Life on a boat can be a circular economy on its own and is a great lesson for life. With this philosophy in mind, I took the train from Amsterdam to Belgium in August 2019. In the salty seaport of Nieuwpoort I embarked a 52 foot brand new Dufour together with a team of the Belgium tv production company ‘Woestijnvis’, well known for many Belgium and Dutch tv programs. Their new project is a reality tv serial in which 6 FF’s (Famous Flemish) and a team of 5 program makers and a captain, have to cross the Atlantic Ocean without any sailing experience other than a few days of instruction.
Because of my experience in sailing and oceancrossings and passion for sustainable ecofriendly living, I was asked to brief the chef on this trip on provisioning, cooking, life on a yacht, energy, water use and waste management. The chef was the charismatic chef and ‘shock-o-latier’ Dominique Persoone, founder of The Chocolate Line . Without doubt an amazing chef, creative chocolate maker and a great character for a reality program, but completely ‘green’ in yachting and living/cooking on a boat.
While camera’s and recorders were positioned in all corners of the yachtsaloon we chatted for hours on how to survive this challenge for him, reducing (plastic) waste with provisioning with as less as possible packaging, sustainable drinking water, no plastics on board, how to save energy and fresh water (showering in the cockpit with a bucket of seawater), making yoghurt from a left over spoon of yoghurt and pasteurized milk, the importance of buying veggies at the market instead of supermarket (fresh and no packaging) etc. etc.
I realized how this way of life is in my blood, especially because of my 7 years cruisers life long ago on our own 44 ft sailingyacht. I can’t wait to watch the broadcast of ‘Over the ocean’ in september 2020 on TV and to see the Famous Flemish going back (or forward?) to the essence of life (at sea).
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