ANY VISITOR to Holland is likely sooner or later to be tempted by a visit to Amsterdam. It’s a wonderful city and easily accessible by water. Head for IJmuiden—pronounced very roughly “Aye-mowden” (as in “aye aye sir”)—and enter the Noordzee Kanaal through the small lock on the south side. In other words from the north-facing harbour entrance basically keep to the right. There are no hazards in the vicinity of IJmuiden and the entrance is well marked from several miles away by the steelworks immediately to the north. If you are at all low on fuel it is worth popping into the marina which is on your starboard side just beyond the outer harbour (Seaport Marina, VHF Ch 74, T 02 55 03 34 48), as sailing opportunities in the canal are limited.

The canal is heavily used by commercial traffic but it’s wide and presents no particular problems so long as you take care to keep out of the way of the ships. Once in the canal there are no locks or bridges so the 13 miles to Amsterdam will not take too long.

Once you arrive in Amsterdam there are various berthing options in theory, but for most visitors the Sixhaven marina which is bang opposite the central station and the centre of the city is probably the best bet. The tree lined entrance behind a white wave barrier is just beyond the Noord Hollands Kanaal on the north bank, near the port-hand buoy IJ 8. The marina is quite small and in season every square metre of water will be occupied, so don’t arrive too late and don’t plan to leave late in the evening either as practically every vessel will have to move to let you out. The harbourmaster, who rides round the pontoons manicly on a bicycle, will help you find a corner. Come the morning, it’s all change again and you’ll probably find a berth to yourself.

Meanwhile all of Amsterdam is waiting for you just across the water. There is a free ferry service less than ten minutes walk away which crosses the water constantly and will deposit you close to the station. Thence you can walk under the railway lines to the city’s transport hub in the central square and onward to Rembrandt, Van Gogh, beautiful tree-lined canals, a huge range of enticing restaurants and all the other diversions which Amsterdam has to offer.

© 2008 Yachtpilot.