Wooden Punter Kragge Luxe
The smallest hire punter at the yard, for 1 to 4 people. An oak punter with an electric motor and cushions, which you steer yourself with the motor. You do not need a boating licence.
Punterwerf Wildeboer
wooden punter and punter sloop hire in Giethoorn-Noord
Punterwerf Wildeboer is a family business on the Beulakerweg in Giethoorn-Noord and one of the two punter yards the village still has. You hire an oak punter (traditional wooden boat) or punter sloop with an electric motor here, built at the yard itself. You do not need a boating licence.
Sailing in an oak punter
The hire boats of Punterwerf Wildeboer are handmade oak punters. They are built wider and sturdier than the original Giethoorn punter, with slightly higher sides and a flat bottom, so they sit calmly in the water. You sail electrically and steer yourself. Because the yard lies on the north side of the village, you start your trip in a quiet part of Giethoorn and can get used to the boat before heading towards the busier centre.
- Wooden Punter Kragge Luxe (1 to 4 people)
- Wooden Punter Giethoorn Luxe (1 to 6 people)
- Wooden Punter Sloop Luxe (1 to 8 people)
- No boating licence needed, explanation and boating map before departure
- Hire for 2, 3 or 4 hours or a whole day
- Dogs are welcome on board
- Yard walk with information panels and old tools
At Punterwerf Wildeboer you can hire an electric punter or punter sloop, sail through the Weerribben-Wieden nature reserve, take a yard walk around a punter yard, and have a boat built, maintained or restored.
You reserve online on the Punterwerf Wildeboer booking page. There you can see for each day which boats are still available.
The hire boats of Punterwerf Wildeboer
On the Punterwerf Wildeboer booking page you can reserve three wooden boats. All three have an electric motor, you steer them with the motor and they are fitted with cushions. You do not need a boating licence for any of the boats.
Wooden Punter Giethoorn Luxe
An oak punter for 1 to 6 people, with an electric motor and cushions. You steer with the motor and get an explanation of the boat and the route before you set off. A boating licence is not needed.
Wooden Punter Sloop Luxe
The largest hire boat, for 1 to 8 people: an oak punter sloop with an electric motor and cushions, for a family or group. You do not need a boating licence for this one either.
On board
How the punters are equipped
A Punterwerf Wildeboer punter has a large front locker, two spacious side lockers and a rear locker. You store your belongings in them and sit on top, so that, as in a sloop, you sit in a circle. The motor is set to 6 kilometres per hour, the speed allowed in Giethoorn, and the battery lasts a whole day of sailing.
- 1000 watt electric motor, quiet and simple to operate
- Battery for about 7.5 hours of sailing
- Imitation leather cushions with removable covers
- Fleece blankets for cooler days
- Rubber fender all round, handy when mooring
- Life jacket for children who cannot swim
Routes
Sailing from the yard in Giethoorn-Noord
Before you set off, the yard goes through the boating map with you and you get an explanation of the boat and the motor. From the yard you sail straight into Weerribben-Wieden National Park. You can stay in Giethoorn-Noord and the nature reserve, or carry on to the tourist part of Giethoorn. That is about an hour’s sailing from the yard. If you are unsure about the route along the way, you can ask the yard for help via WhatsApp.
- Along the village canal of Giethoorn-Noord, past farmhouses and gardens (from 2 hours)
- A route that runs entirely through the nature reserve (from 2 hours)
- The village canal of Dwarsgracht
- On to the village canal of Giethoorn-Zuid (at least 3 hours recommended)
- Mooring at a terrace, a museum or the island on the Bovenwijde
If you want to learn more about the village along the way, you can add the MooveGo interactive tour when you hire a punter sloop. The tour starts at the yard and works with an app on your smartphone: at checkpoints along the route you get information, a quiz, a puzzle or a game about the history, the crafts and the nature. The tour is in Dutch only. Ask about it at the yard.
The yard
A punter yard since 1890
Giethoorn used to have more than twenty punter yards. Almost all transport in the village went by water, with punters, rafts and boks (flat-bottomed cargo boats). Of all those yards two remain, one in Giethoorn-Noord and one in Giethoorn-Zuid. Punterwerf Wildeboer is the yard in the north.
Thomas Vos laid the foundations of the business around 1890, in a barn on the Appensteeg. Since 1933 the punters have been built at the present site on the Beulakerweg. The yard has always passed from father to son or son-in-law. Henk Wildeboer, great-grandson of Thomas Vos, took over the business from his father in 1990 and runs it together with Yvonne Wildeboer. The moulds his great-grandfather worked with are still used today.
The old carpenter’s barn has made way for a modern workshop on the water, with a small shop selling boating supplies. The roof carries 119 solar panels that supply power to the workshop, the boat sheds and the hire boats. What is not used immediately is stored in batteries. The workshop is heated with a ground-source heat pump.
- Around 1890Thomas Vos starts as a punter builder in a barn on the Appensteeg.
- 1933The yard moves to its present site on the Beulakerweg.
- Around 1965Son-in-law Harm Wildeboer continues the yard and builds sailing punters, among other boats.
- 1990Henk Wildeboer takes over the yard and, together with Yvonne, takes new steps.
- NowBuilding, maintenance and restoration of boats, boat hire, moorings and a yard walk.
Boat building
Building, maintaining and restoring boats
Oak punters are still built by hand at the yard, without drawings, using the old moulds. The wood lies partly in the water and partly dry, so that the bottom swells and becomes watertight once launched. The sides are shaped over a fire. Besides wooden boats the yard also supplies aluminium punters and, in consultation, tour boats and other flat-bottomed boats. You can also go there for maintenance and restoration of your own boat.
- Rowing boats, small sailing boats and punters in different types, such as the Giethoorn, Kampen, Beulakermeer, Noordwesthoek and Kuunder punters
- Tour boats, boks and rafts made to measure
- Masts, gaffs, booms, leeboards and rudders, and an electric motor in the rudder
- Tarring, varnishing and restoration in a workshop of about 550 square metres
- An overhead crane that can lift boats of up to 10 tonnes
- Garden furniture, garden benches and picnic tables made of oak
Yard walk
A walk around the yard
On the yard’s grounds you can take a yard walk. Information panels tell you about life in the past, the different Giethoorn vessels such as the bok and the kaarpunter, vanished trades and the techniques used to build the boats. The small hay barn holds an exhibition of old punter-building tools and miniatures of a punter and a bok.
The yard walk is freely accessible and suitable for young and old. It combines well with a boat trip from the yard.
- Information panels spread across the yard grounds
- Old photos and stories about generations of punter builders
- Exhibition of tools in the hay barn
- Miniatures of a punter and a bok
Marina
Moorings and winter storage
The yard includes a marina with moorings in the outer harbour and along the jetty, and two covered boat sheds for boats of up to about 6.5 metres. You can rent a year-round berth or store your boat in winter only. At almost all moorings you park close to your boat.
Contact the yard about the options for a mooring, a berth in a shed or winter storage.
- Year-round berths in the outer harbour and along the jetty, with electricity and water
- Two covered boat sheds with small and large berths
- Heated winter storage in the loft of the workshop
- Access under a fixed bridge, headroom of about 2.3 metres and draught of up to about 85 centimetres
Practical information
- AddressBeulakerweg 48, 8355 AJ Giethoorn (Giethoorn-Noord)
- Reservationsonline via the booking page, or by phone on 0521 36 12 03
- Parkingfree on the grounds next to the yard, about 20 metres from the boats
- By busbus 70 from Steenwijk station, get off at the Lindenhof stop, about 150 metres from the yard
- Dogswelcome on board
- Childrena life jacket for children who cannot swim
- Busy timesfrom April to October it is busier on the water, especially in the middle of the day, in holidays and at weekends
Frequently asked questions about Punterwerf Wildeboer
Do you need a boating licence to hire a boat at Punterwerf Wildeboer?
No. You do not need a boating licence for the punters and punter sloops of Punterwerf Wildeboer. Before you set off you get an explanation of the boat and the motor, and you are given a boating map with routes.
How many people can you hire a boat for?
That depends on the boat. The Wooden Punter Kragge Luxe is for 1 to 4 people, the Wooden Punter Giethoorn Luxe for 1 to 6 people and the Wooden Punter Sloop Luxe for 1 to 8 people.
How long can you hire a boat for?
You hire a boat for a minimum of 2 hours, or for 3 or 4 hours or a whole day. If you want to sail from the yard to the busier part of Giethoorn, Punterwerf Wildeboer recommends at least 3 hours. You can sail routes through Giethoorn-Noord or the nature reserve from 2 hours.
How do you reserve a boat at Punterwerf Wildeboer?
You reserve a punter or punter sloop online via the Punterwerf Wildeboer booking page at wildeboer.giethoorn.com. You can also call. Hiring on the spot only works if a boat is still free, so in the high season it is wise to reserve in advance.
Can your dog come on board?
Yes, your dog can come on board. The cushions have removable imitation leather covers and the boat is cleaned after every trip.
Where do you park at Punterwerf Wildeboer?
You park for free on the yard’s own grounds, about 20 metres from the boats. If you come by bus, take bus 70 from Steenwijk station and get off at the Lindenhof stop, about 150 metres from the yard.
Do children get a life jacket?
Yes. Children who cannot swim get a life jacket on board. The canals in Giethoorn are on average about 70 centimetres deep, and about one metre on the lakes.
What if the weather is bad?
Contact Punterwerf Wildeboer if you are in doubt because of the weather. Rebooking or cancelling follows the terms of the rental company.