Thursday 4th August 2005 Hoogezand to Ten Boer.

Ship and tug at Hoogezand

11.9º C overnight. Sunny start, cloudy and showery drizzle later. Bill knocked to tell us he couldn’t find the Dutch couple. They weren’t answering at the factory or their house. Mike suggested he gave them another half hour and, if there was still no sign of them, we’d go. When he tried again they were at the house, they’d been working in their garden (I said perhaps they work in the garden when it’s fine and do their glass making when it’s rainy!) They had a look round Bill’s back cabin, but he was disappointed that he didn’t get an invite to

Bridge section of a ship. Hoogezand

have a look around inside the old church. Set off at 10.45 a.m. We winded and headed back to the Winschoterdiep. One bridge had to catch us at lunchtime, so we had an enforced stop from 12 until 1.00 p.m. at Waterhuizerbrug. I made a salad for lunch. We left again at 1.00 p.m. A tug and dredging pan had stopped too, the pan dropped one leg onto the bed of the canal and sat in the middle until the bridge opened. Into Groningen and turned right at the crossroads on the Eemskanaal. I went to get a key for the Damsterdiep, paying

A collection of tug boats

20€ deposit for it, from the keeper at Slochtersluis on the right hand side of the Eemskanaal. He took photos of the boat as we winded and headed over to the left side of the canal to the J.B. Bronssluis, which was DIY semi-automatic. Bill had pressed the button. The lock was filling with a new little sailing botter in it. The gates opened and the uphill boat left, but the red light stayed on for ages. There was a much needed dustbin on the lockside, we each deposited two full bags! I pulled the string at the back of

Waiting for JB Bronssluis to fill.

a ladder and we dropped down 1.9m. Now we were NAP –1.3m, below sea level. Two more boats were waiting below the lock to go up, a small tjalk and little cruiser. It was 3.00 p.m. when we set off along the 6kms dead straight first section of the Damsterdiep. I hopped off and worked the key operated electric push button swingbridge with manual barriers, by the café Jägmeister (which doesn’t give out keys anymore although the sign in the window gave four places in the village of Garmerwolde where they could be obtained). The next bridge, Boltbrug, was operated for us – much to our

Windmills at Boltbrug on the Damsterdiep

surprise – we still aren’t sure whether he was the keeper or just someone with a key! We stopped at 4.30 p.m. just beyond Ten Boer village, next to a busy road. The wind was blowing quite strongly and the canal was shallow at the edges, so I held the centre line while Mike knocked pegs in, then did the same while Bill moored Rosy. The junction with the Westwijtwerdermaar was a couple of hundred metres further on. The road was noisy with teatime traffic, it became much quieter later.

Click here for a map of today's journey