SV Ostinato: Lunch in Brussels!

October 3 - 53.33 N, 06.45 E: The crossing from Helgoland to Borkum was made interesting by the commercial shipping lanes which requires crossings by small boats to be done at 90 degree angles. We were told the German Coast Guard can give fines on the spot and they have been rumored to be substantial. Urban legend or not, we played it as safe as we could without plowing directly into the 25 knot winds that chose to be blowing from the direction we needed to go. The Coast Guard apparently took pity on us as not a peep was heard from them as we flew through the crossing at less than perfect angles. Once across, King put Ostinato on an easterly heading and we continued much more comfortably with the winds on our stern. We considered sailing on to Lauwersoog where we planned to enter the locks into the Netherlands but with the shortened days, shifting sand dunes and lack of local knowledge on the entrance, it was decided to play it safe and overnight on Borkum, one of the German Frisian Islands of Erskine Childers and Riddles of the Sand fame. We finally arrived at the Lauwersoog lock early afternoon the following day and were thoroughly ignored by the lock keeper for a good 30 minutes before he apparently got tired of our whinning on the radio and turned on the green lights to indicate we could enter the lock.

The Lock Master collects his fees by lowering a wooden (blue) shoe on a fishing rod

A serious bridge opener

Ostinato was tied up for the night in Lauwersmeer where we hoped to purchase paper charts to assist with our electronic ones for the cruise down the canals. Unfortunately, it's the end of the season here and the marine store was out of stock. The Dock Master at the marina sold us his copies and we were on our way. These things look more like a road map of Florida's highway system than of a waterway. A bit brain numbing. As Ostinato approached her first of many bridges and locks, King asked me for its name off the chart. I took one look and told him I had no clue.

The Dutch use waaaay too many letters in their words.....Dookkumer Nieuwezijlen, Nieuwe Sluis. WHAT?! He finally just mumbled something and ended it with "bridge". That seemed to work and was adopted protocol for the rest of the gazillion locks and bridges we passed through. Occasionally, we had the good fortune to get behind another boat and let them do the heavy lifting. I think it was the first time King has every willingly let someone get ahead of him. Regardless of our dreadful pronunciation, I have to say all of the bridge tenders communicated back with us in excellent English. Bless one and all. While we had plenty of room in the majority of the locks, there were a couple that required us to slide through without our fenders out. I would stand on the port side calling out how many feet we had as we squeaked through. On our way to Amsterdam, overnight stops were spent in Leeuwarden, Grou and Sneek.

Scenery along the canals is outrageous

Girl Band!

In Leeuwarden, we tied up in a lovely park near the town center. The Harbor Master stopped by to inform us their automatic payment machines were not currently accepting American credit cards so....we were FREE! In Sneek, pronounced Snake, we arrived just in time for The Battle of the Bands. The event consisted of 21 or so, 15 member bands moving about 7 venues in the picture perfect downtown. Band members costumes and wild wigs added to the festivities. Nearby restaurants provided plenty of beer for the parched band members as they completed their show at each stop.

October 6 - Amsterdam

Dutch Barge race

Lots of traffic on a Sunday afternoon

It looked like we might have a weather window opening soon so it was decided we would go all the way from Sneek to Amsterdam today. Under a beautiful sunny sky...with the wind on our nose...we motored all day to reach the city. Most of the trip was in open waters and we were entertained with front row views of a race of graceful old dutch barges and square riggers out for a Sunday sail. We passed by the popular Sixhaven Marina and headed to the new Amsterdam Marina. While Sixhaven is the most popular with cruisers because of its location right next to the ferry, Ostinato's girth is a bit tight for the place. The new marina is much closer to completion than it was when we visited last January with expanded docks and fabulous new shower and laundry facility. A long hot shower without the Captain King yelling "your using too much water" is well worth the extra 5 minute walk to the ferry.

Amsterdam....First stop....Did we see the Rembrandt's? the Van Gogh's? Maybe the Red Light District or a canal cruise? No, no, no. Do not pass go, do not collect $200, its the American Food Store for Heinz dill pickles! We staggered out of the store with 4 bottles of King's pickles, 2 cans of jellied Ocean Spray Cranberry Sauce, 2 Duncan Heinz Angel Food cake mixes and, for me, a box of the fat Snyder's pretzels. King did do a pass on the 10 euro box of Wheaties. Some things are just too ridiculous even for our deprived American taste buds.

We talked to our friend and neighbor Bill Harris on Sunday night and after some fancy foot work on his part he was standing in Amsterdam Central station at 0800 on Tuesday morning waiting for us to lead his exhausted body back to the boat. What fun! Bill has joined us for our crossing to the UK and passage back to St. Katharine's. Claire, wisely decided to watch this one from the comfort of her living room in Shell Point.

Trying to decide if this is a real car.

Belgium: So what do you do in Amsterdam while your waiting for weather? The first indication that we were in for one of King's safaris was when he suggested we rent a car and drive to Belgium. My response "What do you want to do in Belgium dear?" King "I don't know, why don't you decide that". "Oh...and on the way, let's stop and look at some folding bikes I found on Craig's List Amsterdam." Only King would know there was a Craig's List in Amsterdam. After a ferry, a tram ride, and a 4 block walk, we arrived at the Hertz office to pick up the car. This thing was so small that when we passed a Mini Cooper we thought it was a SUV. King has already taken half the back seat up when he shoved the drivers seat back to enable him to get his knees off the ceiling. I'm in the back seat trying to figure out where exactly these bikes will go.

First stop was to meet the guy with the bikes. He was from Afghanistan. His English was not so good. I don't think his Dutch was so hot either, not that it would of helped. King made his first offer. The guy repeated the original price. We rode around the parking lot on the bikes (in the rain) and King came back with his second offer. Nada, would not budge. Bill suggested I move to the car to indicate we were prepared to leave...he didn't care, he was not going to budge, and neither did King. I was greatly relieved that I would not be balancing 2 bicycles on my head for the rest of the afternoon.

The Grand Place

Bill and Sue chow getting their sugar high

Off to Brussels. So what does one do in Brussels in an afternoon? Visit the Grand Place, eat mussels for lunch, see the Mannekin Pis (Peeing Boy) and eat a Belgium Waffle. I know....it was the best I could do on short notice.....We cruised in, parked the car, quickly walked through the square...which I think was quite stunning but can't say for sure cause we blitzed through so quickly. I was starved so the boys decided it would be a good idea to get food in me before my ugly witch transformation occurred when my blood sugar bottoms out. Off we head straight for the mussels in a small restaurant off the square. After lunch, we were now ready to go google the square properly which had been blocked by police barricades while we ate. Belgium was playing Croatia in soccer and a large screen had been erected in the square for dedicated fans, with wrist bands purchased the day before, to cheer on the local team. Gezzz. You have got to be kidding! That left the Peeing Boy (and girl, we discovered) and a Belgium waffle. First things first....on the way to the Peeing Boy we saw our first Belgium waffle shop. Needing to drown our sorrows and not wanting to take any chances they might close all of the waffle shops, we decided we should stop and eat. Mine was covered half in white chocolate and half in dark chocolate. OMG it was sooo good. King and Bill followed with their own chocolate choosings. With our new sugar buzz, we zinged over to the Peeing Boy. Again, disappointment reigned. Unlike what Rick Steve's had promised on his Belgium video, no one had bothered to dress him in one of his several hundred outfits today. The statute has more outfits than me and he can't bother to dress for the occasion. After Bill picked up some Belgium chocolates to take home to lovely Miss Claire, we trudged back to the car......in the rain. Bill throws me his camera in the back and I take "drive by" shots of Belgium as we speed out of town while every cell in our bodies are dancing from our sugar high.

Someone forgot to dress the Mannekin Pis

Disappointed from the results of our bike buying quest, King returned back to the boat and hops back on Craig's List Amsterdam with new vigor. By midnight he has located a potential candidate and zipped off email. Two stainless steel Di Blassi's folding bikes. The next morning, while waiting for a response from Craig's list King leads the troop off to a tromp to the Amsterdam Flea Market. How lucky are we, its just around the corner from the boat. It must be the Thing to do on a Saturday morning as the ferries were full to the brim as they arrived to our side of the river. Two industrial size buildings bulged with new and used "stuff".....but no folding bikes. The following day King and Bill set out to check out the 2nd set of bikes found on Craig's List. They returned with 2 bikes and big smiles. Success!

One of the new folding bikes

October 15 - Off to the UK - While its only been a little over a week since we landed in Amsterdam it feels much longer with the cold and rain keeping us close to the boat. The weather window we have been waiting for finally looked like it arrived, albeit small, so we finished last minute chores and motored the 14 miles from the marina to the IJmuiden locks. Once outside the lock, we pulled into the Sea Port Marina so we could check out of the country. King and Bill pulled out the new bikes for the 2.5 mile ride in the pouring rain to Customs/Immigration. After a strained discussion with officials to finally get them to realize they were off a small yacht, not a ship, the process went smoothly. Once completed, King learned they would of gladly come to the boat if we had only called. King and Bill returned looking like drowned rats.

The winds were a bit stronger than we had anticipated but the forecast indicated they would continue to lighten as the day progressed. THEY LIED! Neither winds or waves improved. The North Sea showed its notorious short choppy seas in full force. No one ate dinner. Around 10 pm, King determined we needed to add a 2nd reef to the main. I was on the helm as he worked the sail. I don't know when I have ever been thrown around more on a boat or more sea sick. Let's just say it wasn't pretty. After that exercise, the guys took pity on me and took over my watches. I crawled out again about 5 a.m. to much calmer conditions and only a few hours off the UK coast. As the sun began to rise we took stock of the boat. It looked like a bomb had gone off. The floor was littered with charts, clothing and books. One engine had stopped completely. The main alternator on the other one had also stopped functioning. Indicators lights on the diesel heaters were flashing wildly and spewing noxious fumes. However, it was not until I went forward that we noticed the trampolines on both sides were hanging by a thread.

The trampolines, a little worse for wear after the North Sea crossing

It was decision time. Would we stop in Harwich or sail on to the Medway, which would put us within a day's striking distance of London. The tides would not be good to go up the Thames during daylight hours until the following week so we might be sitting at anchor in the Medway for a while. The heaters were no longer functioning. Without the trampolines its a bit scary to work forward so they needed to be repaired ASAP..... and they were in the way of getting the anchor down. We decided the best move would be to head up the river for Ipswich. As we dropped the main, a reefing line uncoiled, that would normally have been on the trampoline, slipped under Ostinato and wrapped her prop. Poor King had to go overboard yet again. Should there ever be a Guinness Book of World Record for the number of overboard dives to unwrap the prop during a summer's cruise, I have no doubt there would be a picture of King.

It was soooooo good to get tied up to the dock in Ipswich.