Oceans of Hope Challenge 2022: Journey to England
For the third time, Oceans of Hope Challenge Netherlands organized a sailing event for people with MS. This time on a 60-meter, three-masted ship: Zeilschip Eendracht.
On Monday, August 22, 35 participants boarded the sailing ship in the heart of Rotterdam. After basic safety instructions and an introduction to Captain Martijn and his crew, the lines were cast off. We sailed along the Nieuwe Waterweg to the North Sea, where we raised the sails together and headed for Southend-on-Sea at the mouth of the Thames. This journey covered 250 km and was expected to take about 1.5 days.
For the participants, the real adventure had now begun. The three groups were divided into a watch system of 4 hours on, 8 hours off. Everyone was challenged to explore their limits. Tasks included hoisting and lowering sails, standing watch, steering, and helping in the galley. The weather was excellent, with light southwest winds, force 3-4. We sailed close-hauled westward, near the English coast, before continuing on the engine in a southwesterly direction to Southend-on-Sea. Along the way, we saw many large container ships and wind farms. The North Sea is a busy place. At night, the sky was clear, revealing a spectacular starry sky, with the Milky Way clearly visible, making night watches truly amazing.
On Wednesday, September 24, we arrived in the early afternoon at the seaside town of Southend-on-Sea, a place showing some faded glory. A 1.5 km-long pier separated us from the promenade, with even a small train for those who found it too far to walk. We were free to explore the town until evening. Late in the afternoon, Robert Munns, head of Oceans of Hope UK from Brighton, visited. He gave an inspiring speech and was impressed by our achievements. We ended the evening with a fun party on board with him.
The next day, the wind picked up to force 5. It was time to hoist the sails and sail back to Rotterdam. With a speed of around 11 knots (20 km/h), we flew over the water with a broad reach. The captain decided to lower some sails to avoid arriving too early. On Friday, we arrived back in Rotterdam, excited and full of energy. A large group of family and friends greeted us, and we performed a song we had written ourselves.
All crew members disembarked satisfied and perhaps a little tired, filled with the incredible experiences this journey had given us.
We are very grateful to our sponsors MS Fonds Nederland and Stichting C.J. Jaski Fonds. Without their support, this would not have been possible.
Minse de Bos Kuil
If you want to know more about future sailing adventures of Oceans of Hope Challenge NL and join in, send an email to: nl.oceansofhopechallenge@gmail.com