Summer-tour    (21-06-2018 - 31-10-2018)

During the trips Tooluka makes the location will be transmitted via e-mail over shortwave-radio or satellite.
     02-09-2017 positie: 56.32.852N, 008.36.721E - Venoe, Limfjord, Denemarken 
    mijlentotaal sinds enkhuizen: 1031M
      Just over 1000 mile on the clock since we left Enkhuizen 2,5 months ago. I thought I would regularly be writing updates on this website, but this is the first one! It just didn't happen, but now, with our dear friend Margriet on board, I feel like letting you know how we are doing. We left in the middle of June, after my fantastic trip on board Stad Amsterdam. Via the Dutch island of Terschelling we set sail for the German Bight and Kiel Canal. I sailed the canal many times in the 90-ies, but I always enjoyed it. This time we took 3-4 days for the passage, not being in a hurry, which was great. That was also when the heat started: 30+ degrees Centigrade... way too hot for us polar sailors. In Denmark we visited some old friends, sailed onwards through the Lille Belt and up north to Ebeltoft. From there to the Swedish East coast, which was fantastic. We didn't make many miles but very much enjoyed the leisurely pace, which gave us plenty of time to also do long awaited jobs on Tooluka. Painting the gas locker and fore peak were the biggest jobs, and then we started giving all the cupboards some new paint. We have done I don't know how many cupboards, but there are still quite a few left to do. We also spent time reading books, kayaking, hiking, renting bikes and a car (5 days camping around lake Vaenern in Sweden). All in all we have had a great time.
    We do notice that Tooluka is not the ideal boat for these waters. She is a little heavy and draws too much. Almost all yachts overtake us in these light winds and we regularly get stuck in harbours that are way less deep than the charts tell us. All blubber, so no big deal, we just reverse out. Tooluka obviously has other qualities!
    Margriet arrived just over a week ago and she is great company. She also helps with the cleaning, sanding and painting, so many hands make light work. On Jegindoe (yesterday) and Venoe (today) we can use the free bicycles of the harbour to reconnoitre the islands, which is fantastic. This Limford is a beautiful area with protected waters, nice towns and a very beautiful surrounding. And, as the season is over, harbours are usually sort of empty, which is nice too.
    Well, this is in short how we're doing. I will be back with more news, probably by the time we get back to Enkhuizen again. Warm regards from us on board Tooluka, Margriet, Jan and Eef
     
     11-10-2018 positie: 52.57.645N, 004.46.321E - Natte dok, Willemsoord, Den Helder 
      Until the middle of September, Jan and I enjoyed the peace and quietness of our sabbatical. Still more and more cupboards received a fresh new layer of paint, but there was also time for a good book, a trip with the kayaks and to enjoy a cup of tea in the sun. After that time this was finished, because today was the day Jan and I worked towards for the past 4 weeks. At the end of July, while camping in Sweden, we received a phone call that few people have known about. It was a call from the Sea Ranger Service with the question what plans I had for Tooluka for the coming winter (or full year). We knew of the existence of the Sea Rangers but I knew little about them. So we started reading up on them and thinking about their plan and after a long skype talk and a visit in Aalborg (North Denmark), we agreed with Wietse van der Werf (the founder) that we would try to have Tooluka ready for hand over to the Sea Ranger Service on October 11. And that was today!
    Tooluka will be used this coming year by the Sea Ranger Service to fulfill research and inspection tasks that lead to a more clean and healthy sea. The tasks are coming on one side from the national government and on the other side from some sustainable operating companies. This year will be a period of testing what is possible on a relatively small sailing vessel, while 6 young rangers are trained for a later job in the maritime sector. In the meantime the Sea Ranger Service will try to finish the building and rigging of their own sailing vessel, so this will be ready next year.
    Today we met the 12 rangers who will be sailing Tooluka from Den Helder in teams of 6, 2 weeks on and 2 weeks off. An enthusiastic group of young people who are all eager to get started. Great to experience! The first captain is an old acquaintance from my time on board the full rigged ship Stad Amsterdam.
    The plan for Jan and myself is to first get our breath back after the hard work of last month and then we will, apart from the teaching at the Nautical College, do the things we never found time for. So it is also certain that we won't organize any trips to the high latitudes in 2019. Instead, if you want to know what Tooluka is doing, check the website of the rangers: www.searangers.org. They have ambitious plans, not only for their work, but also for stories, pictures, vlogs etc. We want to wish the Sea Rangers happy sailing on Tooluka, following winds and smooth seas and above all a safe return of ship and crew on October 10 next year. For now warm regards from us, Jan and Eef
     

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