Going Dutch

For outsiders looking at a map of the Netherlands it would be easy to assume that sailing in yachts of any size primarily takes place only from a handful of ports on the North Sea coast, around the Frisian Islands in the north and in the shallow IJsselmeer and Markermeer inland seas.

However, once you sail in Dutch waters you appreciate the full extent to which sea-going yachts penetrate the country’s watery interior and just how deeply embedded boating is in the psyche of the population.

For instance, two years ago I enjoyed a November weekend sailing from Strijensas marina, in the Hollands Diep. This mile-wide channel is some 30 miles from open sea, but offers plenty of sheltered sailing in flat water with a choice of historic towns to visit and marinas at prices that make many swinging moorings in the UK look decidedly expensive.

‘The Dutch have one of the highest rates of boat ownership in the world, with almost one boat per 10 households’

And this isn’t just a one-off location – with more than 2,000 miles of navigable waterways, sailing takes place across the whole of the country.

It’s perhaps no surprise then that the Dutch have one of the highest rates of boat ownership in the world, with almost one boat per 10 households scattered across some 600 mostly inland marinas.

Classic Skûtsje and Tjalk sailing barges are still cherished and raced competitively, but the country is home to many of the world’s most), Maas and many more.