I am all settled in again at the yacht club where I learned to sail with my uncle in the early fifties, “de Schinkel” on the southern edge of Amsterdam.

Monday afternoon I had a meeting here with Ida who is looking after the publishing of “De Mastmakersdochters”. Next Tuesday I have an appointment with a designer for the book cover.  It is still difficult for me to grasp the reality that after all the years of research and writing it will be on the bookshelves within weeks. I will keep everyone posted here when it is available in print and in e-book. The English version still needs some work but I estimate that it might be available before Christmas.

My 22 year old granddaughter, Corrine, came for dinner last Tuesday. She is one of the reasons to dance my “last Tango” with Fleetwood in Holland. She is finishing her studies from the Pacific Lutheran University here at the UVA in January. My nephew Dirk Jan and his wife and son also stopped by to meet their second cousin. The weather has been wet and dark but still reasonably mild.  My plans for the summer may change. Instead of doing the Baltic and Sweden I am now considering joining a couple boats of this club to sail the French coast via the English south coast in July and then to continue on to the Canary Islands via the Spanish north coast and Portugal. This will also depend on how long it will take to replace the teak deck and other major maintenance.

Good news! The camera has been located. I have to return a form letter to the NS in Utrecht with 15 euro to get it back.

The below picture was taken by Aart van Halteren with his I-pod. I have been promised a good picture from one of the ladies on the BU-20 of the BU-59 we sailed on last Saturday.

The translation of the traditional poem on the companion way door:

If a fisherman casts his nets

 over and over in the depths

all his labors will be in vain

unless God’s blessings him sustain

The Red/White/Blue above the door and on the rudders are called “Prinsenwerk”, it originated in the 16th century as a tribute to the Prince of Orange.