After paying the bill and saying goodbye at the marina we decided to break ourselves in gently and spend a few days cruising the quiet Rijnland canals through the Nieuwkoopse Plassen (lakes) and then on to Gouda. We needed to buy a special licence for this area but the 5 euro for 6 weeks seemed a bargain. A few hours later, as we were congratulating ourselves on squeezing, without damage, into the tiny lock leading down into the lakes, the keeper told us that we needed yet another permit at 8.50 for a week. However, it did cover mooring fees. More worryingly, for me, was his quick appraisal of the height of our boat and the pronouncement that we would also need a key to unlock the self operated bridge between the two lakes 'and that'll be 50 euros deposit please.' For the purposes of this blog the term self operated means Catriona operated. He did offer to take our photo though.
The self congratulation didn't last long (it never does). As far as the first bridge in fact - a distance of about 100 metres. The innocuous looking bridge across the canal serves one house and is little more than a wooden walkway with a swinging middle section. The fact that it was open was a good thing, the fact that it was only 4.1 metres wide and we are 3.7m meant we had to take care. The fact that I hadn't paid due attention to our expensive, fat fender hanging down the side meant that it got jammed, its rapid deflation and accompanying loud bang bringing the woman in the cottage to her window. Fortunately no damage to her bridge. So now I have 2 things to worry about - the self operated bridge at the halfway mark and an even narrower bridge - 4m - at the end of the waterway....
The lakes are very pretty. Lots of reeds, some of which are cut for thatching and lots of birdlife.
At this time of year the ducks, swans, geese etc are all accompanied by chicks. There is a maze of small channels all through the reeds accessible by small boats but we had to keep to the main through route which is marked by signposts.
The weather was glorious and so we moored up at a small island prepared to enjoy a few days of peace and birdsong.
Things began with promise. We woke to a misty morning, blackbirds singing, a cuckoo cooing, a family of ducks swimming round the boat. As the morning wore on the sun broke through and the first boaters appeared; kayakers and canoes first then rowing boats and yachts and then boats with engines. By early afternoon every boat from miles around was afloat. Many were hireboats of varying sizes filled with local teenagers, picnics, barbecues, beer and competing loud music. The ducks de-camped and the island filled with people intent on HAVING A GOOD TIME! What we hadn't realised was that it was a holiday long weekend. So exactly the same thing happened for three days. At 5.30pm each afternoon everyone suddenly packed up and left, peace descended and the ducks moved back.
On the holiday Monday we picked our way carefully through all the small boats and moored at another island in view of the self operating bridge which turned out to be a cycle bridge looking very much like my least favourite bridge of last year at Oldemarkt. It was opened only twice during the day and we could see then that unlike the Oldemarkt bridge there was no winding mechanism and it was a straightforward counterbalance.
Next day everyone was back at work so we set off to grapple with the bridge in solitude.
Unlocking the padlock with the 50 Euro Key
Haul on the chain
All the way up
Lowering the bridge was much harder
This was the best I could do. Rob had to get off the boat and then run up the lifted part of the bridge to get it moving - something I wasn't prepared to attempt.
And finally, having learned from bridge one, we crept through the final 4m wide bridge perfectly, even earning a cheer from 2 passing cyclists.
