Sailing heritage in Oude Wetering

As part of the Strontrace, the Strontrace Museum Harbor will be held in Oude Wetering from October 19 to 21.

Museum harbour in Oude Wetering

A historical backdrop

During the Strontrace, sailing heritage ships are moored in the Wetering River (between De Spreng and Bouwcenter De Wetering), providing a fitting backdrop for the ships arriving from Workum (or on their way back from Warmond) to collect gherkins from Roelofarendsveen as return cargo.

Exhibition and start of the Strontrace

At De Spreng (Kerkstraat 50), there's an exhibition about waterborne trade. You can also watch the start of the Strontrace live at De Spreng on Monday afternoon, October 20th, via a live link. De Spreng will be open on Sunday October 19th from 13:00 AM, Monday from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM and Tuesday, October 21st, the exhibition will be open from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

Which ships are there?

→ Link to list of participating ships (in Dutch)

Participants Strontrace

The museum harbor was established in 2023 as the setting for the De Strontrace (Shit Race), which celebrated its fiftieth anniversary that year. For many years, the Wetering in Oude Wetering has served as a mooring for a pickle stop during the sailing competition, in which participants sail from Workum (Friesland) to Warmond and back again using only wind and manpower. In Oude Wetering, participants collect a jar of pickles and sign a bill of lading.

As in previous years, the museum harbor is part of the Strontrace, in which Rob Ligtenberg, a native of Leimuide who died in 2024, was an avid participant. Rob initiated the museum harbor in 2023, and the harbor is organized annually in his memory. In 2023, Rob won first prize in the free class with his skûtsje Nooit Volmaakt during his last race. In June 2024, a sign with information about maritime history was unveiled at the Plantage in Oude Wetering, fulfilling Rob's wish to keep history alive.

Want to know who's participating in this year's Strontrace? Then visit:

Check website – Vereniging Zeilvracht

It is possible to watch the start of De Strontrace via a live connection at De Spreng (Kerkstraat 50) on Monday afternoon, October 20.