How to download a GPS-track?
You can download the GPX-file by a click on the link. Store the file on your computer. After you stored it, you can open it with a program that supports GPX-files, like Garmin Basecamp. With this program you can transfer it to your GPS-device.
Do you need a permit to navigate the canals in the Netherlands?
In the Netherlands it's free to kayak on all the waterways unless indicated differently (like in nature parks). There are a few exceptions: the Rotterdam harbour and you may not follow the Amsterdam-Rijnkanaal (crossing it is allowed). For the Reeuwijkse Plassen you need to buy a permit fot the day (see web-page).
Do you need a permit for the Belgian waterways?
In Belgium it's free to kayak on all the waterways unless indicated differently (like in nature parks). In Belgium only Belgian kayaks need a tax-plate (immatriculatieplaat). The rules about it are very unclear. Non-Belgian vessels don't need to have a plate, so actually you need proof the kayak is not Belgian.
Do you need a permit for the British waterways?
In the UK you have to have permission by the owner of the non-tidal waterway before you can take your kayak into the water. Waterways that have an open connection to the sea and that have a tidal current, are free. British Waterways owns about 2000 miles of canals and other waterways in the UK. For access to the waterways owned by BW you need a licence and a third party liability insurance. To obtain permission to access the canals you best become a member of the British Canoe Union. Membership costs £47 a year (2024) for adult recreational paddlers and includes permission to the waterways of British Waterways, the neccessary insurance and the bi-monthly magazine Canoefocus. Information about cycling on the towpaths can be found at Canal and River Trust.
Can I rent a kayak or canoe from you?
No, I just share information about where to kayak. If there is a kayak rental, it is mentioned on the page. I have no commercial relation to kayak rentals, so you have to contact them yourself. I own just one kayak and I don't rent it out.
How it's made: maps.
I use ShareX to select a selection of a map on the internet, often Open Source Bike Map. From the clipboard I create a file in Krita. Then I open the file with my Huion Kamvas 16 tablet. I make 2 new layers: a white sheet, and a transparant sheet. On the transparant sheet I draw the canals, add the names and everything else. Then I make layers 2 and 3 visible and save the image as a jpg-file for the website.How to load the kayak on your car?
I'll show you how to load the kayak on the car.
Bend your knees and grab the kayak in the middle.
Lift the kayak by stretching your knees. Put as less strength on your back as possible.
Carry the kayak with the bend arm under the kayak.
Rest your elbow on the roof and use your forearm as a lever to lift the kayak over the holders.
Put it in place on the holders.
Put on the lashing straps. You need straps of at least 3.5
meters length. Don't use too much strength to secure them. Enough is
enough.
You don't need extra lines for the tip
of the kayak. If you strap it securely, it will hold well over 120
km/h even in bad weather.
Do not use the fastening eyes of the holders. You get maximum stability by putting them around the roof rack.
