Pampus Island (IJmeer)
Fort Pampus · IJmeer anchorage · Amsterdam approaches
52°21.5'N 05°02.9'E
Depth
2–4m
Bottom
mud
Alarm Radius
70m
Holding
Excellent
Recommended Anchor Alarm Radius
70m
70m on very soft IJmeer mud in 2–4m. Non-tidal. Anchor will bury deeply — excellent holding but slow recovery. Exposed to SW — leave if SW >15kt forecast. A magical overnight anchorage with Amsterdam lights visible on the western horizon.
Setting Your Anchor
- Check tidal height for your arrival time using Waddengids or Rijkswaterstaat tidal tables
- Plan arrival at HW -2 for tidal locations; IJsselmeer anchorages are non-tidal — arrive any time
- Navigate daylight only in all Wadden and coastal channels; IJsselmeer night sailing permitted with care
- Set your anchor alarm immediately after anchoring — before going below or sleeping
About This Anchorage
Fort Pampus is one of the most dramatic and unusual anchorages in the Netherlands — a circular fortress island in the IJmeer (the bay east of Amsterdam), built in 1895 as part of the Stelling van Amsterdam (Amsterdam Defence Line, a UNESCO World Heritage Site). The island (1.5ha) is barely above water and sits in the middle of the former Zuiderzee approaches to Amsterdam. In the 16th–17th centuries, large VOC ships would be 'stuck on Pampus' (a Dutch idiom for being in trouble) as they grounded in the shallows waiting for lighter (shallow-draft) vessels to ferry their cargo into Amsterdam. The fortress was never used in battle. Today it is a state monument open for organised tours. The anchorage off the island at sunset with Amsterdam lights on the western horizon is one of the most atmospheric overnight stops in the Netherlands.
Protected From
N · NE · E · SE
Exposed To
W · SW · S · NW
Anchoring Rules
- Anchoring fee
- Free anchorage; island visits by organised tour only (Stichting Pampus, book online)
- Permit required
- No
Restrictions: Non-tidal (IJmeer); no landing on island without authorised tour; no anchoring in navigation channels to Amsterdam port; AIS mandatory in IJmeer (heavy commercial traffic to Amsterdam port).
Hazards
- !Exposed to W and SW — Amsterdam and the IJmeer offer no windbreak from westerly quadrant; leave well before any SW gale
- !Heavy commercial shipping to Amsterdam port crosses the IJmeer — maintain AIS watch and VHF Ch 16
- !Soft mud — anchor recovery can take time; use steady power ahead rather than jerking on chain
- !No facilities on island — plan all provisions before departure
- !No shelter in W or SW conditions — this is a fair-weather anchorage only
Skipper's Tips
- →Book the Stichting Pampus organised island tour in advance (stichtingpampus.nl) — landing without a tour is not permitted
- →Arrive at sunset for the most dramatic photography: the circular fortress, the IJmeer reflections, and Amsterdam lights in the distance
- →From the anchorage, the overnight passage to Amsterdam's Sixhaven (8nm) is a classic morning sail — breakfast underway, moor by 0900
- →Muiden (2nm SE) has the Muiderslot castle (1285, one of the best-preserved medieval castles in the Netherlands) and a small café — worth a detour by dinghy
- →The anchorage is directly on the Dutch phrase 'voor Pampus liggen' (to lie before Pampus) — meaning to be stuck, helpless; use the idiom with Dutch sailors for immediate recognition
Facilities
No facilities at anchorage. Amsterdam (8nm) has everything. Muiden (2nm SE) has a small harbour with a café and provisions.
Nearest provisions: Muiden village (2nm)
Best Months & Season
May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep
May–September. One of the most atmospheric anchorages in the Netherlands. Best experienced on a still summer evening with Amsterdam visible to the west. Avoid in any westerly conditions.
Recommended Anchor Types
Nearby Anchorages
Set Your Anchor Alarm to 70m
In the Texelstroom and North Holland waters, tidal currents can drag your anchor without warning. Safety Anchor Alarm monitors your GPS position continuously.
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