May 4th 2019
Today we’re taking things slow. The hailstones and rain were creating a tantrum on the deck. Not a particularly fine day for outdoor activities, but a good day to get some work done. In between hailstorms we went out to get some groceries and Jeroen made his signature dish; a delicious roasted tomato soup. The perfect comfort food for the cold weather.
It was time to think about the next passage. After Leiden the ‘Staande mast route’ separates in two directions: we could either choose to go through Haarlem or through Amsterdam.
Both options have their advantages and disadvantages. The Amsterdam route is shorter, but you have to traverse the city in convoy by night. Haarlem meant sailing in convoy from Sassenheim -a town you pass through directly after Leiden- to the entrance of the North Sea canal after Haarlem. The convoy isn’t the problem as such, but it leaves early in the morning from Sassenheim because of the railroad bridges you have to negotiate. Because you start early in the morning the passage is during day time, but you have to pay for the passage through Haarlem.
But although we have bought a pilot for the Staande mast route and the many sources you can find online that provide information about this route, it’s rather annoying that none of them are conclusive and many sources are downright confusing or provide false information. It’s hard to find exact times for crucial bridge openings, maps of the inner city waterways of Haarlem and Amsterdam, how the convoy works, and who to contact if you have questions. There is particularly sparse information on the Haarlem route.
After much deliberation we were still not sure which one to choose, so we decided to make a decision tomorrow evening.