Our boat Deerste

No this is not Deerste, it is our first boat. Erjoh

We cruised Holland, Belgium and northern France in her in 2006.

She has since been replaced by Deerste, in which we retraced some of our 2006 route through Holland and Belgium and visited Luxembourg, Germany, and N.E. France. She is now waiting Strasbourg for our return in early May 2008.



For the guys, the ladies vital statistics are.

Length 12.0 mts plus duck board.
Beam 3.6 mts
Draft 1.0 mts
Tonnage 15 tonnes
Fuel 600 ltrs
Water 600 ltrs
Motor. 5.6 ltr 120 hp diesel plus bow thruster.
Genset 3.6 kva
Construction Steel
No. of berths. 4/7
Cabins 3
Steering Hydraulic. Inside and outside

Features. Full bathroom, central heating, gas fridge and cooker, 220v inverter, TV, lots of room, two and a half bicycles and a herb garden in the summer, thanks to Lynda.



A few photographs of Deerste and our trip last year. Click on images to enlarge.

Lynda and herb garden doing battle with a large barge on the Vaal River, Holland


Life in the main saloon with friends.


Lynda on the ropes in a small French Lock.


Deerste in the harbour at Gorinchem, Holland.


A lock and lock keepers house on the canal Houilleres de la Sarre



Ian hard at work in the galley.



Finally - Lizzy and the half bike.