Emmanuel

In 1924, skipper Leendert Klootwijk had the luxury motor Emmanuel built at van Gelder shipyard in Deest. He sailed with his wife and daughter - they slept in the deckhouse - and his son Leo, who lived in the front cabin with his grandfather. Leendert was a private skipper and took on cargo such as grain, beets and potatoes throughout the Netherlands. The whole family lived on board. When father Leendert stopped sailing and went to live ashore in Numansdorp with his wife and daughter...son Leo took over the helm.

Leo went sailing -without crew- for the Amstel brewery in Amsterdam and the 1-cylinder glow-head Deutz was replaced by a 6-cylinder Volvo Penta. Lubricating the engine was therefore no longer necessary. Leo was a colourful figure....whenever he entered somewhere, someone stood there. His hair straight back in brillantine and always wearing a bespoke Italian suit.

In 1977, Leo went overboard and drowned in the Hollands Diep near Strijen Sas. A former skipper ánd Leo's uncle - Aart de Winter - took over the ship in 1978. This allowed the ship to remain in Numansdorp harbour, in front of father Leendert's house. Sailing with cargo was now over. The Emmanuel then became a recreational ship and passed from father Aart back to son Jan de Winter. With wife, children , grandchildren and friends, he went sailing between Schiermonnikoog and Paris, with great pleasure!

The Emmanuel thus remained in the family and still has Numansdorp as its home port.