Author Archives: Ed Mortimer

About Ed Mortimer

I'm a retired school teacher, now living on my Dutch cruiser in France. I'm touring as much of the canals and river systems as I can. This blog describes what I do and where I've been. I did spend 5 years on first a narrowboat, and then this boat, in Britain.

July 17

Posted on July 22, 2016 by Ed Mortimer

I know this is a little past the date, but represents the part of my journey from the Belgian-French border. We had a little problem with a mud bank, which caused a delay as I cleaned the engine filters, then … Continue reading →

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July 14

Posted on July 14, 2016 by Ed Mortimer

Chris J. arrived from the US and is joining me for a few days. We spent the evening walking around in Ghent, and had a great excursion. Ghent is quite well preserved with small streets, and an extensive tram system. … Continue reading →

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July 11

Posted on July 11, 2016 by Ed Mortimer

I left the Netherlands on the Gent-Terneuzen Kaanal, and am back in Gent in Belgium. I had a wonderful time exploring the small and the vast waterways of the Netherlands. I hope you have enjoyed the cruise (and if you … Continue reading →

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July 7

Posted on July 7, 2016 by Ed Mortimer

Back to waterways adventures. After spending the day in Naarden, I moored in the harbour of a little island in the Gooimeer. The wind was up and I wanted serious shelter, and not an urban marina mooring. I found the … Continue reading →

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July 1

Posted on July 1, 2016 by Ed Mortimer

Happy Canada Day. Yesterday’s post was all about me and the trip. Today, a History lesson. Naarden has been an important spot for the defense of the area since the 14th century (and probably before that as well). The center … Continue reading →

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June 30

Posted on June 30, 2016 by Ed Mortimer

Well the adventures continue on a new page. I spent 5 days (including the weekend) in Meppel, getting engine serviced and new water filter units installed. I toured the town extensively on the bike trails, and dealt with a few … Continue reading →

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June 21

Posted on June 21, 2016 by Ed Mortimer

Five weeks. It is hard to imagine, but I’ve had crew (visitors) for five glorious weeks of touring in the Netherlands. First Nick and Chris from Devizes in Britain, who helped sort a number of the teething problems, and got … Continue reading →

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June 17

Posted on June 17, 2016 by Ed Mortimer

From Dokkum, we moved southwest to Leeuwarden. A lovely city mooring, but with waterlogged lawn to jump onto to tie-up. We explored this city center, and then, after provisioning, returned aboard to move on to a very quiet lake mooring … Continue reading →

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June 14

Posted on June 15, 2016 by Ed Mortimer

We’ve made a serious stab at cruising through the more northern parts of the Netherlands. After Groningen, we made our way along the Rietdiep to Zoutkamp, where we stayed in a very secluded marina mooring. Zoutkamp was the first evidence … Continue reading →

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June 9

Posted on June 10, 2016 by Ed Mortimer

We spent the night in Arnhem, having lots of time to explore and visit the museums. The Battle in Arnhem, September 1944, as part of Operation Market Garden, where the allies were decisively defeated in their attempt to seize the … Continue reading →

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