The Netherlands
hi everybody hope you have had a good day.
Now people who know the Netherlands will be wondering why if we are heading for Belgium we are here in Hellevoetsluis.
We have come to a decision. It has not been an easy one because the Netherlands are lovely and the dutch people are just amazing. some of you may know that on the way across the channel to reach here we had a problem with our engine.
Mark and Petra did an amazing in the middle of the channel repair job. But on closer inspection in Ijmoiden , it was going to be an ongoing problem because of a design fault. Thanks to some great websites on BCM engines Mark got a better pulley system and up graded it.
But it still isn't " sweet" and he doesn't trust it. Breaking down in a commercial canal in the Netherlands is not a good idea. You can't just pull up get out and fix it.
So we are heading back to Walton. Petra is coming to get Mark and Lal. I shall be getting the ferry from the Hoek Van Holland to Harwich. with the cats. They have to go through customs to reenter Britain.
It has been a bit hellish trying to organise transport from Hellevoetsluis to Hoek Van Holland. Taxis don't take cats and Public transport is complicated.
Now i have been saying how lovely the dutch are and this just tops the bill.While in Walton we met some people from the Netherlands who had hired a boat and had been sailing on the british coast. Jan and Pauli were amongst them. They have been keeping up with the blog.
They are more than nice , they are genuinely good people. They have been sailing in Hellevoetsluis and have met up with us..
They cooked us a lovely meal which was much needed as we have been a bit wet and cold and to tired to make more than a basic effort at cooking [ Long live rice] And they have been a true godsend. Thanks to Jan pieter and Pauli I will make the ferry , and i know they are really going out of their way to do it.
I have always tried to live my life helping but not asking for help from others. Life is hard for everyone these days with enough problems of their own without having to help silly sods that get in a fix.
We are so very gratefull to them and will always be in their debt.
We would be up a certain creek without a paddle and that is for sure. They are a young married couple who work hard and are obviously very happy together . When i met them in Walton i just liked them straight away. never realising what an important part they would play in our adventure.
Our adventure will live on , this is not the end. Lal is going to have her engine sorted , some adjustments to her interior and hopefully a cockpit canopy fitted . This will give us some protection from the out of this world rain we have experienced.
And hopefully next spring we shall be off again. There is so much to see out there and we have so little time on this beautiful planet to see it.
I would suggest to people thinking about coming to the Netherlands that it is worth the trip. The maste stande route is abit tiresome with the bridges but it wouldn't have been if we had chosen a wiser time to come and had better weather. .
But the people here are just wonderful . their outlook on life is so much better than in Britain. They seem more settled in themselves and i know all places have problems and sad people , but here it just seems different. I have been truely humbled by the dutch and have a determination to follow their lead and be a better more contented person . Thankyou all of Holland for restoring my faith in humanity and making me strive towards being a better person.
FAREWELL FROM MARK KARIN TOM PATCH AND LAL
THANKYOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING.
i shall still be posting my blog as this is my diary too . goodnight everybody and sleep well
Now people who know the Netherlands will be wondering why if we are heading for Belgium we are here in Hellevoetsluis.
We have come to a decision. It has not been an easy one because the Netherlands are lovely and the dutch people are just amazing. some of you may know that on the way across the channel to reach here we had a problem with our engine.
Mark and Petra did an amazing in the middle of the channel repair job. But on closer inspection in Ijmoiden , it was going to be an ongoing problem because of a design fault. Thanks to some great websites on BCM engines Mark got a better pulley system and up graded it.
But it still isn't " sweet" and he doesn't trust it. Breaking down in a commercial canal in the Netherlands is not a good idea. You can't just pull up get out and fix it.
So we are heading back to Walton. Petra is coming to get Mark and Lal. I shall be getting the ferry from the Hoek Van Holland to Harwich. with the cats. They have to go through customs to reenter Britain.
It has been a bit hellish trying to organise transport from Hellevoetsluis to Hoek Van Holland. Taxis don't take cats and Public transport is complicated.
Now i have been saying how lovely the dutch are and this just tops the bill.While in Walton we met some people from the Netherlands who had hired a boat and had been sailing on the british coast. Jan and Pauli were amongst them. They have been keeping up with the blog.
They are more than nice , they are genuinely good people. They have been sailing in Hellevoetsluis and have met up with us..
They cooked us a lovely meal which was much needed as we have been a bit wet and cold and to tired to make more than a basic effort at cooking [ Long live rice] And they have been a true godsend. Thanks to Jan pieter and Pauli I will make the ferry , and i know they are really going out of their way to do it.
I have always tried to live my life helping but not asking for help from others. Life is hard for everyone these days with enough problems of their own without having to help silly sods that get in a fix.
We are so very gratefull to them and will always be in their debt.
We would be up a certain creek without a paddle and that is for sure. They are a young married couple who work hard and are obviously very happy together . When i met them in Walton i just liked them straight away. never realising what an important part they would play in our adventure.
Our adventure will live on , this is not the end. Lal is going to have her engine sorted , some adjustments to her interior and hopefully a cockpit canopy fitted . This will give us some protection from the out of this world rain we have experienced.
And hopefully next spring we shall be off again. There is so much to see out there and we have so little time on this beautiful planet to see it.
I would suggest to people thinking about coming to the Netherlands that it is worth the trip. The maste stande route is abit tiresome with the bridges but it wouldn't have been if we had chosen a wiser time to come and had better weather. .
But the people here are just wonderful . their outlook on life is so much better than in Britain. They seem more settled in themselves and i know all places have problems and sad people , but here it just seems different. I have been truely humbled by the dutch and have a determination to follow their lead and be a better more contented person . Thankyou all of Holland for restoring my faith in humanity and making me strive towards being a better person.
FAREWELL FROM MARK KARIN TOM PATCH AND LAL
THANKYOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING.
i shall still be posting my blog as this is my diary too . goodnight everybody and sleep well
Goodnight, your not giving up, just regrouping . Good tactical move. xxx
ReplyDelete