THE NETHERLANDS 21 A country that sails at sea level


A


t the latest reckoning, there are 1,160 marinas, providing 200,000 berths (dry stack included) in The


Netherlands, the vast majority of which are located on the country’s 7,652 sq km of inland fresh water lakes and rivers. Relatively few marinas with direct access to the sea can be found along the 400 km of coastline, an important reason being that half the country is within one metre of sea level and an eighth of the land is below it. The centre of the country is


occupied by the Ijsselmeer, which was formerly known as the Zuiderzee until it was dammed off from the sea by the ingenuity of Dutch hydraulic engineers. Most cruising is concentrated in the IJsselmeer, Wadden Sea and Frisian Islands, an area of sand dunes, intricate channels and picturesque ports. The Western sector has deeper water, giving access to keel boats, whereas a shallow draft is essential in the Eastern part. The Ijsselmeer opens up to the tidal Waddenzee waters, both in the West at Den Oever and East at Kornwerderzand. At IJmuiden


boats can pass through a lock to reach the IJsselmeer and the delights of Amsterdam. Another excellent cruising ground


is Zeeland, in the South-West, which can be reached via the Walcheren Canal at Vlissingen or through the locks on the Oosterschelde. For yachts coming from the South to make landfall in Zeeland (Flushing), there is an inland route that can be negotiated without lowering masts all the way to Friesland and the Friesian islands.


Cruising along the North Sea


coast is more challenging on account of the strong tides, sandbanks and onshore winds. From Vlissingen in the South-West to Delfzijl in the North- East, there are several good yacht harbours in which to shelter during bad weather. As can be expected from a nation


with a great maritime past, boating facilities are uniformly high, with shops in all the small ports and dockside fuel readily available in most marinas and harbours. Along the coast, there are marinas with repair facilities at Vlissingen and Breskens.


Marina Volendam is one of three facilities to be visited on the final day of the ICOMIA World Marinas Conference at Amsterdam RAI.


There are also good facilities in


Zeeland, particularly in the marinas at Zierikzee and Colijnsplaat, as well as at Den Helder, with smaller marinas and a limited range of repair facilities at Terschelling and Vlieland. Across the Wadden Sea on the


mainland, Harlingen is a picturesque port with good facilities. Further North, the best facilities are at Delfzijl, which is reached by sailing up the River Ems. Dutch yacht designers are


Roodberg boat hoist in operation at Marina Muiderzand.


renowned worldwide and the country’s marina industry has also given rise to a number of top class marina equipment producers such as Inter Boat Marinas (fl oating pontoons and turnkey marinas), JLD International (ground anchors and sheet piling), Roodberg (boat hoists, slipway trailers and cranes) and Seijsener Rekreatietechniek (service pedestals, emergency services and pump-out stations). All four of these companies will be exhibiting in the Marina Yard Pavilion at METSTRADE.


SEPTEMBER 2016 • MARINA EURO-REPORT


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36