Summer sailing holidays on the Wadden Sea and IJsselmeer

Departure
27 July 2025 21:00
Return
1 August 2025 15:00
Days
5
Sailing area
Wadden Sea, IJsselmeer
Port of departure
Harlingen (NL)
Port of arrival
Harlingen (NL)

Your adventure begins in sturdy Harlingen, located on the beautiful Wadden Sea. You set foot on a gunwale for the first time, a term you will soon become familiar with. The smell of fresh coffee welcomes you, and Axel and Katja’s faces soon become familiar. Time for a cup of coffee and a first introduction to your cosy cabin. It already feels like coming home.

The sailing plan is discussed, with the sea chart on the table, Windy.com on your mobile and the tide table in mind. We can go in any direction, but the wind has the final say. A first lesson for a landlubber. The mate draws the sail plan on the deck with chalk. Words like fours, stakes, cuckoos and buckskins take on a whole new meaning on board. You learn a language that all sailors around the North Sea understand.

Then we sail between the breakwaters into the open water. The sails are hoisted under the watchful eye of skipper Axel and Katja. The sheets are tacked at 8-knots, the daggerboard drops to leeward, the engine turns off… silence. Sailing is a miracle of physics that you are going to fathom this week. What you will learn further is to enjoy, day after day! Of the colours of the water: sometimes grey, sometimes blue, sometimes turquoise. The sky can be bright blue, but even more beautiful are the Dutch skies with their billowing clouds and silver rims, for which we are so famous. Not to be captured is the velvety black of the evening sky, with thousands of stars suddenly visible.

Falling dry is also an experience not to be missed. Four hours before low tide, you will anchor at a sandbank. The ebb sets in and after a few hours you walk around on the seabed, amazed at how big the ship actually is. In the small channels and pools, the water is pleasantly warm, perfect for bathing. On the IJsselmeer, if you dare, you can dive into the cool water from the jib boom. Swim around the ship and tick this adventure off your bucket list.

You’ll discover the quietest beach on Terschelling, the chicest beach club on Vlieland, the cosiest harbour-side café in Enkhuizen, the most beautiful lighthouse on Ameland, the finest bike ride on Texel, the stateliest buildings in Hoorn and/or the tastiest kibbeling in Den Oever. The island feeling… it really exists, you slowly but surely notice: on the Wadden Islands, on an uninhabited island in the Frisian lakes, the Marker Wadden, Pampus, the Kreupel… Maybe the ship itself was your island, when you anchored in the lee.

And then, in conclusion, throw the loop around the mooring pole with a smooth throw. Hit! A compliment from the mate. You make another mast throw to hang the fenders, now without thinking about it, and walk carefree down the gangway. A farewell photo with the other guests, you will miss them. ‘He who does not dare does not win,’ you think, because that is why you were on a ship together with like-minded souls, fellow sailors, sharing fond memories of a time when the wind set your course.

Note: The exact route always depends on wind and tide and is therefore never fixed in advance.

Vertrouwen

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Frequently asked questions

We still handle your bookings personally and therefore do not have an automatic booking system. This way, we can enable you to reserve individual places for a few days without any obligation. This allows you, for example, to arrange your holiday without someone stealing your place from under your nose. For this reason, we cannot keep track of the exact number of free places on a daily basis. However, we regularly check the availability of our sailing holidays. Therefore, you can generally assume that plenty of free places are still available on all trips that are not marked as ‘fully booked’ or ‘Last Minute’. Call us or use our booking form if you want to know the exact number of places available.

If you are travelling alone and have not booked a private cabin, you will be accommodated in a shared cabin. Shared cabins are normally divided by gender. Only on the Belle Amie and Seatrips Yachts do they sometimes have mixed cabins.

Yes, vegetarians and allergies/intolerances can be catered for on most ships. However, there is only one menu per day on the programme. Therefore, please let us know during your booking if you have any special dietary requirements.

In principle, all our trips are suitable for both experienced and novice sailors. The professional crew on board will teach you everything you need to know. In some cases (e.g. on Atlantic crossings) initial sailing experience may be an advantage/requirement. In this case, this will be clearly indicated in the cruise description.

Prices

DescriptionPrice
Bed in a shared cabin (max. 4 personen)
Adult€ 640 p.p.
Child€ 582,50
Single cabin
Adult€ 1.025 p.p.
Child€ 967,50
Double cabin
Adult€ 1.345 per cabin
Child
Triple Cabin
Adult€ 1.825 per cabin
Child
Four-bed cabin
Adult€ 2.300 per cabin
Child

Included in price

Accommodation in comfortable cabins
Full board (breakfast, lunch, snacks, 2-course dinner)
Coffee, tea and tap water
Bed linen & towels
Port charges, tourist tax, fuel costs
Insolvency insurance VZR Garant
VAT

Not included in price

Transfer to/from the port of departure
Drinks (available on board at reasonable prices)
Travel/cancellation insurance

Book this trip

Please use the following form if you have any questions about this trip or wish to book. We will get back to you with all the information as soon as possible. We usually respond within a few hours.

Group and trip details

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