Sailing Pitou

Sailing Pitou documents the global circumnavigation of Dutch ocean voyagers Machiel Hermans and Liselotte Goddijn aboard Pitou, an expedition-grade 51-foot aluminum cutter designed by legendary naval architect Dick Koopmans. Sailing out of the Netherlands in August 2018, this experienced duo took on an ambitious oceanic voyage spanning Suriname's muddy river mouths, Caribbean island chains, a Pacific transit from Panama to Hawaii, and the icy, fjord-cleaved wilderness of Prince William Sound, Alaska. Their voyage stands as a definitive case study in heavy-weather seamanship, showcasing how a purpose-built aluminum displacement yacht, combined with clinical preparation and psychological discipline, navigates extreme tidal rapids, gale-swept ocean passages, and harrowing rocky groundings.

Key Takeaways

• Two Circumnavigations, One Lifelong Ethos: Having completed their first Atlantic circumnavigation between 1998 and 2000 with young children aboard, Machiel and Liselotte departed again in 2018 as a couple, bringing decades of deep-water experience to their second multi-year global voyage.
• Dutch Aluminum Expedition Engineering: Cruising aboard a custom Dick Koopmans 51-foot cutter built in Harlingen, the crew demonstrates the unparalleled structural resilience of heavy aluminum plating, an integral deckhouse watch station, and a deep skeg-hung rudder in remote wilderness waters.
• High-Latitude Mastery and Survival: From dodging glacial growlers in Prince William Sound and negotiating violent Pacific Northwest gales to surviving an accidental grounding on granite rocks in British Columbia, the channel highlights candid problem solving and unyielding seamanship.

⚓ Quick Specs & Channel Vitals

Meet the Crew: Machiel Hermans & Liselotte Goddijn

The core strength of Sailing Pitou lies in the deep mutual trust, equal competence, and complementary disciplines of Machiel Hermans and Liselotte Goddijn. Unlike novice vloggers who learn basic sailing maneuvers on camera, Machiel and Liselotte stepped aboard Pitou with tens of thousands of open-ocean miles behind them. Their communication under pressure is understated and calm, reflecting decades of marriage, family voyaging, and shared maritime problem solving.

Machiel Hermans: Skipper, Systems Engineer & Navigator

• Primary Expertise: Heavy-weather passage planning, diesel mechanics, electrical power architecture, aluminum hull maintenance, and structural wood/metal fabrication.
• Professional Background: Trained psychologist, organizational consultant, and behavioral specialist with an extensive career advising executives and complex organizations in the Netherlands.
• On-Camera Style: Methodical, analytical, and intellectually honest. Machiel approaches boat maintenance, route decisions, and offshore emergencies with psychological clarity, devoid of manufactured drama.

Origin Story & Psychological Seamanship

Growing up surrounded by Dutch inland waters, Machiel developed an early passion for traditional sailing craft. In 1998, he and Liselotte made the bold decision to step away from their demanding corporate routines, taking their young children on a two-year Atlantic circumnavigation. That formative journey solidified his understanding of offshore risk management and crew dynamics.

Machiel's background as a professional psychologist brings a rare analytical perspective to cruising literature. As a regular contributor to Dutch sailing magazine Zeilwereld, he frequently writes on the psychological realities of long-distance voyaging, addressing departure anxiety, isolation during multi-week ocean legs, and mental resilience during protracted refits. Onboard Pitou, he manages shipboard engineering, engine overhauls, and weather routing with calm diagnostic precision.

Liselotte Goddijn: First Mate, Medical Officer & Expedition Logistics

• Primary Expertise: Offshore medical care, passage watchkeeping, provisioning logistics, canvas and sail repair, and navigation pilotage.
• Professional Background: Healthcare practitioner and specialized mental health nurse (POH-GGZ: Praktijkondersteuner Huisarts Geestelijke Gezondheidszorg) at Gezondheidscentrum Merenwijk in Leiden.
• On-Camera Style: Observant, steady, candid, and warm. Liselotte provides realistic assessments of challenging passages, remote communities, and onboard domestic harmony in rolling seas.

Maritime Discipline & Wilderness Care

Liselotte's clinical career in Dutch healthcare centers provided her with advanced diagnostic instincts and crisis-management abilities. When cruising isolated coastlines such as Prince William Sound or navigating narrow, kelp-strewn channels in British Columbia, having an experienced medical practitioner at the helm provides unmatched safety redundancy. Her approach to offshore provisioning is legendary: during extended stretches through the Amazonian rivers of Suriname or the high latitudes of Alaska, she organized food storage, fresh water preservation, and medical supplies to maintain self-sufficiency for months at anchor.

On deck, Liselotte takes equal turns on night watches, manages sail trim on the cutter foredeck, and operates anchoring gear in freezing conditions. Her written contributions to Zeilwereld under the column Vanaf de Pitou explore the emotional transitions between working life and ocean nomadism, highlighting the subtle differences between voyaging with young children in 1998 and sailing as a couple two decades later.

🌐 Digital Footprint & Social Channels

⛵ Fleet Forensics: Pitou (Custom Koopmans 51)

The cornerstone of Machiel and Liselotte's oceanic endurance is their yacht, Pitou. Built in 1993 in Harlingen, Netherlands, Pitou is a custom 51-foot aluminum blue-water expedition cutter designed by the venerable Dick Koopmans Sr. In Dutch yacht building, Koopmans designs represent the gold standard for high-latitude ocean voyaging. Characterized by moderate beam, wineglass hull sections, deep bilge sumps, an easy sea motion, and heavy aluminum plating, Pitou was engineered from the keel up to survive punishing ocean environments that would compromise lighter production fiberglass vessels.

Before casting off lines for their 2018 voyage, the couple executed an exhaustive multi-year refit in the Netherlands. They stripped the interior down to bare metal, inspected every weld, applied comprehensive closed-cell thermal insulation, and custom-built a solid hard doghouse (pilothouse/stuurhuis). In their early video 1. Refit interieur Pitou 2015 2016 and walkthrough in 6. Pitou's voyage a quick tour inside Pitou, Machiel demonstrates how practical joinery, heavy bronze through-hulls, and accessible bilge systems were integrated into the vessel's hull.

🛠️ The Gear Locker: Crucial Hardware Suite

An expedition cutter operating in areas like the Gulf of Alaska and British Columbia requires robust, fail-safe gear. Below is the hardware inventory fitted aboard Pitou:

📊 Vessel Systems Health Scorecard

Evaluating Pitou against strict autonomous voyaging standards illustrates why this Koopmans cutter thrives in high latitudes:

Field Performance & Grounding Survival in British Columbia

The ultimate test of any cruising yacht's structural design occurs not in pristine anchorages, but when unforeseen hazards strike. In episode 23. Pitou's Voyage Ran aground and the awe-inspiring beauty of British Columbia, Machiel and Liselotte encountered a navigator's worst nightmare. While maneuvering through an uncharted, uncharted-rock-strewn fjord along the British Columbia Inside Passage, Pitou struck an underwater granite ledge at cruising speed.

On a modern fiberglass production boat with a bolt-on keel and thin gelcoat skin, such an impact often results in shattered structural grid liners, bent keel bolts, or catastrophic hull delamination leading to rapid flooding. Aboard Pitou, the heavy aluminum keel shoe, reinforced internal web frames, and continuous longitudinal stringers absorbed the kinetic energy. While the collision scraped antifouling paint and imparted a minor cosmetic dent to the leading edge of the aluminum keel, the hull remained completely watertight, allowing the crew to back off on the rising tide and continue their voyage without emergency haulout assistance. This harrowing incident vindicated their decision to invest in heavy aluminum construction for remote wilderness expeditions.

The vessel's custom pilothouse proved equally indispensable. Cruising high-latitude Alaska and the cold waters of British Columbia exposes crew to freezing rain, sleet, and bitter winds. By standing watch inside their heated doghouse, Machiel and Liselotte avoided hypothermia and chronic fatigue, maintaining sharp radar and visual lookout for floating logs, icebergs, and fishing vessels throughout the night.

Voyages, Destinations & Ocean Passages

The multi-year voyage of Pitou encompasses one of the most geographically diverse sailing tracks documented on WeBoating. Departing the Netherlands in August 2018, Machiel and Liselotte charted a course that avoided predictable milk-run cruising routes in favor of off-the-beaten-path expeditions.

1. European Departure, Suriname & Caribbean Islands

After crossing the Bay of Biscay and cruising down the Portuguese coast, the crew visited Morocco and the Canary Islands before making landfall in Mindelo, Cape Verde. In 13. Pitou's voyage Cape Verde to French Guyana and Suriname, they crossed the tropical Atlantic directly into South America. Rather than heading straight to the crowded Caribbean, they navigated the muddy, jungle-flanked Commewijne and Cottica rivers of Suriname, experiencing river piloting among dense rainforest canopy.

From Suriname, Pitou sailed north through the Windward Islands. When global maritime borders closed in early 2020, Machiel and Liselotte endured strict lockdown regulations in Martinique and prolonged quarantine at anchor in Aruba, documented in 15. Pitou's voyage Lockdown Martinique - quarantine Aruba and 16. Pitou's voyage Trouble in the tropics. They turned this enforced downtime into productive maintenance, repainting decks and overhauling mechanical systems.

2. Colombia, Panama Canal & The High-Latitude Run to Alaska

Continuing westward, the crew survived violent electric squalls off the Colombian coast in 18. Pitou's Voyage Thunderstorm on arrival in Colombia before reaching Shelter Bay Marina and transiting the Panama Canal in 20. Pitou's Voyage Panama canal and up to our largest crossing ever. Emerging into the Pacific Ocean, they embarked on their longest single passage: sailing northwest past Hawaii and deep into the Gulf of Alaska, chronicled in 21. Pitou's Voyage Panama to Hawaii to Alaska. In Prince William Sound and Glacier Bay, Pitou navigated among calving tidewater glaciers, sea otters, and towering volcanic peaks.

3. British Columbia Inside Passage & Gale Hopping to Mexico

Navigating south through the Canadian Inside Passage in 22. Pitou's Voyage Alaska to Canada and 23. Pitou's Voyage Ran aground and the awe-inspiring beauty of British Columbia, Machiel and Liselotte threaded narrow channels characterized by 8-knot tidal rapids, uncharted rocks, and deep anchorages requiring shore ties. Heading out into the open Pacific along Washington, Oregon, and California in 24. Pitou's voyage Sailing between the gales- West coast of USA till Mexico, they timed their coastal hops between intense autumn gale fronts before reaching Cabo San Lucas and cruising the Sea of Cortez.

4. Pacific Mexico to Panama, Cockpit Refit & Atlantic Crossing to Azores

In 25. Pitou's Voyage from Pacific Mexico back to Panama and renovation of the cockpit., the couple sailed back down the Central American Pacific coast to Panama. At Shelter Bay Marina, they completed a major cockpit woodworking renovation, replacing worn coaming teak and fabricating new cockpit seating to enhance ergonomics. Re-transiting the canal into the Caribbean in 26. Pitou's voyage Caribbean and Atlantic crossing Panama to Azores, they tackled a grueling 3,000-nautical-mile eastward Atlantic crossing against prevailing North Atlantic low-pressure systems to reach Horta in the Azores.

5. Triumphant Homecoming: Azores to the Netherlands

In the climactic episode 27. Pitou's voyage From Azores to home, Machiel and Liselotte embarked on their final oceanic leg from the Azores, crossing the English Channel and arriving back in Dutch waters. After eight years and tens of thousands of nautical miles, Pitou tied up in her home port, completing an extraordinary circumnavigation that solidified Machiel and Liselotte among the most respected long-distance voyaging couples in the contemporary maritime community.

⏳ Voyage Milestone Chronology (2016–2026)

The complete chronological catalog of Sailing Pitou's voyage milestones indexed on WeBoating spans a decade of dedicated craftsmanship and ocean voyaging:

💸 Cruising Budget & Financial Blueprint

Unlike commercialized YouTube productions supported by large corporate sponsors and lucrative Patreon tiers, Machiel Hermans and Liselotte Goddijn pursued an independent, self-funded voyaging model. Having worked established professional careers as a psychologist and healthcare nurse, they financed the construction, refits, and operational running costs through disciplined personal savings, capital investments, and modest freelance nautical journalism.

🏆 Top Episodes: Where to Start Watching

For sailors and armchair adventurers seeking the highest-yield episodes of Sailing Pitou, these five feature documentaries cataloged on WeBoating showcase their finest seamanship, boat handling, and remote expeditions:

• 27. Pitou's voyage From Azores to home: The emotional and triumphant culmination of their 8-year global circumnavigation, chronicling their final North Atlantic leg from Horta back to Dutch waters.
• 26. Pitou's voyage Caribbean and Atlantic crossing Panama to Azores: An authentic, grueling 3,000-nautical-mile eastward Atlantic crossing against adverse weather patterns, demonstrating tactical heavy-weather reefing and watch management.
• 25. Pitou's Voyage from Pacific Mexico back to Panama and renovation of the cockpit.: A superb blend of Pacific coastal pilotage and masterclass shipwright craftsmanship as Machiel rebuilds the cockpit coamings at Shelter Bay Marina.
• 23. Pitou's Voyage Ran aground and the awe-inspiring beauty of British Columbia: The dramatic survival of a high-speed rocky grounding in a remote Canadian fjord, followed by breathtaking wilderness cruising among towering granite walls and waterfalls.
• 21. Pitou's Voyage Panama to Hawaii to Alaska: Their most ambitious oceanic crossing, tracing thousands of miles across the Pacific into sub-polar waters, surrounded by Alaskan glaciers and snow-capped peaks.

🧭 Channels Similar to Sailing Pitou on WeBoating

If you admire Sailing Pitou's emphasis on expedition-grade yacht engineering, high-latitude wilderness exploration, and unpretentious seamanship, explore these kindred channels on WeBoating:

• SV Yarreh: Follow another skilled Dutch voyaging couple navigating world oceans aboard a rugged blue-water monohull with deep technical dedication to independent onboard maintenance.
• SY Fryd: A Norwegian cruising couple tackling high-latitude sub-polar expeditions and Arctic waters aboard their seaworthy expedition yacht, emphasizing self-sufficiency in harsh climates.
• Sailing Volupia: A British couple voyaging through demanding tidal waters and rounding stormy headlands aboard a classic Germán Frers monohull with candid DIY mechanical problem solving.

Community Impact & Future Horizons

By bringing their eight-year voyage to a triumphant close in 2026, Machiel Hermans and Liselotte Goddijn have left an enduring mark on the international sailing community. Through their regular articles in Zeilwereld and their 27 documentary episodes on YouTube, they have demonstrated that long-distance world voyaging does not require commercial hyperbole, superficial drama, or high-budget sponsorship. Instead, successful circumnavigations stem from choosing the right vessel, mastering its mechanical and electrical systems, and maintaining psychological calm in the face of natural adversity.

Now back in Dutch waters, Pitou serves as both a proud testament to Dutch aluminum shipbuilding and a cherished floating home. While Machiel and Liselotte enjoy reconnecting with family and Dutch sailing friends, their insights continue to guide the next generation of cruisers preparing their vessels in boatyards across Northern Europe.

Frequently Asked Questions about Sailing Pitou