What the mudflats in the North Sea/Germany, the Waddenzee is in the Netherlands. Here’s a tip: If you’re in the Netherlands, never call the Waddenzee the North Sea. Here it is the Waddenzee, even if it is the same water.

The islands of Texel, Vlieland, Terschelling, Ameland and Schiermonnikoog are in the Waddenzee. We have not yet visited the last two with the Novel this season. 

I would now like to introduce the first three a little. 

The gates to the Waddenzee are the Kornwerderzand locks in the north and Den Oever in the west. Especially now in summer, it is high season here and it can happen that we wait for an hour in front of the lock until we get in. A special spectacle is the entry of the sailing yachts. Mummy on deck and Daddy at the helm, always busy mooring the boat in the lock.

Terschelling
After the lock, we start sailing to the islands. Terschelling is one of the most popular. There are often four ships moored next to each other all along the harbor. There is always something going on. We are in West Terschelling. The lighthouse “Brandaris” can be seen from far away. There are many small shops, cafés, restaurants and bars in the village. Of course, you can rent bicycles at every corner. In summer, the place is teeming with tourists. No wonder, Terschelling is quick and easy to reach by ferry. Terschelling is big and if you want to have some peace and quiet, just walk along the endless beaches or in the picturesque dune landscape. I even treated myself to a horseback ride through the woods, dunes and along the beach.

Vlieland
Between Texel and Terschelling, the island of Vlieland is often forgotten, even though it is a real eye-catcher. The bright sandy beach can be seen from far away and promises a nice extended walk on the beach. The entrance to the marina is a challenge, especially for the big ships, because it is extremely narrow. In the low season, Vlieland is almost deserted and the 1.100 residents have their island almost to themselves. In the high season, the tourists have taken over the island and the marina is full. While in May we were in the harbour together with two other sailing ships, in July some of the guests had to walk over 6 ships before they could get on their ship, the 7th one. The harbour is then completely full and the harbour service has a hard time getting the ships out one after the other.

Directly from the harbour, you can either walk to the beach in a few minutes or explore Oost-Vlieland, the only village on the island. There are barely any cars on the road. As so often in the Netherlands, bicycles have the upper hand here.

Texel
There are more sheep on this island than people. Texel is popular with tourists everywhere. Probably if you are coming by car and can easily explore the island with it. It is not my favorite island. The harbour is not particularly pretty and the adjacent village of Oudeschild not particularly attractive. Yes, I have also been here by bike. On the other side of the island, the beach is long and the towns prettier. But also more crowded. I think you either like Texel or you don’t. 

Dry-fall
Often a wish and highlight for the guests on our tours is the dry-fall. As in the North Sea, the tides rule in the Waddenzee. And since the Novel is a traditional flat-bottomed ship, Arnold can steer her onto the edge of a sandbank until she comes to a standstill because she is running aground. Then it’s a matter of waiting until the water is completely gone. For the guests, this means a short swim before they can get off the boat via a ladder directly onto solid ground. For Arnold and me, it means a short break and some repairs to the ship. Every now and then, I also get off the ship to take a little walk on the mudflats and enjoy the expanse of the Waddenzee and the glitter of the sun in the tideways.