Sailing on the IJsselmeer
The IJsselmeer is a beautiful and varied sailing area in which we can really put a sailing ship like the Catharina van Mijdrecht through her paces. The ever-present wind ensures that we can easily reach the next port. Lots of space, ideal for sailing long stretches on the IJsselmeer, unbound by tides or shipping lanes. In good weather, the fresh water invites us to a swim when the ship is at anchor.

Origins
The IJsselmeer is a relatively young sailing area. It was created in 1932, when the Zuiderzee was divided by the Afsluitdijk into the salty Wadden Sea and the freshwater IJsselmeer. After that it was restricted even further. The Wieringermeer polder had already been dry since 1930. The Noordoost-polder (1942), and the Flevopolder (1957-1968) soon followed. The Houtribdijk was completed in 1976; this dike between Enkhuizen and Lelystad divided the IJsselmeer into a northern and a southern part. The southern part became the Markermeer.

Geography
The current IJsselmeer has a surface area of 1100 km². With an average depth of 4 metres, it is relatively shallow. At 5.5 metres, the ‘Drop of Urk’ is the deepest point. Due to the tidal currents of the former Zuiderzee, the IJsselmeer still has a variable and sandy bottom, with some sandbanks and deeper channels. This variation in the bottom of the IJsselmeer is responsible for the sometimes erratic waves in high winds.

Ports
On the IJsselmeer we find the following ports (clockwise from Enkhuizen): Enkhuizen, Andijk, Medemblik, Oude Zeug, Den Oever, Breezanddijk, Kornwerderzand, Makkum, Workum, Hindeloopen, Stavoren, Laaxum, Lemmer, Urk, Lelystad and Trintelhaven.