An advantage of travelling with a local is that you see places that might well otherwise pass beneath the radar. Our latest two stops are good examples of this, thanks to our good fortune to be travelling back from NL OGA 20 with Dirk and Linda of Anemone.

The Netherlands has a network of Watersportsvereniging (thankfully abbreviated to WSV!) which are basically private clubs that have visitor berths, rather than commercial marinas. These can often be found in small towns nestled behind the dykes and accessed by narrow channels.

Numansdorp and Oude Tonge are two examples of this. They are accessed by improbably narrow channels (made possible by the effective absence of tide) and providing both excellent shelter and charming locations.

In our current crawl south west against the worst that ex-storm Ernesto can throw at us, we have been looking for short hops to bring us to the best place to pop out onto the sea when the weather is more favourable for our passage.

When we approached Numansdorp along the Hollandsch Diep, I almost sailed straight past, so narrow was the entrance. In the especially lively conditions prevailing, motoring towards that lee shore felt quite intimidating but a mole projecting from the entrance made the waters in the approach very calm. After winding past reef beds into the town, we found sheltered berths for our party.

The weather was bad enough that we stayed two nights and I took the opportunity to repair the autohelm mount (important for the impending long passages on my solo homeward journey) and also borrow a bike to explore nearby. The second night was topped off with a lovely shared meal, prepared on our boats. The aperitif was enjoyed on the quayside and then the crews of Anemone, Plum, East Breeze and Hussar repaired aboard Molly for the remainder.

The next morning was an early start to use a short weather window to make more progress, this time to Oude Tonge. This was another small town with plenty of space for visitors, lovely local eateries and convenient shops. The harbourmaster’s assistant bucked the trend of these WSV marinas, in that the staff are almost universally friendly, accommodating and helpful.

Oude Tonge was one of the worst affected villages during the terrible flood during the winter of 1953. We visited the memorial and the devastating effects of the inundation were a reminder of the vulnerability of the Netherlands to the sea. The plaques commemorating the dead showed whole families lost in this tragedy.

In the evening, we shared a most excellent final meal together at the quayside hotel – I enjoyed the most delicious mussels I’ve ever eaten, cooked in the Dutch way with a few vegetables (celery, onion and carrot) and herbs (thyme and rosemary). A fitting end to this phase of the trip.