Wednesday 15 – Monday 20 November
The weather continued damp and miserable during Wednesday, so my crew followed the advice of the Harbour Master and snuggled in below in the warm, dry saloon.
After a slow start on Thursday, they made an initial sortie into Amsterdam city centre, first purchasing and charging travel cards (like Oyster in London) from a local newsagent. The bus runs about every ten minutes from early until late, the journey takes about 15 minutes and costs around a Euro to Centraal Station. The station is huge but well signposted, and they soon found the Tourist Information office for a selection of leaflets. The city was busy as it was late night shopping and the ceremony to turn on the Christmas lights; all a bit overwhelming for a still fragile Mate who was glad not to stay too long.
On Friday morning we awoke to sunshine and a clear blue sky, and in flat calm conditions Skipper decided it was the moment to move me into my ‘permanent’ berth. This required a very tight set of manoeuvres in very limited space, turning a series of corners around protruding tenders, bows and anchors of other vessels, before reversing me between two metal posts with only centimetres spare at my bow. As ever, he made it look easy, calmly guiding me into the slot as if he’s been boat handling all his life. Unfortunately, at the last moment we discovered a lack of water under my rudders (at my landward end), and I’m sitting gently on a muddy bottom. Ah well, at least from the water level up I’m providing novelty value for my new neighbours, obviously introducing a little ‘je ne sais quoi’ among the liveaboards.
My crew took the bikes out from their winter store in my granny bars for a brief potter to the local shopping centre, so they’re beginning to find their way around.
Saturday morning was windy and showery, but it didn’t stop my intrepid Skipper digging out the jetwasher to clean the wooden planking around my berth so it’s less slippery when they’re getting on and off. Mate pottered below decks with some household chores.
Sunday and Monday were spent relaxing, reading the guidebook for Berlin, and packing.