The Dutch love boats, Amsterdammers love motoring through the canals on a warm summer evening with a bottle of wine, lapping up all that tourist envy. And acccording to the city's O&S statistics office, some 15,000 pleasure boats line the canals.

According to watersports promoter Hiswa, the Netherlands has 700,000 surfboards, blow-up boats and rowing boats; 106,000 canoes and competition rowing boats, 84,000 motor boats, 72,800 sailing boats and 56,000 of those very fabulous open motor boats for cruising around in. All of them seem to be in Amsterdam on Koningingendag and for the Prinsengracht concerts.