Martin is sailing around the world with his wife Ilke and their kids, Fedde (13), Aniek (11), Jurre (10), and Hidde (8), on their Bavaria 50 Cruiser. They left home in the Netherlands in August 2022 and, since then, they have sailed through the English Channel, Bay of Biscay, and across the Atlantic. They took their time to discover the Canary Islands, Cape Verde, Suriname, the Caribbean, and a host of other interesting and exotic locations along the way. Currently they are cruising around the San Blas archipelago and preparing for the next phase of their journey through the Panama Canal and into the Pacific. Having known Martin since primary school, I couldn’t wait to interview him.
How long have you dreamt about this trip, and prepared for it, before you cast off?
When I was 20, I started saving. I wanted to do my own trip, rather than crew on someone else’s boat. Then I met Ilke, and she had the same idea, so we started saving together. But then the kids came, and the boat size kept increasing with each kid. We decided that before the kids went to secondary school would be the best time to leave. We bought Topaas, and then it took us about two years to prepare. We sold our house and cars and organised the kids’ schooling on board. Besides a few boxes that are now in the grandparents’ attic, we got rid of everything. With nothing to worry about back home, I feel that we have more freedom than cruisers who have rented out their houses.
What part of the trip has made the biggest impression on you so far?
A very special moment was when we arrived in French Guyana, Îles du Salut, after our Atlantic crossing of twelve days, from Brava, Cape Verde. On these small, pristine islands, people were once held captive. You can freely walk around the ruins of the jails and there are coconut palms, fruit trees, and little monkeys. It feels very adventurous. Suriname was amazing too. We took the boat up the river, into the jungle, where you can hear howler monkeys and see caimans swimming by. And everyone spoke Dutch. Where we are now, at Guna Yala, as it is called today, the indigenous people (the Guna) live in huts of palm leaves and bamboo, they catch their own fish and grow bananas, it’s very authentic. Here we are the attraction for them.
What has been the most challenging situation?
We had a big adrenaline shock, about 30 NM off Vigo, when Fedde came up into the cockpit and said that there was water on the floor. I checked the valves and after a few minutes it turned out that it came from the calorifier. A couple of hundred litres of water came into the boat. Everything was wet, but besides that, ok. But in my head, I was already going over the things we might need to do; get out the life raft, etc. Everyone was already in their life vests, but there was no real panic on board.
What have you have learned, while sailing, that you might have overlooked in ‘land-life’?
I learned to trust life. Whatever happens, there will be a solution, and it will be ok. First, I thought everything needs to be perfect on board before leaving, so I was working on that. But I’ve learned that many things break or do not go as expected. Sometimes you want to fix something immediately, while you are at a location where you cannot get a certain part. But then you run into someone who has it, or you go to the next place and there you find it. So I’ve learned it’s best to be patient for the part to cross your path. The more stuff that breaks, the more you learn. First, I always hesitated to take things apart. Now I know that they always go back together and each time you learn something new.
Did it change you as a person?
Yes, I’m more relaxed. Also, many people live in very different ways. The people in Suriname, for example, and the Guna here, too, they have next to nothing, yet they are very happy people, and they look so healthy. The more stuff you have, the more worries. I learned to accept other people as they are; everyone is different and has their own ideas and opinions. And I always wanted to do things at a certain time. Now life is spontaneous. Without appointments everything always fits perfectly.
Do you think that you will ever be able to go back to a ‘nine-to-five life’?
Yes, I think it will be easy to get right back into it. But now we have learned that you can step out. That gives you freedom, to know that you can decide differently whenever you want, that it is your choice. I think if you have made that step once, you can always know that you can do it again, that will make life lighter and easier on land.
Is it easy to keep six people happy on board? Any recommendations for other families?
Organise time for yourself, if you need it, to arrange your thoughts or to concentrate. It is beautiful to live so closely together and while sailing, we had plenty of time to ourselves during watches, but at anchor it is different. When the kids are in bed, it is very easy to get your phone out to check the weather and suddenly half an hour has gone. So, when you have little time alone, you need to put the phone away. Sometimes I go out in the dinghy solo, with just the portable VHF.
How do you think your trip has influenced your children so far?
They are self-secure, open-minded and world-wise. They speak good English. If we are in a restaurant, they will just go and ask for the bill or where the toilet is. They are very independent like that. We see them easily make contact with other children from different countries. They seem to think that everything is possible and that we can go anywhere. We eat fish that we catch ourselves, and when they saw a crocodile, they asked us if we could eat that too. They are not impressed by waves, since Biscay, and if they get seasick, it’s not a big deal to them. They need little to be happy; if they see dolphins, Portuguese man o’ war, and a flying fish, then they say that it was a ‘really cool day’.
How did you prepare your children for this trip?
Before leaving, we sailed around Scandinavia in the holidays. We told them that we would go sailing for a long time, but a circumnavigation was beyond their comprehension, so we focused on places that we would visit and watched documentaries, for example about Suriname, which they loved. Each kid had their own places in mind to visit; Jurre asked if we could visit Belgium and Hidde Lemmer, a place in Friesland, a province in the Netherlands. Now, the next milestone for them is New Zealand, where they might go to school for a while. What is in between is just a side issue to them. Just before departure, we moored up near the kids’ school, and they had a party with their friends on board.
What has been the funniest situation on board so far?
Flying fish are always funny, especially when they fly into the cockpit and hit me in the face. They smell extremely bad, and you need to scrub yourself off immediately. Sometimes we smell one on deck and then it is always funny when the kids find it.
What would you recommend other families, with the same dreams, who haven’t yet decided whether to go?
Do it, I’ve never met anyone who regretted it, you will learn a lot and enrich your life. It was easier than I expected. Back home, you are the exception, but once underway, you meet lots of people who are doing the same thing, and you will make friends wherever you go.
And in terms of preparations, do you have any recommendations for other people?
Technically it is nice if the boat is ‘finished’ but you shouldn’t wait until it’s perfect or you will never leave. Lots of things can still be done or bought underway, don’t let them stop you. If you can go on holidays with your boat, you can do this too. Some things might be easier in your home country, buying sails for example. It’s a good idea to get a local sailmaker to at least come and measure and then you can order them later and get them shipped out. You will always end up somewhere where you can buy things. Don’t overdo it with spare parts. Only for the engine and water maker I would take all spares.
What part of the Pacific are you looking forward to most?
The Tuamotu Atols seem very adventurous, I’m looking forward to that and to our longest crossing of three to four weeks.
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This article has appeared in the June 2024 issue of:
