Ti Gitu entered the Dutch canals at Harlingen and we motored through until we arrived at Delfzijl. This is just across the water from Germany. The canals are great with plenty of places to stop for the night which are generally free. As we wanted to get on we didn’t really stop and see many of the towns we passed through and once in Delfzijl we decided to head out to the island of Dorkum which is the first of the German Friesian islands.
I guess that to describe the marina on Dorkum as a dump would be an understatement. We were most shocked as we expected everything to be quite smart in Germany. We have been told that it is an exception, and that the owner bought all the pontoons from the East German military when the wall came down many years ago. And they certainly looked like it, being made from old 45 gallon drums and what appeared to be scrap angle iron and the poorest welding I have ever seen. One pontoon has totally disappeared. Not surprising really!!
The island is now just a tourist trap because the government will no longer fund the clinics where people with lung problems used to be sent.
Anyway the weather was still not looking too good for heading to the Baltic so we decided to head slowly back to the UK through the Dutch canals but spend time in the interesting towns.
Currently Ti Gitu is moored in the centre of a town called Dokkum which is incredibly picturesque with two enormous windmills right in the middle. Despite being very popular and crowded with boaters the cost to stay on a pontoon including tourist tax, electricity, water and wifi is just £10 a night. A bit different to the UK, what!!
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