Middleburg to Veere. Mike's Birthday

Mike was feeling a little fragile from the night before, so I went shopping alone for fresh bread and to see Middleburg. My toe was still hurting, so I sprayed it with more anti swelling stuff and had a good morning wandering round town.

Classic boats were gathering from the Dutch Classics regatta next week, and Nancy Blackett was tied up in the Binnenhaven arm of the harbour. Clytie appeared in the harbour just as I got back there, so they were invited to the party at Veere and Mike got a call that Wendy and Phil from Spare Rib had just arrived at the Middleburg train station. We had been going to leave, but waited until they reached us (complete with cake), thenPhil joined us in Elfreda while Wendy went on Victoria.

We chugged through a wide canal, eating rather sumptuous Belgian cakes and meringue. There were no bridges on this section, but we had a long wait to enter the lock to lock out into the Veerse Meer, so we ate lunch. Mike sliced up the smoked eel we had bought in Oostend with the new knife I gave him for his birthday, and it went very well with the fresh bread from that morning.

There are minimal docking aids in the Veerse Meer lock, just four large metal rings with ropes strung between them. We were first into the lock, so had the dubious privilege of tying up on the wall. I was glad Phil was with us to help! The lock got really full behind and beside us; it would have been possible to walk all the way across the water on the decks...

It is not far from the lock to the harbour entrance, so we did not hoist the sails, just motored round past the castle and into the harbour.

The marina at Veere gets really busy, and the harbour master is very strict about where boats go. Luckily he was expecting us, having been briefed by Brian and Lorna Hammond who had come by car, so he put us on the main pontoon, with Victoria and Clytie rafted up outside.



Mike served Veuve de Vernay and snacks on board Elfreda that evening, then we headed to the Yacht Club for dinner where Mike got a selection of presents, including some pasta to make up for the meal he "missed" in Middleburg last night....

The yacht club doesn't have a DJ, but they do have a great selection of music and after dinner we had great fun dancing, including Lorna and Wendy who ended up dancing on the table with a local Dutchman.....

Boats attending:

Elfreda
Victoria
Clytie
Nancy Blackett

With crew from

Avola

Charm
Spare Rib
Robinetta