Welcome on board
Your adventure begins in lively Harlingen, on the beautiful Wadden Sea. For the first time, you step onto the gangway — a word that will soon feel familiar. The smell of fresh coffee welcomes you, and skipper Katja’s face feels familiar within minutes. Time for a warm cup of coffee and a first look at your cosy cabin. It already feels like coming home.
The Sailing Plan: The Wind Decides
At the table, we discuss the sailing plan: the sea chart spread out, Windy.com within reach, and the tide table in mind. We can head in any direction, but ultimately the wind decides — a first lesson for any landlubber. The mate sketches the sail plan on the deck with chalk. Simple words like
The Silence of Sailing
We sail between the breakwaters and out onto open water. The sails are hoisted under skipper Katja’s watchful eye. The sheets are belayed, the leeboard drops, the engine falls silent… and so does the world. Sailing is a small miracle of physics that you’ll get to experience up close this week. Just as important: you learn to enjoy — every single day. The water shifts through shades of grey, blue and turquoise. The Dutch skies show their famous rolling clouds with silver edges. And the velvet-black night sky reveals thousands of stars you suddenly notice.
Falling Dry and Swimming: Adventures Above and Below the Waterline
One of the highlights is falling dry. Four hours before low tide, you settle on a sandbank. As the water retreats, a few hours later you’re walking on the seabed, amazed at how large the ship really is. In the small channels and pools, the water is pleasantly warm — perfect for a quick paddle. On the IJsselmeer you can — if you dare — dive into the cool water from the bowsprit. Swim around the ship and tick this adventure off your bucket list.
Island and Harbour Explorations
You might discover the quietest beach on Vlieland, the chicest beach bar on Terschelling, the cosiest harbour café in Enkhuizen, the most beautiful lighthouse on Ameland, the loveliest bike ride on Texel, the grandest historic houses in Hoorn, and the tastiest kibbeling in Den Oever. The island feeling truly exists — on the Wadden Islands, on an uninhabited isle in the Frisian Lakes, on the Marker Wadden, Pampus or the Kreupel. And perhaps the ship itself was your island, when you lay at anchor in a sheltered bay.
Back to the harbour
To finish, you toss the loop over the mooring post with an easy, fluid swing. Bullseye! A compliment from the mate. You tie a clove hitch to hang the fenders — now without even thinking about it — and walk carefree along the gangway. One last photo with the other guests; you’ll miss them. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, you think. Because that’s why you were here: with like-minded souls, fellow sailors, sharing a ship and collecting beautiful memories from a week in which the wind set your course.
Note: the exact route — and the possibility of falling dry — always depends on wind and tide, and can therefore never be determined in advance.
