In the afternoon, we headed to Lake Jentje, where we enjoyed sitting on a dock in the sun. We had brought our own little motorboat, so we took the kids for a nice little cruise around the ponds. The next day, we did some boating in Joure, where there are also good showers. It’s another beautiful day with plenty of sunshine.
We crossed via the Princess Margriet Canal, Follegasloot, and Lake Tjeukemeer. Starting at Echtenerbrug, the bridges opened as usual around noon, as did the lock, so we were able to sail straight through to Ossenzijl in one go. It’s a great spot for the kids, too—swings, a grassy field for soccer, and good showers and power outlets. The next day, we headed via Steenwijk—where an acquaintance joined us on board—to the Walengracht, where we enjoyed relaxing in the sun. On Saturday, we visited Giethoorn and stayed at De Zuiderkluft marina, a very nice place to moor.
On Sunday, I dropped off my friend in Steenwijk again. It’s a nice marina with good shower, power, and laundry facilities. On Monday morning, we did some boat shopping and left on time for Friesland. Since the bridges stayed open all the way to and including the Tjeukemeer, we were back at the Jentjemeer in 5 hours and were able to do some fishing there and take a little boat out for a spin. Tuesday was a rainy day, so we decided to go to Langweer; we explored the village there and played some games on board. On Wednesday, we went to Sneek and enjoyed a stroll through the city; in the evening, we sat outside under the awning and watched all the activity in the city.The next day we went to Joure; on the third Thursday in September, there’s a horse market there, a tug-of-war, a market in the shopping street, and a fair. So there was plenty to do. On Friday, we returned the boat.
It was a fantastic vacation; 1.5 weeks of beautiful weather—except for one day—and then we headed home feeling well-rested. Thank you, Alexander and everyone at Wetterwille, for everything! We hope to see you next year!
Dates: Monday, September 15 through Friday, September 25, 2008
Route: Terherne–Jentjemeer–Joure–Langstaaterpoelen–Ossenzijl–Giethoorn–Steenwijk–Walengracht–Steenwijk–Jentjemeer–Langweer–Joure and Terherne
Boat: Gruno 1180 AK Bertina
Jan, Jetske, Rick, and Stefan Buitjes, Schiermonnikoog
