Spes Mea Crew 2015
Klaas introduces himself
At a birthday party, Klaas was Shanghaiied by the owner of the Harlinger toiletry establishment into ''de Bruine Vloot'' (the Brown Fleet). The year was 1994 and he decided to, for around a year, become a mate. A shipmate, that is, as Klaas joined Danny Munnikes aboard the Vrouwe Geziena, a 20 meter tjalk with deck. He had no sailing experience to speak of, except for maybe the kind performed on a surfboard, at the Paterswoldian Lake near Groningen. The sailing circumstances were anything but enviable; the mate on board had no cabin arrangements to speak of. Following this experience, Klaas was offered a chance to sail aboard the Spes Mea (then still owned by Jan van der Berge). It became an educational season, and, motivated by the experience, he took the following winter to earn his sailing permit. Through this little sheet of paper he was hired as a skipper on ''de Onderneming'' (The Enterprise), a 28-meter clipper. After sailing this for two full years, he returned to the Spes Mea. Jan van der Berge had, by now, built a second ship to sail on. When the Spes Mea was put up for sale in 1999, Klaas decided to purchase it together with Danny. This duo-ownership was annulled in 2003 due to Danny's increasing health problems. At this moment Klaas and Derk Jan Dijkstra switch positions aboard the Spes Mea. Klaas was married to Aukje and lives with their son Niek in Kimswerd. In 2012 Klaas only sailed the Spes Mea off-season because he now also has a career on the ferry Noord-Nederland. In 2013/2014 he was back sailing on the Spes Mea, alternating with DJ. From 2015 he will be busy with other things, like running the Spes Mea bookings, while a new skipper will be sailing the Spes Mea:
skipper Koos
Last year he was first mate on the Avontuur, sailing his whole life... now as skipper on the Spes Mea, from Delft: Koos Wickel
The mate: Rens Veen
Ships of the Brown Fleet always feature a 'mate' on the foredeck. He or she is charged with guiding the passengers through such processes as hoisting the sails, pulling the sheets, etcetera. A more well-known equivalent title would be, of course, the Seaman. Sometimes the mate is also jokingly referred to as the ''foredeck manager'', or ''sailtechnical associate''. A mate is usually a skipper in training. By sailing they collect the necessary sailing time required to get a sailing permit. In contrast to the skipper, a mate changes ship every year. Some Mates switch more often, maybe even close to every week.
In 2015 we'll have Rens Veen on board as mate, more information will follow...
The Spes Mea has featured the following mates:
| 2015 | Bas Huizenga / Rens Veen |
| 2014 | Gert Jan Meertens |
| 2013 | Bas van 't Klooster |
| 2012 | Wiebe Radstake |
| 2010 & 2011 | Ted Hof |
| 2009 | Marek Mirocha & Marjon Snippe |
| 2007 & 2008 | Ted Hof |
| 2006 | Stijn Geurtz & Enzo Schatz |
| 2004 & 2005 | Anke Wasschenegger |
| 2003 | WP Postuma |
| 2002 | Stuart Reid |
| 2000 & 2001 | Rienk Bijma |
| 1998 & 1999 | Mischja Hamersma |
The Guests
And of course, no boat would set sail without its guests. Not everyone is obligated to lend a land, but the most fun, of course, would be to let you try your hand at sailing the ship... with or without our help.
