To Amsterdam

Thur 27/6/19

After having a coffee on Albert’s boat I headed off at 0920. There are 2 lock options to enter the Amsterdam-Rijnkannal and I opted for the smaller, yacht locks.  This turned out to be a mistake. A problem with the first lock gate meant it took 2 hours to negotiate both locks. There we also 2 bascule bridges prior to entering the Amsterdam-Rijkannal. Having until now used the larger canals and rivers this was my first encounter of the Dutch smaller variants. The bridge operators try to balance the needs of the canal users with those of the wider public on foot, in cars and on the ubiquitous bikes. The result was that we ended up with a queue of boats waiting for the bridges to open. It proved to be a bit of a faff trying to maintain station while being blown by the wind in a narrow busy canal.  Once  onto the Amsterdam-Rijnkannal the passage was easy, if busy with quite heavy traffic. 

It is not possible to book ahead at Sixhaven marina in Amsterdam but I called 2 hours prior to my arrival to see if there was space - there was. I arrived at 1500, later than I had planned due to the delay in the lock and was directed to a berth next to a large, brand new Sunseeker. Sixhaven is a small marina and is a tight fit for a 15 metre boat. I managed to birth without scratching the new gin palace and, breathing a sigh of relief, tied up and plugged in. The only minor downside of Sixhaven is that shore power is limited to 1300 watts/boat. This is not enough to run the oven, kettle or other power hungry devices. In theory nearly 6 amps should be available; however, the harbour master informed me more like 3 amps were available. A minor issue that we worked around.

Sixhaven is an awesome place: a small marina right in the centre of Amsterdam directly opposite the Central Station which is only a short, free ferry ride away. 

Between the 2 boats you can just make out the roof of the Central Station. Sixhaven really is "central".

There’s a great atmosphere and the amenities are of a high standard.The place gets very busy and it pays to arrive soon after 1200. As it fills up, boats of all shapes and sizes are rafted up, squeezed in and huddled together. This all adds to the ambiance. I love the place. As in all the marines I had visited, the harbourmaster was exceedingly helpful and a master at using the last piece of water to squeeze in just one more boat!

Fri 28/6/19

A day used to clean the boat, do some minor jobs and stock up with food and provisions before the clan arrived. I hired a bike from the central station in an attempt to fit in with the locals. I got some relief from the cleaning duties as these welcome visitors arrived.