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It´s 1993; our teeth were itching seriously to actually start building her ! 5 years we tried to fill the accounts and yes, we had some, but would it be enough ? Never !
We tried sponsors but whatever we took with us, they all thought never see those crazy bastards again. It was simply too crazy for them; building a boat by hand, on a little beach 900 km up the Amazon river, never build one before, hardly speaking the language, without visa´s and half broke before starting….
But we would go, no matter what !!
And if we would go, showing pictures and proof of a successful start, they would be fighting when lining up: it’s now or never !!
Deciding on where exactly we would build, we took a 3-month trip on the Amazon river, going from Belem to Manaus and stopping everywhere, also in the smaller communities. Hanging in the hammock, seeing world’s most fantastic lungs passing by, what a magic, what a beauty !! Everywhere we would ask for shipyards, boatbuilders or otherwise information what we could use: logistics, available equipment, craftsmanship, wood-species in the region and etc and etc. Don´t believe everything; wonderful stories by people with dollar-signs in their eyes and better you double-cross everything…
The best advice was from Capt. David (DIP Captain !):
“You must be crazy to build your boat here but….
if you´re crazy enough; you will succeed” !!
We arrived eventually in Manaus and the end of our research; more West the laws are with gold-diggers… We took the famous hat, each personal choice on a paper and into the hat. Only 3 papers, should be fun… Unanimous decision for Santarém ! Home of Itauba Preta, boatbuilder Mosés and Capt David, oh Gloria – here we come !! On our way back, we stopped by Mosés and told him the plans: in a few months we would return and start on his beach. Could we build a house here on the beach, would we pay rent, can we get some wood already ordered, could we chief some of his carpenters ? All ok with Mosés, he probably also thought; those lunatics I will never see again….
Back to Holland, the world was different; with the decision made, we could move mountains ! The final preparations would end the Holland adventure and start the Brazilian one – after 6 years…. Oh Goria !! Best part of this was the good-bye party. We would sell everything in the house, car, bikes, mother in laws…. everything. We created a party with an auction: all shit from the house in bags and people would bid without knowing what was inside. 2 auctions masters would lead the already historical feast ! All family & friends smiled willingly to pay 100 DFL for the toilet brush…. Haha, all for the boat guys – who bids more ?!! We made 18.000 guilders that night -WHOW- thanks guys !!! and after cutting the piggy bag, another 24.000 in the pocket !!
We took 3 big backpacks full of handtools & books (How to build a wooden boat!), had DFL 160.000 on the account and exploding adrenaline levels when we left. Of course on Friday, April 13th 1994 to arrive in Brazil on the magic number… the 14th !!!
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