Family

3 June 2016

Update by Hans Houweling:
“On the bus from Hamilton to St. Georges, Bermuda’s most easterly harbour where the ‘Oosterschelde’ was berthed, I met a couple from New York, passengers of one of two large cruise ships visiting the island. For them it was a special treat to ‘sail’ from their hometown. Since I would soon be sailing to my hometown Rotterdam, I said to them that I well understood their joy. Just then the ‘Oosterschelde’ appeared around the corner of the road. It was berthed at an industrial quay that partly obscured the ship’s grandeur. Enthusiastically I pointed to her, saying: “There is my ship!”. Perplexed, the two stammered: “Will you be crossing the ocean with that ship?”. “Yes”, I answered and proudly jumped off the bus. 
A warm welcome from the first mate to the beautiful ship made me instantly feel at home again. I had previously sailed on the ‘Oosterschelde’ during a winter trip to Sal, Cabo Verde, eight years ago. For the next month the ‘Oosterschelde’s permanent (7) and guest crew (24) would be my temporary family. 
As in any family, there are members one relates to closely, and members who do not care too much about each other. Apart from that, the interaction patterns on this ship are dictated to some extent by the watch system. In a continuous cycle all guest crew is on watch for four hours, followed by eight hours of rest. At any given moment, even during the day, a large proportion of the family is asleep. The pattern is only broken during shore leave. At 7.30, 13.30 and 19.30 hrs an original bell from the s.s. ‘Nieuw Amsterdam’ convokes all family members to a meal. Bad English is the official language in this international family. 
And then the temporarily family splits up. Just a few days ago, having waved farewell in Horta to seven members of my temporary family, and having welcomed the same number of new members, I now better understand the adjustments that were asked from the eight people who had earlier boarded in Houston. With each stop the composition of the family changes, requiring adjustments from crew, remaining and new guests. Frits, our pater familias, took part in all legs in which guests participated after the ‘Oosterschelde’ left Rotterdam on the 2nd of January 2016. He has seen more than a hundred temporary family members come and go. 
Sailing this last leg of the ship’s current cross-Atlantic voyage makes me think of my temporary family as well as my loved ones back home: beautiful people I have met on board, and beautiful people who will hopefully welcome us in the Veerhaven. 
What does this all mean to me? George, who left the ship in Horta, summarised it all when he said: “A voyage like this, for some of us, marks a passage into a new phase of life”. For me it is certainly a ‘rite of passage’.”