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.
Esta historia es de la edición December 2023 de Motor Boat & Yachting UK.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición December 2023 de Motor Boat & Yachting UK.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
SUNSEEKER OCEAN 182
Sunseeker's tri-deck sibling to the Ocean 90 offers exceptional living space, particularly in the new enclosed upper deck. But how does a boat with such a broad footprint perform at sea? Hugo Andreae finds out
TIME FOR A KEYS CHANGE
Elliott Maurice pulls out all the stops with a Florida cruise his son will never forget
SNOW PRINCESS
Charter company Lumi Yachts is named after the Finnish word for snow, but a few days on board its brand new Princess Y80 is enough to melt anyone's heart
BOAT CUISINE
Phil Sampson visits an historic establishment on the banks of the Beaulieu River
AZIMUT 50 FLYBRIDGE
Azimut's 50 Flybridge is one of those boats that really ought to come with a health warning.
TO THE ROOT OF THE MATTER
Phil Sampson discovers that things are not always as they appear...
HOW TO NAVIGATE IN FOG
Being out in any form of restricted visibility, due to heavy rain, snow, mist or fog, is a major concern to all boat users because three things immediately come into play.
PARKER SORRENTO 100
Behind the wheel of one of this year's most outstanding new boats
BEYOND THE HORIZON
Jasper Smith, founder of Arksen and champion for a new brand of off-grid oceanic adventure, talks to Alex Smith
RIVA 82 DIVA
Riva's aptly named 82 Diva is sharply dressed and highly sought after but does it also deliver a suitably memorable performance?