Following the Dutch tradition, we had our Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve, aka 24th December. The plan was simple but ingenious, we would all cook of one or two dishes and we would gather at Ben.nl boat and eat and drink all together. Despite the awful morning, where Jelle and I watched a catamaran sinking…
Tag: sailingcouple
Start of An Anchor Voyage-Part 2
On 30th November we lifted up our anchor and started our motor with direction the Lobos island. Arriving there, however, the sea was so restless and the swell so big, that anchoring there for the night did not seem a very good idea. So, we hoisted our sails and headed towards Puerto del Rosario, the…
Start of An Anchor Voyage-Part 1
After 2 weeks in the marina, it felt so good hoisting the sails again and feeling the cool breeze against our faces! The sea was smooth, the sun was shining and Libra was gracefully gliding over the sea in our upwind sailing. We had a nice speed and reached our destination fairly quickly; Playa Quemada….
Portimao: The Lotus-eating City
Portimao is a convenient stop for many yachts, as it is an ideal location to either enter the Med or cross the Atlantic towards Madeira or Canary islands. However, most of the people going there, despite having many grand sailing plans, tend to just stay in the beautiful marina, bedazzled by the good weather, fresh…
Brexit, Vive la France!
Our last evening in Dublin was fun, as we had friends over at Libra, something we did last in July! However, our last night was far from fun as Libra started rocking violently in the middle of the night and we suddenly heard a loud BANG ,which made our hearts jump off our chests. We…
Beautiful scenery, upwind sailing and a city stuck in time
Following months of preparation and anticipation, our beautiful Libra was ready to splash and we were more than ready to go. Hence, on Saturday, 8th July our trip towards the North began! We passed through the Stellendam lock and we were finally in the sea, awfully excited for our new adventure! The weather was good,…
Libra: The refurbishing
Although Libra was in a very good state, despite her old age (19 years old!), there were several things which needed adjustment, repair or even change. That was expected. However, the amount of work and skills needed was not expected at all! Nobody could really prepare me or Jelle for the cost or effort which…
No man is an island
Although sailing around with your partner may sound idyllic, sometimes you feel the need to discuss and see other people. Hence, when Babis and Ingrid said they wanted to visit, we couldn’t be happier!! The guys came last night with the car to Veere and Jelle picked them up with the dingy and brought them…
A Series of Unfortunate Events
The plan was simple. We wanted to visit Neeltje Jans park which was on the shore and we were anchoring. As usual, we took our dinghy to the shore. But the shore was nothing like a sandy beach!Big, slippery building blocks, full of grass and mud, perfect for a skilled rock climber…which I am not!…
Vlissingen, Veere and..Unmarked Territory?
After getting some well-needed rest in Vlissingen, we had a big breakfast and decided to leave our lovely port towards North. The weather was wonderful, sunny and warm, we had 21 degrees! It finally felt like summer! We motored through the a picturesque channel called “Kanaal door Walcheren” and we passed 7 bridges along the…