On the Move

At last! The exterior painting was finished on Saturday, so after nearly two months in the Netherlands we were finally able to start cruising yesterday. Our fuel situation made things interesting right up to the end, to say the least.

Late last week, via a rather roundabout process, we were able to get 100 liters of diesel delivered to the boat. This was enough to get the engine started and enable the final electrical project to be completed, and we'd hoped it would also be enough to get us across the river to the fueling depot. Unfortunately, in a fuel tank our size, it turned out that 100 liters was barely enough--maybe--to cover the intake pipe that delivers fuel to the engine. Lon was concerned that any little thing could allow the end of the intake pipe to become partially or fully exposed when we started cruising, thereby letting air into the system and shutting the engine down. We did NOT want to start our day drifting in the Julianakanaal with no engine power.

We made arrangements with Tinnemans to have a work boat with us as a kind of insurance policy should Lon's concerns become reality. As it turned out, Jan Tinnemans decided that it would be best to simply tow us to the fueling station. So that's what was done.

Jan Tinnemans (with Lon) and his son Sem (in the small
boat) moving us to the fuel dock

Last look at our "home" for the past few weeks

The fueling itself was straightforward, but the "cash only" policy was not. We'd been forewarned, however, and so we'd been acquiring cash for several days prior. I can attest that it hurts more to hand over a thick wad of bills than it does to use a credit card. 

A few days prior to departure we cycled to the Linne Lock, located just a few kilometers from Maasbracht, and the first of what would be three locks to get through on our first day of cruising. It's helpful to have advance knowledge of lock layout, availability of waiting quays, etc. Cruising has enough surprises as it is, so a little advance scouting can lower anxiety levels. Our route took us through the small town of Heel.

Anyone want a fixer-upper? The Kasteel van Heel (this wing
from 1686 and 2 side wings from about 1750) needs a little TLC

The chapel on the castle grounds, the only thing left of the 
monastic buildings after demolition in 2012

Lon ponders our route out of Heel

We thought that the cruising route on the Maas that skirted Roermond and the lakes south of that town would be more scenic than a bypass canal used by the commercial barges. However, after having to deal with two long lockages (one-and-a-half hours to get through the Linne Lock and one hour to get past the Roermond Lock) for less-than-inspiring scenery, we would probably take the bypass canal were we to do the route again.

After waiting for nearly an hour, the upstream-bound traffic
finally cleared the Linne Lock

Happy to finally be in the lock, but then we had to wait
another 20-25 minutes for all the downstream bound
traffic to enter

The Dutch appear to enjoy camping as much as the French. It's not quite "getting away from it all"

Lakes are just visible beyond the river banks. The Roermond skyline is in the distance

After the Roermond lock it was lovely, stress-free cruising. The weather was sunny and in the low 70's, our new bimini did its job flawlessly and made us incredibly thankful it had been on our list of boat projects to accomplish, and we had no waiting on our third (and last) lock of the day.

The ruins of the Kasteel de Keverberg in Kessel were reconstructed
in 2015 with a decidedly contemporary twist 

And just to remind us we're in the Netherlands . . . 

We are currently moored at a marina near the town of Venlo. The fueling and lock delays yesterday meant that we didn't arrive until nearly 5 p.m., so we are taking the day today to do some sightseeing in the area and will continue our cruise north tomorrow. Because we have AIS (automated identification system) on the boat, anyone with an interest can find our physical location by logging into www.vesselfinder.com and searching for us by boat name--C.A.R.I.B. III--and don't forget the periods!

Finally, pass through any Dutch neighborhood this time of year and you're likely to see the following on some of the residences:

The Dutch flag and a backpack

The same, hanging from a Tinnemans
crane

In a Dutch tradition that probably started in the 1950's, flags and backpacks (and sometimes things like notebooks) are displayed to announce that a Dutch student has passed their final high school exams and will graduate.