Martin is sailing around the world with his wife Ilke and their kids, Fedde (13), Aniek (11), Jurre (10), and Hidde (8), on their Bavaria 50 Cruiser. They left home in the Netherlands in August 2022 and, since then, they have sailed through the English Channel, Bay of Biscay, and across the Atlantic. They took their time discovering the Canary Islands, Cape Verde, Suriname, the Caribbean, and a host of other interesting and exotic locations along the way. Currently they are cruising around the San Blas archipelago and preparing for the next phase of their journey through the Panama Canal and into the Pacific. Having known Martin since primary school, I couldn’t wait to interview him.
How long did you dream about this trip, and prepare for it, before you cast off?
When I was 20, I started saving. I wanted to do my own trip, rather than crew on someone else’s, and then it took us about two years to prepare. We sold our house and cars and organised the kids’ schooling on board. Besides a few boxes that are now in the grandparents’ attic, we got rid of everything. With nothing to worry about back home, I feel that we have more freedom than cruisers who have rented out their houses.
