Broom Owners Club

Although our 'Rest of the World' region does not yet have its own coordinator, with several boats visiting Holland from the UK this summer, it seemed a shame not to try to get them all together. In the end five boats made it to the rendezvous in Dordrecht on the 6th August, with several others having already committed themselves to cruising elsewhere in Holland, and our Dutch member already half way through the French canals. Boisterous Mistress, Lady Alison and La Strega met at Strijensas for a pre-rendezvous barbeque the evening before, then joined up with Bonny Rose and Lucille at the Koninklijke Dordrechtsche Roei and Zeil Vereeniging on the Friday afternoon.

We'd arranged a visit to the Rutte Jenever distillery for the afternoon's entertainment, and we were warmly received by our entertaining host, and shown round the very simple production facility where their specialty drinks are still produced. They confessed that their two biggest sellers, the Oude and the Jonge Jenever, are now produced in a factory on the edge of town, but the copper kettle, and the hand operated label gluer are still used for the rest of the range.

In the evening we enjoyed the generous buffet dinner in the Yacht Club restaurant, overlooking the Dordrecht Nieuwe Haven.