Well we started the day going only 3 miles to Schiedam, so we left City Marina, turned left and waited for the Erasumus Bridge to lift at 10am, as per the schedule. However, by 10:15 we figured that it was not going to happen. So we called them up on the VHF and no answer (we’re getting used to that). Eventually we found the phone number for them and they said “Ah are you the sailing yacht Ghostly Goose? We’ve been trying to contact you.” I nearly said “Well if you monitored the VHF it would not be that hard” but I bit my tongue. Apparently the bridge is faulty and they have no idea when it will be fixed.
So we now had a dilemma a) do we make the 30 mile trip round the houses to get to where we were going or b) go somewhere else?
We chose option b and headed for Gouda. We have been there before and really liked it. Its also where we were toying with leaving Goose for a few days, with Kath and Lucy onboard whilst I went home.
It rained pretty much all the way, which, as we had the canopy up, was no problem to us, but the yachts we were in company with looked quite “moist”. Fortunately Lucy slept pretty much all the way.
The route involved about 5 bridges and a couple of locks. The trip was 15 miles and took about 2.5 hours so we arrived about 1pm.
On the way we passed a group of three boats, what looked like Belgium boy scouts rowing in the cold pouring rain, miles from anywhere. Some of them had no tops on. They make them hard these Belgium boys! Maybe another Jean-Claude van Damme in the making….
That’s what you really notice in Holland, how there are so many people making the most of the canals from trade to leisure. I’m sure its the same in the UK, it’s just we never get to see it.
In the past we have moored very close to town in a picturesque tree-lined canal. However, they no longer allow 12 metres or above boats there, so now we are moored in a less than picturesque, in other words a grubby, part, 10 minutes walk from town, with no facilities or electricity. Suffice to say we are leaving tomorrow and I doubt we will be coming back. So long Gouda and thanks for all the fish (or should that be cheese?). Needless to say I wont be leaving Kath and Lucy alone on Goose here whilst I head home next week.
We had a break in the rain in the afternoon so we managed to walk into town without getting too wet. Gouda really is a lovely busy market town. It’s just a shame that they have made yachts less welcome.
However, there is an Albert Heijn (supermarket) in the high street together with just about every shop you can think of, including Halfords where Lucy test drove a new mini. There are also lots of phone shops where you can top up on internet juice, which we did.Cost : 9€ no electric or water on the south bank limited on the north bank
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