Saying Goodbye
We were all gathered in the clubhouse of the renowned Scheveningen Marina, a place where countless sailors have previously set their bows toward the open ocean, where many Dutch sailors have embarked on adventures both grand and modest. This clubhouse stands as a testament to a great sailing nation, rich in traditions. Oh Oh Den Haag, mooie stad achter de duinen…
It was our second farewell party in a week, and this time it was for the family and friends of Coen and Femke. The boat was moored right next to the clubhouse so that everyone could take a look. This was Coen and
Femke’s chance to say a final goodbye to their loved ones, and an opportunity for Trine and me to get to know Coen and Femke’s friends. We often talk about our friends on board, so it’s nice to have met their friends and family and know what they look like.
It was a gorgeous summer day in the Netherlands with clear skies and a lively atmosphere. We even had the famous street rapper GJ-Hubers come over to give us some tips on how to connect with the people of the sea. “Yaaa man, I tell y’all, if you wanna make this happen, you gotta work together, man. You’re gonna depend on each other on that little floating piece of aluminum of yours. I always told my brothers in the hood one thing—teamwork makes the dream work. So y’all gotta pull together and work as a team, man. True words right here—so you better listen.”
After GJ-Hubers left the stage and people began heading home, we gathered for a final moment with the families. Here, Femke’s dad also had some words for us: “Maybe I shouldn’t say this as a parent, but what makes life exciting is straying from the main path, taking risks, and feeling like something is at stake.” Not something you often hear from parents, but I guess that’s a challenge accepted. 😉
Heading off
The next day, we headed to Hanos, a B2B supermarket, with Fem’s Danish-Dutch friend Isabella, so we could stock up on food, spices, and, of course, licorice! In the evening, Coen and Femke went on a long-planned hot air balloon tour over Utrecht with their families. It was a chance for them to catch a last glimpse of their home country from above before we set off the following day.
We sailed out of Scheveningen Harbour with Femke’s parents and a few friends waving goodbye. The city, the pier, and the dunes slowly receded into the distance as we made our way to…Harlingen. The farewell wasn’t too dramatic, though, since we were still going to be in the Netherlands for another week or so, sorting out various boat repairs in Harlingen before heading south again.
After Harlingen, we journeyed to Amsterdam where we met up with Coen’s friend Bart and his girlfriend Floor. Together, we sailed around the canals of central Amsterdam. It was here we also met our first boat friends
from Fishkind, a cool young German couple sailing a stunning wooden ship. Fridjoff, a shipbuilder specializing in wood, and his partner, Carla, a seasoned sailor of tall ships to and from the Caribbean and an expert seamstress, gave us some much-needed tips on fixing our temperamental sewing machine.
Before leaving the Netherlands for good, we navigated through numerous sluices and visited beautiful old Dutch towns like Middelburg and Hellevoetsluis, brimming with Dutch history, especially related to sailing.
Our last evening in the Netherlands was spent in a cozy old pub in Middelburg, housed in a traditional half-timbered building with wooden interiors. Our table, a large old barrel, served as the perfect resting spot for a few ice-cold pilsners and IPA’ s.
We returned to Mama Eva, navigating through the dark cobblestone streets of Middelburg, which looked much as they might have 150 years ago, save for the modern light bulbs in the street lanterns. We soaked in the last bits of old Dutch atmosphere before setting off for England and crossing the English Channel the following day.
