Sailing under the proud Dutch flag

Sailing Under the Proud Dutch Flag

Sailing the Spanish coast on a Dutch boat is particularly uplifting, not only from a historical perspective. Here are some remarks & observations for your next sailing trip aboard the Blue Magenta.

Culture and social life on board

– Don’t be surprised by the strange names that Dutch like to give to their boats (“Magenta” for a yacht from Bavaria?).

– Disney publishing offers very useful text books for basic Dutch language. A large collection is available on board.

– Be aware that certain card games which are popular among Dutch youngsters may have significant implications on your social status on board, ranging from “king” to the true bottom of things. However not for long, traditionally Dutch have a strong sense of social balance.

– Dutch develop a very intimate relationship with their boats. It is a big honor if you are allowed to propose a personal name to parts or items on the boat such as “Herman” for the autopilot.

– Always keep pen and paper ready for talking maths by the sea. Watching the surf of breaking waves can lead to surprising connections between number theory and fluid mechanics.

Safety

– As fundamental safety requirement, check regularly for at least one sip of coffee left in the cup of the helmsman.

– If the GPS fails, don’t worry. Dutch kids have tremendous navigation skills.

– Leave all energy matters to Dutch ladies, they can even cure with it. In particular, keep the men away from all batteries to avoid explosive situations.

– Perfect sailing conditions strongly correlate with the skipper’s urge for loud and joyful singing and concerned facial expressions among all other crew members.

– Dutch harbor maneuvering is an art of its own with long standing tradition, so just sit back an relax, – at least as long as you can. No harbor box can be too small even for truly large vessels. (Also leads to immediate social interaction with almost everyone else in the harbor.)

Getting there & away

– Very convenient: Bus 4051 from La Coruña Airport to Marina Coruña (17 Stops). One way ticket is 1,55 Euro.

– For your way back home keep in mind that Dutch guys become very ambitious when it comes to sailing route planning. As a consequence, make sure you know at any time how to reach by bus all the airports within the next 500 miles for your return trip the next day.