The man camped for two days under an improvised tarpaulin tent and had hardly any food or drink with him. Asking for help was impossible because his phone was dead and the boat was not equipped with a VHF radio.
Things went wrong when the man dropped anchor on Friday afternoon at the small bird island ‘De Kreupel’ to enjoy the peace and quiet on the IJsselmeer. When the ship’s anchor failed to hold, the sailing yacht broke against the boulders.
Only on Sunday morning was his boat spotted by a passing sailing yacht, which immediately raised the alarm with the Dutch coast guard. Lifeboat ‘t Span from KNRM Rescue Station Andijk then took him to the Andijk Marina.
Shower and dry clothes
The man was slightly weakened and confused when he was taken from the island, says Menno Betzema, skipper of the lifeboat. “He showered on shore and was given dry clothes. When he had recovered a bit, he was taken to a hotel in Hoorn at his request.”