Life on Stella
From ’88 to ’94 the Kromhoutwerf in Amsterdam was our home port. Our comfortable North Sea botter Stella was situated in a unique spot in the city. The shipyard felt like a small village in the inner city of Amsterdam. Those years were a whirlwind – hard work, learning, enjoyment, epic parties and of course trips abroad. Some projects abroad were too attractive to ignore. Free time meant starting Stella’s engine and sailing. We sailed from Amsterdam to the Wadden Islands – Terschelling, Vlieland – and almost every year at Christmas to Antwerp, two to three days sailing with nice stops. Often we sailed with other boats. Stella’s diesel central heating kept us warm. We regularly dined in the heart of Amsterdam with Dick van Amerongen, the shipyard boss, his wife Pam and friends – also many parties to fill books. My photos capture the atmosphere.
at the Kromhout shipyard
A’dam Canal boat Captain
My first job in Amsterdam was as a captain on a tourist canal-boat with Rederij de Amstel, across the street from where Freddy Heineken was kidnapped in 1983. My professional boating license came in handy here and was a requirement. For two years I transported tourists through the city-center canals – 80-120 passengers, six 1-hour trips a day. They came from all over. Chinese groups left the biggest mess behind, which made the clean-up take longer – not my thing. But I laughed a lot. The cheeky Amsterdam humor matched my Brabant roots. Evening canals by candlelight, with Dutch cheese and French wine, became wild as soon as the wine started flowing. Spanish tourists sang and told stories, which turned the trips into parties.
Designing Jewels
After two years I had had enough, a change was needed. My artistic talents were tickled again when I got a freelance assignment through contacts as a designer of promotional gifts for Venrooy Goud- en Zilverindustrie BV in Den Bosch. For almost two years I sketched and designed in Stella’s wheelhouse. Highlights were jubilee pieces for the centenary of Esso Nederland and white gold napkin rings in the shape of waves, given as gifts to buyers of Feadship Yachts. It paid well, but designing became boring again after a while.
Ship’s carpenter and Sail 90
My hands were itching to build. Dick van Amerongen saw my skills and offered me work at the shipyard. We quickly reached an agreement and I started working as a freelance ship’s carpenter, steel welder and built on old Dutch flat-bottomed boats, yachts and houseboats. The six-person Kromhout team tackled wild projects, sometimes with interns. A major assignment was building the masts and all the round timber for the replica VOC ship ‘Amsterdam’. Of the 3 masts, the highest is in 3 sections total 58 meters high. It has become a highlight attraction in Amsterdam. For ‘Sail 90’, a week-long historical ship event, our Stella was offered the opportunity to sail the management of Hoogovens (now Tata Steel) around for that week, a great success that was well paid. Photos tell the story.
This is a laminated core of one of the masts, after which several thicker laminates were applied
Sailing Saiph
In the middle of my work Max Magi, an Italian surgeon I met in the Maldives, called. He had sailed with us for a day on ‘Rangoon Moon’ (the catamaran). He said: “Bas, I will be retired soon, I want to buy a sailing yacht, help me find one, then you will be my captain for a world trip.” He flew me to Milan, and then to the rest of the world. Finally we found a schooner sailing yacht in Florida of 20 meters, 5.1 meters wide with 20 meters of equal height masts. After the charters in Venezuela the ship needed a major renovation. I took the best shipbuilder and friend of ‘t Kromhout with me for the big job. We spent six months in Fort Lauderdale and transformed her into a beautiful sailing yacht with 2 renovated Volvo diesel engines and Max named her ‘Saiph’. Agnes joined after a trial run to the Bahamas. Together with Martin, a former sailor and old colleague of ‘Rederij de Amstel’ and Agnes we sailed Saiph from Fort Lauderdale to the British Virgin Islands – Tortola and Jost van Dyck. After a tough trip with a lot of headwind we could finally drop anchor in the calm bay of Jost van Dyck. It felt like heaven, the beer that evening tasted exceptionally good. The world trip never happened, but it was a special adventure, to be continued.
Saiph at anchor in Jost van Dyk Bay – BVI
Saiph at anchor in ‘Sopers Hole’ a Hurricane shelter in the BVI’s
Rosmalen/Den Bosch to France
After seven epic years in Amsterdam we moved to Rosmalen, near Den Bosch. Our rental house wasn’t available yet, that would take another 4 months, so I bought an old Opel Blitz petrol bus for 500 guilders, converted it into a camper and parked it at a friend’s in Helvoirt. Once in Rosmalen Agnes and I got married after nine years together – a huge party. The marriage sealed our love and made business steps easier: starting limited companies, buying real estate. A year later we got an upstairs apartment in the Vughterstraat in Den Bosch. Downstairs Agnes and my ex-wife Martha ran a thriving tile shop, known for their quality and service. A few years earlier we had already bought an old ex SNCF railway house in Chivres, Burgundy for peanuts, that was our introduction to France for 5 years. That gave us a good foundation and knowledge of what living and working in France could be like.
Building Waterrijk
Together with two friends – Cor, architect, and Jan, contractor – we founded CBJ Projects BV, a building company. Our first project: building 12 industrial halls with offices at Rietveldenweg 53 in Den Bosch, called “Waterrijk” – (Agnes’ idea, because of the location near the water). Cor designed, Jan was the contractor and I was the all-rounder: building, organizing, money admin. We agreed that I would work for the company for a maximum of four years, I know myself. The Waterrijk halls were sold quickly, it was a great success. After 4 years I left. Photos show the proces.
The 3 directors at the driving of the first pile
Of course with lots of friends and family
Placing the polystyrene units for the concrete foundation of the buildings
With digital level equipment
Reinforced steel, before concrete filling, is placed and the shape of the buildings becomes visible
Pouring concrete, Jan does the heavy work, I follow with the vibrator
Placing support battens for the masonry
Paving stones fare laid for the parking lot
Aerial photo of Waterrijk before the water was later filled in
I made this colored pencil drawing for the cover of the sales brochure –
Do you recognize the sailing yacht ‘Saiph’ that I drew into the harbor for fun.
France Forever
The Netherlands no longer suited us for many reasons. We had already sold our little house in Chivres and so time to leave for Fertrève, Nièvre, Burgundy – France in 1998. We had bought a house, an hour’s drive from Chivres, with a new roof, double glazing, bare bricks but beautiful walls and a concrete staircase – plus a hectare of land. The previous owner had not been able to finish it and I saw the potential. Only the stones were laid for a guest house, I went a year earlier to finish that, with the intention of getting the first income from it. Agnes stayed in Den Bosch for her shop. Living apart that year was hard – Agnes came regularly but saying goodbye became increasingly difficult. After a year the guest house was ready and has rented out very well for five years. The main house was also well on its way to being a nice place to live.
Concrete stairs and floors
Attic also with concrete floor and the new roof above
By the end of 1999 the exterior was almost finished
Real Estate in France
Mind you, Agnes and I moved to France in 1999—against the advice of many friends and family—without a financial safety net. It was a huge risk, but we figured we’d faced tougher challenges before.
Officially, we emigrated to Fertrève in 1999, though I’d been there a year earlier to finish the guesthouse for rentals. That egg was laid. Barely a week after Agnes joined me permanently, the real estate agent who sold us our house asked if she’d like to work for ORPI, one of France’s biggest agencies. Agnes speaks fluent French, looks sharp, and is easy to get along with—perfect for an agent. After some hesitation about diving back into work, we agreed it was a smart move. Instant income meant I could keep renovating our house. The guesthouse was booked solid, so money wasn’t an issue. Agnes joined ORPI as a freelancer, and we agreed I’d handle client tours. My construction background helped answer questions about renovations or contractor quotes. My French was awful, but with mostly Dutch and English-speaking clients, I managed fine.
We quickly noticed ORPI had no website. I mentioned this during a visit from the Nièvre ORPI boss. This was 1999, and France was miles behind the Netherlands in digitalization and business websites. The boss scoffed: “A website’s useless—it won’t sell more properties.” I was stunned. Through Agnes (my French was nonexistent), I told him he’d see (cue the stubborn Dutchman, fresh in France).
So, between construction, I built a website for us, targeting foreign clients, especially Dutch ones. We also created a 10-point questionnaire to pinpoint exactly what clients wanted. French agents often show you everything—a farm, a townhouse, a flat—hoping something sticks. We’d been through that ourselves. I’d say, “I want a fixer-upper farmhouse, standalone, no neighbors, with land.” Finally it was understood.
Long story short, within six months, Agnes and I were ORPI Bourgogne’s top sellers. In five years, we sold 120 properties—village cottages, rural homes, big farms, manors, even castles. After a few years, we were asked to appraise castles with owners. Oddly, the ORPI boss often felt uneasy around castle owners, while we clicked with them. It was our life experience, extensive travel and knowledge of people that made this possible. We treat laborers and castle owners the same, they feel that immediately and experience it as pleasant. And that helps enormously with transactions.
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90’s super hit
The GRAMMY Award-winning “Losing My Religion” from R.E.M.’s critically-acclaimed, 1991 album, Out of Time.