What a difference a year makes

Vereeniging in Oudenbosch
The river was pretty high

This time last year, Vereeniging was still in Oudenbosch at her ligplaats in the town's marina. The photo above was taken on the 23rd of March, 2023, when the river was extremely high. We'd been suffering strong gales and heavy rain, causing me more than a little anxiety. The thing was we were due to leave the marina for her new mooring on the 1st of April and the weather was not showing any signs of being in our favour.

High water in Oudenbosch last year

What eventually happened was that we left on the 3rd of April on an icy cold morning that was, thankfully, sunny and calm. The story of our trip south is one I wrote about on this blog. I'm also planning on expanding it into a travelogue that will include our original journey from Rotterdam, but that's yet to be written. 

However, given that it's almost the anniversary of our departure, I thought I'd take some time to think back on this year and see if there are any regrets about moving south. 

When I look at the photos of our mooring on the Mark, I realise there are some things about the mooring I miss, not least of which is the town itself. I really liked it there and loved driving up to spend a few days on board every week just to be somewhere else. Oudenbosch is a pretty, quaintly Dutch town with some lovely old buildings, a magnificent basilica and good facilities. It was a genuine pleasure to be there and yes, I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel some pangs of nostalgia. 

It was always a pleasure to be there

So easy to paint the boat from the bank

I also miss the position of Vereeniging against the bank. It was so easy to climb on and off the decks and it was a dream to be able to paint the boat standing on firm ground. I can't do that where we are now and I can see my paintwork suffering from the buffeting my old girl gets from the elements. The Mark at Oudenbosch was nicely sheltered from the worst of the weather's assaults – all except the extreme high water, which at least we don't have to worry about now.

The other downside is that I no longer have the excuse to pay regular visits to my younger daughter. Her home is just eight kilometres from where Vereeniging lay, so it was very handy for coffee stops and other visits. 

And lastly, I simply miss the Mark – no, I'm not joking or even punning. I really mean it. The Mark is a beautiful, tranquil river that exudes an almost mystical quality. I'm still sad we didn't spend more time exploring its beautiful reaches.

So yes, I still feel some regret that the ever increasing costs of the mooring there forced me to leave, but overall, I'm pleased with where we are now. Although we haven't spent much time on board over winter due to the awful weather, it's been so much easier to make regular checks and simply spend a few hours enjoying my barge in its new environs. Plus, there's no worry about high water on the canal, which is a huge relief, and in all honesty, there's nothing to beat our current view.

I'm very much hoping spring will show its proper face soon, and that the annuals I planted out last week will get a chance to flourish. For now, though allemaal, enjoy the rest of this week; keep warm if you're in the soggy northern climes, and cool if you're down south, but most of all, keep well!