HOW THEY LIVE

“EVERY DECISION HAS TO BE MADE TOGETHER TO ENSURE OUR NOSES ARE POINTING IN THE SAME DIRECTION. HERE AT SEA WE ARE TOTALLY DEPENDENT ON EACH OTHER. EVEN SIMPLY GOING TO SHORE MEANS WORKING TOGETHER AS WE ONLY HAVE ONE DINGHY.”

“Marije, wake up, it’s your turn.” It’s difficult to open my eyes because I feel as if I’ve just gone to bed. The sea is turbulent, the wind is strong and there are frequent showers. Slightly nauseous I find my way into some clothes and stumble up the stairs, through the deckhouse and on to the steering deck where I look at my watch. Half-past seven; I had slept half-an-hour longer than planned but it didn’t feel like that.

I look at the laptop and the area surrounding the boat (we navigate by setting out a route on the computer and, like a TomTom, we can see exactly where we are sailing on the screen). There’s not another vessel in sight. Mathies