Week 34

 Week 34 In Dokkum

In a culture devoid of moral education, generations are growing up in a morally inarticulate, self-referential world. (just something I read somewhere - I'd probably add "with their heads stuck in a mobile phone" - but we're all guilty of that these days).

Monday and Tuesday seemed to be all about packing - Cheryl to go home and us to get ready to head off to Dokkum again for the Admiraliteitsdagen Festival. Cheryl ended up buying a new suitcase as her ticket allowed two x 23kg - she had stuff of hers from last year and stuff from Alexander and Maddy - she was really loaded up when we said goodbye at the 0733hrs train...

It was a masterstroke to get a slightly earlier train that went all the way to Schiphol - so she at least didn't have to lug everything from platform to platform along the way.

We went straight to the boat and were underway by 0745hrs...

at Akkrum by 0900hrs on the dot for the first bridge opening and then into the Kromme Knillis and the Prinses Margriet Canal...

We had Agnes and Boeke with us...

We stopped on the way to let Boeke out...

We also stopped at Ebert's Nest for fuel. I had stopped there with Cheryl and so I was able to get an accurate reckoning of the fuel use - 86 litres for 30 hours. = 2.8 litres per hour @ 1800rpm and a (normal) speed of 9.5km/hr.

I had an interesting discussion with Janny - I think I have known it for years - in the big boat that we used to have, the draught was a little bit more, say 1m compared with 90cm for Jacoba. We had occasion that it was quite noticeable in shallow water - ie the Turf Route of the time (2003) - that we would go slower and even feel a little buffeted from underneath.

I don't think I have thought about it since then. The Turf Route has since been dredged out to 1.5 metres, to allow for more boats and all of our other travels have been "normal" - except for one time in 2016 (showing Robin the boat) when I touched bottom when cutting corners - I don't do that anymore!

Anyway, Janny was steering along the last leg into Dokkum and she noticed that we were only going at 8km/hr instead of the 9+ that we had been doing for the last 5 hours...

...so I looked it up for a technical explanation...

Yes, boats generally go slower in shallow water due to increased resistance, the Bernoulli effect, and wave effects. The proximity of the seabed causes faster water flow and lower pressure under the hull, a phenomenon known as "squat," which increases drag and resistance. Additionally, the boat's own wave system becomes more sensitive to depth, creating a "hump" of increased resistance at certain speeds.

And so to Dokkum. Again, we were lucky to get a spot - not our favourite, but still close to the toilets and with power.

Janny arranged a lift back to Wijnjewoude with Ankie (who lives in Dokkum) - to pick up our car and a few "extras".  We are on an electricity pole that charges €3,00 per day, so we picked up our electric jug and an induction hotplate - just to spoil ourselves. Cheryl and I found that we only used €1,22 for 2 days - just charging phones and tablets.

We had rain on Thursday, but Friday was fine all day - the forecast for next week is not that good - I think we have only had ONE dry Admiraliteitsdagen Festival - but the show goes on...

I had been concerned that it was already too busy with boats - but they have been coming and going as usual - except for a few that have reserved a spot (simply by mooring the boat). The people will come back next week.

The boats (and people) come in all shapes and sizes...and yes, a few weirdo's no doubt...

Coming towards us...

Obviously cost megabucks... they had a website prominently displayed. I looked it up as I thought it may have been about the boat...but they are some sort of tele-evangelicals (boat-evangelicals?) or some other creepy "good news" folks. I imagine they make their money from true believers - I didn't do the "click to enter" to find out....

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A bit more normal...

Canadian flag

Raining

SUPping

Sister ships

Two x Bommelaer 52. One of the boats in this photo is the Sethe - featured in a website I found. It is 14.99 metres long - so no boat licence is required (in the Netherlands). They are not made anymore - but the price was €538,000. I've always been a little bit in awe - so many boats and so much money...

A cool million just in this photo...

A big chunky catamaran called Sea Hunter - without it's mast

...and this one moored next to us at €650,000 - Janny took their line as they came in - the woman said "I just have a new knee" (and a new boat) so she doesn't have to jump off anymore...

The "special" boats are starting to come in for the Festival...

The music stage being built...

Cheryl, Ben and Piper all safely home - just Alexander and Georgia to go...

Janny and I are home also at the moment catching up on end-of-the-month paperwork...and I have another hospital visit tomorrow. We'll pick Ben up from Heerenveen later this afternoon...so it all fits in nicely.