Place Beyond Belief 1

I am now back in the place formerly known as New Amsterdam trying to sort out the sights of what is still the original Amsterdam and environs . . . from the Maas to Den Helder.  A little self-disclosure . . . because I was born when my parents were still learning basic English and therefore spoke Dutch before I started English in school, I still speak fluent but broken Dutch.  I also have lots of relatives in the Netherlands who indulge my interest in tugboats and other workboats.

Watchstander on Mahu M880 is occupied by someone with a sense of humor.

Radio Veronica has been transformed into an eatery as has

REM Island.

Live on the water and want to grow your own salads?

No problem and you further insulate your home.

The canals of Amsterdam and many other waterways in the country have floating housing, although this style of vessel–some built in the US after WW2–are NOT

out of service.  Here binnenvaart boats service cruise ships in the port of Amsterdam and

Rotterdam.

Given the water in the Netherlands and old low bridges, tugboat technology and design evolved a unique set of vessels called

Amsterdammers.

Lara dates from

1926.  DAF powers this vessel.

Greta is just beautiful . .  or mooi, as my relatives would say.

Telescoping portions of vessels can be seen everywhere like on Egalite,

 

Bonheur.  Odin, formerly of the sixth boro and now permanently fixed in place, would have fit in nicely here.

This river cruiser has a wheelhouse on a scissors jack, and this

Seajacks Kraken defies all telescoping.

Here and here are some articles about the brand-new Damen built Susie S, the first of at least three Windwave vessels I spotted.

There’s so much moe to unpack, so let me leave it here . . . more Dutch invention and reinvention.

All photos by Will Van Dorp, who will soon head north with my red passport.