Think about the Netherlands or Friesland and your thoughts will turn automatically to water and panoramic landscapes. Our province of Friesland offers its visitors a unique region of wetlands and nature in abundance: in effect a paradise beyond compare for water sports enthusiasts. Its plentiful inland lakes are linked by canals, creating great opportunities for a diversity of journeys through the often unspoilt scenery.

It is possible to find moorings almost anywhere, as there are excellent berths both on lakesides and waterways. Picturesque towns and villages, well worth a visit – and often with historic buildings – are an invitation to visitors to stay for the night. Moreover, there are countless opportunities for shopping and – not least – for dining out at one of our many splendid restaurants.

All of this makes Friesland the ideal place for wide-ranging voyages taking in all this splendour from on board your own hired motorised yacht. If you have already ‘done’ Friesland once before, you could also discover new areas such as the Lauwersmeer man-made lake or the north-western part of Overijssel with its beautiful national park “De Weerribben” as well as towns and villages such as Kalenberg, Blokzijl and Giethoorn (the Venice of the North).

Turfskip Yacht Charter is the right place to come for all these things, and you can also be assured of a warm welcome at our base in Echtenerbrug, the ideal starting point for your sailing holiday. We are situated on the Tjeukemeer lake, the dividing line between the Frisian Lakes and the De Weerribben-Wieden National Park in the province of Overijssel. 

Motor yacht hire has been our passion for more than 35 years, and we have a wide range of boats from which to choose both for beginners or for more experienced and exacting water sports enthusiasts. Our hire fleet for the 2015 season consists of 37 vessels. These vary in length from 7.8 to 14.85 m and are able to accommodate anywhere from 2 to 12 people. You do not require a navigation licence for our vessels. However, the skipper must be an adult (21 years old) and should, if possible, have some previous sailing experience. If that is not the case, you will find a section further on in the brochure that gives more information about our First-Time Skipper Assistance offers. Extensive prior sailing experience is required for 12-metre vessels.

You can set off from our moorings on Friday afternoon, Monday afternoon, Wednesday afternoon or Saturday morning (depending on the type of vessel), returning on the following Friday morning, Monday morning, Wednesday morning or Friday afternoon, as the case may be (i.e. one week’s hire). All vessels are available on the same departure date for weekend or mid-week hire.

Should the circumstances so arise, you could also depart or return on other days if necessary.

In other words: COME DISCOVER US! And come and discover Friesland and the Northern Netherlands too.

The management and staff at Turfskip Yacht Charter/Water Sports Company will make every effort to ensure that your sailing holiday goes without a hitch. We’d really love to have you on board!