Rowing teams on the Suez Kanaal

This view from our balcony shows two teams of rowers in a competition held in the Spring each year. There are 12 rowers, one helmsman, and one man on the bow. They race from the harbor in the center of The Hague along a course that brings them to each section of the city's waterway. There are some sections of the canal system that are so narrow that the boats can only go one at a time, and these are the select spots for a bit of aggressive rowing and steering. You can also see the houseboat at the end of canal right at the bridge on the Laan van Meerdervoort, where only one boat at a time can pass. In this case, the yellow boat was able to make the first pass.