Too cozy on the water? ‘People are happy, but stick to the rules’

This is how the water around Enkhuizen the young drivers of boats seen as a ‘true plague’. And on the Loosdrechtse Plassen they can also enjoy it during these hot days. The boats regularly race over the puddles with large speakers and the necessary alcoholic drinks on board.

“Ah”, says Gertjan Molenaar of Belangen Vereniging Loosdrechtse Plassen, “that is not a bad development, because it is positive that young people have found the water nice again.” That started especially during corona, knows the board member who also lives on the lake. “They have found that they don’t have to go to Albufeira for a little relaxation on the water.”

Of course, it causes inconvenience to me, but according to Molenaar that is not entirely due to the young people. “There is little else to do here for young people. There are a lot of facilities here for the elderly, but there are no real beach bars or pubs for young people here. If something is facilitated around the puddles, that also helps against the nuisance on the water .”

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Speedometer

Also elsewhere in Noord-Holland, water traffic has been increasing recently. For example in Haarlem, where boats, SUPs (a board on which you stand and sail with a paddle) and canoes maneuver past each other on the canal. “Sometimes there is someone who can sail a little less well or you have a grumpy person, but above all people are happy on the water,” says Bonno of boat rental Club Spaarne.

When he is at work, the boat traffic passes him all day long and then you notice a few things. “There is still too often, too fast sailing. I also understand, because on the water you often do not realize how fast you are going. Of course you don’t have a speedometer, or something like that.” And together we can solve a lot of that. “Pay attention to your speed on the water and especially talk to each other about this. And stick to the rules.”

When you live on the water, those racing boats are no fun at all. Margreet Elfring of Erfgoed Waterwonen knows all about it. She herself lives on a houseboat in Aalsmeer and is startled awake at night by the sound and waves caused by the fast boats. “We have had discussions with the mayor about this, but little has changed after that.” The young people themselves should think about the local residents, ‘raising awareness’ was the solution. “But that doesn’t quite work yet.”

And then there is also such a thing as noise pollution from music. “Fortunately, we can partly solve that by closing the windows and turning on the air conditioning,” says Margreet airily.

Behavioral change

In Amstelveen it has also become busier on the water in recent years and here too ‘awareness’ resurfaces as a solution to the nuisance. “Ultimately, the goal and the best solution is to bring about a change in behavior on the water,” says Ellen Duijn of the municipality of Amstelveen. “That is why we communicate clearly about the rules of the game on the water.”

The municipality also expects increasing crowds with this warm weather during the holiday period, although the nuisance this summer has not been too bad so far. “In general, it seems that other holidaymakers and local residents are increasingly taken into account.” There is also extra enforcement on hot days.

Organize a party

Where things are going better in Amstelveen and enforcement is in the starting blocks, Gertjan Molenaar lacks that decisiveness in his municipality. “I never see enforcement on the water here in the evening, while the boats cause nuisance at that time. In the cities you are not allowed to play loud music after eight or ten o’clock in the evening, in Loosdrecht that rule does not seem to apply. “

His ultimate tip? “All boat sheds are now empty during the summer, create a place there where the young people can come together and party!”