2022 Brunsbuttel – Fluessen Frl.

15 september 2022 Peter Mantel

Heligoland-Lauwersoog

As mentioned in my previous blog, I leave next morning at 10 am, at high tide I go through the lock in Brunsbuttel and lift on the tide to Helgoland, where I achieve an SOG (ground speed) of 7.7 knots that is 4 knots of current with me. If I had that current against me, I would sail half a knot astern. The journey continues smoothly and 20.04 I moor alongside three moored German sailing boats and lay out the obligatory long lines to the jetty. The first question, of course, is when the sailors lying between me and the jetty expect to leave. 0500 says the man next to me, well that doesn’t make me happy. There is later discussion about that time and eventually it is moved to 0800, thankfully. The first thing I then do is sail to the petrol station in the other harbour and fill up the diesel tank again. Litre price €1.51 I fill up 400Ltr.
Then I make my way to the harbour office and pay the mooring fee.
As I had already drunk some whiskey from my supply bought on the sea voyage, I decide to buy a few more bottles of another brand of malt whiskey to top it up.

On 23 August, I detach at 08.00 for the stretch from Helgoland to Norderderney. Despite the calm outlook for wave height, it is already quite spooky as I sail out through the harbour heads. The wind is East 4, too sharp to follow my route with sail, so I decide to adjust and widen my route a bit so that I can still set up the Genoa tightly reefed. Luctor et emergo.
After passing the first traffic lanes, I am able to change my course so I can sail wider and loosen the Genoa, which immediately calms me down. At 16.00 I enter the approach via the Dovetief across the mud flats and drop my anchor at 17.20 in the tidal current between Norderney and Juist. This is where I spend the night.
The next morning at 9 a.m. with 2 hours before high tide, I raise my anchor and leave for the neap tide of the Wadden Island Juist to sail under it to Borkum. I reach the neap tide exactly at high tide, which at that time is 2.7 higher, so ample to sail past the pricks of the neap tide. See my earlier blog about this neap tide when I did this for the first time. After about 4-5 hours of sailing between Juist and Borkum, I head out to sea again towards Lauwersoog lock. After a 10-hour non-stop trip, I moor at 19.20 for the lock, unfortunately it only turned until 19.00. So I spend the night at a floating jetty in front of the lock.

Wantij passage behind the island of Juist

Return to the Netherlands Lauwersmeer

The next morning at 0900, I enter the lock and sail onto the Lauwersmeer in the direction of Senneroog, a small harbour with no facilities but in the middle of nature, and moor at 10.30 at a jetty alongside. Simba is happy and can finally go ashore again after a long time. I stay there for a few days, making ship shape and enjoying the still beautiful weather. And to thank me, Simba immediately brings me a little mouse and drops it in the aft cabin.

Another mouse saved

Dokkum

On 31 August, after a couple of lovely relaxing days, I cast off at 08.50 and sail towards Dokkum, for the lock at Dokkumerzijlen. Leaving the lock, I continued towards Dokkum, where I struggled to find a free spot at the Bolwerk between the windmills. From 1-4 September, the Admiralty Days are a big party there with many prominent artists, Johnny Logan, Blog and many others. I experienced this as once a few years ago, so without knowing it, I fall head over heels with beer and lots of beer.
It turns out that CeesJan and Netty have settled down along the Dokkumer Ee with their caravan on an Elfsteden tour of Friesland. On their lovely electric bikes, they come to visit me and we can catch up over a beer. It was great fun.
Of these admiralty days I refer to the YouTube film of this “2022-11 Dokkum”. All my YouTube films, about this trip now 11 in number, can be seen via the menu button “YOUTUBE” don’t forget to subscribe for free to be notified when a new film is released.

Dokkumer Ee – AldeFeanen

I leave Dokkum on Sunday 4 September on the standing mast route to Leeuwarden, at Jannum I make a stop at a nice marrekrite and spend the night there.
Then I continue my journey through Leeuwarden, past the Prince’s Garden. I don’t stay there because I’ve been there several times already, I prefer to sail through the Frisian countryside and stop off at a marrekrite just before Warten. Lovely in the middle of the Frisian landscape. After spending two days there and Simba having the time of her life again with one mouse after another, I sail on to the AldeFeanen where I moor is the most beautiful nature reserve in the heart of Friesland. I also have a nice film about this area. To do so, go to the Photos and Film button and click on the film “Heart of Friesland”.
Now this trip I followed two boats via marine traffic and spent some time with one of them. The Ellya a beautiful steel sailing yacht owned by Sam And Cees whom I had met years ago and happened to knock on my door again this year, see my gentleman’s trip to Dokkum. From then on, we were able to hang out together a lot because they also went to Scandinavia. Of other boat, the Henrique a Super Lauwersmeer cruiser owned by Arie and Carolien, I followed their YouTube channel because they were going to make the trip right through Sweden, the Gota Canal, the trip I had wanted to make this year, but was too short to realise financially. Arie has now made 21 YouTube videos about this trip, all of which I have enjoyed watching. The most beautiful footage of his trip, supported with drone footage of this trip right across Sweden from Gothenburg to the Baltic Sea and, as icing on the cake, a visit to Stockholm. So a visit to the Henrique’s YouTube channel is more than worthwhile.
So I followed these two boats on Marinetraffic to inform myself of their position. The Ellya is just now sailing up the Lauwersmeer, so who knows, we might run into each other again.
The Henrique I had already been in personal contact with via whatsapp by now was suddenly already close to me, so I capped if she might want to drop by for a wine and now meet in real life.
On Friday 9 September, she moored behind me in the AldeFeanen and we had a pleasant evening with lots of stories and other exchanges. They had some other appointments and moved on the next morning. Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

AldeFeanen – Sneek – IJlst – Fluessen

After a weekend of AldeFeanen, I am moving on again. On the Asmara, an oil leakage problem has arisen with the gearbox of the gearbox. I have to refill continuously to keep oil in it. After the necessary google search, I found a company called Bakker in IJlst near Sneek. This company specialises in, among other things, my 50-year-old engine and gearbox. (1971 Ford Lehman 6-cylinder 120HP engine and Velvet gearbox). So I am now planning IJlst as I go along.
I take Simba on a 2km walk around the island, well she came puffing and often stopping with me and was totally floored when she was back on board.
So now I sail to Sneek first and moor up at the Lidl because it is right on the water, so the necessary groceries, fruit, vegetables etc. When I get there, I see the Henrique across the river. They would have a visit in Sneek.
After loading my groceries, I continue to the centre of Sneek and spend the night there.
The next morning, 13 September, I leave at 09.45, sail straight through Sneek and moor up after a short trip at Bakker in IJlst. After consulting with a mechanic there, it turns out that the gearbox has to come out after all. When I ask if they can do this on the spot, I am told they don’t have time until mid-October, well that’s not an option. Their advice is to take the gearbox out yourself and bring it to them. A tough job, but it’s no different.
I continue in the direction of the Fluessen, where there is a marrekrite, a U-shaped island, where I come every year and usually pick blackberries and rose hips on the way back for making jam on the spot. On the outward journey I had also been here for a while, but at that time the province was renovating the wattles and moorings, so I quickly moved on because lying next to a pile driver is not my thing. But now I sail in to see what they have made of it. Well I must say it looks tip top again, every year I sponsor the Marrekrite’s maintenance by buying a flag. Friesland has the most beautiful and free moorings in the country, often with waste containers. Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)