Freedom and “Feel the Breeze“: Sailing with Webasto Heating Solutions

 In many video meetings, you often see tired people in poorly lit office spaces. When chatting with Gerben via WhatsApp, you're greeted with a different image: He's relaxed on deck of his 18-meter-long Beneteau sailboat, with the coast of Montenegro, its rocky shores, pristine beaches, and charming coastal towns in the background. He's been living mostly on the boat with his wife and two children (4 years and six months old) for a few years now. At least 80%, reckons Gerben.

From stationary life to virtual nomads 

To get to this point, the young family from the Netherlands had to go through quite a bit. Four years ago, they decided to swap their "stationary life" in Amsterdam for a "virtual nomad life" on the high seas. Back then, they rented out their apartment in Amsterdam and sailed their Beneteau 57 sailboat from Spain to Turkey to prepare their boat for the upcoming world tour. Then they flew back to Amsterdam and sold everything that didn't fit on the boat (pretty much everything). But just before their return flight to Turkey, the Covid-19 pandemic struck. All flights got cancelled. However, this didn't stop the family. Gerben: "We bought an old Land Rover Defender with a roof tent and started driving during the pandemic to Turkey. We had an incredible journey on mostly empty roads." 

From Turkey, the family sailed the revamped boat to Venice first. On the way there, they stopped in Montenegro. "We were overwhelmed by the beauty of nature and the friendliness of the people," says Gerben. For the rest of the journey to Venice, the family couldn't stop raving about Montenegro. In short, they decided to sail back to Montenegro and buy a piece of land there. 

"Travelling the world isn't just a big goal; it's our way of life. We like being free and seeing our lives a bit differently," explains Gerben. Together with his wife, he homeschools his children and offers in-depth coaching programs for people who want to break out of their "corporate" lives and experience more independence and freedom under the company name "Feel the Breeze". They have clients worldwide, whom they coach via video. Special clients are occasionally invited onto the boat. 

Searching for the right heating system 

Living on a boat year-round with young children requires a reliable and efficient heating system. Initially, Gerben had a previously installed air conditioning system (a reverse air conditioning system), but it quickly became clear that this system was not suitable for their ambitious plans: "The energy consumption was too high for our sailing lifestyle. And since we're avid sailors and plan to sail to Patagonia, we needed a more suitable heating system," explains Gerben. 

After thorough research, Gerben decided to collaborate with Webasto. "Together with a Webasto Application Support Manager, we looked at the total heating loads for the boat from room to room and found a tailor-made solution".

Custom-tailored heating solution from Webasto

The focus of the collaboration was always on increasing efficiency. Gerben wanted to become as independent as possible from the diesel generator, as it's difficult to refuel on the high seas. That's why they chose a particularly efficient water heater, the Webasto Thermo Pro 90, which he recently installed. 

After surviving a winter, Gerben and his family are convinced of the on-board comfort: "It's fantastic. The comfort has improved significantly. When it's cold outside and we start sailing, it's warm and cozy inside. The heat is different from the circulating air conditioning; it's less dry and thicker." 

Improved energy efficiency

Energy efficiency has also been significantly increased: "With the new system, power consumption is much lower since we don't have to run the generator for the air conditioning. The Webasto heating system uses little power, and a lithium battery stores the energy generated by the solar system and the generator." 

A special side effect: In the winter, Gerben poured hot water from the Webasto heating system into the sea and jumped in right after. This way, he had his own spa in the middle of the sea, at least for a short time.

Plans for the future: ready for a trip to Patagonia

Technically, Gerben has now created the best conditions to take it a step further in the future: "Our goal is to fully electrify the boat, remove the diesel engine, and use an electric drive with a hybrid system." 

With this setup, they can finally embark on their grand world tour. First long-term destination: Patagonia. Gerben is eagerly awaiting the great adventure: "We don't want to rush. We'll have to cross the Mediterranean, then the Atlantic Ocean, and go all the way down to South America. We're planning to be there around 2025. We'll take our time, and that's totally fine." So, Gerben won't need any fake background images in the future, but instead, he'll be able to lead video meetings in front of a magnificent backdrop, completely relaxed, and feeling the breeze. 

Webasto wishes the Feel the Breeze family an exciting and comfortable journey with reliable Webasto heating solutions. Follow the family's journey on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.