Sunny sailing to Woerden

We finally figured out what the Dutch notices attached to the bollards to which we moored overnight said was Verboten: apparently boats more than 1.50 metres high are not allowed. Fortunately no-one came to move us off during the night, and we slunk off in the morning after a little shopping. It was sunny and breezy and a very attractive cruise. This church was impressive:

And the wildlife imposed itself somewhat. Ducks sunbathing:

And one of many coots:

At Uithorn we had a look at getting under the swing bridge, but backed off just in time – we have already scraped the masthead light on one bridge. It was an impressive construction, and let us through after a short delay:

Shortly after there was another lifting bridge:

We were struck by a number of houses sporting shiny roof tiles. We wondered whether this could be some kind of photovoltaic, solar power system. Not all that attractive, but better that the square panels we usually see on houses.

We found a spot to tie up and carry table and chairs ashore for a relaxing lunch. Then on again - one of the pleasures of cruising in Holland, though it takes some getting used to, is looking down on the surrounding countryside. Being raised up gives splendid views:

And we passed many of the country’s four million cows – and caught a pungent whiff of the remainder. Very rustic.

Plenty of people bathing in the river, some using slides like this:

Eventually we reached Woerden, our destination for the day, and found a very welcoming small marina, comfortable and well equipped, including a rather speedy free WiFi, if a little far from the centre of town. A bicycle expedition was mounted. Docking was uneventful, thanks to plenty of helping hands.