Renting a Sloop on the Reeuwijkse Plassen
4 h€ 200-350 Calm
Half a day out on the Reeuwijkse Plassen between Gouda and Bodegraven, in a sloop with no boating licence required. Calm water, reed beds and local tea houses.
Renting a sloop on the Reeuwijkse Plassen gives you access to thirteen interconnected peat lakes between Gouda and Bodegraven. The area is quiet, shallow and popular with birdwatchers. In the Netherlands, no boating licence is required for an open sloop up to fifteen metres and a maximum speed of twenty kilometres per hour. The skipper must be at least eighteen years old. Booking three to five weeks in advance is recommended from May through July; in low season a week ahead is usually enough. Rates range from 150 to 280 euros per half day for a six-person sloop, with a full day coming in at around 280 to 420 euros.
The maximum speed is nine kilometres per hour on the larger lakes and six in the narrow waterways between the islands. De Elfhoeven, Nieuwenbroeksche Boezem and the Sluipwijkse Plas are favourite routes. BBQ on board is permitted by many hire companies at the designated fixed spot, so check this in advance. Children under twelve must wear a life jacket, which is provided. Theehuis t Vaantje near the Goejanverwelle is a regular lunch stop.
Checklist
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Kaart van dertien plassen ophalen
Zwemvesten voor kinderen onder 12
Lunchstop t Vaantje bevestigen
Verrekijker voor vogels
BBQ-beleid checken
Drinkwater en regenjas mee
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Choose a hire company in Reeuwijk-Brug or near Elfhoeven.
Book three to five weeks in advance during high season.
Check the map and mooring points for lunch.
Put life jackets on children under twelve.
Sail via Elfhoeven, Nieuwenbroeksche Boezem and Sluipwijkse Plas.
Keep to six kilometres per hour in narrow waterways.
Return the sloop clean and on time.
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For anyone copying this
Do as we did
Suggestions
- Lunch at Theehuis t Vaantje or De Twee Heeren.
- Avoid winds above force five Beaufort, the lakes are shallow.
- For children, choose a sloop with a canopy.
- Avoid Saturdays in July, as Elfhoeven gets very busy.
- Bring rubber boots for muddy mooring banks.
Variations
- - Hele dag-rondje langs alle dertien plassen.
- - Combineer met fietshuur op de Platteweg voor de terugweg.
- - Vroege ochtendvaart om mistsfeer op het water te zien.
- - Avondvaart in mei voor verrekijker-vogelobservaties.
by PlayTryBe team