Monday Aug 17 One thing is for sure….

Written by Jack van Ommen on August 17th, 2009

That Gig Harbor is my home town and not Amsterdam. I quote another bible passage. Luke 4-28  : “No prophet is accepted in his home town”.  In November 2007 I was alowed 5 minutes, at the end of the monthly general meeting of my  Gig Harbor Yacht Club to invite the members to a slide show of my 2 1/2 year near circumnavigation. The majority of the audience did not even bother to stay and listen and filed out.  A handful of members showed up for the presentation. An invitation in the church bulletin was  ignored by 99.9 % of my fellow parishoners.  Here the acceptance and welcome is overwhelming.  The members cannot do enough for me. The board is giving me a moorage rate like a member which is much lower than the commercial rates. So far just about every second member are related to or friends of people I grew up with.  I feel like I have been adopted into a family of old friends. At 10 o’clock I took my 7 minute bike ride to my friend Evelyn’s house for coffee. At 11 Evert Slijper came to the club. Evert is another Dutch American who lives in Eugene, Oregon, we have known each other since 1973. He knows the club well and also used to sail here in his youth. Another member, Leo Jongsma, turns out to be the brother of Eduard, another sailor,  who I visited in 2007 at Royal Capetown Y.C.The family used to sit in the same pew at the Waalkerk Reformed Church where I grew up in. Small world even though it took me 4 years and 30,000 plus miles at an average of 4 to 5 knots per hour, to get here.

I learnt that there are several possibilities to sail on the large deep lakes to the south of here. The Westeinder, Kaag, Brasemer Meer; connected by short scenic motor trips through the country side canals. 

Right after I posted my “is there a doctor in the audience” the pain went away. And I am like brand new. It most likely was a bladder infection. The body just was not used yet to temperatures under 75 degrees (Fahrenheit). Thanks for the concerns and help.

My new CELL PHONE # 0627995743 From USA 0031627995743. It is not activated yet but should be by to-morrow  afternoon.

For e-mailing best you use my onshore address jack@cometoseaus-w160c2.preview.wpmanaged.nl for the next years, instead of the sailmail address.

 

Pictures taken last Saturday by my nephew Dirk Jan.

 

1 Comments so far ↓

  1. Mike Parr says:

    Jack;

    I saw the name Evert Slijper in your diary. I was born/raised in Eugene. I’m certain Evert knew my parents (long after I left town). Their names were Bea & Ralph (Parr) and I think Evert lived close by. My dad passed away 10 years ago and my mom passed away just a month ago.
    Sounds like you are enjoying life!