June 30, 2014 – Lisse

Not too much has happened yet this year. I have a marine radio license exam in Amsterdam this weekend. We need that to register and use the radio on the boat, and it seems that none of my US licenses are acceptable. It's been a long road to figuring all this out, but hopefully this is the last hoop to jump through to get everything in order. We also got a late start this year. This year's last minute panic was that the airline cancelled one of our connections, so we had to reschedule everything 2 days before we were originally scheduled to leave. After a L-O-N-G series of flights into Schiphol, it took us a couple of days to recover from all the scrambling. Doesn't seem to be quite so much to do to get ready to cruise this year, or maybe we're just more laid back about it.

 

 

Kempers' has consolidated their operations onto just the one site near Leimuiden, selling their other properties. We're still happy with this as a home base, even thought the internet can be problematical. They had the flag out to welcome us, and a few days later a Brit flag joined the Stars & Stripes.

 

 

 

We took our time getting ready to leave. The days have been not as warm as last year, but still very comfortable. We've had our "Ah yes, I remember why we're doing this!!!" moments.

I've been cramming for my radio exam, and there was also the matter of arranging it with the group organizing it. We're headed for Haarlem, which is in easy striking distance of Amsterdam, and then just a bus ride to the outskirts where the exam is being held.

We're in Lisse now, at the little Lisse sailing club on the Ringvaart

 



that has some Passanten spots that we can easily just pull into. They've been making improvements, including, it seems, mostly reliable internet connections. We'll see how that works when I try to download this.

We set out yesterday based on weather information that said the next few days were going to be sunny and clear, with low winds. A few years ago, I asked Wilma at Kempers if there were any weather forecasts that were more reliable that others. She just laughed – and kept on laughing as she walked away. Below see what a forecast of sunny, clear and no wind is like:

Our internet arrangements have changed again this year and we're not sure yet how they're going to be working out. We'll try to keep in touch as best we can, hoping for nice folks like the Lisse club and the various libraries to supplement our access. Till then, Tot Ziens y-all.