Nationale Feestdagen

I wake late, breakfast well and spend the morning, half awake, sitting in Stargazer's sunny cockpit - a pot of coffee on the go.

Around me, the harbour goes about its business.

Many more boats are arriving, than leaving.

The wind strength and sea state remain as yesterday.

Tomorrow its due to blow up further. My trusty Meteo Consult app is giving south west force 6 - 7. Although it did under estimate what we ran into on our Thursday, early morning, foray by two full Beaufort strengths.

The Met Office land forecast has it at south west force 7-8. Certainly the friendly officers aboard the Border Control RIB (who came alongside for a chat earlier) reckoned it was going to blow a force 8. "And the seas - they will be terrible." Spoken with conviction and underscored with undulating arm movements.They mentioned that it was one of the Dutch nationale feastdagen, the Pinksteren (Pentecost), on Monday. So its a Bank Holiday gale we're in for - its the same wherever you sail!

From lunchtime onward, the rain and first squalls of the full gale begin to make their presence felt. A succession of heavy, well found, forty plus footers put in for shelter.

 I un-moor and stand off to allow each new arrival inside us on the raft. Stargazer is too small for them to hang off us without damage. Its a convivially gregarious afternoon spent chatting to Dutch crews as we sort out our lines, exchange views on the forecasts, boat designs, ports to visit - the usual cruising bonhomie.

 There's a knock on our cabin top, when I finally go below. Its the Havenmeester with a fabulous looking nut confection, to thank us for moving so often. What a civilised city Den Haag is turning out to be.