It must have been a strange sight in recent days: a sailboat in the middle of the beach of Den Helder. The 60-year-old retired Adriaan from Switzerland no longer had control of his 7 meter long boat and stranded near the beach battle Donkere Duinen.
This event shows once again that sailing is not for everyone. Because according to Ruud Koelewijn, beach manager of SSN, this Swiss was not able to make such a trip. “He was very inexperienced and his motor and sailing skills were insufficient”, concludes Ruud Koelewijn. And Adriaan himself agrees, when he explains to NH Radio how this could have happened. “Normally I only sail on lakes,” he says.
Adriaan came from Terschelling and sailed above Texel to Den Helder. The Swiss told Ruud Koelewijn that he wanted to sail into the harbor of Den Helder, but that went wrong. “He had to go around the Razende Bol and the wind prevented him from entering Den Helder,” says Ruud Koelenwijn. “As a result, he’s stranded.”
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Adriaan’s boat, who wanted to sail towards Morocco, stayed on the beach for a long time. This is because he was not insured and was afraid that his belongings on board would be stolen. Marechaussee, police and customs were also present, but in the end it was Stichting Strandexploitatie Noordkop that managed to get the boat a lot further towards the dunes. They managed to get the boat to a safe place with a tractor, so that it no longer suffers from ebb and flow.
Yesterday the Swiss went safely by train to Germany, where he has his car and trailer. “All his household effects are safe with us and the boat is locked,” says Ruud Koelewijn. The beach manager received Adriaan again this afternoon with his trailer in Den Helder to pick up the sailboat. It is not clear whether the sailor ever wants to complete his trip.