Middenmeer proved to both pleasant and affordable. So we stayed even for four(!) nights, be it that we moved on the Tuesday to the opposite bank where it was even more comfortable than the initial mooring-spot. ‘More comfortable’ in the sense that the trees offered permanent shadow, without the need to move chairs. That’s more than welcome when one has to ‘fight’ the first heatwave of this summer.

The attentive observer might have noticed a person sitting in the shade beside our little ship. Here she is, together with her sweet young dog.

Middenmeer-town was not all that exciting. Nevertheless, next to its harbour a snack-bar was situated with the unthinkable name ‘Jan Patat’ (= John Fries). Ha! There’s presumably and obvious. This one is categorised in the obvious-league.

At long last we left Middenmeer on Thursday the 27th of June at 11:13AM. On the way we hoped to find an acceptable space – more specifically tailored to dog-needs, an accessible shore being an important one. Alas we had to continue as there was nothing acceptable to be found along the chosen course. We decided to phone Den Helder’s W.S.V. (watersportclub) ‘Onrust’ because they charge just € 1,-- per metre. The problem was the published maximum boat-length. Well, we were warmly welcomed. The harbour-master explained us where to go, too. Yippee! Unfortunately we made the mistake to take one bifurcation too early – ending up in front of a low, immovable, bridge. This picture is a view from this bridge. As this canal is too narrow to turn, we were forced to go back all the way in reverse. Easy enough. (Ahum.)

We cruised ever so slowly in reverse that afternoon, until the harbour-master appeared and advised us to call it a day and moor at the position we had reached at that moment. That was around halfway the entire length we were forced to do. Therefore this has been our position in Den Helder for two nights. We switched off the engine at 4:42PM, a pee break on the way for the dog included.

On the Friday the three of us had an extensive walk in Den Helder. There’s a lot to be seen, especially for some-one interested in the boating scene. This picture is an example of Den Helder’s atmosphere.

While in Den Helder, we bought little flags of the provinces of Noord-Holland (on top right), Zuid-Holland (low on the left) and Utrecht (on top left). Low on the right is a, here invisible, pennon related to our winter-mooring spot, being Amersfoort’s Eemhaven. For your information, the order of importance is (1) on top right, (2) on top left, (3) low on the right and (4) low on the left. We are now in Noord-Holland, thence the position of its flag.

Den Helder was left on Saturday the 29th of June at 2:43PM, when the engine was started and we did the remaining part of the cruising-in-reverse drill. At 4:46PM the engine was switched off again – and we live, for the time being, on the Noordhollandsch Kanaal next to a village called ‘t Zand. At arrival there was no space for us. A friendly co-boater moved his boat forward. We fitted exactly in, our female driver forcing to perform a top-job.

A picture of our position, as seen from ‘t Zand’s vlotbrug.