Netherlands - Facts
- In the Netherlands, one is never too far away from water and the centre of the country is occupied by the IJsselmeer (formerly called Zuiderzee) until it was dammed off from the sea. Most cruising is concentrated in the IJsselmeer, the Wadden Sea and the Frisian Islands, an area of sand dunes, intricate channels and picturesque ports. See this useful Noonsite article on the Wadden Sea swatchways. The western part has deeper water and a keeled yacht has access everywhere, whereas a shallow draft is essential in the eastern part. The Ijsselmeer opens up to the tidal Waddenzee waters both at the western part at Den Oever and east at Kornwerderzand. At IJmuiden one can pass through a lock to reach the IJsselmeer and Amsterdam.
- Another excellent cruising ground is Zeeland, in the south-west, which can be reached via the Walcheren Canal at Vlissingen or through the locks on the Oosterschelde. For yachts coming from the south making landfall in Zeeland (Flushing), there is an inland route that can be negotiated mast up [in dutch: Staande Mast Route] all the way to Friesland and the Friesian islands. In strong westerlies and northwesterly, this might be the only way to make nothing – and a pleasant trip too. It is even possible to sail right through the heart of Amsterdam once a night in convoy, which is a spectacular affair. Allow four days for the whole trip.
- Cruising along the North Sea coast is more challenging on account of the strong tides, sandbanks and onshore winds. From Vlissingen in the south-west to Delfzijl in the north-east, there are several good yacht harbours in which to shelter in case of bad weather.
- The Frisian Islands have many sheltered harbours on the east side facing the Wadden Sea, which are good starting points to explore the liquid world of the Netherlands.
- As can be expected in a water-based nation with a great maritime past, boating facilities are good everywhere. There are shops in all the small ports and fuel is available in most marinas and harbours on the dock. Along the coast, there are marinas with repair facilities at Vlissingen and Breskens, both of which are convenient if coming from the south.
- There are good facilities also in Zeeland, particularly at the marinas at Zierikzee and Colijnsplaat. Good facilities are also available at Den Helder, with smaller marinas and a limited range of repair facilities at Terschelling and Vlieland.
- Amsterdam is often visited by foreign sailors and now that the new marina there is open, there is much more space to accommodate visiting yachts.
- Across the Wadden Sea on the mainland, Harlingen is a picturesque port with good facilities. In the north, best facilities are at Delfzijl, which is reached by sailing up the Ems.
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The relevant rules for vessels arriving from abroad (Schengen and outside Schengen) can be found here: https://english.marechaussee.nl/topics/reporting-requirements-for-commercial-and-recreational-vessels/recreational-vessels
Amsterdam rail bridge not operating from 1st Oct 2023 until 31st May 2024 for vessels with more than 6.25 m above normal canal level. Use the Haarlem route instead.
A port not to be missed when sailing the Friesian Islands is Harlingen. Both Vlieland and Terschelling are within reach, there is a connection to the inland waterways via the Van Harinxma Canal, and it is a beautiful town with a real seafaring feeling, including a very recognizable tidal scope. Waiting for the train bridge and town bridges to open up can take up to 30 minutes, but not more.
There is a much nicer and roomier marina in Amsterdam now, Amsterdam Marina (amsterdammarina.com). Newly built, great facilities. It’s a bit further from the centre, but 15min free ferry ride to the centre.
More detailed info regarding Standing Mast Route: http://www.varendoejesamen.nl/?language=en
A passport stamped with an entry into France (or any other Schengen Area country) does not negate the need to report your arrival into a different country, it only starts the clock ticking on your permitted length of stay in the Schengen Area.
Dutch formalities are a little unclear, we arrived in Rotterdam from Belguim via the MAAS and followed the VTS radio reporting rules as required reporting on each segment and requesting entry etc, see http://www.portofrotterdam.com.
we contacted the Harbour Master at Veerhaven before arrival and advised eta. Upon arrival and after berthing at Veerhaven spoke to HM and was advised no other formalities required. 1 hour later (7 pm Sunday evening) police launch arrived and had a good look at us from the cabin and 10 mins later 2 police officers arrived to advise us we had failed to report our arrival.
We were advised that Schengen formalities were not valid as we had arrived from the sea and although we had already cleared into France we needed to act as if we were arriving from international waters. We showed our passports with French EU entry stamps and French Customs inspection papers, this was apparently still not sufficient and another reporting was required although they were not able to tell us what.
We provided copies of all documentation and they advised that they would return if they needed any further information. they also advised that we would need to report to the HM at each port within the NL if we exited via sea eg Rotterdam to Scheveningen. We asked what documents or forms may be required or was there a website with such information and they advised us just to contact the HM on arrival.
We spoke to the Veerhaven HM again the next morning and he said he had no idea what they wanted and what we needed to do. as far as the triplicate customs forms and 1-year permit described above or any other papers at this stage no one seems to have any information on such documents.
Andrew s/v Katherine http://www.svkatherine.com