Peter
The first thing to say is that it was a fabulous holiday – full of new experiences, and great company. One major point to note is that unlike the 3 other on-board weeks we have been on, it was a real sailing lugger. It was as much a sailing experience as a cycling one. Annika, who captains the ship when Klaas is not there, guided us in hauling the right ropes etc to raise the sails at the right times, and once we had caught the wind, the engine was turned off. This gave the holiday an extra sense of adventure – especially the final leg from Marstal to Kiel when we were going at about 8 knots with a force 6-7 wind. As a consequence of being on a sailing boat that was dependent on the winds and the weather, we were not able to stick very closely to the advertised programme. We went clockwise, and missed out a couple of sections. This was not a problem since we had a briefing / discussion each evening or in the morning when the Capt would explain what was possible in terms of where we could reach, and then the 2 guides (who were both very good/friendly/professional) would sort out an appropriate cycle ride for us – including maps. There were 3 crew – the Capt., Annika his number 2, and Mariella his daughter who managed the kitchen. All were excellent and helped to make it a really good week. At the beginning of the week we all agreed to pay 50€ for drinks for the week – hot and cold, alcoholic and non. It was a system that worked well. All cabins had ensuites; and bunk beds – all quite small, but only what we expected. All the bikes were brand new, with 21 gears that worked well. We were each given a waterproof carrier bag to fix onto the back of your bike. It is worth warning people about the sailing aspect, since some people may find choppy seas cause sea-sickness. So come prepared with sea-sickness pills and they will enjoy it as much as we did. We would definitely consider going on the Flying Dutchman again.”
Peter Bussy – The Southern Danish Isles