A fun day out in Zeeland: cruising through historic Goes
Standing on the quay of the Stadshaven in Goes, you’re looking right into the maritime heart of the town. But the real voyage of discovery only begins once you head out onto the Havenkanaal towards the Oosterschelde. This canal is not just any waterway; it’s a 19th-century feat of engineering that literally kept Goes on the map.
I stepped aboard one of Vlot’s electric boats to see this route of just over five kilometres from the water. No roaring engine, just pure peace and quiet, which lets you soak up the stories of this area much better.
Saving the harbour
To understand why this canal is here, we need to go back to 1819. At the time, the old connection to the sea kept silting up with sand and mud, which was disastrous for trade. It was decided to dig a dead-straight connection: the Havenkanaal. As I cruise out of town, I realise how much work this must have been. Everything was dug by hand to guarantee enough depth for large merchant ships. You can still see that investment today in the generous width of the water.
Wilhelminadorp and the power of the polder
Halfway along the trip, you pass Wilhelminadorp. The village is named after Queen Wilhelmina of Prussia and only came into being after the Wilhelminapolder was reclaimed in 1809. At the time, it was one of the largest private agricultural projects in the Netherlands. Cruising along the dykes, you can see how neatly the landscape is laid out. The canal cuts straight through the fertile sea clay. It’s a remarkable contrast: on one side the vast fields, and on the other the modern architecture of Goese Meer, a residential area that showed in the 1990s how water can also be used for living and recreation.
The end point: the lock at Goese Sas
My turning point is the lock at Goese Sas, close to the well-known café Het Loze Vissertje. This is where skippers sometimes had to wait for days for the right tide or a favourable wind to head out onto the Oosterschelde. The lock keeper’s house is still a reminder of that time. The beauty of this route is that you don’t just read history in books – you really see it in the quay walls, the locks and the course of the water.
Why electric boating?
It may sound like a detail, but choosing an electric boat completes the experience. Without engine noise, you hear the wind and the water lapping against the bow. It means you can talk to your companions at a normal volume about what you see along the way. And it’s nice to know you’re not leaving any emissions behind in this clean canal water.
Goes from the water is a must for anyone who loves a mix of Zeeland history and the wide open spaces of the polder. Whether you go for an hour or take the whole afternoon, the Havenkanaal never gets boring.
