Many couples dream of cruising with their families, but few ever do — especially when their children are young. Rob and Anne Heijmerink of the Netherlands, however, have found a way to live their dream. With four children under 11, they're in the midst of a two-year voyage that's taken them south from Holland toward the West Indies on a great circle back home. They left in Jly 1996, working their way through Madeira, the Canaries and the Cape Verde Islands before arriving at Barbados after a 16-day crossing. They arrived in Antigua for the Classic Yacht Regatta after a leisurely sail through the Windward Islands.
The Heijinerinks picked a good boat for their voyages, but it required a lot of work to get her into shape. In October 1993, they bought Zeeland, a heavy 51-ft. ketch typical of traditional North Sea double enders. The style is called a spitsgat in Dutch, though Zeeland isn’t a typical shallow-draft Dutch design tailored for the canals of the Netherlands. Looking much like a Colin Archer ketch, she has a deep keel suitable for ocean going. She’s built for safety anti comfort, not speed, and requires a force six winch and all sails flying to reach 8 knots.
Designed by De Vries Lentsch, Zeeland was constructed by the Bultjer Boatyard in Friesland in North Holland in 1959. She was reportedly the first yacht built by the boatyard, which is famous for its wooden fishing boats. Initially, she was completely traditional, a heavy, strong boat that had no electrics, no winches, and only a massive tiller instead of the wheel that now steers her.
Before setting out on his Trans Atlantic voyage, Rob Heijmerink did a lot of work on the boat, modifying her so he and Anne could handle the heavy craft without help. Now she can be easily handled by only two people. They also modified the interior, making it cozy but roomy, a result of its wide beam.
The Heijmerink’s children aren’t missing out on their lessons during the long voyage. Their 10 year old son and 2, 6 and 9 year old daughters study in the morning, and of course, the voyage itself is a better school than any building on land could possibly provide. They’ve all learned English from other children and hanging around other cruisers. too. During the afternoon, they read, play games, make things and draw. They also fish, often providing dinner for their family.
After Antigua, the family headed for Dutch Sint Maarten. then south to the other Dutch islands, notably Curaçao. where they put their children in school for a few months before heading for Haiti and Cuba, then up the Intercoastal Waterway to Halifax and across the Atlantic home. What started out as a one year sojourn has turned into two, an unforgettable experience for the whole family.
Of course, the Classic Yacht Regatta was one of the highlights of the voyage for the whole family. As might be expected, the crew raced the Zeeland for fun, not to win. She came in a respectable third in the Classic Class A category and everyone aboard had a great time. The Zeeland proved that even a slow boat is fun in this unique race. The Heijmerinks won’t be back for the race next year, but they’ll carry their memories of it for a long time.
From Antigua Classic Regatta 1998