It’s not too busy on the water everywhere, you don’t want to miss this idyllic sailing route

It is equally easy to find if you turn right through the lock at Oudkarspel towards the Noordkop, but after a few kilometers along the canal you will see, behind a high strip of reeds, marina De Rijd in Nieuwe Niedorp. “A very beautiful idyllic spot,” says water sports journalist Eric van Staten. He has been coming there with his boat for years, but also sees that few other water sports enthusiasts sail this route.

“Many people buy a boat, but have no experience at all,” Eric says. And according to him, they often find it difficult to sail outside the open lakes. “You have people who are already shivering until they arrive at the lock, but it is not that exciting,” says the water sportsman.

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Other exit

Geert Schoonbrood has been a lock keeper at the Roskam lock in Heerhugowaard for years. “It is not as busy as the Alkmaardermeer and the Frisian lakes”, he notes, “but I hear a lot of people say what an incredibly beautiful piece that is to sail.” Nevertheless, many water sports enthusiasts choose to sail the ‘known’ routes and the part of the canal at Nieuwe Niedorp or towards Kolhorn often remains quiet.

Van Staten therefore finds it a pity that the province of North Holland promotes so little water sports. “Especially if you compare it with Friesland, where much more is done on promotion”, Eric explains, “a lot of attention is also paid to building mooring places, so that you can moor along every canal.” He hopes that the province of Noord-Holland will also do this in the future, so that there may also be more frequent sailing to unknown places. “North Holland is so beautiful, but you have to know it and sell it.”