Last week I took the inflatable kayak to the Noordoostpolder on two days to bag all the water tiles that might some day limit my square:
The ones on the right were not strictly necessary, you could grab those on land as well, but that would involve some hike-a-bike, cycling over lumpy grassland and avoiding a grumpy farmer
Besides, it's just lovely kayaking in the Weerribben (North-East patch), small canals in a peat-bog area:
Then this week it was two long (26km each) trips in the Dollard sea:
The first one (east part) was rather dicey, even though weather conditions were perfect: nice temperature and no wind at all. It turned the sea in a mirror:
What makes the Dollard somewhat problematic is the fact that it isn't really sea, it's land that floods on the high tide. Meaning that low tide most of it falls dry. And if you fall dry, you'll be surrounded by (up to) kilometers of 10-40cm deep very soft, very slimy clay. Forget about getting out of your boat and walking, it's impossible, even for a few meters! So you'll be stuck waiting for the high tide and by that time it will be dark...
There is however a natural gully which meanders from the locks at Nieuwe Statenzijl along the South coast then up North that remains deep enough for a kayak. You'll be peddling surrounded by mud:
And you're be peddling like mad but making slow progress regardless. The water looks very calm in the gully, but when looking at the buoys you could see there is a significant current you have to peddle against.
The second trip was by comparison a walk in the park. I did start with high tide and followed the receding tide all the way to Delfzijl. Combined speed (current, paddling and even a little tailwind) got up to 12 kph!
Overall not an enormous amount of new tiles, but it was very satisfying to bag them. And I'll wager that it will be a while before another person comes along to get these tiles in the Dollard and IJselmeer
