Tjaart Hoeksema, Mariska Woertman and children Linde and Berber have discovered the most beautiful places in the world on their sailboat since 2018, but concluded this special trip last Saturday. They are back on Texel and that means picking up the old life again, although that takes some getting used to.
Four days after their return to Texel, Zouterik, the sailing ship that was the family’s home for four years, has already been largely emptied. The family lives again in their house in De Cocksdorp. And that means that your dirty clothes can go straight into the washing machine, the internet connection works everywhere and you don’t hit your head every time you go to another room.
So it was different on the boat. “We don’t have a shower on the boat inside,” says Mariska. The family therefore had to shower outside, sometimes with extremely cold temperatures, on the deck. “But luckily with a lovely shower head,” says Mariska with a smile.
In the video below Tjaart and Mariska tell about their world trip and show where they lived for four years (text continues below the video).
Tjaart and Mariska look back on their journey with sailing boat Zouterik – NH Nieuws
Little space
Inside the boat you soon notice that it is quite cramped to live with four people. “That certainly created situations in the beginning where it literally and figuratively collided in the boat,” explains Mariska. “In my case, it took me six months to get used to it.”
But after everyone had settled in, the family made memories for life and everyone managed to live like a ‘normal’ family, but on a sailboat that sailed around the world.
“‘What are you doing to your children’ we sometimes heard”
Comments
Although the family received a lot of support from friends and family, it also received some criticism. “‘What do you do to your children’ or ‘You take them away from their familiar environment’ we sometimes heard,” says Mariska. “But we always say: ‘Dare to wander’, because life is not a straight path,” says Tjaart.
Think ahead
Meanwhile, the family enjoys the space around them again, running water from the tap and a warm shower. But it will take some time for that feeling to return to normal. Especially for youngest daughter Berber, Mariska notices: “She only knows life on the boat, so that takes a lot of getting used to for her.”
For the time being, the family is back on Texel, but they do not rule out a new adventure in the future. “Now you just know how good it can be. That you can take your house with you and feel at home everywhere.”
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