Sailing route

The Green Heart route starts in IJsselstein on the Hollandse IJssel. From Marnemoende Marina, you can sail to Gouda in 4 hours. You will pass the monumental towns of Montfoort, Oudewater and Haastrecht. After you pass the Waaier lock with its still working sector gates (in case of emergency), you can pass the Mallegat lock through Museumhaven and spend the night in the centre of Gouda.

Kattensingel and Turfsingel are well known and have amenities. If you then leave Gouda on the north side, you will pass Waddinxveen and Boskoop, known for their characteristic lifting bridges. Terminal Alpherium is located just before the railway bridge in Alphen a/d Rijn. This is one of the largest inland shipping terminals in the Netherlands for container transport by water from and to the seaports of Rotterdam and Antwerp. PLEASE NOTE! It can get very busy.

Turn left onto Oude Rijn. There is a drawbridge in the centre of Alphen, and then you will see Vogelpark Avifauna. On the left and right you will find a few free moorings for a maximum of three nights. It is a bit of a walk across the bridge, but the Avifauna bird park is definitely worth a visit!

Across Heimanswetering heading north, you will arrive at the much-praised Hollandse Plassen. At Oude Wetering, turn right onto the Drecht and pass Leimuiden Bilderdam. A beautiful short cut from Braassemmermeer towards the Amstel.

Pass through the Tolhuis locks via Vrouwenakker and you will arrive in Uithoorn, where you will find beautiful short-stay berths right in the centre. You can enjoy watching passing ships. Then sailing on the Amstel, you will arrive in Ouderkerk a/d Amstel; on the starboard side before the bridge you can moor next to the supermarket at the shopping jetty. Convenient for shopping and, for example, visiting the Urbanus church.

You continue the Amstel sailing to Amsterdam, then to the right where the names change to Gaasper and Weespertrekvaart. At Driemond, you have to cross the busy Amsterdam Rijnkanaal to get to Weesp.

Weesp has many short-stay options and the berths or marina offer all kinds of amenities. With a bit of luck, the local baker will drop by in the morning with his boat with fresh bread rolls! Another advantage is that the train connection is perfect for a day trip to Amsterdam. Within 10 minutes, you are in the centre of Amsterdam.

Smal Weesp has toll-free bridges; once you’ve passed them, turn right onto the Vecht. Beyond Weesp, the Vecht meanders past Fort Uitermeer (part of the Amsterdam Defence Line) on the left bank, and then you sail past the villages of Nigtevecht, Nederhorst den Berg and picturesque Vreeland.

Along the way, you pass beautiful double lifting bridges and beautiful outdoor places. In the past, wealthy Amsterdam merchants had country estates built on the romantic Vecht. Charming villages such as Loenen a/d Vecht, Maarssen and Oud Zuilen also have short-stay berths but we recommend arriving early. If the Vecht is already quite full, you can take the Mijndense lock at Loenen to Loosdrecht, where you will find many ports or where you can moor along an island. These islands are equipped with toilets and BBQ pits.

You also have to leave the lakes via the Mijndense lock. The other locks are too small for our ships. Vessels with a clearance height of less than 3.25 m may be able to sail through the Oude Gracht of Utrecht. With 16 arched bridges, that’s an experience in itself!

Higher yachts can spend the night in Utrecht; after the Weerd lock you will find beautiful short-stay berths. So don’t sail through the arched bridges!
A little bit north near Maarssen, you can navigate the Amsterdam-Rijnkanaal. Sail well to the right for an hour because the barges behind you are surprisingly fast and want to overtake. The Zuider lock raises a metre and ensures you are back in calm water. Follow the Hollandse IJssel in Nieuwegein and you will return to our home port of Marnemoende.