Special thank you ...

Luckily we had family and friends! We would like to thank …

Jean Dufour and his lovely wife Julie for spending the whole week with us, preparing the boat, making us feel at ease and confident. If you are interested in a Nautitech catamaran (sail or motor driven) or an extraordinary day boat: Beacher, please do contact Jean (https://www.ac-yachting.com/). He’s one out of a thousand!

We actually met his associate, Didier, first. Didier is a very friendly and handy marine minded person. He showed us the Nautitech, sensed our wishes and needs and could answer all of our questions. He spent two days with us on our own boat and passed on all of his knowledge.  We were able to test Didier’s Open 40 sur Arcachon prior to the buy. If you would like to do the same, visit https://www.catabas.fr/ for more information.

Off course we thank the whole Nautitech crew for helping us prepare this project. Especially Sebastien and Edouard for getting the boat ready and giving us many tips for the road!

Special thanks also to Nathalie Maurel who made this whole project possible. We met her four years ago in Paris and she was the only financial consultant that responded with “off course it’s possible”. We believe she really loves to make dreams come true 😍

Our friends Hélène and Quentin, Leen and Wouter actually made the pack of butterflies in our stomach grow faster and faster. Both couples sailed around the Atlantic Ocean with their children. Quentin and Hélène did it even twice with 3 years (and two more children) in between! So the logical deduction for us was: “Let’s go at least for two years and  try to go further 😎”. Honestly, thanks guys for all of your tips, stories and stuff you passed on. We’ll bring you back some litres of rhum (as it is the routine by now 😉).

We also keep warm thoughts to our employers and colleagues whom accepted our decisions and embraced our project with a warm heart. It’s a really good feeling to be supported by the people you spend so much time (and stress) with! I keep your warm motivating cards next to my bed ;-)

The hockey club Merode in Grimbergen, Belgium, we joined two years ago with the whole family, has been so excited to follow our adventure. They made our departure from Belgium extra special (in particular the ladies who gave me a great farewell song!!!). Are you interested in a warm, young and dynamic family club? Please visit facebook @hcmerode or the website www.onli.be/hcmerode/ for more information and trial moments and follow us on twitter #MerodeWorldTour.

A very special family (my family by choice ;-)) made a private movie to tell us goodbye or better “see you in two years”, giving me truly watery eyes 😳 Yess Risa we have wifi on board, Aaron is so right, the girls will be getting lessons on the boat! Toon is very pragmatic: we do really want enough water under the keel at all times! Dirk: a personal life raft is not necessary, ours is big enough. And Yvette: your lack of words are words enough for me! Thanks for remembering our weddings’ tunes and for this typical typical scene of what a funny day with you guys always is…

And last but not least, thanks to our family, whom we love sooooo much! They’ve heard our stories for so many years now, saying “yeah, yeah, one day you’re going on a world trip”. But when we actually bought the boat, some faces were not so smiley anymore. Luckily they quickly became enthusiastic again. “What a once in a life time opportunity for the girls!”. “ We’ll come to visit you in all the places we’ve never been 😜”. 

Don’t forget dear family: thanks to the sponsorship of www.MVSusa.com we will be connected by satellite 24/24h. We have received a satellite communication device to test during our trip, enabling us to stay connected all the time. 

 

This improves our security at sea, makes us able to consult weather forecasts and stay connected with doctors if necessary (especially important with two small children).

Speaking of doctors, we would warmly like to thank doctor Kimberly Gobien, who guided us through all of our medical concerns and spend a lot of her private time to prepare us for this trip. 

We're so sorry if we forgot to mention you in particular, we did not forget your words of encouragement, your hugs and “waws” 😊

Sailing around the world … it’s not an easy start. In fact you really have to earn it, it’s hard work…

Ok I’ll stop trying to warn you and talk you out of undertaking such an adventure. Being alone with my small family on this beautiful sailing boat is just heaven already 😇 I see Spain outside the window, the casino of Gibraltar and monkey rock in my back and my two Bambinis are eating they’re breakfast and are shattering about the hotel with the swimming pool we went to (this was apparently the highlight of the 15 day trip so far ;-) ). And last but not least, a husband freshly waken up with a big smile. We’re ready …