Friday 11th - Sunday 13th June 2004 Nieuwolda to Langebrug.

Friday 11th June 2004 Nieuwolda to Langebrug.

Zwaaagsterklap liftbridge - photo by Jaap Elevelt

15.7° C Windy, sunny spells, white scudding clouds plus a few grey ones. Heavy showers during the night. Set off back down the Termunterzijldiep at 9.15 a.m. following Rosy. After we’d gone through ‘t Waar I made a cuppa. Two cruisers saw us coming, untied and pulled out right in front of Bill at Nieuwe Scheemda. We followed them and caught up at the first of the two movable bridges. They were having trouble with the swingbridge, Tichelwaardsdraai, so we hovered under the busy A7 motorway bridge. One cruiser went through, then we followed, leaving the other cruiser’s crew to close the bridge. The woman off the other cruiser lifted the Zwaagsterklap liftbridge, which meant we were both in front of the cruisers. I said to Bill when we got to the lock that I felt a bit guilty at having the lock when they were in front. 

t'Waar - photo by Rens van Stralen

He said I shouldn’t as they had rushed to get out in front of him and swung out almost across his bows to be first, which had now backfired on them. One of the skippers came up on the lockside and asked how long our boats were. The lock was only 25m long by 6m wide, so they had no chance of locking with us. I walked on to lift the bridge on the bend. The lock filled and the gates opened, but Bill had trouble getting his key out, so he swopped keys with the bloke off the cruiser. They were heading for Groningen - the opposite direction to us. Bill went through the bridge, then Mike followed him and picked me up. We carried on to join the Winschoterdiep, turning left into Scheemda. It was 11.30 a.m. as we dropped ropes round bollards at Eexterbrug to wait for the keeper. 

t'Waar - photo by Yvonne Quispel

We expected him to be on his lunch break and I went in to make a sandwich. Ten minutes later he arrived with a boat coming from the opposite direction. He let us through before lowering the bridge when there was no sign of movement on Rosy. We couldn’t raise Bill, so Rosy remained on the far side of the bridge until 1.00 p.m. Bill had been listening to the cricket on Radio Four (probably with headphones on). After lunch the keeper returned and let Bill and a cruiser through Eexterbrug. He kept the cruiser waiting to go through the next two bridges, Graaf Adolfbrug and Kloosterbrug, but it was well ahead of us at Beertsterbrug (the busy road bridge into Winschoten) so he let them through the bridge and closed it after them, reopening it again for us when we arrived five minutes later. 

Be Burcht at Wedde - photo by Frits Knappen

The wind was blowing very hard as we caught up with the cruiser again, who was waiting for the railway swingbridge to reopen after lunch at 2.00 p.m. Mike put the bows into the wind and we waited. No trains this time and the bridge swung to let us through at 2.10 p.m. The cruiser turned off right down the Pekel Aa and we went on to drop down Bulsterverlaat diy lock and turned right under the low bridge on to the Westerwoldse Aa. We moored next to the old quay at Langebrug at 3.30 p.m. and Mike went off on the moped to collect the car. A small cruiser went past just after we’d tied up, ideal to test our mooring lines. The news was full of former US president Ronald Reagan’s funeral in Washington (he’d died at the age of 93 after succumbing to Alzeimer’s disease in his later years) and also Labour’s huge losses in the local elections in England. A couple of blokes had arrived by car earlier in the evening and set up to fish on opposite banks of the canal right by the boat - they didn’t pack up and leave (noisily) until midnight.

Saturday 12th June 2004 Langebrug.

11.3° C The weather was getting colder again. Heavy showers, with brief sunny spells later in the afternoon. Mike was undecided on whether to go to the library in Winschoten on the moped or go in the car. He spoke to Bill, who also wanted to go to the library, so they went in the car. He was glad that they did, as it started to pour with rain five minutes after they left. I got on with the chores. They were back at lunchtime having spent some time in Praxis (DIY) and had called in Wedde to look at the mooring at the end of the navigable Westerwoldse Aa. We’d had a confirmation e-mail from World Wide Telecom with the dial up numbers for their callback service. After lunch Mike took Bill to have a look at a junk shop Bill had spotted on the B.L.Tijdens Kanaal near Bellingwolde. Bill came back with a book and a postcard. Mike tried using the new callback system to ‘phone Mum and Dad and got their answering machine – just our luck when we wanted to test the new system. I made Indonesian fried rice with chicken for dinner.

Sunday 13th June 2004 Langebrug.

Aerial view of Bourtange - photo by Amauri Brandalise

12.1° C Grey and chilly with a cold wind blowing. Set off just after 10.00 a.m. in the car to visit Bourtange, a fortified border village, as Mike and Bill had been told that they fire a cannon at midday on Sundays. Parked the car (vehicles are not allowed in the village) and had a walk around the inside battlements of the star shaped fortress. Bill had brought Fanny and she had a good time chasing her tennis ball up and down the inside slopes of the earthworks. Bill tested (well, not literally, he sat on one of the seats) a reproduction gardrobe - a toilet shed with seats and holes over the moat. When we got back to the residential area, a stall was being set up in the middle of the village square which had a notice that said that the firing of the cannon would be at 15.00 - 3 p.m. Mike said we’d come back next Sunday! We went to have a look at the moorings. We called at the junkshop, Curioso, on the way back. Mike and I went in for a look round while Bill stayed outside with Fanny (the woman in the shop said he could have brought her inside as they had dogs too). 

Bourtange - photo by glamgrids

The junkshop was a in a large shed next to a house facing the canal. They had all sorts of old junk and some nice bits of collectible stuff. Bill had been tempted the day before by an old brass blow lamp, but they wanted 35 Euros (about £23) for it and it was not guaranteed to work. Mike gave up (he’s not a shopper and certainly not a fan of junk shops, unlike me) and went to chat to Bill. I bought a small plain white cream jug with Maastricht on the base for 3€ and a Bitburger stone beer mug for 1€ (thought it would make a nice present for Ray when we go back to GB next). Back home for lunch. Engine and Markon on and did some washing. First load for Bill, then two loads for us, pre-soaked jeans then whites. Mike went for nap and I did the ironing. He’d missed the qualy for the Canadian Grand Prix, by misreading the time on the programme guide, thought it was midday and it must have been midnight. He watched some American Nascar racing and then cricket. I mended a pair of my jeans. Cooked an apple pie with a Dutch pastry mix. The oven was on so I put sausages and some pork in the oven too and did veg to go with them for dinner. Custard with the hot apple pie for afters. The football competition Euro 2004 was being held in Portugal. Mike watched  England playing the cup holders France. We were winning 1 - 0 until the last two minutes of injury time when Zinedan scored two goals for France to win 2 - 1! 

Wednesday 9th & Thursday 10th June 2004 Nieuwolda - Termunterzijl - Nieuwolda.

Wednesday 9th June 2004 Nieuwolda - Termunterzijl - Nieuwolda.

Sheveklap liftbridge - photo by Wout van Groenestijn

15.7° C a warm night. Cloudy, hazy sunshine and muggy. There were a few spots of rain as we watered up from the tap at the bar, moving the boats closer to the bridge to do so. I walked up to the liftbridge, Hamrikkerklap - an all electric liftbridge, and raised it. The men brought the boats through then Mike picked me up from the landing on the far side, which had been taken over by the restaurant who had covered it with tables and chairs. Bill worked the next bridge, Scheveklap - a lift bridge with manual road barriers. He took Rosy through and we followed and went on to do the next bridge, Wartumerklap, which was almost in Termunterzijl. 

Old lock at Termunterzijl - photo by Bill Davies

Two fishermen were fishing from the landing, but they moved off to let me pass to work the bridge. Again it had manual road barriers, well one and a half - they must have modified the bridge and removed one part of the barrier and not replaced it. A young man in a pickup opened the barriers after I’d lowered the bridge back down. He was pleasant but he must have been in a hurry. Most of the boats on the mooring in Termunterzijl were residents, so we found gaps between them at 12.15 p.m. I made some lunch while Mike chatted with a young couple who had come to admire the boat and ask the usual questions. 

Old lock at Termunterzijl - photo by Bill Davies

We had lunch and then I put the finishing touches to my doormat. Bill went to take the dog for a walk and photograph the lock on to the Dollard. When he came back he said there were some children swimming in the mud, they were black - beats your tame sand castles, he said! The havenmaster came with his money bag. Told him we weren’t staying overnight and he went away again. It was 2.00 p.m. and Bill said he’d seen everything there was to see, so we winded and set off back to Nieuwolda. It was 3.45 p.m. when we tied up again in exactly the same place under the trees except we’d turned round.

Thursday 10th June 2004 Nieuwolda.

Old lock at Termunterzijl - photo by Anthonie Verburgh

15.1° C Murky hazy sunshine, warmer. Heavy rain showers. We went shopping in Winschoten taking Bill with us to get groceries. Shopped at the Albert Heijn as before. Back at the boat at 12.30 p.m. Packed the groceries away and made some lunch. The Bank of England put the interest rates up another quarter percent! Hooray! Now it’s 4.5%. That’s two months in a row that they’ve raised the rates. We might get back to decent returns on our investments if they keep that up! (A big fat HAH! to that one from 2014!!) Mike and Bill went in the library in the village to use the Internet. We’d had nothing back from PangIT, so I agreed with Mike that we should give up on them and register with World Wide Telecomm’s callback service (same as Bill uses). He did and they said they would e-mail us back in 48 hours to confirm our acceptance. I sent a text to Peter (and woke him!) to ask how life as a top exec was suiting him. He was still working nights and said he might be able to have a sked on HF at the weekend as he’d got lots to tell us. Mike went with Bill to look at Mervyn’s Cadillacs. That was the Scotsman who lives in the village, a bus driver married to a Dutch doctor, who has two Caddys - one restored, the other undergoing restoration. There was a very heavy shower of rain just before 7.00 p.m.

Saturday 5th - Tuesday 8th June 2004 “De Dellen” to Nieuwolda.

Saturday 5th June 2004 “De Dellen” to Nieuwolda.

Termunterzijldiep windmill - photo by Dollard Route

11.2° C overnight. Grey and overcast when we set off at 9.15 a.m. but brightening up later. We went first, Rosy following. The bridges were all fixed ones but low, 2.5m, so the masts had to come off. The next mooring place marked on the chart (with what we had nicknamed a “Lollipop”) was at the village of Nieuwe Scheemda, a pleasant spot with a large lawn, several picnic tables, a bin and even a volleyball net! Made some tea  as we went round some interesting bends in the canal at ‘t Waar. At the beginning of the village of Nieuwolda, the first mooring staging had been occupied by a steel cruiser, which had tied up so that its stern deck access was level with a gangway to the bank, which meant he was virtually in the middle of the mooring. We motored on. A fisherman by the next bridge, Bostil, was a dummy. I liked that idea, a stuffed fisherman! 

Termunterzijldiep windmill - photo by Wout van Groenstijn

It was 10.30 a.m. when we tied up next to a sloping grassy bank, edged with wooden planking, backed by a small road (with parking) opposite a row of houses, just before the liftbridge, Hamrikkerklap. Bill took Fanny for a walk and went to explore the village. When he came back he and Mike had a chat with the chap who ran a café close by where we’d moored. He was also caretaker of the infant school and library, which were right next to where we were. They had internet too, but not available until Monday. Mike told him we’d be staying for a few days and the guy said we could have water from him if we’d got long enough hoses. We have. We shall do some washing tomorrow! Helped Mike unload the moped off the roof and he went to get the car. After dinner Mike went to find Bill and they went in the bar until 10.30 p.m. Harry, the barman, said he was closing early as had to get up at 4.30 a.m. because the locals were off on a fishing trip by coach and they always have coffee first before they go at 5.00 a.m.

 Sunday 6th June 2004 Nieuwolda.

Termunterzijldiep footbridge- photo by Jaap Elevelt

9° C Sunny spells. We went out in the car to look at the moorings at Termunterzijl. First we called in at the garage in Scheemda for some diesel. Prices seemed better at 81.5c/litre than others we’d seen recently which were nearer 90c (diesel was more expensive in Germany at upwards of 92c/litre, while petrol was cheaper). The mooring at Termunterzijl was practically full, probably as it was a warm sunny day and cruisers had come out for the day from marinas in Delfzijl. A notice stated that the haven master calls at 6.00 p.m. for mooring fees. We shan’t be staying! Mike asked someone who was passing how much they charged, they replied that they weren’t stopping until six to find out but most likely in the region of 65c/m, which would be 11,70 (£7.60) for us - that’s a lot just for tying up! Went to look at moorings marked on the chart in Delfzijl - there was nothing there. Continued into Appingedam. Found the moorings, they looked OK if a bit enclosed, surrounded by shops and houses. Back on the boat Mike ran the engine and I did some washing. Made a beef Stroganoff for dinner. The beef was a bit tough.

Monday 7th June 2004 Nieuwolda.

Nieuwolda - photo by  Sjaak Kempe

13.4° C Sunny spells. Mike went to the local Spa for some bread and I got on with the chores, more washing and ironing etc. Lunch. Finished the washing and Mike took Bill (who needed a cash machine and there wasn’t one in the village) with him into Winschoten to do some e-mails at the library. He’d had a reply to the one he’d sent to PangIT, which said a colleague would be dealing with his enquiries and would reply soon. Mike also found the Citroën dealers and got two nice new shiny brake discs for the ZX for 63 Euros (about £41). He was very surprised to have got them as he’d been expecting to have to place an order and wait for them. It was too late to start work on changing the brakes when he returned. Made chicken and pasta with a bottled sauce for dinner.

  

Tuesday 8th June 2004 Nieuwolda.

Nieuwolda Hamrikkerklap liftbridge - photo by Henk Binnendijk 

13° C Sunny spells, warmer. Mike set up his binoculars with a dark lens so we could see the transit of Venus as it made its six hour passage between the earth and the sun. He changed the ZX’s brake discs. Lunch. I finished knitting my string doormat, then edged it and made a wave pattern on it with lighter coloured string. It was noisy in the afternoon when school let out and the local kids started swimming in the canal by the liftbridge. I made chicken nuggets and chips for dinner. A small curly haired child knocked on the cabinside and went on down to Bill’s boat, messing with his bike (which was leaning against a tree but locked up) and laughing to his semi-idiot older friend. Ignored them and they went away. Mike had had trouble with a few mouthy ones on Sunday evening and he’d mentioned it to Harry, who had gone outside straight away and given them a lecture. He said that they don’t do that sort of thing in a small village where everyone knows them. Mike went in the bar with Bill, who didn’t stay long. A couple on a camping holiday on bikes arrived and they chatted with Mike. He was originally from Aston, Birmingham and she was Dutch, from Groningen, where they both now lived.