IJsselmeer

From SkipperGuide, the online cruising guide for sailing areas around the world

Navigation
waters	Inland Water
political	Europe > Netherlands

coordinate: 52°51'55"N 005°15'46"E

Overview IJsselmeer, Markermeer and Wadden Sea

The IJsselmeer is one of the most popular sailing areas in the Netherlands. It offers a large number of various nice towns and cities, so you can spend a whole sailing holiday there without any problem. The whom it is not enough to stay there, he can do trips to the Wadden Sea and the North Sea, e.g. to Texel or Vlieland.

More demanding is a trip round North Holland, but possible in a week: Leave the IJsselmeer, e.g. at Kornwerderzand. Then pass Den Helder and sail southwards along the North Sea coast to IJmuiden. There you can get through channels to the Markermeer and IJsselmeer. Along these channels you will also pass Amsterdam.

In the north, the IJsselmeer is separated from the Wadden Sea by a dike. Two locks allow the passage into the Waddenzee: Kornwerderzand in the east and Den Oever in the west. For a trip into the Wadden Sea you should refresh (if necessary) your knowledge about tidal navigation and take a look into the tide tables and tidal stream charts. Be careful with bad weather: in the Wadden Sea, dangerous waves are possible because of the tidal streams.

In the south, a part of the IJsselmeer is separated from the main part by a dike and is called Markermeer. Locks are available in Enkhuizen and Lelystad.

The weather at the IJsselmeer is similar to the North Sea coast, the winds a slightly weaker because of the land mass in the west. The IJsselmeer can become dangerous at strong winds: because of the shallow water (depth about 4 m), quickly short but high waves. Keep an eye to the weather report, because weather changes can happen quite suddenly.