As mentioned last week we initially planned to leave Maarssen on Saturday the 11th of September. However, because of witnessing the carnival-like events on that evening, plus our habit of not sailing on Sundays (correspondence, blog), we only left on Monday the 13th at 8:33AM. Since we hadn't tanked drinking water since Gouda we were in a sort of desperate need of refilling our (huge) drinking water reservoir. The days before, while walking the dog, we noticed that the water tap was 'always' available. Not this particular morning however, as two huge boats loaded with wedding guests (or something alike) needed the landing stage where we had moored for refilling – because of maintenance elsewhere (or something alike). So we disappeared ‘with our tails between our legs’ – our water reservoir still partly empty. Eventually we moored up at 11:29AM in Loenen aan de Vecht. We forgot to make a picture but no panic!: see week 18 this year. We moored at more or less the same spot. Of course we walked the dog in this area (too). One of the highly interesting features here is the Mijndende Sluis (sluis =lock) between the river (Utrechtse) Vecht en Loosdrechtse Plassen (lakes, a huge water sports area within the province of Utrecht). We were told the Mijndense Sluis is the only bended lock in Europe.

Pretty/interesting Loenen was left after a 3 night stay on Thursday the 16th at 1:23PM. (There’s a good supermarket, Jumbo, in Loenen, you know.) After an uneventful cruise we stopped a bit over an hour later, at 2:30PM, close to Overmeer, nowadays a part of Nederhorst den Berg, we believe – or the other way around.

A scene that catched the eyes when walking the dog. Very Dutch. The sun is still colouring the clouds red – while the moon is already visible.

Also because dismounting from and returning on board was very inconvenient for the dog because of the difference in height between shore and ship (we needed an extra gangplank for the dog) we decided to leave the next day, Friday the 17th. Departure was at 11:08AM, arrival close to Nederhorst den Berg at 11:55AM. This is where we are now – we think for the 3rd time in (our) history.

The view to the west on the evening (8:10PM) of that same Friday. Our photo-camera (an ordinary, somewhat outdated, Android smartphone) is, btw, unable to catch the reality which is a lot more stunning than shown here.

Google Earth is a great help!

‘Here you see the loading crane of the coal trade-firm of the brothers Van Emmerik on the Reeweg. The crane stood on the foundations of a previously burned-down flour mill. This company supplied the entire village and surrounding area with fuel until the early 1960s. The unloading of the ships took a lot of manpower. In busy times this often went on day and night. The crane at least eased some of the hard work of a worker in the coal-industry. The employees will have found it a relief, but there was plenty of other heavy work left. Filling the coal sacks and further peddling to private individuals remained manual work. Such a bag weighed half a mud (35 kg). The crane has served for 30 years. It was scrapped in 1979.’ (Small details in the texts adjusted, ed.)

Nederhorst den Berg – when the Reevaart still cut through the village.