If it is up to Jorne Langelaan (43), it is high time to let a breath of fresh air blow through our freight fleet. Millions of tons of stuff are shipped halfway around the world by cargo ships, often ending up in the trash. Jorne has a better plan: we are going to sail again.
“‘You go to sea.’ My father already said that when I was fourteen. As a young boy I constantly had my nose in his books about ships and seafaring. Twenty years later, that enthusiasm has only increased, but also the realization that things really have to change in the world. Then you have to look at where you can make the most impact with the knowledge you have. And for me that was within shipping.”
A logical step
“Obviously we have the electric car as an alternative on the road, but at sea we have no other option than fossil fuel. You cannot fill a container ship with batteries, because then you can no longer take cargo with you. Then you have to sail. as the most logical step.”
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“It is of course only a loose link in the world economy, the shipping industry. But it is a very important link. If you can change logistics, it can make a huge difference. game changer to be.”
Sustainable fleet
“Of Ecoclipper we are developing a fleet of sailing ships that can transport completely emission-free cargo around the world and take people with them. For example, we are now deploying our first sailing vessel, De Tukker, for European coastal shipping. The same area where I once started sailing with my uncles.”
“Compared to world trade, it is of course still a drop in the ocean. But when I look at how much impact this makes on the people who sail along, who are now also starting these types of companies or starting things that are also good for the planet. That is where the real impact really lies, on all the people around who have been able to taste a piece of the sea and of the possibilities to make it more sustainable, and to do business in a way that is in line with the laws of nature.”
“I really loved sailing, but I missed the usefulness or the reason to sail”
“I just do what is within my capabilities. That is why we have now also set up a cooperative, Ecoclipper. That makes it possible for everyone to participate in this. Everyone is welcome to invest and so people can help with this change.”
Seasick
“When I was twelve I sailed for the first time on a real ship, that of my uncle. And when I was fourteen I started as a little boat boy on a cargo ship. My parents did come to take me then. The captain of the ship then looked at me and he said: “He’s young, isn’t he. I don’t care, if he gets seasick, he’ll have to keep working.” Then I was on my own.”
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“So then I went along, we were running the English Channel and I was already getting seasick. It’s terrible, but it didn’t impress me. I just had to work my hours, eight hours a day. And at night I could go to bed. It was hard work, but you also learn from it. And now I’m never seasick again.”
The reason to sail
Later I went to sailing school and when I was eighteen, when I was no longer required to attend school, I immediately went to Harlingen to find a sailing ship to work on. Then I ended up on the sailing ship Koh-i-Noor. It mainly sailed on the IJsselmeer, the Waddenzee and sometimes on the North Sea. These were mainly day trips for companies or honeymoons. I really thought the sailing was fantastic, but I did have the feeling of ‘why?’ You go sailing for a bit and you come back at the same place. I missed the usefulness or the reason to sail.
“At that time I was already working on the environment, when it really wasn’t a mainstream thing yet. That was also what made sailing so special for me. You use nature without harming nature. So many elements in it that I liked. The adventure, the wind and the freedom. It really struck a chord with me. And then it cannot be otherwise that you are still captivated by it twenty years later.”
In the Warriors program, inspiring people from North Holland tell their story. Each and every one of them tries to make the world a little more beautiful in their own way.
Fighters is broadcast on the NH Nieuws TV channel and via our website. The stories can also be listened to as a podcast. Subscribe to it via your favorite podcast channel. Here you will find an overview of all Warriors.