Through the Wadden Sea. Part 9. Lauwersoog – Groningen

First locks and fuel
11 August 2025. Quiet weather, ambitious plan: across the Netherlands by canal in a day. At 7.50, the lock gates were open for us. In, mooring lines to hanging ropes, an easy transit.

Then Noordergat marina: thirty litres into cans, fifteen into the tank, €2.12 a litre. Enough for Germany.

Canals and bridges
Straight river-like canals, thirty to fifty metres wide, up to five deep. Almost no wind, sunshine, endless fields with cows and sheep. Without opening bridges, rather dull.

Bridges enlivened it. Initially, full formal radio calls. Then I noticed one operator controlled several. Shortened to: ‘Bridge [name], may I pass?’ Just as effective.

Tried the call buttons too, directly alerting the operator. The real discovery: do nothing. Approach and wait; they see you and open. Slight guilt at stopping all the traffic for our little boat. Sometimes opening seemed to begin before we rounded the bend.

Eighteen bridges and two locks, all three methods tested. Entirely free.

Groningen
Reached Groningen at 2.30, needing to pass before the 3.30 bridge-opening break. Special canal: historic houses, long barges converted to homes with power and drainage. I’d thought that happened only in Amsterdam. Same here, without tourists.

Looking around, a childhood dream fulfilled: taking a boat through the heart of a city among people, houses and bridges.

Unexpected stop
A bridge in the centre stopped us. Waited, no movement. Called: no opening today. Phoned for details using Waterkaarten’s number. A festival had closed it. No alternative with the mast up. Disappointed: a week fighting our way here with what should have been following wind, and now we’d wait until it turned easterly and face headwinds again.

Berthed under trees at the town quay. Twenty-seven miles, seven and a half hours.

Evening in town
The delay was a gift, honestly. After fields and canals, Groningen felt festive. Wandering streets and shops, cheese with a lingering nutty flavour. Bicycle bells everywhere, café laughter, music reflecting in canal water with the lights. Easy and carefree. A feeling of comfort and freedom I wanted to take away.

#passage