51:33.005N

3:40.137W

A bold move – from Middleburg to Veere.  All of 10km, max, and the sails for a second day kept firmly under wraps.  One lock, that cuts off the canal from the fresh water Veerse Meer.

Up betimes, because the Brit neighbours, rafted against us, wanted to catch the first bridge at 8.15: the ships clock remains firmly set in BST, so that meant being up (if not raring to go) at 7am.  They were off to Groes (pronounced Hoese, ) where the bridges only open every 2 hours.  The 9.15 lock saw 1 boat leave: at 10.15 there were 5 of us milling about.

Because there was time we went to talk to the harbour master this morning about box berths.  In Middleburg, each of the boxes has a slightly different width.  Only one is over 4m (the width of Magnetic Attraction) at 4.15m: no 14.  I think that trying to have squeezed in the pride and joy would have been a mistake,.  On arrival at Veere, there was an alongside berth just in the (very narrow) entrance.  There was no question!  The haven-meester is happy; we’re happy: and as I write the evening sun is pouring into the cockpit.  The campanologists have been in full voice(?) this evening and have given us a concert.  Carillions, not peals.

Veere is a tourist trap.  There are shops, but not for provisions; other than bread.  The cost of the berth overnight is 20.75 euros, so even better value than Middleburg.  It’s a small village.  As everwhere in Holland, everything is scrupulously clean and tidy.  There was a small fish market on the quay and I got cooked prawns for lunch.  After lunch we sallied forth with the bikes.  There is a VVV tourist information shop on the outskirts of the village, and the helpful lady sold us a map of the Zeeland cycle routes for 5 euros.  We cycled along a separate, tarmacadamed, cycle track to Vrouwenpolder (6km) noting the odd incline – nothing that could be described as a proper hill! – and from then on across the sea wall that separates the Veersemeer from the North Sea; and on to the barrier that separates the Oosterschelde from the sea.  The sluices were open, letting the North Sea into the lake.  It was all very pleasant – a round trip of 17 miles with minimum stress.  Here is a pic.

We had planned to move on tomorrow – but instead plan to cycle in the other direction to Groes, and then maybe on into the Ooserdschelde and Grevelingenmeer.