Sitting in the shadow I am sweating bullets. Still in the harbor of Vlietopper boating club, near the town of Voorschoten. Actually, the town is just across the canal that separates the recreational area of the Vlietlanden from the town. Voorschoten is the birthplace of my mother. I lived here while trying to grow up. Since my mom comes from a large farmer family I have a load of cousins and nieces (34 I believe) from my mothers side. Many of them still live around here, so it has been cozy and hectic with all the visitors that come to say hello. In between, I have cooked dinner for my mom and myself every day and I visit her for short periods. A lot has changed since I actually lived here, which is about 40 years ago. But some things are still the same. Especially a lot of the people I once knew, but the strange thing is that they have all become so old…
The weather has basically come to a halt, hardly any wind, and a whole week of tropical heat. Between 32 and 38°C, even during the nighttime temperatures are unusually high. For me that is fine, since I will not have to continue further south to find summer weather. It makes it easier to actually start sailing north and east again, homeward bound. That is going to happen tomorrow. I will take the standing mast route up to the seaport sluices of IJmuiden, and from there sail the North Sea to get to the Elbe, and the Nord Ostsee Kanal (Kiel canal).
Let’s hope I can get out of the harbor tomorrow, without using too much violence. As you may remember, I am stuck in a thick muddy bottom slurry in the harbour. In the boat everything is in good shape. The refridgerator is drawing a load of electrical power, and to minimize losses of cold I have packed it in blankets and pillows.