In the summer of 2012 we embarked on an unforgettable five-week voyage From Portsmouth to Southern Holland Summer 2012 aboard our Legend 466, Ghostly Goose. We left Portsmouth at the start of July and returning in mid August. This log of sailing to Holland captures the ebb and flow of canal rhythms, the character of each harbour and the freedom of an unhurried itinerary.
Our route carried us across the Channel and into Southern Holland’s intricate waterways. From the organised bustle of Dutch locks to serene inland stretches shaded by weeping willows, every day brought a new discovery. Here follows an expanded account of our journey, complete with route details, marina insights and community anecdotes.
Voyage Overview From Portsmouth to Southern Holland
We plotted a loosely structured course, allowing tides and weather to guide our daily mileage. Average legs spanned 20 to 30 nautical miles, balanced by longer exploration days when conditions were fair. Morning departures from sleepy English marinas gave way to afternoon arrivals beneath Netherlands’ windmills and flower-lined quays.
Key Highlights of Sailing to Holland
- Canal-lock choreography, mastering the step-by-step transit of IJssel and Amsterdam-Rijn locks, learning Dutch lock signals and sharing jokes with friendly lock keepers
- Historic harbours, mooring beside centuries-old quays in Dordrecht and Veere and wandering cobbled streets to sample local cheeses and freshly baked stroopwafels
- Scenic anchorages, drifting into hidden creeks near Kampen and Sloten where only swans and herons greeted us at dawn
- Community camaraderie, swapping stories with fellow cruisers over gin and tonic at Scheveningen marina and joining an impromptu flotilla past Hoorn
Marina and Harbour Insights
Each stop revealed something new about Dutch hospitality and efficiency. Facilities were uniformly clean, with reliable shore power metered by the hour and spacious laundry rooms serviced by coin-operated washers. Fuel docks accepted both cash and chip-and-pin, while local chandlers offered everything from line-splice kits to freshly caught plaice.
By noting details such as visitor fees per metre, average wait times at lock queues and the proximity of village cafés, our sailing to Holland log serves as a practical guide for anyone planning a similar passage.
Practical Tips from Our 2012 Cruise
- Plan around lock schedules, most operate from early morning until late afternoon with brief lunch closures, so time your departures to avoid waiting for openings
- Carry spare fenders, Dutch marinas use wide concrete walls that can bruise hulls if you come alongside at speed
- Learn basic Dutch phrases, even a few words like welkom or dank u lent a friendly smile and smoother lock handling
This expanded sailing to Holland account combines the romance of discovery with actionable detail, giving you the confidence to follow in our wake and write your own cruising log through Southern Holland.
The start – Portsmouth to Dover – 27th June
June 27, 2012
Updated
March 31, 2025
Started our summer holiday with dinner at The Castle on Tuesday night which was a fantastic start! Kinda weird to
Dover to Dunkerque – 28th June
June 28, 2012
Updated
March 31, 2025
We left Dover at 5 am to catch the north going tide. On the way out we had to dodge
Dunkerque to Middelburg (Holland) – 29-06-2012
June 29, 2012
Updated
April 28, 2025
We set out from Dunkerque at 5am (4am UK time). Once again with gentle 14 knot breeze on our stern.
Middelburg chill-out days 29th June – 2 July
July 2, 2012
Updated
March 31, 2025
Spent 3 lovely days chilling in Middelburg which was heaven! Didn’t really do a great deal; went to the supermarket
Middelburg to Goes 2nd July
July 2, 2012
Updated
March 31, 2025
We left Middelburg on the 11:15 bridge opening, just!! Decided to do engine check before and realised were a tad low on oil so Paul went to Texaco garage over the road for some quickly and got back with about a minute to go before the bridge opened up. Everything was ready to go though so we did make it out, although the incoming boats hadn’t realised we were coming out which made leaving entertaining!! Eventually arrived in Goes around 4pm. Weather was beautiful and sea state was also good.
Goes to St Annaland – 4th July
July 4, 2012
Updated
March 31, 2025
View Larger Map So what can we tell you about the trip to St Annaland? Not a lot really, pretty
St Annaland to anchor spot east of the Krammersluizen – 5th July
July 5, 2012
Updated
April 5, 2025
Although pretty uneventful it was a beautiful sail through lovely countryside where huge windmills prevail over the landscape. It was
From anchor to Willemstad – 6th & 7th July
July 6, 2012
Updated
March 31, 2025
Despite going to bed the night before in windy, wet and stormy weather, during the night it got better. In
Willemstad to Dordrecht – 8th July
July 8, 2012
Updated
March 31, 2025
View Larger Map We left Willemstad about 11am, which was a bit early as we had to fight the tide
Dordrecht to Alblasserdam – 13th July
July 13, 2012
Updated
March 31, 2025
We left Dordrecht at 1:30 as this gives the right time for the bridge, Verkeersbrug, further north. It opened at
Alblasserdam to Rotterdam 15 July
July 15, 2012
Updated
March 31, 2025
We left Alblasserdam about 10.30 to a nice surprise in the weather department – it was meant to be windy
Rotterdam to Gouda – 16th July
July 16, 2012
Updated
April 6, 2025
Ah are you the sailing yacht Ghostly Goose? We’ve been trying to contact you. Well we started the day going
Gouda to Dordrecht – 17th July
July 17, 2012
Updated
March 31, 2025
intrepid travellers never retrace their steps They say “intrepid travellers never retrace their steps”. Well I guess we’re not intrepid
Dordrecht to Oud Beijerland – 19th July
July 19, 2012
Updated
March 31, 2025
Getting out of our box berth in gusts of 30 knots of wind and turning around in a tight marina
Oud Beijerland to Schiedam – 21st July
July 21, 2012
Updated
March 31, 2025
We left just after 10, heading back to the Oude Maas river heading north towards Rotterdam. We had a good
Schiedam back to Oud Beijerland 27th July
July 28, 2012
Updated
March 31, 2025
We had to back track a bit today so basically we did the reverse of our previous post. We were
Oud Beijerland to Middelharnis 28th July
July 28, 2012
Updated
March 31, 2025
We left after a leisurely morning fitting our new 12v media player, which is most definitely the Mutts Nuts, and
Middelharnis to Numansdorp 30th July
July 31, 2012
Updated
March 31, 2025
Full disclosure here. I had nothing in my blog about Numansdorp although I still have pictures on my phone. So
Numansdorp to Zierikzee – 31st July
August 1, 2012
Updated
March 31, 2025
Well, what started out as a simple trip to Stavenisse a couple of hours away turned into a 6 hour
Zierikzee to Colijnsplat 2nd Aug
August 2, 2012
Updated
March 31, 2025
Our raft of four boats all dispersed at 10am so it seemed logical for us to make a move aswell,
Colijnsplaat to Delta Marina – 3rd August
August 6, 2012
Updated
March 31, 2025
The Zandkreek Sluis a double bridge lock, which means they lift one bridge one end and the cars all go
Delta Marina, Kortgene to Vlissingen – oops Blankenberg, Belgium – 4th August
August 6, 2012
Updated
March 31, 2025
When we left Kortgene we intended to go to Vlissingen and stay the night there, ready to leave for Calais
Blankenberge to Calais – 6th August
August 6, 2012
Updated
March 31, 2025
The trip from Blankenberge to Calais was a breeze, it’s so much easier and quicker when you have the tide
Calais to Eastbourne 8th August
August 8, 2012
Updated
March 31, 2025
We left Calais on the last but one bridge opening, on the morning tide which was at 7am, which meant
Eastbourne to Itchenor, Chichester 9th August
August 10, 2012
Updated
March 31, 2025
It was the final leg of our Holland adventure, but that being said it was warm, sunny, calm and easy.