Blog

28th December 2010

Christmas on St.Maarten

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas. For the past days, I went to St. Barth [Island of Saint-Barthélemy] along with some friends for celebrating Christmas […]
25th December 2010

Merry Christmas and A happy New Year

I would like to wish a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all and everyone. I will not be lonely for Christmas. There […]
23rd December 2010

Hobbie cat sailing

Well, here I am again. I already added some photos I took during the trip. I will try to place them with the correct Blog. Uploading […]
22nd December 2010

Arrival into St.Maarten

Sorry, sorry, sorry for having you wait for so very long. Especially for holding back on the news that I am again in Sint Maarten!!! I […]
18th December 2010

40nm to go!

Only 40 nautical miles [74 kilometres; 46 land miles] to go, and then, with 2200 nautical miles [4074 kilometres, 2532 land miles] behind me, I can […]
17th December 2010

Broken windvane rudder

Tonight the wind vane steering system suddenly did not work anymore, the vane was set full in one direction but the boat did not follow its […]
16th December 2010

Back to bobbing around

Yesterday night the wind has left me. (I did not do anything wrong to the wind, did I?). Now I am bobbing up and down in […]
15th December 2010

Lovely sailing!

Guppy is still moving along nicely at about 4,5 knots and I think that I will be within land reach in five days – pretty odd […]
14th December 2010

Safety at sea

Definitely a great day again today with some clouds in the sky (so it was not too hot) and from time to time some rain fell […]
13th December 2010

750nm to go

The wind decreased again last night, but fortunately, there is a slight breeze now. Still about 750 nautical miles [1389 kilometres; 863 land miles] to go, […]
12th December 2010

Where’s the wind gone?!

The wind almost subsided completely and I cannot really ask for more wind from Santa Claus, and it will be a little while until Christmas… Well, […]
11th December 2010

Warmth & Sunshine

The wind and the waves decreased a little, and I am now sailing under full sails again, the mizzen, the mainsail and the poled out Genoa. […]
10th December 2010

Halfway

Today I reached the halfway point of my second largest sea passage. So it is sailing always closer towards land from now on and that is […]
9th December 2010

Dark clouds

There is even more wind today, so I quickly reefed the mainsail this morning. Dark clouds passed over me all day long, and in the afternoon […]
8th December 2010

Sleeping rhytms

Last night I slept very well as the sea was a bit calmer so I did not have to keep my body stiff all the time […]
7th December 2010

Found the tradewinds

Now I really found the Trade Winds, or maybe they found me… Guppy now goes at a speed of 6,5 to 7 knots, really nice, however […]
6th December 2010

Squalls!

Yesterday I had some wind and finally, after two days, I could turn the engine off. There is still wind, so with the halfwinder, the poled […]
5th December 2010

Still no wind..

Today was again a hot and windless day. Now there is also an annoying and very high swell which makes Guppy roll back and forth a […]
4th December 2010

No wind :(

Since last night, Guppy and I sail upon an endless, calm and blue ocean. There was no sign of wind for the whole day. However, by […]
3rd December 2010

Headwinds?!

This morning I had a very nice crosswind, but in the afternoon the wind weakened and itis now coming from straight ahead … So I was […]
2nd December 2010

Here we go! 2200nm

Yesterday my friend flew back to the Netherlands. Now I am alone again for the next three weeks with 2200 nautical miles [2532 land miles; 4074 […]
30th November 2010

Being at anchor isn’t for everyone

My friend arrived safe and sound in the evening of the 27th after trying all shecould to catch her airplane at Sal’s airport; her flight was […]
27th November 2010

Supply Schip

I am feeling very good again. Today the sky is a little bit cloudy and there is some wind. Actually, this is very nice after all […]
25th November 2010

quiet day

I took the past two days nice and easy. Many new boats came in and are now lying at anchor nearby. But most of them are […]
23rd November 2010

Sight Seeing on Sao Nicolau

Today I had a very busy but great day. At half past six this morning, I was already sitting in my dinghy on my way to […]
21st November 2010

Life on the Cape Verde

I have been at anchor here for a few days now. It is a beautiful island. The inhabitants are very nice. Although I do not understand […]
19th November 2010

Big hike on Sao Nicolau

Sorry for not writing anything yesterday. I arrived yesterday morning in Sao Nicolau, a really beautiful island. But I was not able to find an internet […]
17th November 2010

Sailing to Sao Nicolau

After a very good night sleep, I am back sailing the sea again, heading for the next Cape Verde Island, Sao Nicolau. Today I had my […]
16th November 2010

Hello Cape Verde

After a night with only a little wind and some more flying fishes that I had to brush off the deck, land came in sight this […]
15th November 2010

Schoolwork & Flying fish

Another beautiful and sunny day today, and after finishing my schoolwork I went to read a book in the cockpit. There is not much wind so […]
14th November 2010

Over halfway

I had a quiet night. The Windpilot [self-steering system] steers the boat very well, and the alarm function of the radar system allowed me to sleep […]
13th November 2010

Wind slowed down a little.

Today started very cloudy and windy, not a single sunray came through. But for a few hours now, the sky has cleared off and the sun […]
12th November 2010

Doing 7.6kn with a reefed main.

Today it is cloudy just like yesterday was. The wind strengthened up some more, therefore the waves also are higher. Nevertheless with the Genoa sail and […]
11th November 2010

So silent :)

It is a very nice day today. Last night the wind strengthened and I am now going at an average speed of 5,7 knots. The sky […]
10th November 2010

I’m off :D

I am on Route to the Cape Verde Islands. Bidding farewell was really difficult, but I have already seen dolphins two times. One of them jumped […]
9th November 2010

Ready to go

Guppy is crammed full with boxes of food and beverages. Now we are ready. Today I went sailing again with a good friend, there was a […]
8th November 2010

2 more days :)

Two more days until I will sail on the open sea again. Guppy and I are almost completely ready. Just a few final preparations and checking […]
5th November 2010

Lots of wind and Sand!

Yesterday and the day before a pretty strong wind blew here, and yesterday we wereeating the sand by the mouthful. Much sand came blowing in from […]
3rd November 2010

Can’t wait to set sail

It is still pretty warm here. Guppy is bobbing up and down off the coast near Anfi and I am actually busy all day checking the […]
1st November 2010

Alone again & preparing for the nex leg

Since Saturday, Kim and my mother are back in the cold Netherlands. During my stay at Mogán I was allowed to use the swimming pool and […]
28th October 2010

Scuba Diving with mom

Yesterday I went scuba diving along with my mother. We saw an angelshark and a ray. Itwas so nice to see.During their world circumnavigation my mother […]
26th October 2010

Mom & Kim :)

Since yesterday my mother and my sister are here with me, it is so very nice to see them again. Well, as I knew she would, […]
24th October 2010

Friend & Family visits

I have ben lying at berth in Mogán for a few days now, and I haven’t had time to get bored, not for a moment. I […]
22nd October 2010

Moved to Puerto de Mogan

Since yesterday Guppy and I are in Puerto de Mogan. I was just getting used to the rocking of the boat while lying at anchor. Now […]
18th October 2010

Got my Padi open water yay :)

Well, I have a bit off internet again.Then I figured it was about timeagain for a new Blog. The weather was great during the weekend. I […]
15th October 2010

A hike to Roque Nublo

Sorry again that I did not write anything for some time. Guppy and I are at a new place since yesterday. Now I am lying at […]
12th October 2010

No time to get bored

Getting bored or idle here is nearly impossible for me. The whole day I am busy witheverything and anything.Usually I get up at about 8 AM. […]
10th October 2010

New human and Animal friends

Yesterday I had dinner with some friends here on the island . I had a great time and today I went to a restaurant / bar […]
8th October 2010

66 days since departure already

Today I went diving some more and did many exercises. Taking off the mask underwater and attaching it again, taking off the diving gear and attaching […]
7th October 2010

Getting my Padi open water.

I had a quiet day today and I did not go out much. Of course, the book was released and I had a live appearance in […]
6th October 2010

Beautiful underwater world

It is wonderful under water and I find it is still as nice as during the first time when I went snorkelling. Now I went diving […]
5th October 2010

A beautiful Guppy necklace

Hola! Sometimes I long to be at sea again, unfortunately I have to wait for the storm season to be over because I really am not […]
4th October 2010

Maybe I shouldn’t have tied the bananas to the solar rack..

Yesterday I was invited for a light meal at the Netherland Club of Gran Canaria. We had herring and a hotpot. It was weird sitting with […]
2nd October 2010

Dolphins!

Yesterday I had a great day on the water. I was allowed to join a boat tour and I saw jumping dolphins!! I never saw this […]
30th September 2010

Fruits, lots of it!

Today I spent some time playing around with a big stalk of bananas that was given to me. After one hour, I managed knotting the big […]
29th September 2010

School, boat work and Island discoveries

Sorry that I didn’t write anything for a few days. I was busy with the boat and schoolwork. Now I have a visitor from the Netherlands. […]
25th September 2010

Into the mountains

Today I visited the mountains by car along with a fellow Dutchman. It is remarkable how much vegetation there is up there. Especially in comparison to […]
24th September 2010

Not a single drop of rain

Since the very first day at Pasito Blanco, I have not seen even a single raindrop. Now itis sweltering hot here with no breath of air.It […]
22nd September 2010

Nightly arrival into Pasito Blanco

I arrived at Pasito Blanco early this morning when it was still dark. I had a fair breeze from astern so the trip went faster than […]
21st September 2010

15th Birthday

Yesterday was my birthday, thank you very much for all the congratulations. It was a very fine day for me.I awoke this morning to a phone […]
18th September 2010

Island festival

Yesterday evening there was a party here at the harbour. There was a group that gave a really nice performance playing drums. That was nice to […]
17th September 2010

School work & making friends

After a day of strong winds and cloudy sky for weather, this was today undone by a lull in wind and a hot and sweltering sun. […]
15th September 2010

Too hot..

Today was again a very warm day and I did not do anything except going for a swim andcleaning up the boat. But I rinsed off […]
14th September 2010

Laundry

Today was a usual sunny and very hot day; only the very fine sand that came blowing with the rain and that is now blurring the […]
13th September 2010

Rain?!

After enjoying a beautiful sunset yesterday evening I was woken up early this morning by a quiet tapping on the boat. After a few seconds I […]
11th September 2010

Marking the anchor chain

Today I skated to the city because I was too lazy to walk. I needed some paint from the hardware store to mark the anchor chain […]
10th September 2010

Laser Sailing

After my tour of the island, I went back dinghy sailing with the local youth. If there is an activity and the school is open I […]
8th September 2010

Tour of the island

For the past few days I visited the island of Lanzarote by car and bus. I saw volcanoes, caves, lagoons and lakes and I enjoyed the […]
3rd September 2010

Rudder problem solved

The problem with the rudder is solved and it is working perfectly again, just like a charm. After some tinkering around in the stern compartment I […]
31st August 2010

Rudder shaft trouble

After clearing out the whole stern compartment and checking all the pulleys and control cables and taking off the self steering I still could not find […]
30th August 2010

New Friends & lessons in Geography.

Yesterday I went to the beach along with a woman from the island I have just met. She showed me a lot around the island, and […]
28th August 2010

calm & Sunny

The weather is still beautiful here, and after a few wind gusts it is so calm that it is almost impossible to stay in the sun. […]
25th August 2010

Arrived in Lanzarote!

After seeing only water for four days I spotted land this morning. Unfortunately I could see the land earlier on my radar but not by looking […]
24th August 2010

at sea

170 nautical miles to go until the Canary Islands. Guppy sails great. With only two sails up, the Genoa and the storm jib, we are doing […]
23rd August 2010

Freedom

I’m already two days on route and I am enjoying the calmness and the peaceful vastness around me. At this moment there is a good wind […]
22nd August 2010

Start solo

Start of my solo voyage Finally I departed from Gibraltar for my solo voyage. Just one day after reaching Portimao I was constantly followed by the […]
17th August 2010

Marina Portimao

The last few days were so busy that I had no time left to write my blog.On the first day ashore we desalted the whole boat […]
12th August 2010

Every thing is going well

Hello everyone! We are doing great here, sailing under full sails and going at nearly 9 knots. We are halfway along Portugal in line with Figueira […]
11th August 2010

Pity

Pity Too bad that we had to turn off the guestbook on my website because annoying people were writing weird things. I am doing really well […]
10th August 2010

yeah dolfins

“Joepie” dolphins! August 9, 2010 What a great day today! We still have had nice weather and I saw dolphins, and a whale which was really […]
8th August 2010

Beautiful weather

Finally nice weather We are moving ahead and are now crossing into the Bay of Biscay. Finally the weather is nice and there is sunshine with […]
7th August 2010

Radio cd player defect

Hello everybody, everything is going well except for the radio that unfortunately broke down, and Guppy looks more like a submarine than a sailboat for all […]
6th August 2010

Media Error

6-8-2010Error in the media.Some media are reporting that my sailboat was built by Peter Klarenbeek, that is not exact.Peter and my father worked on my 33 […]
6th August 2010

On route to Portugal

After all the fuss and attention of departure day, we are finally en route to Portugal. During this trip my father is with me so that […]
2nd August 2010

Final preperations

We are still on a roll checking out everything. And I have cleaned the whole boat ( tools still layed around everywhere from their last use […]
31st July 2010

Date of departure – 4th of August

It’s so great that I can oficially set sail and that will be on Wednesday, August 4 at 9:00 AM. Finally I sail away at sea, […]
29th July 2010

Wohoo! I’m allowed to set sail

Hello everybody, I have some great news, most of you will already have seen or read about it in the media. I got the official permission […]
25th July 2010

Upcoming court case

25 July 2010 For the past few days we were extremely busy working on the boat. It´snormal with boats that work will never be finished completely. […]
16th July 2010

Safety and Survival course

The solar-panel frame is mounted! It fits on “Guppy” really well and it makes for a very nice cockpit. Now we can finish installing the windvane. […]
11th July 2010

New Rigging

In the past days we were very busy replacing the rigging of the masts. I climbed up and down so often that now I know each […]
10th July 2010

Court transcripts untrue!

After waiting for half a year we finally received the transcripts from thehearings of October and December after our lawyer tried over and overagain to get […]
22nd June 2010

Fishing Nets & new props.

Today “Guppy” was lifted out of the water to replace the locked three blade propeller of the auxilliary engine with a two bladed one. And of […]
20th June 2010

The lawsuit

The lawsuit. There were again three judges and two secretaries necessary for the hearing about my case. It seems that it is very difficult to get […]
15th June 2010

Solo test sail to England

Last weekend I sailed solo to England with “Guppy”. On Friday at noon, directly after school, I sailed to the Roompot-lock and set course to England. […]
14th June 2010

Best Wishes to Abby

Of course I followed the news about Abby and I´m feeling for her. Shealready had a major setback due to the broken autopilot and now herboat […]
6th June 2010

Main Engine installed

The main-engine is installed!! Last Monday a brand new Volvo engine of 40 hp was lifted on board of my “Guppy” and Thursday we did the […]
27th May 2010

First Aid course & lots of sailing

On Friday I was at Knevel & van den Brink [talkshow]. This was an extraordinary experience. Again something else. But I much prefer sailing alone. I […]
15th May 2010

Congratulations to Jessica Watson

I am happily working on my boat, Now it finally starts looking good especially while we get a bit of sunshine as well. The halyards have […]
8th May 2010

First Sail!

Yesterday I made a lovely sailing trip. Guppy sails fantastic. She is really fast! It is a petty I can’t take her to sea yet. She […]
4th May 2010

Dinghy and Outboard testing :)

Sunday my boat was launched and of course baptized. The weather was very bad, lots of wind and rain, but still some people apparently did not […]