07/08/2022 - 10/08/22 Bruinisse, Archipel and Stampersplaat

Sunday

Very excited to catch up with Martijn, Monique, Dylan and Jaz we phoned Bruinisse Jachthaven to book in for the night..... and were disappointed to find they were full. The option to call back in an hour wasn't too helpful as our Dutch friends were already on their way. I quickly let them know we might need to find a plan B and then we decided to motor over to the Jachthaven and try our luck. We squeezed into a spot on the fuel dock and gratefully negotiated a place for the night in their short stay area. It was already starting to get hot as Patrick and I went to pay, and as we passed the inflatable obstacle course and the paddling pool area we wondered if the kids had outgrown this stuff since we were last here 6 years ago.

Very soon the Dutch contingent messaged us to say they had arrived and we arranged to meet by the inflatable. What followed was an amazing, laughter filled day rekindling old friendships. The boys reconnected immediately with the girls only taking a few minutes to get over any shyness. Dylan was a little limited in what he could do due to just having undergone an operation on his feet so the boys spent time on the Switch, where-as the girls alternated between drawing, youtube, crabbing and the paddling pool.

By mid afternoon our embarrassing lack of coffee drove the adults off the boat in search of a suitable caffeine fix and we ordered pizzas for collection later on when the boys joined us hanging out by the paddling pool. By this time AJ and Dylan had discovered that a wheelchair is actually quite fun and were having a highly amusing time racing round the marina.

After pizza, ice cream and much more laughter it was sadly time to say goodbye, with hopes of managing to catch up later in our stay. 

Monday

Taking advantage of the marina water supply we topped up our tanks and did another batch of hand washing.... this time learning from my mistake and only doing as much as we had pegs for! Sadly it didn't dry quite as quickly as we'd hoped so it had to join the paddleboard down below so we could go sailing!

The aim of the day was to try to get a spot on the island of Stampersplaat as Esmé was keen on seeing the wild horses, however Patrick and I were determined to get a sail in on the way despite the wind bein on the nose. Once we were on the final approach we started to get a bit concerned at the amount of boats anchored outside the little inlet where we've tied up in the past. As we feared the inlet was full. We contemplated anchoring but decided to try Archipel, another smaller island but with more mooring space about a mile or so away. Luckily we got a space there and made it our home for the next couple of nights.

Tuesday

I'd still not braved a swim with the jellyfish but we'd all had a paddle on the SUP and after his turn Patrick came back to tell us that just outside the little harbour there was an area with no jellyfish. We loaded the small anchor into the dinghy and towed the paddleboard round to a beautiful little spot for a family swim. Taking the paddleboard is helpful as it is much easier to get back on board than the dinghy!

The boat we'd rafted up against gave us valuable advice about where to get groceries at uninflated prices, and a marina a little further away but with better facilities (free kayaks and Picos) and free bikes to get to said supermarket. 

We spent the day chilling out, chatting to various boats that came alongside for a lunch stop but made no real meaningful connections. In the evening we took the Cobb BBQ ashore to make boat pizza and baked bananas, along with toasting marshmallows. It's been a lovely opportunity to reconnect as a family and although there are always ups and downs, it's really nice to spend so much time together.

Wednesday

We woke intending to stay another day, however much to our surprise we found the holding tank was full. It seems as kids grow older they wee and poo a lot more! Our usual 3 day capacity now appears to be 2 days! 

We decided to aim for the marina recommended to us but take a look into Stampersplaat on the off chance that there was space. It was our lucky day! We came alongside a welcoming Dutch boat and Esmé and I took a hot walk to find the horses. It was a really lovely Mum and Esme bonding time.

Whilst we were away another English boat came in and Patrick told me he'd been chatting to them and they kept their boat in Goes, something we've been considering.... certainly for when Patrick retires but this made us question if it was something worth doing sooner. We loosely arranged to meet up later for drinks and to swap stories as they were also interested in our trip to the Med. The kids made friends and played on a combination of our boat swing and the paddleboards.

As per most boats on the islands, we were a little short on supplies but a raid of both boats produced a bottle of prosecco and a bottle of red along alcohol free cider and some snacks, resulting in an enjoyable evening for all, swapping stories and experiences. At some point the kids took an evening walk to the horses where to Esmé's delight one approached them and came close enough to touch. As it got dark the other guys showed us a trick of stirring the jelly fish infested water with a boat hook to see them glow in the dark.... kind of like phosphorescence but bigger and definitely as magical!