From Sisters Evenings to Sailing Adventure: An Unforgettable Reunion

Will this long-awaited reunion lead to an unforgettable sailing adventure, where joy and fun go hand in hand? Or will the waves of seasickness throw a spanner in the works, creating unexpected challenges?

The day has finally arrived, a day we have been looking forward to for a whole year. Today my dear sister Hanneke lands, together with her beloved family. This moment is so special because a year ago we agreed that they would come and visit us. The joy and excitement I feel are overwhelming. Our bond as sisters has always been strong and has a special meaning in our lives. For twenty years we have had a sisters night every week where we gathered and shared our joys and sorrows. It was a tradition that brought us closer together and helped us feel each other’s support and love, even when life got challenging. The decision to take this trip was perhaps the hardest of all. It meant giving up our beloved sister nights and that was not an easy choice, but we understood that this time with Hanneke and her family would give us the chance to create even more precious memories. As I wait to hold Hanneke in my arms, I reflect on all the moments we shared together. From our childhood adventures to the adult years of supporting each other through thick and thin, our sisterly bond is a priceless treasure that I will cherish forever. Standing here, I feel a mixture of emotions; joy, excitement and a touch of melancholy. Most of all I feel gratitude that we have this bond with each other and that we can share this special moment together. I look forward to welcoming my sister and her family to our boat and our hearts and I know this reunion will be a memory to cherish forever. With a warm smile on my face I look forward to the unforgettable time ahead. The tension and excitement are palpable as we wait impatiently in the arrivals hall. Then, finally, we see them appear. Our beloved, dear, family, they come right up to us and we fly into each other’s arms. It feels like a dream come true, and I pinch myself occasionally to make sure this moment doesn’t fade away. With a radiant smile on our face, the seven of us get into the taxi. A twenty minute drive to Fort de France, where our boat is patiently waiting for us. The moment we’ve fantasized about so much. When the taxi pulls up at the roundabout, we know we won’t have far to walk to our dinghy, the next means of transport that will lead us to the boat. Once on board we give everyone a short tour. There is little time to recover, but the energy and joy are indomitable.

We start the engine and head straight for Grande Anse. Tomorrow Rajesh will start his last days of the diving course and because of the heat Tessa and Jasper want to go for a swim. The fatigue of Hanneke, Teunis, Tessa and Jasper from the journey is palpable, but they bravely keep their eyes open and somewhat tense they embark on this adventure. We sail on the engine at a leisurely pace to Grande Anse, so that everyone can get used to the movements of the boat. The sun was already slowly waning, a sign of the end of the day, when we dropped anchor in the sheltered bay 30 minutes later. Jeroen swims to the anchor and immediately encounters a beautiful turtle. Jeroen gave a thumb up to us on board, a sign that the anchor was firmly anchored and the engine could be turned off. The water invites us to cool down and everyone takes a refreshing dip in the sea water. As the evening wore on, the sun slowly dipped below the horizon. We spent our first sundowner together aboard the boat, toasting the start of an unforgettable adventure. The smell of freshly prepared meals filled the air and we sat together at the table.

Again I pinch myself, yes they are real. After the meal and a social get-together, we retired to our cabins for a well-deserved good night’s sleep. In the stillness of the night, as the sound of the sea gently rocked us to sleep, we wondered how everyone would sleep. Would the excitement and impressions of the day color their dreams? The next morning, we were greeted with a beaming smile. A joint acknowledgment that it had been a wonderful night filled us with relief. After breakfast, we started a day full of discoveries. Jeroen first brought Rajesh to the diving school with the dinghy. Then we gathered all the snorkel gear and put on our swimming gear. Today we take a short walk from Grande Anse to Anse d’Arlet. The sight of the rocks protruding about twenty meters from the beach at Anse d’Arlet, where it was only three meters deep, filled us with excitement. This was the ideal place to introduce Hanneke, Teunis, Tessa and Jasper to snorkeling. Although Jasper and Hanneke are no heroes in the sea, we were hopeful that this tranquil place would open their hearts to the hidden beauty of the underwater world. Full of anticipation and yet a little nervous, we helped each other put on the snorkeling equipment. Once we got into the clear water, we were greeted by the colourful fish that curiously swam around us. Jasper and Hanneke took it easy and as they gained confidence, you slowly saw them relax. These were the precious moments we lived for; sharing new experiences together, overcoming fears and creating unforgettable memories. Back on the beach, Jasper and Hanneke beamed with happiness and pride. After a short break, during which we all enjoyed the warm sand and salty sea air, I asked Tessa to join me for a second snorkeling adventure. I knew there would be a lot of turtles here too and took her to look for them. Not only turtles crossed our path, but also an eagle ray and squid made their appearance. At each meeting the sea filled with Tessa’s joyful exclamations and the enthusiastic squeals of happiness I still hear in my ears. Back on the beach, Tessa enthusiastically told Jasper what we had seen. His eyes sparkled with curiosity, and he was determined to see the turtles with his own eyes. Together with Jasper I went looking for the turtles again, of which I had good hopes to encounter them again. Yes, the magic repeated itself. We saw a turtle slowly rise to the surface to take a breath. Jasper’s face lit up. “Awesome!” he exclaimed, almost unintelligibly underwater. We swam on together and came across two more turtles. When we swam towards the beach, to my surprise we saw Jeroen, Teunis, Tessa and Hanneke approaching. I’m so proud of Hanneke, who I know will have more than seven colors coming out of her behind right now. I gripped her hand tightly, to make her feel that she was not alone and that I understood her. Together we saw several turtles and once back on the beach you saw Hanneke slowly relax. She did it. Back on the boat, we met Rajesh, who was beaming with happiness after an unforgettable diving experience. He had made a dive and had descended to a depth of no less than 40 meters. The excitement could be read on his face as he told about the special encounter with a beautiful seahorse. After lunch we brought Rajesh back to the dive school and we had a lot of fun with Tessa and Jasper as they slid behind the dinghy with the supboards, and then they enthusiastically paddled on the boards around the boat. After the adventure on the water it was time to go ashore for a walk. While I prepared dinner on the boat, they enjoyed the surroundings. An hour later they were all back on board, and soon we were all seated at the table. Rajesh’s second dive today was also very nice. This time the tables were turned underwater; he became the instructor and his own instructor became the apprentice. With a sparkle of pride and satisfaction, Rajesh gave the necessary directions, and his instructor obediently followed. After this special dive, the moment had come for Rajesh to receive his level 2 certificate. A sense of triumph filled his heart when he received the coveted certificate. “Yes, great job! Congratulations!”

After dinner, the card game began and the competitive spirits emerged. Seven fanatics who were all determined to win. It was a joy to watch us tease each other, angry looks were exchanged and sometimes even some grunts passed over the table as they tried to outdo each other. Jasper emerged as the big winner, and his triumphant smile spoke volumes. “Well done Jasper!” The next day Rajesh goes for an extra dive that he received as a gift from the diving school. Last night the Dutch boat SY Topaas also arrived in the bay of Grande Anse and she came on board with us this morning for a chat and the kids swam. After lunch, the moment came when Jasper started to get a little nervous: the sailing trip to Sainte Anne. With the necessary precautions we hoped to avoid seasickness, but unfortunately we had to adjust the plans a bit along the way. Jasper indeed got into trouble and we decided to continue the the sailing trip on motor, so that it would be a lot shorter, but less comfortable against the wind. Once we arrived in Sainte Anne, Jasper quickly recovered and the water invited us for a refreshing swim and soon we were swimming around the boat and Jasper and Tessa were doing somersaults from the boat.

Jeroen went to the town of Sainte Anne with Rajesh and Hanneke later in the afternoon to check out and they took tasty pizzas back on board. Our next destination was Bequia, a sailing trip of no less than 20 hours. The preparations were in full swing and Hanneke and I went to get the last fresh groceries. At 2 pm we raised the anchor and, as is tradition, gave the Neptune a sip of rum as a tribute to the sea. The wind was in our favor and although we try out new tactics, Jasper suffers from seasickness. He found comfort on the foredeck, with a bucket for his best friend and mom and dad beside him, where he could feel the wind and the salty sea air. Teunis and Tessa also feel slightly seasick. Only Hanneke is not bothered by anything, as long as she doesn’t have to go inside to pee. At Saint Lucia we were suddenly treated to a pod of dolphins happily swimming in front of the boat. The joy and wonder in everyone’s eyes was priceless. How lucky to be able to experience this. As it slowly started to get dark, and the sky filled with a beautiful mix of warm colors, it was time for everyone to gather in the cockpit. The sunset was beautiful to watch, but for Jeroen, Rajesh and me it was also a moment when our stomachs started to growl. No one else wanted to eat. When I see them sitting in the cockpit like this I have to think back to our first crossing, where we were not much different than they are now. While Tessa made another attempt to rest below decks, they all finally decided to stay in the cockpit. Our usual shifts began and we navigated the boat through the darkness of night. The wind picked up and we sailed at 7 to 8 knots towards Bequia. During the night we had to reef or roll out the sails a few times to maintain the ideal course. Hanneke, who had stayed up all night, was completely in her own world, engrossed in a book that she devoured from cover to cover. Dawn broke and at 6:15 am we finally reached the serene bay of Port Elizabeth. A sense of triumph and satisfaction washed over us, knowing that we had overcome the challenges of the night. Everyone was somewhat exhausted and also proud that we managed to reach Bequia safely.

The rest of the day we took the time to recover and we all get the necessary extra hours of sleep. Hanneke, Teunis, Tessa and Jasper found the journey intense, but they too could now relax and enjoy the tranquillity of the island. Jeroen, always the caring and responsible soul with us on board, took all the passports and went to customs and immigration to check us in. The first stamps were put in the passports of Hanneke, Teunis, Tessa and Jasper. To celebrate this milestone, we decided to go out for dinner the next day. Despite the rain, we were not discouraged and took a walk to Fort Hamilton. The normally beautiful views were now unfortunately blocked by a cloud cover and rain. The days in Bequia were filled with hiking, reading, snorkeling, chatting, good food and games.

After three fun days, we continued our sailing adventure to the Tobago Cays. Jasper, without hesitation, took a seat on deck, accompanied by his faithful companion, the blue bucket and Teunis. After five hours of sailing, we arrived at this paradise destination and dropped anchor in the clear blue water. All around us we see nothing but clear blue water in 50 shades of blue, turtles curiously come to take a look above water and small islands with white beaches and palm trees on them. We will spend the next few days here, not only will we have good weather and we will look for the nurse sharks. You can read all about these adventures in the next blog.