Canal paddling - the "Grecht"

Click on the picture for a detailed view

The "Grecht" is a canal near Woerden. How the Grecht follows the lines of the landscape looks quit "natural", but in fact, like most waterways in the Netherlands it's artificial: man-made, excavated by hand in the 14th century. Due to the ever going on "downwards shift" of the surrounding peat-soil terrain, the water-level of the Grecht is one or two meters higher than the land alongside, which makes paddling attractive because of the wide view.

The lock of Woerdense Verlaat today - different conditions earlier this year...

Around noon I paddled with Guus on the Grecht, just to break out off the dark, rainy, clouded and short December-days. With the Southerly wind starting around 4 Bft, but soon increasing up to force 5/6, it was a swift paddle from Woerden to the sluice in Woerdense Verlaat. Paddling back was a more a struggle, fully exposed to the wind. Over all we paddled an an average speed of 7,9 kmh on this 21,6 km paddle.