Report from Tuesday, May 14, 2013
From Dokkum to Franeker: let’s not bring up old issues…
This morning, as we had planned, we took a short walk around Dokkum first. We decided to have a hearty lunch so that we can easily continue our journey later if we want to. We’re planning to sail back a bit along the Dokkumer Ee first, and then turn off at Bartlehiem toward Franeker via the new waterway, which has been completely widened and deepened. This route is part of the Elfsteden Route and leads to what is popularly known as “the hell of the north.” I hope it won’t be quite that bad for us…
On this route, we’ll also pass through two locks, which we’ll have to operate ourselves. Since I’ve never done this before, I’m not quite sure if it’ll go smoothly. The idea of sailing a new route and passing through the locks adds a bit of excitement to this afternoon.
We’ll be leaving Dokkum around two o’clock. Just like yesterday, it’s very quiet on the Ee. That’s not surprising given how early in the year it is, but you can also tell that the bad weather we’ve had all spring has kept a lot of people at home. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced it this quiet before!
Yesterday, I spotted a supermarket in Birdaard. It had an entrance right along the bank of the Ee. It’s really convenient—and also a lot of fun—to pull up there for a quick stop to get groceries. Just step right into the supermarket from the boat! A real “drive-by” supermarket!
After picking up the necessary groceries (with an ice cream on the side as a little treat—after all, it’s vacation)—we continue on toward Bartlehiem. Even though the weather isn’t anything to write home about, it’s still a beautiful route to sail. In towns like Birdaard and Bartlehiem, you’ll find all kinds of beautiful old (but sometimes also very unique new) houses that are definitely worth seeing. So it’s with a bit of “regret” that we turn off near Bartlehiem onto the new route toward Franeker.
The route gets off to a nice start. It may be a bit barren and flat, but the natural landscape here is truly beautiful and unspoiled. What’s more, the sun peeks out now and then, making everything look even more beautiful. We regularly spot all kinds of meadow and water birds, harriers, and in the distance, a deer runs through the landscape. We do notice, however, that there’s quite a bit of construction material lying along the banks of the canal, and as we continue on, it seems to be increasing.
After about five kilometers, it becomes clear what the cause is. Although the trail opened a few weeks ago, the sides are still far from “finished.” I think it will take a few years before there’s nice vegetation here and the same unspoiled effect is achieved as at the start of the route, which was probably renovated some time ago.
As for the depth and width of the waterway, I get the impression that the Tigris is just barely too big for this section. It should be noted that it’s completely quiet today (we haven’t encountered any other boats), which of course makes navigating the route a bit easier. In some sections, passing an oncoming boat the same size as the Tigris would have been quite difficult. The channel is about twice the width of our boats and very shallow, so the suction in that case could have been quite problematic.
In some places, you can clearly see how the modifications were made. We see a bridge that used to be low above the water, where a steel structure was simply placed under the sides and “bricked in.” Not exactly my idea of a neat finish, but as long as we can pass underneath it, that’s good enough!
Sometimes it’s really tight. I once measured a difference of about 3 centimeters. So you really have to be careful when passing under a bridge that seems just high enough. Suppose the water level happens to be just a little higher than usual…
The first lock we have to pass is the Anita Andriesen Lock, located at Oude Leije.
Operating it is much easier than we expected. It’s just a matter of pressing the call button, waiting for the green light to come on and the red light to go off, and then entering the lock. You follow the same routine again to exit the lock. Once you press the button, it all happens automatically… It all goes pretty smoothly, though I can imagine that during busy times it might be a bit more difficult here. We had passed through the lock in 10 minutes.
On the way to the second lock, we pass a viaduct where an artist has let their creativity run wild on the walls. It’s nicely done, and you immediately learn a bit about the history of the “Tour of Tours.”
On the right-hand side is a painting of the 1941 race winner, Auke Adema. On the other side, the duo Piet Kleine and Henk Angenet are depicted. However, I don’t think the year listed here is correct. Wasn’t that the race from ’97? Fun and informative!
After taking a few photos, we continue on our way. About a kilometer further on, we literally run into a cow that had wandered a little too close to the water’s edge and ended up in the canal. When the animal sees us, it tries to move a little, but it’s clear there’s no way out. And of course, there’s not a soul in sight anywhere nearby…
Don’t look at me like that! I don’t know how this happened either…
Of course, you can’t just leave an animal like that to fend for itself. We call 112 and are transferred to the fire department. After explaining the situation, it’s clear where the animal can be found. Because the cow keeps getting restless whenever we stay nearby—and this causes her to sink faster—we decide to keep going. That’s hard to stomach, though, because the look she gives us as we drive away is truly heartbreaking.
It’s starting to rain harder and harder. Just as we’re passing the Wierstersyl lock in Wier, the police call with questions about the exact location where we saw the cow (I received a total of six calls before the animal was finally found), so Tina has to fend for herself for a moment. Of course, this happens just as we’re entering the lock…
We finally arrive in Franeker around 9:30. With all the delays, it turned out to be quite a journey. But it was one with a happy ending. The fire department calls us one last time to let us know that the rescue operation was a success and the cow is back in the farmer’s barn. Three cheers for the first responders! (And maybe one for ourselves, too.)
Period: May 10, 2013, to May 17, 2013
Route: Dokkum – Bartlehiem – Oude Leije – Wier – Franeker
Boat: Simmerskip 900 Tigris
Martien and Tina van Vuuren
