Nimrod's Adventures

juni 2024 – juni 2026
  • Sailing Nimrod
Nuværende
🧑🏽‍🦱🧒🏻 Bart & Bel
⛵ Nimrod
🌎 En route
Læs mere
  • Sailing Nimrod
Nuværende rejser

Liste over lande

  • Italien Italien
  • Gibraltar Gibraltar
  • Portugal Portugal
  • Spanien Spanien
  • Guernsey Guernsey
  • Frankrig Frankrig
  • Belgien Belgien
  • Vis alt (8)
Kategorier
Ingen
  • 4,5ktilbagelagte sømil
Transportmidler
  • Sejlads4.356kilometer
  • Flyvning10kilometer
  • Gåture-kilometer
  • Vandring-kilometer
  • Cykel-kilometer
  • Motorcykel-kilometer
  • Tuk Tuk-kilometer
  • Bil-kilometer
  • Tog-kilometer
  • Bus-kilometer
  • Campingvogn-kilometer
  • Campingvogn-kilometer
  • 4x4-kilometer
  • Svømning-kilometer
  • Padling/Roning-kilometer
  • Motorbåd-kilometer
  • Husbåd-kilometer
  • Færge-kilometer
  • Krydstogtskib-kilometer
  • Hest-kilometer
  • Skiløb-kilometer
  • At blaffe-kilometer
  • Cable car-kilometer
  • Helikopter-kilometer
  • Barfodet-kilometer
  • 167fodaftryk
  • 430dage
  • 1,4kfotos
  • 719kan lide
  • Dénia

    29. jan.–14. feb., Spanien ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    During the early hours, around 3 am, of January 29th we lifted our anchor in Torrevieja. Ahead of us, a 70 nautical mile trip to Dénia. The first part of the trip we did together and then we alternated a couple of shifts so we could both get some more sleep. Bart let me sleep first so I was awake for the gorgeous sunset. It was another beautiful sailing trip for us. We arrived around 6pm in Dénia. Usually you have to fill in all sorts of information about the boat yourself. But we looked so tired, and Bart flirted a bit with the lady when she said her and I share the same birthday just 10 years apart and he added a "oh so you must be younger", that she filled it all out for us.

    The next day we cleaned up the Nimrod and prepared her to stick around in Dénia all by herself while we would visit Pleun, Bart's sister in Valencia, and set up our business in the Netherlands but mostly to enjoy our time with family and friends.
    Læs mere

  • Torrevieja

    28.–29. jan., Spanien ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    While we were in Cartagena a pretty strong Westerly storm was coming over. This gave us a couple more days with the WoL while we waited for a better wind window to open up. After three days of very strong winds the weather apps predicted that on Tuesday the 28th, the wind would quiet down a little bit to a 20-25 kts broad wind sail. Bart didn't feel very at ease with the forecast as he anticipated that after so many days of much stronger wind there would be at least one more transition day. However, we had set ourselves a little bit of a deadline because in a little over a week a plane was going to take us to the Netherlands so that we could visit the KvK to set up our very own small business.

    So, around 7 am while it was still dark we quietly left marina the Cartagena. We like to leave without any anxious marineros at our own pace. We very soon noticed that Bart had been right. We hadn't even left the the harbor bay yet or the 25+ knots from ahead were coming our way including 2m+ waves. We know that once we turned the corner the wind would come in more favorable, but we were very close to not even going that far. But we sailed on and indeed once we turned the corner it got better. We needed all three reefs but we were doing okay. And a visit from some dolphins always makes our day!

    Since we knew we might not have a very comfortable day ahead of us we had multiple options as our final destination. We passed our first one Mar Menor after only a couple of hours and since we were doing well we decided to go for our next option: Torrevieja. The wind started to turn a bit less favorable as we continued on but we managed to get to Torrevieja safely. We were met by a loooooot of kids in their little optimist boats. We think there most have veen somewhere between 50 and 100. It looked like it was some kind of World Cup with of course a lot of Spanish boats, but also kids from Canada, Czech and Singapore. The most impressive part was that they were still sailing in close to 30 knots of wind! They were sailing with one hand and getting the water out of their boat with the other. We said to each other some of these kids will definitely make it to the Olympics in a couple of years.

    For us the silence reappeared once we dropped our anchor in the Bay of Torrevieja. Even though the wind was still blowing 25knots and more, we were snug like a bug. At least for the little while that we would stay there...
    Læs mere

  • Cartagena

    25.–28. jan., Spanien ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Only a couple of days after we had had our interaction with the orcas in the Bay of Biscay we had properly met our friends Willem and Marielle (Walk of Life). With them we have cruised the entire French coast in Biscay and a large part of the Northern Spanish coast. Even though there is an age gap of 35-40 years between us, we have become very good friends. We have very similar personalities and similar takes and perspectives on many things. It is so interesting to have experienced how Bart and Willem, but also Marielle and I are so much alike.

    At some point we continued our journey while they still had some engine troubles in Laredo (Cantabria, Spain). While we were in the Spanish Ria's we met each other again since the WoL (Walk of Life) took a bit of a detour to spend a couple days with us. Then they continued on at a fast pace to be able to be at the right place at the right time to meet up with family. Since then, we haven't seen each other although we have been in contact with each other ever since. Recently, when we were on the phone with each other they told us that they had decided that their journey will end in Cartagena, where they are staying for the winter. They will sell the WoL and then return to the Netherlands.

    We couldn't let them leave without saying goodbye first. One teeny tint detail, they are in Cartagena and we are still in La Linea/Gibraltar. Since our orca interaction we have sailed through the night anymore. We had big plans for sailing longer trips now that we are in the Med, and are almost orca free. So we took the first opportunity we had for a big trip and set off for a 250nm adventure from Gibraltar to Cartagena.

    Where we arrived in a very windy and gusty Bay of Biscay, we left in a very calm flat sea kind of condition. After we had rounded the Rock, where we were met with 30 knots of wind, we had a lovely 12 knots downwind kind of situation. This continued all the way into the night. We did a 3 hours on and 3 hours off schedule starting at 9 pm. Bart usually starts on watch since I get tired sooner. Our first night watches, we still felt a bit nervous to be sailing through the night again. Especially for Bart, during who's watch we were still in an area where there have been orca sighting even tough there have been very few and a long time ago.

    At 10pm Bart told me to be alert, no orcas this time, but because a very fast boat without navigation lights was circling around us. A bit later he told me to get out of bed since Customs was about to board our Nimrod. From a rib three many in very black outfits boarded us an while Bart was going through the paperwork outside, while we were still sailing, I showed one of them around inside and answered questions like if we had any drugs on board. He opened a bunch of cabinets and pulled a few plates from the floor before he was satisfied and we joined the others outside. Apparently sailboats coming from La Linea, due to the vicinity to Morocco, and especially at night are very "hot". The men became nicer every 15 minutes. At some point I was talking with one of them about Isabel Allende because I thought he liked my Spanish name but I think he was Hebrew and liked the name Nimrod😂. Oh well, it broke the ice. After quite a while they left and boarded their rib again. It was just the two of us again.

    The rest of the trip went pretty smooth. We had to seek the wind a couple of times and ended up sailing and motoring 50-50. When the wind was there we had a very nice 10-15 knots from behind. As the hours passed we got back in the sailing rhythm better and better. On the second morning when we were barely making any speed we took some time to take a dip into the water and have a shower on board. A few hours later the wind picked up and we were able to sail almost the entire way till Cartagena.

    The last couple of hours were during my watch. It had been a very beautiful and clear night but it started to get wetter and wetter. And I could see fewer and fewer starts until I looked up from my book and we were suddenly covered in fog. As we were closing in on Cartagena we were getting closer to the anchored container ships and the pier. We had planned to not wake up Bart for another hour, but I could barely see 10m in front of the boat. So I woke Bart up and he sat in the front of the boat to keep watch. There is one light you are supposed to see from more than 10 nautical miles out of the coast. We were 2 miles away and didn't see a thing. We decided that if we could still not see anything a mile away from the coast we would turn around and continue sailing north east. Then all out of a sudden the fog started to clear between the coast and pier of Cartagena. Saturday at 1:30am we were docked in Cartagena.

    We were greeted by Marielle in her pyjamas. The next day we spent getting to know Cartagena but mostly spending time together with Willem and Marielle. On Sunday there apparently is a bbq with a bunch of the sailors that spend the winter or their life in the marina of Cartagena. We were invited through the WoL. Bart and Willem had a great time socializing, Marielle and I entertained each other 😉 On Monday we were treated by the WoL to a tour of the local mountains and a lunch 😋 It was very nice to spend some time together again before they say goodbye to their WoL and return to the Netherlands. We're sure we'll see each other again somewhere someday.
    Læs mere

  • Gibraltar and La Linea

    11.–22. jan., Gibraltar ⋅ 🌬 19 °C

    Following our successful crossing of the Strait of Gibraltar the next challenge was the Bay of Gibraltar. After cruising downwind the whole day the wind shifted entirely once we were in the Bay of Gibraltar and suddenly we were sailing upwind! We had been warned for strong winds by our friends who had conquered the Bay a day earlier, but an increase of 15 knots we hadn't seen coming. All around us massive container ships were passing through or anchored; here and there ferries to Morocco sped along; and while I was trying to keep Nimrod in control, while she was bashing through 29 knots, Bart tried to enjoy a dolphin show.

    Meanwhile the Rock of Gibraltar was staring at us all along the way. We went into the harbor of La Linea, on the Spanish side, for a couple of days to spend some time with our friends after being separated for a while. On day two we went into Gibraltar. After we had been cleared by customs we crossed the Gibraltar Airport runway. Crossing the runway is just the same as crossing a bridge in the Netherlands. When a plane is coming, the barriers are lowered and you have to wait to cross until they have gone up again.

    Gibraltar felt a bit like a theme park such as the Efteling or Disneyland where you go from one world into another. It feels like you are still in Spain, but there is the British part, the Irish part and so on. We weren't big fans. I tried to call mama with a typical red phone cell, but they aren't even connected anymore... They are there just for the pictures.

    Later on in the week we visited the Rock of Gibraltar. Which was really fun. We went into the siege tunnels that were used in the 19th century, the WW II tunnels, the Moorish castle, hurried past the monkeys, walked up about 200 stair steps but our favorite part was the Saint Michael's Cave. This cave is several thousand years old and they use lights and sounds within to make it even more beautiful. The highlight was the sound and lights artwork that demonstrated how the Rock of Gibraltar came into existence.

    Meanwhile we also spend a bunch of time trying to figure out whether it will be possible for us to do some part-time work. We have experienced that sometimes, such as our eleven days in Gibraltar/La Linea, we have some time left to work a bit. This could mean we would have some more money to have a bit more budget for fun things, boat repairs or maybe an extension of our trip. We will see.
    Læs mere

  • Strait of Gibraltar ⛵🏎️

    11. januar, Strait of Gibraltar ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    We are finally doing it! We are passing through the Strait of Gibraltar! It is an almost 50 nm sail from Barbate to La Linea/Gibraltar and this trip will take us through the strait. At first we sail downwind further south along the most gorgeous green hills and mountains. Then the Strait starts to get narrower and narrower. We smoothly sail 15-20kts downwind towards Tarifa. Here Europe and Africa almost touch.

    We have done it! We have, almost, sailed our Nimrod to Africa. The continent where many generations ago my far far ancestors were taken away by boat under very different circumstances. Now we are here on our Nimrod. Africa is no longer just in the distance but it's only a couple miles to our starboard. Since the orcas are very active in this area we do not cross but keep to the European side of the Strait of Gibraltar. This is definitely a milestone. And we are going fast! Downwind, current with us, we reach a high speed of 8.6 knots over ground! What a blast!

    By the way, we heard from Beautje that they had caught a massive bonito just before Tarifa. So we had three lines out. We got lucky just past Tarifa: a small and a medium bonito and a large mackerel. That's going to make for a festive reunion dinner with our Beautje friends. That is, if we make it safely through the Bay of Gibraltar and into the harbor.
    Læs mere

  • Barbate

    10.–11. jan., Spanien ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    Barbate, we are now entering Smälland, Disney world, Valhalla for orca's. For us sailors, not so much. Luckily this time of the year the big tuna nets that are usually laid out here in front of the coast are not in the water. Which is great for us because this means we can sail around the 20m depth line.

    Thankfully the sail was very uneventful animal wise. No fish for us either unfortunately, but we will take it. It did look like we had a big one at one point, on our new fast trolling bait, we were unable to pull it in😭

    Sailing wise if was another downwind cruising sail and eventually we arrived a bit after dark. The most exciting part was going into the harbor as we surfed down a big wave into the harbor. A bit tricky, but no harm. We are ready to go through the Strait of Gibraltar!!
    Læs mere

  • Cádiz

    8.–10. jan., Spanien ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    From Mazagón we had a long day ahead to Cádiz, the oldest city of Western Europe. We had another gorgeous sail, even though it started chilly, and entered the harbor area just as the sun started to set.

    We are both big Cádiz fans. We might have only had one day in the city, we were out and about the entire day to see as much as possible. We started with a visit to La Cueva del Pájaro de Azul, a archeological site. Here we immediately learned a bunch about the history of the city.

    This site was only discovered in 2017 when after more than 35 years of closure a flamenco taverna was looking for a rebirth and wanted to install a new staircase. By accident, this archaeological site, about 2 flights below street level, on the neighbor's plot, where the stairs would be built, was discovered. In the 60s there had been a very successful taverna here, but eventually it was closed and forgotten. This taverna had already used some of the space below ground, but it was the neighbor's plot where the real gem was discovered: a Phoenician dry dock.

    More than 2000 years ago Phoenicians used the channel that separated, back then, the two islands that formed Cádiz to build dry docks alongside. This site is one of them. They used a special type of rock in this area, oyster rock as you can actually see the shells in the rock which are used all over the city. In Phoenician times they also had a very smart sort of a hooking system to build strong structures without the use of concrete.

    At some point the people of Cádiz weren't very happy with the Phoenicians anymore and when the Romans offered them more favorable conditions they switched sides. As a result, after this dry dock and some genius underground rain water holding rooms, we were also able to visit an old Roman theatre.

    For the rest of the day we mostly walked around the beautiful city; peaked into the cathedral up until the point where it was still free and of course enjoyed some delicious tapas.

    After a long day we shared a drink with our friends Square One before going to bed to get ready for our sail to Barbate the next day.
    Læs mere

  • Mazagón

    6.–8. jan., Spanien ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    We said goodbye to Portugal for a while as our first sail of 2025 took us from Villa Real to Huelva. Or at least so we thought.

    It was a very nice smooth sail almost all the way up to the end. Just before we were about to turn the corner and sail into the harbor the wind died. We turned Perky on and smoothly went into the harbor area. Suddenly the wind picked up to 19kts dead ahead. This way it would take us another 3 hours to get to Huelva. Not feeling like going up and down the river on the engine for about 10 miles, definitely since it was going to take us already 3 hours just one way. We turned around and went into the Marina of Mazagon.

    We celebrated our first sail with a caña in the local bar de Paris and spent two days here. To wait for fairer winds and for Bart to recover a bit from his two day boat yoga retreat, I mean job🛠️
    Læs mere

  • Villa Real de Santo António

    5.–6. jan., Portugal ⋅ 🌧 15 °C

    Bart has taken on his first job as a boat mechanic! He helped out our friends from Simon Hendrick by doing some big maintenance on their engine and generator. Bart practiced a lot of boat yoga to fit into all types of tiny and uncomfortable places. But together with Edwin they made a great team and were able to get it all done!

    In the meantime I was dressed in fairy wings and a unicorn 🦄 horn and dancing with the youngest crew member of Simon Hendrick Philou. After spending a couple of fun and helpful days together it was time for us to move on West again, slowly on our way to the Mediterranean!
    Læs mere

  • Ayamonte 🎄🕺🏽🍾🎆

    23. dec.–5. jan. 2025, Spanien ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    After passing underneath the bridge again we spend Christmas and New Years with just the two of us in Ayamonte. Well, not entirely just the two of us. We had an Andriessen family call Christmas morning and at night we had our traditional Christmas poems with the Flensjes family.

    For our spending while we are on our adventure we use different kinds of "potjes" (dedicated money). We have one for our groceries and since we still had a lot left in our potje we did Christmas shopping as if we didn't have a budget. It turned out delicious! We played some games, made our own Christmas tree and decided to make a Christmas card.

    On Christmas Eve Bart prepared "stoofvlees" or stew for us. While this was stewing away in the kitchen we heard music coming from town. After a quick shower we went into town dressed like we also do: jeans, sweater, jacket and sneakers. When we arrived at the plaza (read small square, bar and cheese shop) we felt VERY out of place. Like the Spanish can, they all looked marvelous. Shiny short dresses, nice shirts, glitter pants. You get the idea.

    After a bit we went back home to eat Bart's stoofvlees😋 Afterwards we still heard the music going. So we put on some, nicer, clothes and went back into town around 8pm. To another square this time. We did a little boogie, brought some drinks and had a good time. By 9 o'clock the party was over. The Spaniards were all very drunk but seemed to get ready for family dinner or a Christmas mass. We bet a bunch of them didn't make it 🍻. Since the party ended early we finished the evening off with a Christmas movie.

    Throughout the time we spent in Ayamonte we did a lot of boat jobs. We bend back the stainless steel pipe (due to our little buoy incident at Pomarão); fixed the scepter pot: after many attempts and two faucets later we fixed our leaky faucet in the kitchen; afterwards redid the sealing of the sinks; fixed the aft head; redid some gelcoating and fixed a couple of spots in our deck. We did a good job! We did decide to put off the sanding of the deck until boxing day 😉

    Around 5pm on the 31st of December we heard music coming from town again. We said to each other we can't imagine they will stop the party at 9pm again on New Years Eve! But let's not risk it and go out for a dance around 8. At least we will have an hour of good fun. Good call, because at 9pm sharp, the music turned off and the square cleared out within 20 minutes. Nothing left for us to do then return home and wait till midnight. We didn't wait that long to open our bottle of champagne because why would we!🍾We had lots of homemade tapas and did our best to make it till midnight.

    No one to be seen at 0 hundred hours. There was a little bit of fireworks but we didn't see anyone. We tried out our own " go away orca's fireworks🐋,🎆" and we went out off 2024 with a bang! What a noise, we hope to never use it but it sure works fine. Since there didn't seem to be a living soul out on the streets we went back to bed. At 01:30 the music was turned on again, but we couldn't be bothered. Although we could have partied with the Spaniards after their family affairs until 04:30 in the morning if we had wanted to 😂.

    In Spain they also celebrate Dia de Los Reyes on January 5th. We missed the big parade in the city but we were there when people of all ages, from toddlers to teenagers, little kids to grandma's gathered on the main square to try to catch as many presents, toys, balls and candy as they could. No joke, they were throwing for at least 20 minutes. It was quite the spectacle. It felt like a combination of Sinterklaas and Sint Maarten on steroids.

    Meanwhile we went back on anchor for a couple of nights before our last stop in Portugal.
    Læs mere