A few years ago we went on a boat holiday in Friesland. You can rent a boat in Friesland without having a boat license, did you know that? Not every boat of course, but specific boats do. As long as the boat is smaller than 15 meters and remains below 20 kilometers per hour when sailing, you can go out without a license! You will receive some instructions in advance about how everything works and then your holiday can begin. What is nice is that when renting a boat in Friesland you can often already see on the website of the landlord which boats you can rent without a license. Not only in Friesland of course, also in other places. But take it from me that Friesland really is a wonderful province to view from the water. Let me take you on a little bit of our vacation.
As indicated above, there are legally certain rules that you must adhere to when renting a boat in Friesland without a license. If you do not have a boat license, you are simply not allowed to sail on a boat that is too large. And not on a boat that goes too fast. But let's be honest, a boat of just under 15 meters long is a whopper of a boat! A few years ago we rented such a boat that we were allowed to sail without a license for a boat holiday in the Netherlands. Kind of like a mini cruise with the family, haha. And it was really more than big enough for our family of 4 and the dog. You can see it above, cool thing right!
You really have all the space in a boat like this. With two sleeping cabins, separate bathroom and a living room with kitchen in it, we could really go in all directions. Even with bad weather it is very doable. You can then steer the boat from the inside, which is nice. Although we did not have to use it because during our boat holiday in Friesland the weather was lovely. But if you compare it to a caravan, for example, then the space has been better than expected. In fact, I think our boat was a lot more spacious.
If you are going to rent a boat to spend your holiday, choose a boat with a bow thruster and stern thruster, especially if you do not have a boat license. This way you can sail through Friesland a lot easier on a rented boat without much experience and without a boat license. A boat with a bow thruster and stern thruster is much easier to control. It reacts much faster and you can steer it sideways (by way of) if you want to dock. A big plus.
Incidentally, we only had a bow thruster on our boat, so that only the rear is controlled while sailing. The tip of the boat is then still carried along by the current, which makes mooring a bit more difficult. You then have to assess the situation better and make more adjustments. Fortunately, the people in Friesland are super nice and they will immediately help you with mooring if necessary. And we were also able to moor our boat in Friesland without a license with only a bow thruster, so you can do that too if that is the only boat to rent. just saying.
Sailing in Friesland is, as far as I'm concerned, a real pleasure. You get such a free feeling on the Frisian lakes, but also when you sail through the narrower connections between the Frisian lakes. Some parts you sail all alone and you don't see anyone at all. Of course, it depends on whether you rent a boat in high season, or whether you are going to sail without a license before or after the season. As long as you make sure you keep enough space around your boat, there's nothing to worry about. It may sometimes be exciting, but such a boat reacts quite quickly. The most exciting thing is not sailing, but rather mooring in the marina. There may be some unexpected currents there (as we had in Sneek).
In any case, we would rent a boat in Friesland again without a license and preferably also a slightly larger size, just like last time. Simply because the extra space is wonderful if you also want to stay and sleep on the boat for the entire holiday. Only then would like a boat with both propellers.
And, is it already itching to plan such a wonderful holiday and to explore the Netherlands from the water on a boat without a license? I would say do! And while you enjoy the anticipation, you can of course also prepare for the boat holiday by reading up on the rules on the water beforehand!
