playbook
Renting a Sloep on Tilburg Piushaven
A day of boating from Piushaven along the Wilhelminakanaal in an open sloep without a boating licence. What it costs, how to book, and which route is feasible.
7u
duration
€ 175–350
budget
Ground
pace
Piushaven is Tilburg's residential and events harbour and has been the beating heart of sloep rentals in the city for a number of years. From the jetties you sail along the Wilhelminakanaal towards the Reeshofdijk or, in the other direction, towards Oirschot and Moergestel. An open sloep for six to eight people costs an average of 175 to 300 euros per day. A boating licence is not required as long as the sloep cannot go faster than 20 kilometres per hour.
Allow six to eight hours on the water and plan a mooring spot for lunch, for example at a canal café or a quiet bank with shade. The Wilhelminakanaal is a busy commercial shipping route, keep to the right and watch out carefully for cargo ships and push barges. Book one to two weeks ahead between June and September, popular weekends fill up fast.
Checklist
0 of 7
Sloep gereserveerd
Route-richting gekozen
Koelbox met lunch
Zonnebrand en pet
Regenjas voor zekerheid
Telefoon opgeladen
Inlevertijd genoteerd
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Atmosphere
by PlayTryBe team
Book an open sloep at Piushaven, choose between an east route towards Oirschot or west towards Reeshof.
Pack a cool box with drinks, bread and fruit, and bring sunscreen, a cap and a rain jacket.
Board on time, get the briefing on starting, steering and mooring, and sign the contract.
Head out onto the canal, give cargo ships plenty of room and keep to the right.
Moor up for a long lunch break at a canal café or on a quiet bank.
Head back well before the return time and report any damage when you arrive back.
For anyone copying this
Do as we did
Suggestions
- Ask whether the rental company includes cushions and a Bluetooth speaker.
- Agree on who steers when and swap halfway through.
- Keep extra distance from commercial vessels at locks and bridges.
- Book on a weekday for quieter water on the canal.
- Bring long trousers for the return trip when the evening air gets cold.
Variations
- - Combineer met een terraslunch in de Piushaven zelf.
- - Vaar met twee kleinere sloepen voor meer flexibiliteit.
- - Kies een sloep met schipper als niemand wil sturen.
- - Doe een BBQ-boot voor een feestelijker dag.