International Day of the Wind

On June 15 we put the wind in the spotlight! It is International Day of the Wind. On this day we often consider the possibilities that the wind offers us. That is why we thought it was a nice idea at Noordvaarder Zeilreizen to tell you about sailing on the wind.

An engine on board on the day of the wind

Nowadays every sailing ship has an engine on board. Once the wind dies down, the ship must still be able to move forward. But an engine on board was previously not the case. Sailing was done on pure wind power! The Victoria S was launched in 1882 in Moerdijk. At that time, no marine engines existed. As an inland vessel, she sailed from one point to another on current and wind. With only a few people on board, it was quite a challenge to maneuver the ship in the right direction. They used pure wind power and relied on their own knowledge and the experiences of others.

On the day of the wind we also look ahead

We can hardly imagine how it used to be on board, without a ship’s engine. Certainly not when we consider that our ships De Noordvaarder and De Victoria S also carry freight in Germany, France and Belgium. What progress the sailing ships have made in the past decades! With technological innovations and all kinds of developments in the field of energy, we are very curious about what shipping will look like in a few decades. What we do know for sure? With the wind in our sails, we experience unforgettable moments on board our ships every day!