The cruise ship of the Zonnebloem is expected to be out of the running for at least three months. That says Alexander van Zijp, spokesperson for the Breda Foundation. “We are terribly shocked, but relieved that no one is seriously injured.” People who would sail along in the coming months have now been told that that journey will probably not take place.
On Saturday night, a large push boat, which normally pushes oil tankers, bumped frontally on the boat of the foundation in Germany. “Everyone was still sleeping in the huts on the side of the boat. If the push boat had sailed on the side, it would have ended very differently,” says Van Zijp.
A drink too much
Later it was also announced that the captain of the push boat had drunk alcohol. “That is terrible, drinks destroys more than you like. This didn’t have to happen.”
Marjon is disappointed
Marjon from Boxtel is 72 years old and often joins the journeys. She would sail in May, but was notified that that journey will probably not take place. “I think it’s worthless that all cruels have been canceled. They are always so nice! We also sail past villages and lakes to visit cities.” But that is not there in the coming period.
Every week around seventy visitors sail with the cruise, with the same number of volunteers to help them. More than six hundred people cannot go on holiday in the coming period. Marjon counts on her sooning again with one of the outings. If they are kept again, she is the first to be the first!
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At the moment the Zonnebloem is busy canceling all journeys before April. And damage experts are considering the question of when the ship can go back to water. “That is expected to take two to three months,” says the spokesperson.
“Crew suddenly saw a different ship in the room.”
For the crew on the ship it was a bit of a swallow that day. “The mate and driver arrived at the front of the ship in the engine room. And suddenly saw another ship in it, that is of course a very strange face,” another captain of the Zonnebloem has been told.
He was not there at the time of the collision himself, but did help with the gang on the ship. “Then we immediately started cleaning up because it was a chaos inside. Everything had of course fallen out of the cupboards. From bottles of wine to crockery, everything comes from its place with such a blow.”
“My colleague saw it coming. Then he tried to warn the captain of the push boat with sound and light signals, but that has had little effect.”
Replacement ship
A replacement ship seems to be a difficult task for the time being, the spokesperson says: “We look at it, but most cruise ships are not an option because ours are fully adapted for the visitors. There are wider corridors, no thresholds and rails hangs on the ceiling so that people can be lifted in bed from a wheelchair.”
