Sailing

SAILING


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Sailing has been one the favourite pastimes in my family. When I was only a schoolboy my parents would take me out on the water and they sent to sailing instruction camps in summer. This is where I developed my initial skills, manoeuvring old-fashioned (historic?) "zeilpunters" on the Beulaker & Belter Wijde.
I later joined the same summer camps as an instructor, teaching young children to sail these adventurous boats that tended to sink all the time. Especially sailing into the wind required a skilled approach because the boat, with its typical 'spritsail' and sideboards, would rather go sideways than forward. Only a steady hand and firm determination would get you back to your harbour. Basic skills that you ultimately need at larger sailing boats too.

zeilpunter

Caribbean 40

We sailed several types of open yachts, like the 16 m2, and with them spent our holidays on the inner lakes in
The Netherlands and Friesland. We moved "up" to sailing the open seas in more advanced and larger yachts, like the Contest 30 and steel-hulled Caribbean 40. We sailed along the North Sea coasts of The Netherlands, South bound to Belgium and France, North bound to Germany and Denmark. We crossed over to England and Ireland and toured the Mediterranean Sea, visiting Spain and the Baleares, sailed across to Sardinia and Sicily in Italy and circled the French island of Corsica.

Further sailing experience was gathered with a 35 foot Westerly Riviera when cruising the IJsselmeer in The Netherlands. A comfortable semi-motorsailer, rented by me through the OWN SHIP internet site in 2002. Why own a yacht when you can easily rent them?