Holiday Barge adventure: a voyage aboard Onderneming from Snape Maltings to Lowestoft

Perfect weather and a perfect trip for a Holiday Barge. Almost…

Our magnificent Dutch Holiday Barge Onderneming went into dry dock in Lowestoft in March 2022, to have some minor work done to the hull, seals etc. 

We put together a Youtube video to share with you our epic journey (well it was epic for us anyway!) up the Heritage Coast of Suffolk. There will be more to follow as what goes up, must come down…

As you can see, we had amazing (though extremely cold!) weather, scenery, and the most incredible sunset and sunrise! 

It was a 24 hour journey over two days, as we had to leave Snape Maltings on the rising tide, and then wait out at Havergate Island near Orford overnight, for the rising tide the next afternoon to head up the coast. We arrived (sorry, I just spoiled the ending) in Lowestoft at dusk, and we had the best fun!

As the owner, it’s always a nerve-wracking trip though, as anything can happen. Like hitting a sandbank as you head out to sea. We were expecting it though as we were going out on a rising tide, so we didn’t have to wait long before she floated again thankfully!

Our Holiday Barge Onderneming had a hull survey carried out five years ago when we bought her, and it stipulated that in five years we would have to have another one as some parts of the hull were thinner than others. Other than the insurance company insisting on it, we wanted to do it of course, in order to keep her in the best condition, and avoid mishaps. 

The plan was for her to be in dry dock for a couple of weeks, and as I type this, she has had the survey done and all is well. There will be updates soon with some more footage, but at the moment she’s having some welding done to ensure her longevity for many more years to come. She’s also having some external seals replaced as expected, as well as new sacrificial anodes fitted to combat corrosion. After that she will be treated to new primer coats and anti-foul paint, again to protect her from the elements. 

All being well we will be back underway early April, albeit with a much lighter wallet. Let’s just say we’d have been able to buy a couple of brand new cars instead, but this has to be done!

We had some fabulous aerial shots from our intrepid photographer Carl Lamb of ambientLight, as well as the shots we took en route. So why not put the kettle on, make your favourite cuppa, and relax with our little movie, full of video clips and photos from our voyage up the wonderful Heritage Coast of Suffolk.