Seafaring has been of particular importance to the Dutch for centuries. This bond and tradition is reflected today in the flat bottom ships on the IJsselmeer. But it doesn't always have to be a vacation on this traditional boat, which today is more about school trips than the transport of goods and freight. Boating holidays on a modern sailing ship - with or without a skipper - are just as popular here and offer all the comforts of today's travel.
Rent a yacht in Holland and get to know Dutch port cities that have world-famous names. Take Hoorn, for example, which today lies on the diked Markermeer and gave its name to the dreaded Cape of Storms. Haarlem is not just a district of New York, but was founded by Dutch immigrants from this city. The Jongert shipyard is based in Medemblik, from where it delivers its much-admired luxury yachts. So there is a lot to discover!
The port of departure for every sailing trip with Scansail is Lemmer. From there, you can choose from a variety of sailing yachts for rent, with which you can, for example, go to the destinations Enkhuizen, Medemblik or Stavoren.
The distances on the IJsselmeer are pleasantly short and easy to manage even for beginners. The distance from coast to coast is just ten nautical miles on average. The longest stretch, around 30 miles, is between Kornwerderzand, the lock to the mudflats in the northeast, and Lelystad on the eastern passage of the Houtribdeich, which splits the area into two parts. The route can be mastered in six hours with a reasonable wind.
Those who want to stay longer in the southern part can moor in Durgerdam on the east bank. If you don't mind nightly frog concerts, you will find peace and seclusion in Durgerdam. From here, nearby Amsterdam can be easily reached by bus, and a trip to Hollands Waterland, a nature reserve, is worthwhile by bike. The great flood of 1421 left a strange landscape here. The groundwater reaches to the grass roots and collects in countless ditches and pools.
If you are looking for a jump onto clear water from the IJsselmeer, the blow would have to lead north, to the ports of the Holland peninsula. Perhaps, however, the "White Horse of Marken", the lighthouse of the former island of Marken, will be left lying on the port side. Dispensing with the somewhat rancid charm of Volendam, the equally fine and overcrowded Renaissance town of Hoorn ticks off and runs the twenty miles to Enkhuizen.
Charter a yacht: From Holland to Friesland
If you want to avoid the hustle and bustle in Enkhuizen and Hoorn, you should switch from the province of Holland to the province of Friesland on the east side of the IJsselmeer. With Hindeloopen, Workum and Makkum near the final dike, there are enough daily destinations. If the return of the boat is urgent, the decision should be made in favor of Stavoren. The rather inconspicuous entrance to the Oude Haven is marked by four huge beach villas. They will soon be included in the manuals as landmarks. A row of red houses was also built out of the ground on the south side of the old port. Smitstraat, a popular strolling street, with its clique shops is mutating more and more into a posh restaurant mile for sailboat tourists. In between is the Oranjehuis, one of the most beautiful treasure troves for special nautical antiques on the IJsselmeer. The berths score with modern supply facilities.
The week on the rented yacht will probably be over when Stavoren is reached. But maybe the crew felt like eating miles and a day or two are left of the vacation budget. Time enough for a little trip to the Wadden Sea. Out on the free North Sea: current navigation, good swell, but also the endless beaches of the North Sea islands with their old fishing ports are waiting.
If time is really short, Texel is recommended as a close destination. Oudeschild is only nine miles as the crow flies from Den Oevers Schleuse on the west side of the dike. Despite the swerve to the west that the tidal fairway forces, the route can be made in three hours. The island port is located on the green edge of the mainland. It is a few kilometers to the breathtaking beach. But that's not a problem. The fiets, bicycles, are taken care of by the nice master of the new guest harbor. And who knows: Perhaps such a short detour to the Watt will make you want to go on the next Holland cruise.