On the first Saturday of 2021, we cast off the ropes of the Baltic and began our journey to Deventer. The sun was shining, the wind was calm, and the Baltic sailed smoothly towards the Wadden Sea.
Although the trip from Harlingen to Deventer is ‘only’ 82 miles, we took three days for it. The route includes three locks, which often take about an hour each. And daylight in January is, of course, quite limited.
Across the Wadden Sea and IJsselmeer
On the first day, we sailed through the locks of Harlingen and Kornwerderzand to the harbor of Stavoren. It was a beautiful, calm day, during which we encountered a few sailboats that had spent New Year’s on the islands, but otherwise no one. In the afternoon, fog banks rolled in on the IJsselmeer, and we didn’t see the harbor of Stavoren until we were almost there.
The next day, we crossed the IJsselmeer again and headed for Enkhuizen. The Baltic currently has a draft of 2.30m, so we need to stay in the channel as much as possible. After a few hours, we changed course towards the Ketelbrug, and by late afternoon, we moored the ship at the IJsselkade in Kampen. For the first time in years, the Baltic lay sisterly among the charter ships patiently awaiting a new season.
Meandering Down the River
On the last day, we meandered along the IJssel while several cargo ships sped past us. With the city in sight, groups of family and friends stood scattered along the banks to welcome the Baltic. The final ‘obstacle’ on our journey was the Deventer lock. Once we had passed through it, it was just a few hundred meters to our new mooring for the coming months.
Watch the video of our trip with the Baltic below:
