We'd hoped to rent a boat today and get out sailing, but the forecast was 50% storms. The day's road distance was only 40 km, so to pass the time we drove up to the very northern coast of the Netherlands to the town of Lauwersoog. There we found a harbor with huge fishing boats,and many yachts including a lot of old Dutch boats. While we were having coffee and watching the boat traffic, a very large dutch boat came into the harbor and docked. We went to check it out, and that was how we happened to get an unforgettable sailing trip. The Willem Jacob is a 50-ton 1889 ex cargo carrier, now a passenger charter vessel. She carried stone on the Rhine under sail alone until after WW II. She is sloop-rigged, with a main boom over a foot thick and probably 60' long. No space to tell all the details, but we had a glorious afternoon of sailing on the wide bay sheltered from the North Sea by islands far offshore, with about 25 kts of wind. Sailing on such a large and powerful boat with such strong wind was a thrill. I worked the whole time, cranking and pulling lines along with the mate and some of the other passengers. Sandy pulled in some neglected fenders and also pulled some lines back by the helm. Ck www.willemjacob.nl for good pictures and video of the boat. Just a fabulous time. And it didn't rain while we were sailing after all.
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