Amsterdam to Dunkirk

Amsterdam

From the bucolic Dutch countryside, we threw ourselves into Amsterdam city life headfirst. (Wearing masks, of course, and our first time wearing masks on a daily basis in over a year.) Our base for the week was Amsterdam Marina which is located across the river from the city center, but only a 10 minute free ferry ride to the central train station. The marina is located in a rapidly developing part of town that is turning the post-industrial landscape into a rugged, urban decay/street art, hipster neighborhood. Cafes, ice cream stands, and bakeries are scattered in and around massive old industrial buildings, one of which houses a graffiti museum. We didn’t go, partly because they were charging almost 20 euro admission to see something which is, inherently, free and visible on any underpass, bridge, or side of a building. The museum influenced the neighborhood, or vice versa, as street art (graffiti) adorned nearly every surface. 

Our impetus to stop over in Amsterdam was to spend time with our friends from Philadelphia, Hester and Ian, and their two kids Mila and Boris. Hester and I met in a park in Philly when Freja was one and Mila was a month or two old. Hester was new to the city and I didn’t have very many mom friends and we immediately clicked. We hadn’t seen each other in over four years so the kids naturally didn’t remember each other; but that didn’t stop them from becoming fast friends. Just like the old days—hanging out in parks, chatting while the kids played, coffee shops, late dinners with kids watching a movie, and sleepovers for the kids, of course!

                                    

We spent an afternoon at the botanical gardens.
They had a fantastic scavenger hunt activity for the kids that kept them engaged and challenged.

Fancy Swedish happy hour onboard s/v Positive Waves

Sleepover shenanigans

Ice cream with Hester

Amsterdam kept reminding me of Mexico City. There were so many outdoor cafes, balconies and patios adorned with flower boxes, and funky little shops and boutiques with barely any chain stores to be found (except one street that we avoided). But more than the infrastructure, Amsterdam and Mexico City seemed to share a creative energy and spirit. Fashion choices were unique and fun, so many people were out walking and biking, lounging in parks and having a drink or a coffee at a street side cafe. I left with this overall feeling that things were happening in Amsterdam; that the city is alive and busy and full of potential. Nothing seemed static or boring or typical. And, like our experience the previous week in the countryside, everyone is so friendly!

Obligatory tourist photos

A floating neighborhood.

A little bohemian corner of the marina...ducks as pets!

Traditional dutch houseboats with the new glass & steel neighborhood across the canal.

Sketching at the Maritime History museum.

Checking out the replica tall ship.

Before leaving the Netherlands, we took a side trip to Haarlem with Hester & Ian, and Hester's dad Frans. Frans has a lifetime of Dutch canal experience so it was fun to have him aboard for a little trip down a canal, traversing through opening bridges and a lock. We put the sails up for a quick minute before the sky turned black and gusted to over 40 knots on the nose. Drop the sails, engine on!

Hans opining about something or other....

Hester's giving Hans the benefit of the doubt; Ian seems a little more dubious.

Two goofballs spying on us in the cockpit.

Haarlem by dinghy

Waiting in IJmuiden

After a busy week where we all recharged our social batteries (especially important for the kids since they haven’t played with English speaking kids since May), we headed out of Holland’s inland seas to the port of IJmuiden to wait for weather to sail west to Treguier. The winds had blown solidly out of the southwest for almost three weeks and there didn’t seem to be any end (or any north or east) in sight. But after a couple nights we saw a tiny break in the winds. Unfortunately not in wind direction, but at least they seemed to be moderating to under 10 knots for a little over 24 hours. We figured we’d jump on it and at least motor west so we could make some miles toward our goal.

A sunny beach day in IJmuiden

HURRAH! We're out of the inland sea and onto the real North Sea!

Motoring to Dunkirk

AIS targets milling around the entrance to Rotterdam and looking like they're completely clogging river. Some of these ships are the uber-super-hyper tankers that are upwards of 400 meters long by 60 meters wide. (PW is 14 meters long by 4 meters wide.)

Popcorn! The perfect passage snack!

The after dinner show, courtesy of Freja.

As predicted, the winds got lighter and lighter until sunset when they completely died. The forecast showed some increase in winds from the southwest after midnight, but still in the light and variable category. No problem for motoring. We enjoyed a nice dinner in the cockpit (rice and veggie stirfry), Freja entertained us with song and dance (literally) and the girls settled into the v-berth for a passage sleepover (movie plus treats). Hans and I set-up our watch schedule and Hans took a nap for a few hours after dinner. While I was on watch the current picked up against us and our speed went from 8 knots or so (with current) to 2.5-3 knots (against current). When Hans went to sleep there was a flotilla of commercial ships anchored off Rotterdam and, I’m not kidding, it took almost three hours to get past them. He woke up and he still saw the same ships at anchor. I went to sleep around 22.00 hr/10PM with the seas glassy calm.

DUN-DUN-DUUUUUN….

Of course the wind picked up! Of course it picked up at a much higher intensity than forecast. And OF COURSE the current raged against us. From one in the morning until eight in the morning we motored at around 3 knots (that’s a slow jog) directly into wind and waves. Hans and I did our usual 3-4 hour watch schedule. Around 2am Matilda came out from the v-berth, hungry. HUNGRY!! I made her some ramen noodles and she sat in the doghouse with me watching for ships on the AIS and anything else on radar. We were pounding and waves were crashing over the bow and rolling back to the doghouse windows. UGH. I fell asleep again for a few hours then came back on watch a little before dawn. Hans took a few more hours at the helm, including the long channel into Dunkirk which goes between shifting sandbars. All clearly marked on the chart plotter, but I’m glad I wasn’t on watch to steer that section into head seas.

I was overjoyed when Hans stuck his head in Matilda’s cabin where I was sleeping and said, “Ok, we’re here, Dunkirk!” Thank god! I called the harbour master who directed us to the visitor’s pontoon and was waiting to meet us to help with the dock lines. She was very friendly and funny and a welcome greeting after over 7 hours of fighting wind and current. Before we opened the hatches and woke up the kids, I grabbed the dock’s freshwater hose and washed the decks and cockpit—everything was completely sodden with saltwater.

Within an hour of arrival, both kids had donned their French outfits and were snacking on croissants!