A New Voyage Begins!

21 November 2025

A New Voyage Begins!

About ten days ago, the iconic Erasmus Bridge in Rotterdam once again opened its span for the ‘Oosterschelde’. Freshly maintained and newly painted, she was ready to begin another voyage across seas and oceans. The bustling North Sea is always a challenge: busy traffic lanes, wind farms, and oil rigs make navigating toward the Strait of Dover a careful puzzle, especially with southerly winds.

By the time we reached the English Channel, the wind shifted into a far more favourable direction, allowing us to sail smoothly to our first stop: Plymouth. As fate would have it, we docked at the very same spot from which the ‘Oosterschelde’ departed two years ago for the worldwide Darwin 200 expedition. During our “open ship” hours, many visitors remembered that moment well and stopped by to say “welcome back.”

A period of strong northerly winds soon appeared in the forecast, the perfect moment to head south. After passing Île d’Ouessant, the Bay of Biscay opened before us, where the sea slowly gives way to the vast Atlantic Ocean.

Early this morning, the first mountain silhouettes of Galicia appeared above the horizon. Ahead lie new bays, harbours, and discoveries on our way toward Porto.

All is well on board.