streets in Antwerp. Houses, little shops, a cafe, little terrace.



Parts of Antwerp are pretty old, and it shows





When you say Belgium, you say: TinTin, chocolates (BonBon), Diamonds, Waffles, Beer and good food.



It was still pretty early in the season. So not too busy. It was also a very pleasant sunny day, not too warm. Believe me, you don’t want to do Western European city centres in the blazing sun. That is, if you want to do them at all!



Grote Markt



You will see a lot of these signposts. A tip: be wary of Belgian signposts. They put them up, there is probably a law that says they have to. But the arrow rarely points in the right direction. Just ask a local, they will be happy to help.



Chocolates and BonBons. Delicious



And of course, an Indian restaurant. I don’t think I have ever been to any sizeable town anywhere in the world, where there would not be an Indian restaurant.



This castle, overlooking the river Schelde, is known as “de steen”. The stone. It is the oldest building in Antwerp. As with many of these old castles, it has been rebuilt and renovated many many times over the centuries.



I did say it was not too touristy yet. But there are still people taking selfies and going through extraordinary lengths to do so.



I walked through the old and very nice and interesting old centre toward the main shopping street, Meir. I have no desire to be on these sorts of streets. Every major shopping street in the world looks the same and has more or less the same (luxury) brands. This guy seems to be thinking: what the f@#k am I doing here? I could have stayed home for this!



But I had to make my way through it to see Antwerp’s famous Central Station. Along the way, a few other typical Belgium/Antwerp shops:

Always get yourself a Waffle when in Antwerp!



And lots of diamond shops. Mrs. D will happily admit I am quite a good husband. But there could have been more diamonds! Mrs. D loves diamonds. We used to live less than a 45-minute drive from Antwerp in the late 80s. We would visit the Antwerp zoo often with the kids. Opposite all these diamond shops. Mrs. D argues that there is no good reason not to have a third or fourth mortgage if that gets you some good diamonds.





Here we are; At the beginning of the Meir; What a proper Central Station should look like!

[Jeroen]

This is what a Central Station entrance hall is supposed to look like. I love a bit of grandeur.



Look at this ceiling! Is it not magnificent?



The tracks at Antwerp station are built above one another! If you ever find yourself, go have a look. You don’t need a ticket to roam around the station and the platforms!





I walked back to Sirion. Endless terraces, the weather was great. Lots of people out and about. Enjoying a drink and some food.

When it comes to fine dining, the French have the name of course of providing great cuisine. And they do. But I always found that the Belgians are actually a bit better and make less fuss about it. Eating out in Belgium is easy. There is a menu at a price point for every purse.

Mind you, foods and drinks in the centre of Antwerp are pricey. Good, but pricey. All those tourists. So I walked back to the marina. Around the marina there are lots of bars, cafes and little local restaurants. Not a tourist in sight, only local people enjoying themselves.

I had a very pleasant meal. Had a long talk with the couple sitting next to me. They were from the UK and had been living in Antwerp for over twenty years. And they had a boat in the marina too!



A few more boats in the evening sun.





Back onboard, I checked my passage plan for the trip back home. I did not know how far I would get. My idea was to get through Antwerp Harbour and pass the Volkerak locks into the Hollands Diep and decide then.

The harbour master had helped me pick a suitable passage time and bridge openings. So I called the passage planning number and agreed my time.

The next morning at 07.45 I called London and Mexico bridges to request appropriate openings.

I was the only one leaving the harbour under London Bridge. At Mexico bridge a Dutch barge was already waiting, so I followed them.



We passed the Mexico bridge to had to wait in the Asia dock for our assigned passage time going west.

In the end we had a little four-vessel convoy and joined up with four more vessels in the actual passage.



Back into Amerika dock I changed VHF frequency to the respective sector and called in. They told me, and all the other vessels, to hold. A very large ocean-going vessel was being manoeuvred into dry dock just around the corner.

After about 15 minutes sector called, telling us we could make our way around the vessel and the tugboats. It was still sticking out, about half way, from the dry dock!





Lots of sea and ocean-going vessels







This vessel came out of the smaller sea locks and was being held by two tugs. Again, sector asked me to hold and subsequently, when some room opened up, to pass with caution.



I noticed this stern arrangement. Looks like a twin propeller arrangement? Very unusual for this sort of ship? i wonder why?



Endless barges are sailing along me and passing me. I kept my speed at about 12,5 km/h. Most of these barges are doing between 16-20 km/h.



This might look like a scene from Thunderbirds. If you are familiar with that series from the sixties. It all looks minuscule but you would be mistaken. It is gigantic. Always endless construction going on in this harbour. Antwerp harbour is always a beehive of activities.



Sailing along the Schelde Rijn Kanaal for hours. It becomes somewhat of a hypnotic experience sailing between these two green dikes.



Back at the Volkerak locks I noticed this electronic sign. It tells you how much you will be going up or down!



In the end, I just crossed the Hollands Diep from the Volkerak lock and ended up in the little town of Numansdorp. I had a pleasant dinner. The marina was about 2 km from town. Friendly harbour master lend me a bicycle.



The next day I sailed back to my home marina in about 6 hours. Very pleasant. I decided to take the slightly longer route and pass Dordrecht. More to see.

Sirion performed flawlessly. I will have to go back to give her a good wash and polish. In 7 days we sail again! Next weekend will be the opening tour of our marina. We will have 20-25 yachts travelling in convoy to nearby Drimmelen and overnighting there. Should be fun.

Jeroen

[anivy]

Originally Posted by Jeroen

I know Antwerp reasonably well and decided to walk around a bit and take some photographs. So here goes:

Originally Posted by Jeroen

I walked back to Sirion.

Jeroen, appreciate you sharing your yacht travelogues in such detail. Wanted to know how many kilometers you would have walked in Antwerp. Thanks.

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by anivy

Jeroen, appreciate you sharing your yacht travelogues in such detail. Wanted to know how many kilometers you would have walked in Antwerp. Thanks.

Thanks. I'm not quite sure but I walked for about 3, 5 - 4 hours. From the Willemdok to the Central station is, shortest router, almost 3km. And I did it back and forth with considerable detours and after dinner I walked around the Willemdok.

I guess it must have been around 10 km at least.

Jeroen