My bucket list consumes me. As I grow older, it tells me where to go, what to do, and with whom to do it. That’s why, newly retired, I chartered a 30-foot steel trawler in north Holland and convinced my wife, Grace, that it would be the best summer vacation yet.
Truth be told, this was my third attempt at chartering a boat in the country’s renowned Friesland province. Years prior, my first two attempts were thwarted by work obligations and the pandemic. But this time, on a warm summer day, Grace and I boarded our chartered boat, Tigris, and set off on a do-it-yourself Dutch adventure.
Friesland is known throughout Europe as a premier boating destination. Located northeast of Amsterdam and south
