Frequently asked questions

Booking calendar
Check the availability of the Catharina van Mijdrecht in the calendar below.

Ask for a free quotation or send an email to info@catharinavanmijdrecht.nl.
You can also call us directly at +31(0)622 974 117.

The Catharina van Mijdrecht has a daytime capacity of 40 passengers. We also have 18 comfortable beds in 7 double rooms and 1 quadruple room.
An extra quadruple room is available on request and 3 people can also stay overnight on the benches in the day room.
Don’t worry if your party is bigger: we are experts at sailing together in a convoy with other ships, calmly sailing along, having a mini regatta, and anchoring together in the evening for a barbecue on board.

Our handy calculator lets you compose your own arrangement and tells you the cost:
Calculate the price.

For direct contact you can call us at 0622 974 117,
or send an email to info@catharinavanmijdrecht.nl

We are not attached to a booking agency, so you can always contact the skipper directly.
Catharina van Mijdrecht
Skipper: Jos Rodewijk
Catering: Danny Honig

Home port:
‘t Prooyen t/o nr. 1
1141 VD Monnickendam
(not a postal address!)

Tel. 0622 974 117
From outside the Netherlands:
Tel. 0031-622-974117

E-mail: info@catharinavanmijdrecht.nl

Postal address:
Pelikaanstraat 4hs
1022AX Amsterdam

When you want to book the Catharina van Mijdrecht, we will send you a quotation. If you agree to our offer we send you a contract per email. You must print and sign this and send it back to us within two weeks; by mail, fax or email as a scanned attachment.

The rent of the ship includes access to the whole ship (except unbooked rooms and crew’s quarters), assistence of the crew, 6% VAT, harbour and lock fees, tourist tax and engine fuel for about 1 hour per day. Extra use of the engine in agreement and possibly at additional charge.

De huurprijs geldt voor de huur van het gehele schip* inclusief bemanning, 6% BTW, haven en sluisgelden, toeristenbelasting en brandstof voor ca. 1 motoruur per dag. Extra motorgebruik in overleg en evt. tegen meerprijs.
(*het voor de passagiers bestemde gedeelte en het geboekte aantal hutten.)

When you book, our payment terms are as follows:

50% of the amount within 14 days after booking;
50% of the amount no later than 14 days before departure.

When you book with us, we send you an insurance brochure. This gives information about insurance specifically for sailing trips, such as storm insurance or travel cancellation insurance.
We are nog an insurance agency and therefore we are not allowed to offer you any insurance directly. If you have any questions or wish to take out a policy, please refer to your insurance company.

If you want to make your own meals you can use all the galley facilities. There are plenty of pots and pans, crockery and cutlery on board. Of course, you will be expected to leave things clean and tidy afterwards.
You are expected to bring all provisions, including salt & pepper, washing up liquid, dishcloths and towels etc. yourselves. There will be toilet paper and a garbage bag for the first day, but you will have to buy your own for the rest.
Forgot anything? Ask the skipper, he will be happy to help.

We will be happy to take care of the catering on board.
We can provide delicious meals and/or snacks for all kinds of occasions.
* We prepare all our meals with love, directly on board and with fresh produce.
* We do not use unnecessary additives.
* We only serve fish that has been sustainably farmed or caught.
* We use free range meat whenever possible.
* We purchase our ingredients regionally as much as possible.
* We will take your diet into account, such as vegetarian, gluten free, halal or kosher.
* On request we can send you an estimate with only organically produced ingredients.

Your hostess, Danny Honig.

Click here for our complete catering list.

When you book an extensive or luxury arrangement, the cleaning is included in the price.

Basic and youth catering include household chores; you are expected to assist in the kitchen and with keeping things tidy and clean. Self-catering arrangements also include the passengers cleaning the ship.
You can do the end-cleaning yourselves (we will provide you with a checklist), but you can also pay for us to do it.
The ship is delivered to you in a clean state, and should be left as such.

End-cleaning rates:
Day trip € 50
Overnight trip € 9 per person.
These rates apply to normal circumstances and can be payed in cash on board.

Especially on overnight trips, the skipper and mate usually join the guests for dinner. It closes off the day, and the plans for the next day(s) can be discussed together.
If you would rather dine in private, please notify the skipper.

There is room on board for 2-3 days’ worth of groceries, so don’t bring too much in one go. On most routes there are plenty of opportunities to stock up, but in many harbours shops are closed on Sundays. Ask the skipper for possibilities.

We are not attached to a booking agency, so you can always contact the skipper directly.
Catharina van Mijdrecht
Skipper: Jos Rodewijk
Catering: Danny Honig

Home port:
‘t Prooyen t/o nr. 1
1141 VD Monnickendam
(not a postal address!)

Tel. 0622 974 117
From outside the Netherlands:
Tel. 0031-622-974117

E-mail: info@catharinavanmijdrecht.nl

Postal address:
Pelikaanstraat 4hs
1022AX Amsterdam

Monnickendam
Most of our sailing trips begin and end in Monnickendam. This beautiful town in less than ten minutes from the A10 Amsterdam ring road is the ideal port of departure for all our trips. It has ample parking near the harbour and is well served by public transport, even at night (see also www.9292ov.nl). Other ports are also possible in agreement.

Find the ship on Google Maps

Address
Charter harbour on ‘t Prooyen, opp. to nr. 1,  Monnickendam,
For sat-nav: postcode 1141 VD 1.

Route from the A10 Amsterdam:
Ring Amsterdam A10 north side (Zaandam / Zaanstad), exit S116 direction Volendam;
straight through Broek in Waterland;
exit Monnickendam;
right over Bernhardbrug bridge (church on the left), straight on
until the roundabout, exit left;
first right and first left (before the water/marina), signposted “charterschepen”;
150 m until charter harbour Monnickendam.

If you come by touringcar
The streets in the old centre of Monnickendam are very narrow! Don’t try to come to the harbour using your satellite navigation device, but follow this route instead:
exit Monnickendam; right over Bernhardbrug bridge (church on the left), straight on;
straight on at roundabout, then first left and left again;
Coach parking near the water.
To your right is the charter harbour, ’t Prooyen and Monnickendam.

In Monnickendam, there is ample free parking within a five minutes’ walk of the ship. You can let passengers and their luggage get out of the car directly in front of the ship and then park nearby. Ask the crew for directions. Secured parking is also possible.
‘t Prooyen, the street that runs along the charter harbour, is a blue zone: max. 2 hours with a parking disk!

Before our guests come on board, we are very busy preparing the food or cleaning the ship. Often there is very little time for this in between trips, which is why it is not possible to board before the appointed time. If a surprise needs to be prepared, please let up know beforehand so we can make an exception for a few people.

For a day trip, you will need:
A warm pullover and coat, possibly raingear, a warm hat, camera, sunscreen, sunglasses, sun hat, swimsuit & towel, sensible shoes with rubber soles (no high heels) and a good mood.

For an overnight trip, you will also need:
towel, toiletries, sleeping bag or duvet/blanket, spare clothes and a good book. Our beds all have a mattress, fitted sheet and pillow with pillowcase; a duvet and towel set can also be rented on board.

Do not bring:
pets, shoes with leather soles and/or heels, a big suitcase. Bring as little luggage as possible; there is not a lot of room on board. Hairdryers cannot be used on the ship, but you can use them in most harbours.

Domestic appliances such as coffee makers can only be used with permission of the skipper, and then only when we are connected to shore power.

For a day trip, you will need:
A warm pullover and coat, possibly raingear, a warm hat, camera, sunscreen, sunglasses, sun hat, swimsuit & towel, sensible shoes with rubber soles (no high heels) and a good mood.

For an overnight trip, you will also need:
towel, toiletries, sleeping bag or duvet/blanket, spare clothes and a good book. Our beds all have a mattress, fitted sheet and pillow with pillowcase; a duvet and towel set can also be rented on board.

Do not bring:
pets, shoes with leather soles and/or heels, a big suitcase. Bring as little luggage as possible; there is not a lot of room on board. Hairdryers cannot be used on the ship, but you can use them in most harbours.

Domestic appliances such as coffee makers can only be used with permission of the skipper, and then only when we are connected to shore power.

All our beds have a fitted sheet and a pillow with pillowcase. You can bring your own duvet or sleeping bag; we can also provide you with a duve+ towel set for €15.00. Extra towels are €2.00 each.
Let up know up to seven days in advance if you want to rent any bedding; you can pay for this in cash, on board.

There is room on board for 2-3 days’ worth of groceries, so don’t bring too much in one go. On most routes there are plenty of opportunities to stock up, but in many harbours shops are closed on Sundays. Ask the skipper for possibilities.

When you book an extensive or luxury arrangement, the cleaning is included in the price.

Basic and youth catering include household chores; you are expected to assist in the kitchen and with keeping things tidy and clean. Self-catering arrangements also include the passengers cleaning the ship.
You can do the end-cleaning yourselves (we will provide you with a checklist), but you can also pay for us to do it.
The ship is delivered to you in a clean state, and should be left as such.

End-cleaning rates:
Day trip € 50
Overnight trip € 9 per person.
These rates apply to normal circumstances and can be payed in cash on board.

Routes are not completely fixed in advance; the skipper and guests will determine them together. Express your wishes and we will provide you with possibilities, depending on wind and water. If you want to plan a route in advance we will be happy to advise you. Check the sailing area pages  in the menu.

Dutch weather is rarely spoken of in positive terms, but in practice it’s not bad at all. Long stretches of bad weather are rare, and rain is usually limited to showers. Sailing is a water sport, but there is plenty of room below deck to take shelter and warm up for a while. Any spring or autumn storms are usually forecast well in advance. Keep an eye on the forecast to see if you need to bring any rain gear.

Fortunately, seasickness is relatively rare on our ship. Because of our size and weight (70 tons), the swell on the IJsselmeer and Wadden Sea usually has little effect. Course and destination can be adapted to prevent unwanted movements.
if you are sensitive to motion sickness we recommend that you rest and eat well, and stay on deck and in the fresh air during the trip with the horizon in sight. You can also bring pills to prevent motion sickness; these inhibit the vestibular system and can be deangerous when combined with alcohol. If you feel you need these you should bring them yourself: legal restrictions forbid us from giving them to our guests.

Ships can be moored less than a metre apart in a harbour,  and the portholes are usually open for ventilation at night. Other ships often have small children or elderly people aboard, who need their rest. The crews are not on holiday either, and need their sleep so they can be at their best the next day. This is why skippers and harbour masters have agreed that there is to be harbour rest from 22:00. This means that on deck and in the harbour all is peaceful: no loud conversations or music on deck. Below deck the party can continue for awhile, and in the weekend nobody will complain about an extra hour’s noise.
Should you expect that it won’t be possible to abide by this rule, please let us know in advance; an alternative mooring place may be a solution.

The Catharina van Mijdrecht was built in 1916 and she is a sailing monument. To keep her in shape we invest a lot of time in maintenance, for which we get no subsidies of any kind. She is not owned by a large corporation but by the skipper. We ask you to keep this into account when we let you use her for the duration of your trip.
Of course, it is inevitable that things are subject to wear and tear, and sometimes break, and usually nobody means this to happen. Unfortunately we are sometimes also confronted with destruction through irresponsible behavior or even through intent. The cost of repair and/or replacement will be charged to the party organizing the trip.
In all cases, we ask you to report any damage directly to the crew. If we need to find out afterwards the cost can run a lot higher. We need to present the ship in good working order to our next group of guests as well.

We usually don’t sail when winds of 7 Bft or more are forecast. This seldom happens. It is possible to get a storm insurance to cover such exceptional cases.

There are enough lifejackets on board for everyone. If you need children’s jackets, we ask you to let us know their weight at least a week before departure so we can provide them with the right size. Children up to ten years old must wear lifejackets on deck.

The Catharina conforms to all modern safety standards as listed by the Shipping Inspectorate. We are assessed annually, and whenever necessary we adapt to new regulations. However, life on board is not without risk. An extensive safety briefing at the beginning of every trip will limit the risks to a minimum. The end result is a relaxed way to travel with a relatively low accident record.

Smoking below decks is prohibited for legal and safety reasons. Smoking on deck is allowed in principle, but please do not throw ashes and cigarette butts overboard. Alcohol and drugs are prohibited for minors (<18) during the trip. We advise adults not to overdo things: a hangover is often interpreted as seasickness, and it can really spoil your trip. In order to prevent accidents or nuisances, the skipper has, at all times, the right to end the trip in case of excess.