{"id":393,"date":"2026-05-18T09:16:51","date_gmt":"2026-05-18T09:16:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sailingadriana.com\/sailing-adriana\/?p=393"},"modified":"2026-05-18T09:24:22","modified_gmt":"2026-05-18T09:24:22","slug":"what-a-weekend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sailingadriana.com\/sailing-adriana\/archives\/393","title":{"rendered":"What a Weekend!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Sailing Journal \u00b7 May 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A genoa, a very tight berth, a day of maneuver’s \u2014 and a birthday morning with towel swans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Breskens Marina – Thursday \u2013 Sunday By Ilse & Piet<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Four days in Breskens. Not always sunny, not always dry \u2014 but busy, productive, and full of the small moments that make this whole project feel worthwhile. By the time Sunday arrived, Adriana had a second genoa on board, her lights were LED, and Ilse had turned another year older with warm croissants and towels swans for company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here’s how it all unfolded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thursday \u2014 Arrival and the Genoa<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We drove down on Thursday afternoon, arriving to flat-calm conditions \u2014 which, as it turned out, was ideal. With no wind to complicate things, we successfully hoisted the genoa. Getting it up and properly set took concentration, but it went without drama. One more item off the list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the sails sorted, we turned our attention to the deck. Armed with a Wondersponge and some polish, we set to work on the black streaks that had accumulated on the white gelcoat. It’s the kind of job that requires more elbow grease than skill, and the results were satisfying \u2014 the deck came up noticeably cleaner. Meanwhile, Piet had a look at the gas system. A quiet, productive Thursday evening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Between the rain showers, we also checked the hatches and pulled up the specifications for replacements. Whether we tackle this ourselves or bring someone in is still an open question \u2014 one for a quieter moment with a cup of coffee and a realistic look at the schedule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Berth Question<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We have had to accept, once again, that our assigned berth in the marina is simply too narrow. Getting in and out safely \u2014 especially with two people and a boat of Adriana’s size \u2014 is not something we are willing to leave to chance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After a conversation with the harbourmaster, a temporary solution has been found: Steiger 2, a guest berth. It is a perfectly pleasant spot, well-positioned and easy to get to. The uncertainty, however, is that we cannot be sure it will be available every time we come back from a day sail. For now, we are taking it week by week and keeping the dialogue with the harbourmaster open.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The berth is too narrow. The harbourmaster knows. For now, the guest pontoon is home \u2014 and it is a good enough home while we find something better.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Friday \u2014 Seacocks, Life Lines, and More LEDs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Friday morning started with physio and then straight back to the boat. Working around the rain showers, Piet worked through a solid checklist below and above deck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Task 01<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seacocks inspected<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2714 All checked and functioning<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Task 02<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Horseshoe buoy<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2714 Back in order<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Task 03<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Life lines<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2714 Expired need to be replaced<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Task 04<\/p>\n\n\n\n

LED lighting conversion<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2714Continuing \u2014 more bulbs replaced<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

The workshop also got a tidy \u2014 a small thing, but a meaningful one. A clean workspace makes every subsequent job quicker. Piet is very good at doing this and then quietly not mentioning it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Friday Evening \u2014 Knokke<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

After a productive morning aboard, we made the short drive to Knokke \u2014 about half an hour from Breskens, which is one of the pleasant advantages of this particular marina. We were visiting Marita and Bert, and the evening was, in 1 word, wonderful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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– Friday Evening \u00b7 Knokke<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A quick detour to Ilse’s favorite clothing shop, followed by a long, generous aperitive at Marita and Bert’s and a delicious dinner chez Tatau. They had gone to real trouble \u2014 the table was beautifully laid, the food was exceptional, and at some point a bottle of Whispering Angels appeared, which happens to be Ilse’s favorite ros\u00e9. There was also a kind gift. A very thoughtful gift. The perfect way to begin a birthday weekend \u2014 surrounded by warm people, good food, and a glass of pink wine that tastes exactly like summer.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Thank you, Marita and Bert. You really did spoil us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Saturday \u2014 Learning to Dance with the Boat<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Saturday was maneuvering day. We had booked a Yacht Master Instructor, and the plan was to spend the day learning how to handle Adriana properly in harbor \u2014 the kind of precise, close-quarters work that you cannot really practice without a teacher, a fender, and a healthy respect for other people’s paintwork.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What we had not fully anticipated was the prep time. It took us three hours just to get the boat out of the slip. Three hours including lunch. The slip is simply too tight for two people to manage alone \u2014 that much is now confirmed beyond any reasonable doubt. The harbormaster conversation is not just a polite conversation; it is a necessity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once out in the mouth of the harbour, though, we got to work. Circles, forward and reverse, pivoting around the boat’s own axis, and then back into the guest pontoon. The exercises were methodical and genuinely useful \u2014 the kind of session that changes how you think about the boat under engine. By the end of it, we were tired in the best possible way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Three hours to get her out of the slip. A full morning of drills in the harbour mouth. By the afternoon, we understood the boat a little better \u2014 and ourselves a little more.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Sunday \u2014 Happy Birthday, Ilse<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Sunday was Ilse’s birthday. Piet had been quietly planning, and the morning unfolded as a proper surprise: the cabin decorated with streamers, warm croissants fresh from the oven, and towel swans perched on the breakfast table \u2014 the kind of detail that takes effort and is not strictly necessary, which is exactly the point. Outside, a grey and drizzly Zeeland morning. Inside, considerably more festive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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– Sunday Morning \u00b7 Aboard Adriana<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Streamers, croissants, towel swans, and a bottle of Whispering Angels waiting for the right moment. The gin & tonic table will get its official inauguration next weekend \u2014 it felt right to save something for later. After breakfast, we headed home to celebrate with family. A birthday that starts on a boat is already off to a reasonable start.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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After breakfast, we headed home to celebrate with family. A birthday that begins on a boat and ends with the people you love is a very good birthday indeed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What’s Coming Next<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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  • Resolving the berth situation \u2014 finding a permanent, safe home in the marina<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Hatch inspection \u2014 decide whether to replace ourselves or bring someone in<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Inaugural gin & tonic table session<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Continued landline checks and replacement<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Engine and generator regular maintenance<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • More sailing practice \u2014 because Saturday’s session reminded us there is always more to learn<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
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    \ud83c\udf82<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Four days, croissants, one birthday, and a boat that is slowly \u2014 steadily \u2014 becoming ours.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Sailing Journal \u00b7 May 2025 A genoa, a very tight berth, a day of maneuver’s \u2014 and a birthday morning with towel swans. Breskens Marina – Thursday \u2013 Sunday By Ilse & Piet Four days in Breskens. Not always sunny, not always dry \u2014 but busy, productive, and full of the small moments that make […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":404,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-393","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-refit-2026"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sailingadriana.com\/sailing-adriana\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/393","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sailingadriana.com\/sailing-adriana\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sailingadriana.com\/sailing-adriana\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sailingadriana.com\/sailing-adriana\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sailingadriana.com\/sailing-adriana\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=393"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/sailingadriana.com\/sailing-adriana\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/393\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":421,"href":"https:\/\/sailingadriana.com\/sailing-adriana\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/393\/revisions\/421"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sailingadriana.com\/sailing-adriana\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/404"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sailingadriana.com\/sailing-adriana\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=393"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sailingadriana.com\/sailing-adriana\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=393"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sailingadriana.com\/sailing-adriana\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=393"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}