How dangerous is supping next to a large ship?

A boater has a lot less visibility over people on the water than is thought.

As a supper or in a small boat, they are quite exciting: the barges on the Spaarne. But how does the skipper look at all those people from Haarlem on the water? Supper teacher Bart Verhaak sailed through the inner city with skipper Jurrian Pulleman.

As a sup teacher, Bart doesn't get nervous about a barge approaching him. But the people who rent a sup from him do. "They often find it exciting. I can understand that, because they don't have as much control over the sup. That's why I tell them beforehand what to do when a big ship approaches: get as close to shore as possible, and sit down on the sup. Then not much can happen. But if you're in front of it, a ship can't swerve." 

He is especially curious about the skipper's view. "I often see the water from a sup or a small boat, but I'd like to know what the captain sees. Is there crew on deck watching along, are there cameras on board, does he primarily use the radio or is his view limited to what he can see from the wheelhouse?"




Important shipping route

Jurrian is only 25 years old but despite that an experienced skipper. "My father is also a skipper. Even as a little boy I sat on his lap while sailing." Jurrian now has his own freighter called Virtus and a regular employee Carlos, with whom he has worked for years. They transport sand from the North Sea, usually from IJmuiden towards Hillegom or Alphen aan den Rijn. The logical route for that stretch is via Haarlem. Jurrian finds pleasure boats on the water especially enjoyable. "When I sail through a bridge, in the summer I have a whole string of boats following me. I like the crowds. If you behave sensibly there is room for everyone."

"People on the water sometimes underestimate the space the ship needs." - Skipper Jurrian

Sometimes the crowds can also be stressful. "Most people are relaxed, but some yachts are in a hurry and think you should pull over. So you can't. It's best to sail quietly behind me, for me all the bridges open anyway, and no one can go faster than 6 kilometers per hour." 

In narrow places in the Spaarne, it is extra careful. "For example, when I have to make a sharp turn at a bridge. Visitors on the terrace sometimes pick up their beer and walk away, thinking I'm going to hit the side. That doesn't happen, but tight it is. People on the water sometimes underestimate that. They think they can moor right in front of that bridge. But if I have to make a turn, the space to shore might be 7 meters at first but within minutes it's less than 2. You don't want to be in between that with your sup or boat."




Suddenly stopping is not possible

Bart says he had expected Jurrian to have more visibility, such as through cameras. Jurrian: "We have one hanging upside down, but I don't use it much. Cameras give a distorted view. What seems far away is often already very close. I can see that, but I can't swerve anyway. I prefer Carlos standing there with a walkie-talkie. We are completely attuned to each other. He can indicate much more accurately how much space I have. And in emergencies, he can yell at people to pull over."

"I actually expected you to have a little more visibility, for example through cameras." - Supper Bart

"If I really have to stop unexpectedly, it demands a lot from the engine. All kinds of debris from the bottom gets into the propeller, and we also move a lot of water, which is not nice for houseboat residents. If we sail slowly, we make fewer waves than a small boat that doesn't follow the speed limit."

Did Bart look differently at cargo ships on the Spaarne as a result of sailing with them? "Sure did. The skipper has less visibility than I thought. And so there are many reasons why he can't slow down. I'm going to make my suppers even more aware to really keep their distance, so they don't hinder commercial shipping, and don't put themselves in danger."




Safe supping in Haarlem

Those who want to supper safely should avoid the narrow stretch on the Spaarne between the Catharijnebrug and Langebrug. Choose a route via the Nieuwe Gracht, Kinderhuissingel and Gasthuissingel. Suppers must always give way to commercial shipping.




This blog was written by Municipality of Haarlem

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