With blood, sweat and tears the historic ship Vita Nova has been restored in recent years. It can be admired as a piece of maritime heritage at Sail 2010.

The ship, belonging to Joke and Ger Verzijde, is a freight ship converted to a bed and breakfast establishment, because the repair of a historic ship is a costly business and there are no subsidies available.

 

Ger's and Joke's whole life is built around historic ships. Their passion began 15 years ago when they acquired their first boat, the 11-metre-long Andromeda, but that quickly gave them the taste for more. “It went from bad to worse”, says Ger jokingly.

 

Meanwhile they were living on the Roode Kaat [red reflection, ed], a Dutch sailing vessel from 1897, but that wasn’t enough so the following year the Vita Nova was purchased in order to establish a B&B.

 

A lot of money
It costs a lot of money to repair historic ships, but there aren’t the subsidies that are available for historic properties. The Vita Nova has five cabins with a toilet and shower, and the middle space has been arranged as a pleasant breakfast room.

 

These ‘modern’ features haven’t changed the character of the ship. From the outside, the ship looks original. Also the wheel house and the captain’s quarters are authentic.

 

The Vita Nova has been in use for bed & breakfast for five weeks. Joke is helped in this work by a group of people with mental disabilities. They’re people who Joke says would otherwise fall between ‘ship and shore’, but on the Vita Nova have a suitable workplace.