Sailing

It is said, that gravel digging along the river Maas resulted in sheets of water of about 3000 hectare (7400 acres). I did not measure it by my own, but I know that near Roermond there is plenty of water to sail on. Besides, Roermond is a city worth to be visited, it is founded in the Roman times. In one of the yacht-havens in the neighbourhood my boat has its berth, at least in summertime. But when the weather is nice and the wind is blowing you will not find it there, in consequence of the fact I'm sailing on it. My boat, which you can see on the picture to the left, belongs to the Dutch national class called "zestien kwadraat" (16 m²). It's an open mahogany boat with a length of 6 metres and 16 square metres of sail. It's very much used in the Netherlands, not only for regatta's but also for family trips. Normally it is sailed by two persons, but it can be handled by one if some provisions are made. And there is place in it for more. In earlier days I did sail regatta's, but nowadays I don't do that anymore. But with the help of a small aeroplane you can take nice pictures of such events. In the left top corner of the picture to the right you can see one of the digging machines, at least partly responsible for all the water you can see. The maximum depth of digging in these pits is about 20 metres. The gravel pits have an open connection to the river Maas. So, if you like it, you can sail in streaming water, with all its difficulties and attractions. And I like it!

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