Sailing

Sailing brings me peace. It’s about getting away from the world. The adventure of not knowing where you will end up, carried by the wind. You are completely dependent on the weather, so you have no choice but to go with the flow. Waking up, seeing what the weather brings, finding a bay, sailing some more when the wind picks up, and hopefully ending your day in a restaurant at an idyllic harbor. And if you don’t make it there, you sleep at sea. What more does a person need?

I had never set foot on a boat when I impulsively decided to go on a sailing holiday years ago. The desire to discover something new brought me to the Netherlands, where I sailed for years with the same people and learned the ropes myself. The total package of sailing for me is the combination of the feeling, the freedom, and the social aspect. The more I learned, the more I could help, and then pass that knowledge on. I love helping others get involved, like teaching them how to tie knots. Blessed with a lot of patience, I don’t mind explaining something five times.

Looking for warmer weather than the Dutch coasts, I ended up in Greece. I sailed there for years with the same skipper, sometimes even twice a year. Although I now have a sailing license and could rent a boat myself, I still enjoy the whole group experience. Discovering a new area is so much better and faster with a skipper who knows it all. Eventually, I met people there and formed a group that travels together annually. You get in sync with each other. We often sail in the first week after the winter break. That’s when all sorts of issues arise. In our group, everyone knows their role, and we work smoothly with the skipper. When you’re at sea with an overheating engine, a torn sail, or a broken anchor, it gives you the necessary adrenaline, and it’s good to have a trained group.

Although the freedom and infinity of the sea are very appealing, buying a boat myself is a step too far. The saying ‘throwing money overboard’ didn’t come from nowhere. Life on a boat isn’t always the easiest. Being with a lot of people in such a small space can bring tensions. Giving each other some space and being able to communicate well is important. At such times, it’s actually more pleasant to be with the Dutch than with Belgians. That typical direct Dutch approach works well on a boat.

My unquenchable desire to discover brought me on a sailing trip to the Canary Islands. My family was less enthusiastic because it was during the Christmas period. Being able to sit in warm weather again in winter is fun. I had underestimated the swell of the ocean. There you arrive, with a lot of sailing experience, but all in fairly calm waters. There had just been a storm, so we had just left the harbor when I was already hanging overboard. That’s when you have to push through, feel bad, and still do what’s necessary. It was all worth it when you see the fireworks on the surrounding islands on New Year’s Eve.

Recently, I’ve been sailing less as I’ve taken up diving more. Diving and sailing are both water activities, but they don’t go well together. For diving, you prefer no wind and calm seas, while for sailing, you need wind. The tranquility and the underwater world of diving have captivated me, offering a different kind of adventure and discovery.