After our warm-up in the Dutch inland waterways, it was finally time to put on our big boy and big girl pants and head out into the North Sea. This not only meant bigger waves, but also dealing with currents and tides. Combined with the wind and weather, choosing the right weather window suddenly became a lot more challenging.

Luckily, the conditions were on our side. We left around lunchtime, letting the outgoing tide carry us back into the open sea. At first, we were able to sail comfortably, but once we reached open water, the waves became much bigger and from different sides. With only light winds coming from behind us, the waves kept tossing our genoa around. It certainly wasn't the most comfortable ride, but we made it work. The cats also handled it very well. They spent most of the passage curled up in their small box in the cockpit, riding out the waves.

Before crossing the shipping lanes leading into the Port of Rotterdam, we had to call on the VHF radio and request permission to cross.

That evening, we stopped in Scheveningen for the night before continuing north the following morning. Day two was a completely different story. We were greeted with steady winds, pleasant sailing conditions, and a much more enjoyable passage.

Soon enough, we reached IJmuiden, where we left the North Sea again and entered the Canal towards Amsterdam. It may have only been a relatively short stretch of offshore sailing, but it felt like an important milestone. The trip gave us exactly the confidence boost we needed and proved to ourselves that we were capable of handling it.

After one day in the canal, we arrived early in Amsterdam. We had to be there by a specific date because our very first visitors were about to arrive. But since we now had a few extra days before they got there, we took the opportunity to catch up on a few jobs around the boat and explore one of Europe's most famous cities.

One of the highlights was visiting the National Maritime Museum, where we stepped aboard a replica of a historic VOC ship (Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie). Walking through the cramped cabins and imagining months at sea under those conditions made us appreciate the comforts of our own boat even more. Running water, a proper bed, and a hot shower suddenly felt like pure luxury.

Stay tuned for the next blog post to find out who came to visit us and how it went.

Day 4: Stellendam NL - Scheveningen NL