A Viking ship, an anchovy shack, a lifeboat; they are moored together in the harbor of Den Oever. The anticipation for Sail Den Helder is already in full swing there. About twenty old ships have gathered in the harbor for the so-called Pre Sail. The crew, mainly volunteers, is preparing for the last leg towards Den Helder, but first beer, fish and music. “It’s fantastic to see so many people with the same passion for sailing heritage.”
At the end of the afternoon, one by one the old ships enter. “We have the largest collection of sailing heritage in the world and we want to show that permanently,” says Hans van Nispen. He is in the harbor with an old lifeboat. “We are very happy that we are received so hospitably here and tomorrow we will sail to meet the windjammers and festively enter Den Helder.”
‘Stheritage’
It is mainly thanks to the many volunteers who are committed to the maintenance of the old ships, says Van Nipsen: “Without those people we would have nothing left, then it would become ‘star heritage’. We have been sailing with the Bernard van Leer for 22 years. . A typical Dutch lifeboat. There are very few of those left in the Netherlands.”
The party for Sail Den Helder has already started in the harbor of Den Oever – NH News / Jurgen van den Bos
And a real Viking ship that calls at Den Over, complete with a menacing dragon’s head. “It is a replica”, says Kees Sterrenburg of the Viking ship Dorestat 1. Dorestat is the old name of Wijk bij Duurstede from around 800. “With the ship we want to tell the story of the Vikings and one of the largest trading settlements in Western Europe. We are now sailing our second season and have already been invited to Sail Den Helder.”
All ships can be viewed during Sail Den Helder or you can take a tour with them.
Sail Den Helder is from June 29 to July 2 and NH is there daily to report. The ‘Sail In’ on Thursday 29 June can be followed via a live stream on the website and on Friday 30 June we will make a live TV broadcast around the Crew Parade from 4:15 pm. On Saturday and Sunday, Sail is combined with the Marine Days. You can find all stories about Sail at www.nhnieuws.nl/saildenhelder.