T
herhythmicpoundingofwavesagainstthe
ship’shulllulledmetosleep,butI waketo
totalsilenceandsoftlightstreaming
througha skylight.I slipdownfrommybunk,
carefulnottowaketheotherpassengers.Thesea
& 1 0#20# 2#" ," #$2 -30 $--2 2 -22-+#"
shipstrandedona shoalbetweentheislandsof
TerschellingandAmeland.Therisingsuncastsa
goldenglowacrosstheglisteningsandbanks,the
neighbouringislandsvisibleacrossglassywaters.
MypartnerJurrienVeenstraandI came
aboardtheWillemJacobfora weekofisland
hoppingacrosstheWaddenSea.Inspringand
summer,the100-year-oldDutchclipperferries
passengersfromthesmallnorth-easternportof
35#01--%2- 2&# 4# 32!& ""#, 1 ,"1
Guestscancomeaboardfora singlecrossing,
spenda nightaboardtheship,orstaylongerand
visitmultipleislands.ExtendingfromNorth
HollandtowardsDenmark,theWaddenSeais
thebiggesttidalsystemintheworldanda
UnescoWorldHeritagesite.Amongthesandand
+3" 21 '#1 , #620 -0"', 07 #!-1712#+0'!&
withfood,attractingseals,harbourporpoises
andtenmillionmigratorybirds.
Theever-changingshoalsaretreacherousfor
1&'.1 2&# 1# --0 0-3,"2&# '1 ,"1 '1 *'22#0#"
withcenturies-oldwrecks.‘Almostassoonas
sea-chartsareprinted,they’reoutdatedagain,’
saysskipperTsjerkHeslingHoekstraaswemake
ourwayacrossthechoppyborderwaters
betweentheWaddenandtheNorthSea,towards
theislandofVlieland.Astrongwesterlywind
catchesthedeep-redsails,tiltingthedeck;my
taskistoadjustthebackstayeverytimewecome
about.BehindusisTerschelling,its16th-century
bricklighthouseBrandariscatchingthe
afternoonsun.‘Everythingisalwayschanging
inthisplace,’Tsjerksays.‘I’vesailedontallships
fromNorwaytoSouthAfrica,but,for me,
nothingbeatstheWaddenSea.’
Whenwe’vecrossedthetidalinletbetween
theislands,wereachcalmerwaters.I tieoffthe
backstaywitha knotI’vepickedupandTsjerk
handsoverthewheeltotheship’syoungest
passenger: a ten-year-old boy, grinning from ear
Bottomle : Bonriflighthouse
onAmelandisland.
Below:SkipperTsjerkHesling
HoekstraontheWillemJacob.
Opposite:The100-year-old
Willem Jacob c l i p p e rtoear.‘TheWaddenSeaisa greatplacetotrysea
1 '*',%$-0 2&# 012 2'+# 1(#0) 1 71 #1'"#12&#
tidalinlets,theWaddenSeahasnorealswellto
speakof,it’stooshallow,soit’sgood if you’re
insecureaboutyoursea-legs.’
TsjerkboughttheWillemJacobwhenhewas19.
Hismodestlivingquartersarejustbelowthe
stern,whilethelargeholdhasbeenrefurbished
asa spaciousgalleyanda dormsleepingupto18.
Aftera coupleofdaysI havelearneda lotabout
sailing,andalsohowtoslowdown.Lifeaboard
'1 1#2 2- 2&# 0&72&+-$ 2&# 2'"#1 ," # 327
', 2&# +-,-2-,-31+3" 21 1 ," ,)1 ,"
murkysea,noticinghowthe waves’ colours
changewiththelight.
Oneovercastafternoon,Tsjerksteerstheship
intoshallowwaters,wherewedropanchortowait
forthetide.Alongthehorizon,thealmostgraphite
darkcloudsandseablend.Whenthetidesetsus
down, I head out on the sandbank with ship’s