Sloten o Woudsend

After a look at the knicker drawer this morning I declared that it had to be "washing day". We only had another 8km down to Woudsend which the bumpf informed us "was a boating center" for this area. OK, so the marinas there are sure to have washing machines. As it was a drizzly morning, we decided the afternoon would be dedicated to maintenance. The bumpf was, naturally, correct and there are heaps of marinas, boatyards, boat sheds, boat builders, boat maintenance places, boat shops, boats, boats, boats ….

We found a nice marina, with a laundry, and picked a spot close to the building so we didn't have far to monitor the machines. The afternoon weather improved, and by mid afternoon the sun was out. The tops of two windmills turning in the afternoon breeze were too much to resist, so we put the bikes ashore and went to take a look. The first mill, t Lam (they all have names) was a flour mill which was busy grinding flour for a group of german tourists. Turns out this is "Windmill Week" and people from all over are visiting mills all around the country. 

Inside 't Lam, the four mill. It was pretty small inside and impossible to come out without being covered in flour.

The second, much bigger, mill is a sawmill called "de Jager" (the hunter). Skip was fascinated as it was actually working sawing great logs which looked like they would make brilliant picnic tables. We spent ages watching the workings and admiring the view from the platform.

Still, the chores were calling so it was back to the boat.

Skip spent an hour under the floorboards fixing a leak in the tiny fuel pipe feeding the webasto diesel heater. The tiny pinhole leak had been dripping onto the hot exaust pipe below and creating unpleasant fumes into the boat when we turned the heater on. Thus all last week when it was chilly-willy-kins we couldn't use it. Anyway, all fixed now. Naturally though, the weather has warmed right up and we don't need it anymore!

By drinks time DOZENS of small 20ft sailing boats started arriving in the marina full of teenagers aged about 16-20. About an even spread of girls and boys and all told there must have been close to 100 of them. Fortunately they all pulled into the quay on the opposite side of the marina, whereupon they set up tents all along the bank and started a happily noisy, but well behaved, party. 

Unfortunately for them, it wasn't long before the heavens opened and we were treated to a spectacular lightning and thunderstorm with lashings of rain. 

The view from De Jager sawmill. The marina with Zoe in is through the bridge and turn left. Other than the boat business, which is huge here, Woudsend is obviously a day trip from wherever - the only shops were tourist knick-knacks, antique shops and lots of cafes and restaurants.

If you go through the bridge and turn right, there are at least a dozen boatyards and boat repair and building businesses.