He who hoists the sails
This guy’s gutsy. Olivier Hendrikx has been sailing the oceans of the world since 2009. In his catamaran Inspirity, he’s crossed the Mediterranean, the Atlantic and the Pacific – and he takes passengers.
Almost without a sound, Inspirity sails through the Salish Sea, its two hulls slicing through the water. We’ve just passed Vancouver Island, the wind blows from the south, filling the white sails so that they billow against the steel-blue sky and propel the catamaran ahead. “Eight knots!” exclaims Olivier Hendrikx with joyous laughter. He keeps a close eye on the onboard instruments, adjusting the wheel of the ship to carefully dodge the so-called log bombs – tree trunks that have broken loose during transportation and now float aimlessly in the sea. To our right, the fjords and dense forests stretch along the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia, to the left, snow-capped mountains tower into the sky. What a spectacle of nature! “I worked very hard for a very long time to be able to live such a laid-back life,” says the 57-year-old. “Relax, breathe deeply and recharge in a wonderful environment – preferably with others,” these are the most precious moments for him, he says. It’s now the afternoon and we’ve reached the destination of our first leg. We put down anchor in the idyllic Garden Bay, one of the many coves of the Sechelt Peninsula. We still have ten more days aboard Inspirity.
The life story of the former physiotherapist and present-day world traveller reads like an adventure novel: Born in North Africa, journeys throughout Europe with his Dutch dad, spends most of his childhood in Switzerland, and decides at the tender age of twelve to buy a boat one day and sail into the sunset. But it would take another 37 years before he could realise his dream: In 2008, Olivier Hendrikx sells up his physiotherapy practice in the Swiss canton of Schwyz and sets sail. In his luggage: loads of sailing experience, craftsman’s skills and a huge passion for computer science; a perfect mix of talents that would prove extremely helpful during his years of voyaging.
He purchases Inspirity for 300,000 Euros, sinks another 200,000 Euros and a great deal of his own handiwork into her, including a desalination plant and fresh water tank, solar system, central heating, dive compressor and many more features. After all, the 14.50-metre-long, almost eight-metre-wide catamaran is not only his home, but it should also ensure that guests travel in comfort – all year round and in the most adventurous places of the world. In 2009, Hendrikx pulls up anchor and set out from Palma de Mallorca. The first stops on his list of destinations are Corsica, Sardinia, Tunisia, Madeira and finally the Canary Islands. From here, he pushes further south to Cape Verde in 2011, crosses the equator and the Atlantic and heads west. After many days on the high seas, he finally reaches Brazil.
Next up are Uruguay and Argentina, Patagonia and the Easter Islands. In 2012, he sails to the South Pacific to the Gambier Islands, which belong to French Polynesia. The allure of the South Seas keeps him there for the next four years, which he spends exploring the stunningly beautiful islands and atolls along the dateline between South America and New Zealand. By the time he lays a course for Canada in 2016, he and Inspirity have clocked up over 200,000 nautical miles.
Inspirity has hosted guests from almost all corners of the world. “Once, two women asked if they could come with me and learn to sail. That was in South America. They ended up staying onboard for seven weeks,” recalls Olivier Hendrikx. But if passengers prefer to spend just a few weeks to rest the body, mind and soul and enjoy the relaxed atmosphere on the boat, they can do this at any time. The two hulls of the catamaran offer plenty of room with four cabins (with their own compact ensuites) and a tiny yet fully equipped galley (including a bread-maker!). Here, the skipper and his Canadian life and sailing partner work their culinary magic day after day. Depending on the region, the menu includes fresh fish, delicious curries and other exquisite meals. Regardless of the weather, there’s plenty of room on the spanning bridge deck to eat and relax. “When the weather’s nice, the guests like to lie in the comfortable trampoline or grab the opportunities that each region offers,” says the captain. Alternatively, his guests can snorkel or scuba dive (equipment is available), hike, kayak or simply enjoy beach life. And fear not, Hendrikx always finds a mooring in the most beautiful bays. That’s one of the cat’s advantages: it’s large enough for a comfortable, safe trip, yet small enough to deliver guests and the owner to places that cruise ships can’t reach.
Whilst British Columbia with its translucent water and unspoiled nature is an ideal place for us to sail and hike, Inspirity guests can look forward to another dive adventure in the future: In autumn, Olivier and Brenda will hoist their sails again and head along the West Coast of America towards Mexico, where they’ll stay for several months before embarking on the journey back to the South Pacific in 2018.
Author: Christel Trimborn
Published: Uptrend Magazine, translation from German, summer issue 2017
Photo credit: Inspirity.net
