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Last update October 01 2016

We plan to spend some years in the Netherlands again, JoHo is at the hardstanding in Indiantown (Florida). She is for sale. This is the best thing to do for our boat as boats don't tend to improve when not used. Our boat broker is Melanie, she thinks she can sell JoHo. Melanie gets one year, then we wil bring her back to Europe and to the Netherlands.
Back in the Netherlands in June is nice, weather steadily improves and our home is free again after renting it to people from Poland. But we will spend the first two weeks in a friends home to take care of "Dinges" the cat. So we drive a lot between her address and our home. After two weeks we arrive in a clean and ready home.

Now we need to find jobs. But before even trying that we join Femke and family to the Efteling.
It has been a while since we've been here. The last time Femke was still in a stroller, now she is an adolescent young lady. Anyway, time for the biggest amusement park in the Netherlands with its rollercoasters, fairy tales and shows. It's a cloudy day with occasional rain. We go into almost every attraction, even in the newest roller coaster, the 'Baron 1998. I had no idea of what this latter one was, until I see it in the distance. It's a scary dive-coaster, ahummmmm, swallow, I already said yes... Only Marc and I go. After 1.5 hours waiting in queue, I enter the divecoaster with sweat in my hands... We are hoisted up and then we hang a couple of seconds above the abyss before plunging into it. Woohooo, what a feeling.
Meanwhile, John, Sheila, Femke and Jitte are enjoying their time in a steam train, a little less intense. :-) The rest of the day we walk through the park and see Little Red Riding Hood, what a blast. Waiting in line again for a ride in dream-flight, with elves, colors and scents. At the end of the day in the Efteling we see the Raveleijn horse show, especially for Femke. The end of the day we finish with a typical Dutch dish, fries with croquettes and frikandel in Rosmalen.

We really enjoy it to be back in our own country, because the Netherlands is beautiful. For such a small country, we do have a lot of different landscapes.
We visit the Posbank, this is part of the National Park the Veluwe. This heathland is located in the east of the country, in one view from the hills we see the IJsselvalley and even all the way into Germany. It's lovely walking, unfortunately, the heath is not yet in bloom. Too bad because then you'd be walking through a purple glow of plants.
Together with John and my father, we also visit the Hertog Jan beer brewery in Arcen. My father became 80 in June and we thought it was a nice gift to take him to the brewery of his favorite beer brand.
In 1915, four fellow brewers establish a Stoombierbrewery. There they brewed low fermenting beer which was quite unusual at that time. In 1998 the name of the brewery changes from Arcense Stoombierbewery into Hertog Jan Brewery. Hertog Jan Beer was named after the 13th century Duke Jan I of Brabant. The tour is extensive and is given with love for the profession. Something we see again later in the collection of beers, there is a love for beer. Now we know how beers are brewed.
Together with Karin, our good friend, I'm going to explore the gutters of the St. John's Cathedral. John is afraid of heights, so we put him on a nice terras with a beer, he is happy and we're going to enjoy this extraordinary opportunity to explore the gutters. At 25 meters, there are the St. John flying buttresses with ninety six stone-carved beautiful sculptures in the form of musicians, dragons, drinking people and monsters. It's like going back in time. The overviews are impressive, we see the nature park 'Bossche Broek' and the city of Den Bosch. We are rewarded by the gods with beautiful sunny weather. What a great day.
In September we visit Appelpop and the Fruitcorso in Tiel. Appelpop began in 1992 as a perk for the Fruitcorso and grew in 25 years to become the largest free event of the country. Appelpop is every year on the second weekend in September. This year was the first time we visit this event. For me it was especially for Haevn, the band of the moment. During these two festival days we are surprised by the wide variety of bands. Nice weather and good music made these days perfect.
The third weekend of September is dedicated to the Fruitcorso (fruitparade), again in Tiel. On Saturday is the big parade through the streets of Tiel. On Sunday and Monday the cars are exhibited in the downtown area. Behind the Fruitcorso lies a long tradition in which a procession of floats are central. These cars are made of fruits and built by volunteers from the Betuwe (area). The details are incredible, what a job. And again something that can be checked off my 'to do' list.
We love the area we live in with its small villages, sheep, cowes and small streams, ponds and rivers. It is like living country style and yet we're so near the bigger cities. We cycle regularly over the dikes with views over the River Maas. The apples and pears waiting in the autumn sun to be picked by hand. So serene.

Then there's family, friends and sailors at home we see now we are back in the Netherlands. In this period we also say goodbye to cruisers Henk and Angela SY Mi Dushi, Wouter and Saskia SY Schorpioen who leave for an Atlantic round again. Say hi to them all when you meet them folks!
First we say safe travels to Henk and Angela, who we met in the Azores in 2009, where they ended up with their old 36ft Mi Dushi after an Atlantic crossing. After the Azores, Henk and Angela sailed back to the Netherlands, where they worked from 2009 to 2016. In the meantime, they sold everything in the Netherlands, and upgraded their yacht from a 36 foot Zeehond to the present, a nice 42 Contest. Their plans are sailing around the world. We visit the Mi Dushi's the last minute in Eembrugge. Though they are ready for it, saying goodbye is always hard.
A few weeks later we drive to Hellevoetsluis for another farewell. Wouter and Saskia prepare Schorpioen again for their 3rd Atlantic round. We met Wouter and Saskia in Suriname in 2011. Their journey is planned in August. We tell them everything about our trips in the USA, they tell about their upcoming plans, we hope to see them again next year.
There is also a reunion with Rene and Stacy SY Pipe muh Bligh, they are in the Netherlands for two weeks. Pipe muh Bligh is at anchor Grenada. We met Rene (Dutch) and Stacy (USA) in St Maarten in 2012. September last year was the last time we saw them at the sailing event in the Dominican Republic. They come with Rene's mom Tiny to our house in Maasbommel, a week later we say goodbye at a dinner they arrange in Rosmalen.
Then there is a surprise visit from Rudy SY Seeya, his boat is in Curacao at this moment. We know Rudy from the Azores in 2009. Yet it is funny that you meet up with sailors/cruisers during our travels in a short time but keep in contact wherever they are. This is obviously easier with Dutch people when in the Netherlands, but even with our foreign friends we stay connected. That means that you may not see each other for years, but there always comes a time when you meet again.
Then there is the family, always a happy reunion. The coming years we will be here in good times and bad times. We experienced some bad time this summer with my Dad who unexpectedly landed in hospital with heart problems. Scary times. He was always healthy, never a sign and in these times you hope that you can enjoy each others company for a long long time. After some months of trouble he is recovered now. So everyday is a second chance.

We also have plans to launch a new project with SailAdventures. This will be the Mini-T project, building a wood-epoxy trimaran from skratch.
The building plan originated from the time we spend in the Bahamas and the idea was to design a small, foldable, trailerable trimaran for day-trips and weekend cruising. Seeing the Manatees in Florida, with their bulky and yet so gracious and smooth movement through the water gave John the initial spark for this design. With a center cockpit you sit well protected and it produces an enclosed head in the back and galley in front, all sailing operations are done from within the cockpit. Safe, smooth and fast sailing, lots of space at anchor, speed combined with luxury and space that's the idea.
The large 6 by 7 feet cockpit serves as berths when enclosed at anchor and it gives ample space when sailing with friends or spending a happy hour at the anchorage.
Folded in the Mini-T is as wide as any other 20 feet monohull and therefore easy to accommodate and less expensive in marinas too. Design, calculations and plans are drawn by John aboard SY JoHo. On this Facebook Page we will show the progress of this project.

Jolanda

I finished a special photobook, about our travels 10 years JoHo's travel from 2001 to 2011.
Curious ? Then click the link.
And if you're interested in sailing the BAHAMAS, BERMUDA, MALDIVES, BONAIRE, SURINAME or ARUBA have a look at our books at SAILADVENTURES where the books are available online.
You can always mail us for more info on these cruising grounds or cruising in general, we'll gladly help you out.

John and Jolanda

Current position

JoHo is on hardstanding in Indiantown Marina, USA at 27°00,5' N - 80°26,1' W.