There are over 20,000km of paved bike trails in Holland, a bikers paradise.  These trails are mostly flat, run along rivers and dykes, through green pastures, past windmills and nature reserves with hardly a road in sight giving the impression that there are more bicycles than automobiles.  It is truly the most bike friendly country in the world.

We will be riding alongside these free spirited  locals who ride without helmets, have an amazing command of their huge bikes with cumbersome panniers and little tinkling bells that warn us they are passing us by. 

The Fietsroutenetwerk is an integrated patchwork of these routes with a number system that is easy to follow connecting you from one trail to the next.  I bought the ANWB Fietsatlas (bike atlas) for all of Nederland with it’s 1:100,000 scale.  We did find later that the points in the book coordinate with the open source chart program we use on the computer to transfer over to the GPS.  Great for planning and Steve can still use his GPS. 

It was such a relief to enter Holland knowing we would not have to worry about which way to go, just follow the Fietspad (bike trail)  right into all the little Lillyputten villages of thatch roof houses with sculptured yards and gardens full of hydrangeas.

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The bicycling gets us just a bit closer to the culture where we can, for just a few seconds passing by, know there has just been a birth by the displays in the yard for a girl or in the window for a boy.

Or a graduation announced by the school bag hanging from a flag pole

 

The trails lead us right through the forest on the red pavement then nearing a town will sometimes turn into a duel road sharing with cars that always give us a wide berth.

We could always tell when a town was near when the bike trail sometimes took us onto the roads where instead of speed bumps beautiful planters full of flowers ziz zag the cars down to a slower speed.l 

 

 

Our first campground in Holland gave promise that we would be quiet comfortable and surrounded my many other bikers.  The bikers here use their cell phones as a moving map to keep record of their track.  Here Steve helps a teen organize his track by splitting them up  to allow more waypoints. 
Almost like sailing but not quite! 

Maastricht was the first big town we cycled into in Holland. Like many city centers here they have been turned into pedestrian ways with barricades to stop any vehicles from entering but still friendly to walk a bike through.  We notice the noise level with no cars was quite pleasant.

  
It seems the Dutch are more accommodating to bikers than for automobiles as the bikers have the right away in many instances.  Wherever there is a difficult passage for bikes there is always a way around.  They even have elevators around steps.

If you chose to take the steps they have even installed a track for the bike.
A little bumpy on the trailer but it works.

The best part of the bike trails are the caution lights at most of the intersections.  You just push a button and listen to the beeps and watch the cycle turn red or green. 
Just like in Kindergarden safety town. 

The Dutch are also very accommodating to the handicap. In cities there is always room for them and us bikers right alongside the vehicles. 

   

Back out of the city we find almost no traffic, only a highway of bikers on the designated bike routes, which are sometimes lined with beautiful flower baskets. 

 

We went through a nature reserve with trees along the canal, through farms of agriculture, horse farms and an occasional deer farm.

There are places to stay along the bike routes.  This Bed and Breakfast on a farm had an outdoor cafe and was 40Euros a night per person.
That is at least $50US a person.
We should hope that included TP in the bathrooms as we notice many campgrounds do not supply that luxury and we must carry our own.

Some of the camp grounds have little cabins to rent with two bunk beds and a hot plate for the same price, 40Euros, but not just per person, for the whole cabin
One place we got a bit sentimental over the 1979 American Airstream stored in the tent area.   We just pitched our tent next to it and felt right at home.

 

But it is seriously time to see some boats.  We are here in the Netherlands because we have been told the three top names of good steel boat builders are Pedro in Groningen NL, Aquanaut in Sneek NL and Linseen built in Maasbracht NL.  Putting the idea of a barge aside for now we will look at alternatives

Everyone knows the Linseen. It is a family owned business which started in 1949 and has continued to innovate and stand by their product for over 60 years.  It is now in the hands of the third generation.

Their showroom is very impressive inside and out and full of used boats.  Surely we would find what we are looking for here.

Folding work involves the bending of sheet steel components into different radiuses, which creates a taut radius, providing a smooth surface for painting.
Every fold is one welded seam less for a better finish.

The dual cross engine bed is an extension of the longitudinal stringers that run from stern to bow.  This lays the foundation for the low-vibration and low-noise characteristics.

Ed, one of the salesmen, spent the entire afternoon showing us around the factory. More importantly than selling us a boat he sold us on the fine craftsmanship and quality of a Linseen.

There is an advanced portal-type machining center for cutting out interior parts and the Linseen invented Logicam system which insures a flow in mass production.

Of course, the design of the interior is of great importance for the practical value of a boat.  It’s not a question of how many different layouts or, worse still, compromises a boatyard can offer, it’s about how effectively the available space and capacity are used in the original design.

The guest quarters seemed very cramped after s/v Ariel which had room for 6 guests each with a hanging locker, head and big shower.  But we are talking 11m as opposed to 18m. 
A bit over budget here for a new boat anyway, starting at about 250,000 Euros and up. (about $300,000US)  But Ed assured us any used Linseen yacht would retain it’s value and should we decide later on a new one, they would certainly take it at it’s worth to trade up.

Still looking.

We decided to check out some of the used Linseen yachts.

 

We found the most popular models, called an AK  (aft cabin) had the galley down a step or two from the main saloon and steps down from the aft deck with the cabin below.

   

We like the island bed but do we really want all those steps up and down?

My favorite so far is the Grand Sturdy 40.9 sudan.  The  layout is all on one level coming into the saloon from the aft deck, galley on one level.  But they have only made 2,  one is in Turkey and the other in Berlin.   No photo as they are just not available. Maybe we are getting just a bit to fussy.

So we leave you here in Roermond at another boat yard full of boats for sale and us still walking sitting down, peddling north, with a list full of boats to stop and see.  The Internet is full of boats for sale, one has over 20,000 listings.
Wish us luck.

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