Deo Volente I

Deo Volente I --- God Willing

Some weeks ago, a friend from Silang asked if she could bring over some friends to show them our house. Such requests are not unusual and we quickly agreed.

When we met a few days later, we found out that it was a couple from Canada [Ralph and Ruth Hollenberg], but both originally from Holland. Now Canadian citizens, already for some 50 years or so, they were sailors with their boat currently docked in Subic Bay, the former U.S. naval base.

I got really intrigued when they explained that their boat was a 63-foot sailboat. I immediately asked them to return the favor – could we drive up to Subic to take a look at their boat; it’s not every day one gets a chance to set foot on a boat that size. They readily agreed and yesterday we made the 3-hour trip to Olongapo and Subic Bay. There is a new highway, SCTEX, that cuts right through the mountains making it a nice sightseeing journey. The boat was not hard to find -- there aren’t that boats that size flying the Canadian flag.

The boat, Deo Volente I, was well worth the trip. It’s a Cat Schooner. The owners had designed it themselves and had it built some 25+ years ago somewhere in Washington State, with Vancouver Island as home base. Don’t know much about boat design as such but it looked beautiful and comfortable.

They have been sailing it ever since and I asked if they would have made any design changes now that they have sailed it so long – couldn’t think of anything except for some very minor items. They had also designed and built their previous sailboat -- he’s a chemical engineer with no marine design experience.

After touring the boat, they offered to take us for a harbor sail … to a nearby beach where we could have lunch. It took us a little less than an hour to get there, then took the self-designed and built dinghy ashore. Lots of restaurants and, judging from the menus, used to serving Aussie sailors.

During lunch, the wind picked up a bit and so we got a bit wet going back to the boat. There, I went for a swim the warm Subic bay waters. Closer to the Marina, the conversation turned to docking boats while there is a bit of a breeze and the tide is going out. At least it was something we could relate to having encountered the same challenge on the Hudson River, with a stiff breeze and strong river current.

The trip was well worth it.