One of the coolest experiences I had this year was a sailing trip in Friesland. We drove from Maastricht to Leeuwarden so we could board our recently renovated zeilboot and sail towards the Waddenzee via the canals. Before sailing away, our schipper gave us a few safety instructions. Anytime he asked us to do something, we had to do it. Maneuvering the sails required two people for help. Enjoy the ride.

Sailing in Friesland (personal photograph)

While on the canals, we had to ask permission to pass several bruggen. Some opened up quickly while others made us wait; particularly bridges for trains or for major roads.

Once in Harlingen, we had to go through a sluis because the sea level was higher than the canal. To do this, you must first ask for permission. Once the partition opens, go in the sluis and secure the boat. When the water level is high enough, the second partition opens and you can continue sailing.

That night we anchored in Harlingen. Our boat was pretty fancy because we had a fully equipped kitchen (including a vatwasmachine), and we were able to prepare a delicious dinner. I was very surprised at the amount of sailboats that were anchored in Harlingen considering the weather wasn’t all that great. There were people from all over Europe sailing away and enjoying sea life.

The next day, we headed over to Terschelling and this time we actually sailed (we had used the motor throughout the canals). Between Harlingen and Terschelling, we could see dozens of other boats sailing towards the Waddeneilanden. We also saw zeeleeuwen.

Once in Terschelling, we anchored once again. Our first stop was to eat harring which we had to do quickly because the seagulls were ready to snatch it away. We also did a bit of waddelopen. I saw some videos online, and luckily what we did was nothing close to those.

After a glass of cava overlooking the Waddenzee, we rode around the island on rented bikes until we reached the Noordzee. Despite being such a small town, Terschelling had plenty of activities and a very decent nightlife with bars filled with people from all over Europe.

What have been your sea-experiences in the Netherlands?