Duchess is a 2002 Wim Van der Valk Continental 1800, which I bought secondhand in the Netherlands and brought back to the UK in 2017 (See MBY Sept 2020). The delivery trip gave me a taste for cruising in the Netherlands and I always promised that one day we would return there for a family cruise.
This is the year we decided to make it happen. The plan was to spend a couple of weeks on the delta taking in the Veerse Meer, Oosterschelde, Grevelingenmeer and Haringvliet, but first we needed to find a suitable weather window for crossing the Channel and choose an easy Schengen port of entry for the paperwork. July 2023 was the wettest on record, with heavy winds to match, and I was beginning to wonder whether my carefully laid plans would work. Thankfully, as we approached our scheduled departure date, the long-term forecasts improved. This is the story of our cruise.
ENTERING EUROPE
My son Archie and I are blessed with calm seas and sunny skies for the passage from Chichester to Eastbourne. Our plan is to go direct from here to Nieuwpoort in Belgium. It’s a 95nm passage rather than a short hop across the Channel from Dover to Calais or Dunkerque but I’ve heard too many stories about bad experiences with French border controls and we’re keen to reach Holland as soon as possible so we can meet up with my wife and daughter, who are flying direct to Amsterdam.
We complete the UK Border Force paperwork online 24 hours before departure as advised (www.spcr@homeoffice.gov.uk) and the Belgian paperwork for entering the Schengen Area (https://apps.digital.belgium.be/forms/show/police/pcdec?Ing=en). Within a couple of hours an email comes back confirming clearance.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Lofoten or Bust- Part 4- Grandezza owner Per Harrtoft heads back to Sweden after an epic 3500nm adventure deep into the Arctic Circle to visit the mythical Lofoten islands
After ten memorable days in the Lofoten Islands in the far north of Norway, we are on our way back south towards Sweden. We have already made it as far as Trondheim, a charming place even if it was raining so hard we had to cycle round the city centre clutching umbrellas. But now we are back on board Deamare, our Grandezza 40 Fly, eating up the miles at a steady 31 knots.
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT YACHT TRANSPORT
As the name suggests it's a means of having your boat moved professionally from one location to another. It might be as simple as hiring someone to tow your RIB a few miles down the road or as complex as shipping a superyacht halfway around the world.
HANDLE A SINGLE SHAFTDRIVE BOAT PART 1
Single shaftdrive boats are relatively rare these days but the reduced costs of buying, servicing and fuelling such a simple but reliable drivetrain does mean they are making a bit of a comeback.
COCKWELLS MOTOR LAUNCH
There can be very few boats that have appeared three times at the Southampton Boat Show and been sold off the stand each time.
INSTALLING AN AUTOPILOT
Rick Channon makes solo boating simple with a Raymarine Evolution Autopilot
GOOD AS NEW
Why fit a brand new engine when Volvo Penta's remanufacturing service can rebuild you an old one to the same standard for a fraction of the price?
BENETEAU SWIFT TRAWLER 54
Alex Smith heads to France's Beneteau HQ for a UK exclusive on what might just be the best Swift Trawler yet
ΧΟ EXPLR 44
Can XO's all-new aluminium flagship really make it big in the Med?
BUYING OUR FIRST CLASSIC
Instead of whiling away their retirement playing bowls, Rob and Shona Adams decided to invest their time and money in a classic Silver gentleman's yacht. Would the gamble pay off?
PRINCESS S65
Torn between the V and F Class flagships? The new S65 might be the boat you've been waiting for...
