CptnZeppos Tour ZEPPOS-0025 Terneuzen – Tornio, Finland 14-day tour, Nic Hoefsloot.

Tuesday, February 10, 2026

6:30 a.m. Left Eindhoven for Terneuzen.

8:45 a.m. Restroom break & coffee at McDonald's in Terneuzen.

9 :45 a.m. Checked in at the Outokumpu reception desk as a passenger on the Hjördis.

10:00 a.m. After parking my car at the back of the cement factory, I checked in at the videophone at the entrance gate and walked to the Hjördis, where the boatswain welcomed me at the gangway.

11:00 a.m. I was escorted to my cabin by the third mate and then received safety instructions regarding survival suits, locations, and the lifeboat. Afterward, on the bridge, I met the captain, handed over my passport for safekeeping, and was welcomed aboard the Hjördis. I am the only passenger, and the 11^person person on board, so I’m free to move about on the bridge and the stern. Access to the bow and cargo hold is permitted only after checking in and wearing full safety gear, such as a fluorescent vest and a blue helmet (which is in my owner’s cabin). Afterward, I went to my cabin and unpacked. I have the so-called “Owner’s Cabin,” which, like the cargo ship, is somewhat dated (30 years old) but has an excellent coil mattress as a bed. The cabin is located just below the bridge, with an unobstructed view to port through two windows, one of which can be left slightly ajar. I really appreciate the fresh air. Oh, and there’s a leak somewhere in the roof, because between the captain’s cabin and mine there are two small buckets catching the drops that are trickling down along a fluorescent light fixture.

I missed lunch because the clock in my cabin was broken and I had also forgotten to set the ship’s time on my phone. Fortunately, the cook was helpful and pointed me to the leftovers in the fridge, which were more than enough to eat. A friendly Finn who had also just started working on the Hjördis and who took care of the crew and passengers with joy and skill. The good man made everything from scratch—no packaged or instant foods; even the rolls, pastries, and other baked goods were homemade. I enjoyed extremely tasty and nutritious meals there for two weeks. During lunch and dinner, I got to know the rest of the crew. The rest of the day was spent loading stainless steel containers.

5:25 p.m. departure from Terneuzen to Dordrecht. Because of the design of this type of ship (the superstructure is actually above the engine room), the engine and propulsion noises are clearly audible and noticeable. It took me a while before going to bed to muffle all the rattles in the cabin with tissues.

Wednesday, February 11, 2026

3:21 a.m. arrival at Wilhelmina Harbor, Dordrecht.

Spent the whole day loading stainless steel scrap. There was a lot of activity on the dock with all kinds of machines. It was funny to see how the machines used a huge jute bale like a broom to keep the steel work floor clean.

Thursday, February 12, 2026

8:00 a.m. departure from Dordrecht to Tornio - Fitor.

A beautiful trip from Dordrecht’s Wilhelmina Harbor via the Oude Maas and the Nieuwe Waterweg, under the Botlek Bridge, along the Maeslantkering, and out into the North Sea. I’m glad we’re sailing this stretch during daylight hours so that everything is clearly visible.

12:00 p.m. Just out on the North Sea and stopped (engine off!) to change the scrubber filter. The ship is rolling wildly without propulsion. The Coast Guard responded within 10 minutes, asking what we were doing 😂🫣, what the reason was, and whether we needed help or should drop anchor. Nice video of the conversation. Changed the filters in Olympic time.

5:00 p.m. after dinner (ship’s time isn’t synchronized with local time) on the bridge, had a nice chat with the first mate. He’s a tall Finn, and we talked about music, LPs, and the ship. Turned up Phil Collins extra loud during “In the Air Tonight” and recorded a video of the increasing wind and waves.

7:00 p.m. —2-3-meter waves with a crosswind of 40 km per hour, with occasional gusts, turn it into a rodeo ride. The Hjördis doesn’t have stabilizers like the Timca did on my last trip. I thought I could handle it well, but this time I ended up looking at the inside of the toilet bowl way too often!

Friday, February 13, 2026

I slept well for the last 5 hours.

The pilot is on board, and we’re sailing into the left lock at Brunsbuttel on the Nord-Ost See Canal heading toward Kiel. I popped up on the bridge for a bit, walked around on the left side with my iPhone flash on for the viewers 😉 who are logged into the public webcam, and am now (6:40 a.m.) having breakfast. When asked, “Did you sleep okay?”,I replied , “Like a baby—I almost pooped myself and cried all night,” which they found hilarious. 😂

I heard that the rest of the crew hadn’t slept very well either—which was some consolation. We spent the rest of the day sailing calmly toward Kiel, exploring the poop deck (or stern) to find the best spots to stand sheltered while getting some fresh air or enjoying the view without being blown away or getting wet. I watched the floating ferry near Rendsburg with amazement—a fun and practical solution when space is limited and you can use a massive bridge as a span.

Around 2:45 p.m., we entered the lock at Holtenau and waved enthusiastically at the public webcams there so that our loved ones back home could catch a glimpse of the action. Around 3:30 p.m., I left the lock and sailed out onto the mirror-smooth Baltic Sea toward Tornio. I hope the wind doesn’t get too strong over the next few days so we can have a peaceful voyage. Delicious oven-baked salmon with shrimp was a lovely way to end the day. Around 9:00 p.m., I made my “Karma Sleep” tea in a completely empty mess hall and watched some Olympic TV (halfpipe jumping??) before heading to my cabin. Oh yeah, a lot of the cabin fixtures are rattling, so it’s another real mystery to figure out the how and why—and how to stop it. It’s a fun challenge to get everything as vibration-free—or at least quiet—as possible.

Saturday, February 14, 2026

Woke up at 1:45 a.m.: rodeo time! It’s already shaking and rattling quite a bit. I don’t think I’ll be able to take a shower this morning. An insulating foam wrap around the radiator’s supply pipe next to the toilet is no luxury—man, that thing is hot and right there.

4:40 a.m. Things have calmed down a bit again. The Hjördis is about to pass the Lovisa (its sister ship), which is heading back to Terneuzen. Had a delicious breakfast and watched the cook making sandwiches. He’s an old-school cook who really does everything himself. Nice 👍

I was on the bridge from 8:00 a.m. to 9:15 a.m.

The ship is now sailing more slowly to avoid splashing water. Since it’s freezing, the splashing fresh water quickly forms ice on the ship, especially on the deck. There’s not much point in sailing faster because you’ll end up losing that time again in Tornio—you won’t be able to open the hatches without ordering a steam truck, which will then take days to clear the ice and open the hatches. That costs a lot of money, and it throws your entire schedule into disarray. Nobody wants that.

Spent most of the day on the bridge. Took photos and videos of everything that was happening, and identified and photographed approaching boats for later. A strikingly large number were flying the Dutch flag. The weather looks good right now. Hope it stays that way. Dinner was amazing, with excellent steaks and red wine, a fiery hot pepper sauce, green beans with bacon bits, and fried potato slices. It’s on the menu every Saturday 🤭, so I’ll get to enjoy that again. Maybe I’ll head out to the aft deck for some fresh air later. 👋

Just got back to my cabin. I’d gone to the mess hall for my cup of Karma Sleep tea. Then the boatswain invited me to come to the sauna area: “You’re part of the crew—come have a drink with us.” I went along and had a nice, friendly get-together—with a few chilly moments and while under the influence—with an outspoken Finn, a shy Estonian, and a gruff but friendly Russian who’s lived in Estonia for almost his entire life but doesn’t speak the language, as well as the cook, also of Finnish descent, who’s just been assigned to this ship and was therefore probably keeping a low profile. We kept the conversation going, I was welcomed as a crew member, and we agreed to meet again next Saturday. Now I’m going to shave and then head up to the bridge to see if I can catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights, because unfortunately the forecasts for clear nights aren’t looking good—except for tonight. It’s almost 10:30 p.m. now, and the sky is almost completely overcast 🫩 I took a nice shower and then went below deck.

Sunday, February 15, 2026

Normal morning routine. We're off the coast of Stockholm and are now really heading north. The sea is almost completely calm. We'll probably hit ice tomorrow.

Installed on the bridge at 8:20 a.m. The captain will navigate the next stretch between the islands to the gulf.

At 10:45 a.m., I thought I saw a line of foam on the water at first, but it turned out to be crumbled ice. Sooner than expected.

Spent the whole afternoon having fun on the aft deck (out of the wind) with my iPhone and Sony camera. Really went to town with my shutter finger. I’ll see which ones are the best when I get home. Back on the bridge, I gave them the first box of Merci chocolates because they’d found “my ice cream.” I also told them the mission was a success, so they could turn the ship around. It was made clear to me that this was nothing yet: “Get your next chocolate boxes ready—and how many boxes will it be when we show you the Northern Lights?” 😂 So I’ll be staying up tonight until around 3:00 a.m. and hoping for a glimpse of the Northern Lights. Took a nice photo of the sunset and let the folks back home know.

The first mate is on the first watch tonight, so I’ll be listening to some music. Turns out it’s Enigma. Lovely 🥰 I’ll update tomorrow to let you know if it was worth the wait. Logged off at 8:00 p.m. ship’s time.

Funny thought: Back home, people are dancing around in masks at Carnival parades, while we’re gliding through a serene body of water with beautiful music in the background and a gentle hum beneath our feet.👍👌 Vangelis, *Chariots of Fire* 🥰

Just came across the Laura (sister ship), which is on its way to Terneuzen. We expect to reach the ice field in about an hour. I’ve alerted the chief engineer to take appropriate measures. Blocking the water intake, etc. The helmsman also pointed out some brighter patches in the sky. He expects the northern lights to be visible tonight. He suddenly turned off all the exterior lights so I could see the brighter shadows a little better. Absolutely beautiful, but unfortunately not something I can capture on camera. So, I’ll have to stay awake.

9:00 p.m. Suddenly , a whole patch of ice. We went right through it before we even realized it. We decided to turn on some extra lights so we could see the ice clearly. Safety over the Northern Lights 🧐

9:30 p.m. It looks like we’ve reached the ice field. The ice is still loose, but there aren’t any real open areas left. We can now feel and hear the ice hitting the ship more frequently. Sometimes it feels like the ship is sailing through a forest with trees on both sides, and the ice ahead seems to form a massive wall. Sooo strange, especially with the music playing on the bridge. Tunnel vision: rows of trees on the left and right, and the ship is climbing an ice path 😱 The type of ice is also clearly different now. These are really white sheets and quite thick.

10:39 p.m. Managed to capture the NorthernLights😎

11 :50 p.m. We're stuck! We have to back up and then go four cable lengths to starboard to find a better channel.

12:40 a.m. Finally managed it and back on our way. Thanks, Fennica (the icebreaker that gave us advice) 👍 Because of the ice, the need for lights, and the fact that we were sailing in our own exhaust fumes (tailwind), we left the Northern Lights behind and went to bed at 2:00 a.m.

Monday, February 16, 2026

5:15 a.m. Woken up by the ship’s motion. Sailing through a thick field of ice. Gently waking up, having breakfast, and then taking a look at how things are going.

8:15 a.m. On the bridge. The Hjördis plows through the channel, encountering sometimes fierce resistance, but manages it well. No room to veer off course. Walls of drifting ice prevent that. Very foggy. Not much to see. With a bit of luck, we’ll reach our final destination today. It has to do with snow on the ice, which makes ice buildup a lot more difficult. So right now, we’re making good progress. The rest of the day is spent fiddling with a straw. We get stuck every few minutes.

At 2:00 p.m., the Otso (icebreaker) spotted us struggling and is slowly heading our way.

3:30 p.m. The Otso has arrived; it sails around us, then catches up with us again and stays ahead of us so we can keep up the pace. It made for some great photos—even for the crew—because this display of power for a single ship that’s still moving was exceptional. I assume the Otso enjoyed showing off its power just as much as we did.

I don't think much else will happen tonight, since the Otso gives off quite a bit of light, so I doubt we'll be able to capture the Northern Lights as beautifully as we did yesterday. I'll head over to the bridge in a bit, and we'll see how it goes.

At 6:15 p.m., we passed the Otso, which is staying in the main channel while we continue on to Tornio. The captain pointed out the pilot sled—the sliding ladder used here on the ice to transport the pilot. There are some fun videos of it on YouTube. We got to witness a beautiful arrival in the harbor and a skillful maneuver to dock in a harbor strewn with ice. After that, we turned in for the night.

Tuesday, February 17, 2026

I woke up at 4:30 a.m. and slept wonderfully because there were no noises.

No vibrations and complete silence. The outside world is artificially brightly lit—it almost hurts your eyes. But… it’s also completely silent.

Take your time getting up, tidy up your room, and enjoy the day and the harbor activities. If you’d like, a company car is available should you want to go into town. Just be sure to book it in advance. Pretty nice, isn’t it?!

Spent the rest of the day on the bridge watching the unloading operations. Things got off to a slow start, but after about an hour and a half, two cranes were digging away in the Hjördis hold, and quarry trucks were hauling the cargo directly to ???, only to return empty a short while later for their next load. The precision and skill of the crane operators and a bulldozer were a sight to behold. The slowly swirling snowflakes covered everything in a white blanket, which was pushed aside on the ground by a bulldozer equipped with a peculiar snow plow. There was also plenty of activity on the ship, with people coming and going, including those who joined us for lunch.

Meanwhile, on the bridge, they were trying to locate and repair the water leak, which turned out to be in the toilet ceiling. Grinders and welding equipment were needed to fix the leak, and by evening, the toilet—which was otherwise so nice—looked pretty battered. I’d say that’s a job for tomorrow.

We received a message from the captain stating that, on our return trip, we will call at a Swedish port (Helsingborg) to deliver containers that still need to be placed on the Hjördis’ deck after the stainless steel coils have been stowed in the hold. It was not yet known whether the rest of the return voyage would proceed via the Kiel Canal or north through Denmark.

I’m thrilled because an extra stop is a nice bonus on this unique trip. I can easily adjust for a day more or less (preferably not), since as a retiree I have (almost) no obligations. My spouse is keeping things in order and under control back home. I spent most of the rest of the evening in my cabin so as not to get in anyone’s way.

Wednesday, February 18, 2026

4:15 a.m. Woke up because of thecold🥶

I don't have a thermometer, but brrrrr.

Since the main engine is off, the Hjördis is being ventilated and heated with air because my radiator in the bathroom stays cold. It’s now 5:30, so I have some time to read the world news before breakfast. Oh yeah, don’t forget to bring something for my respiratory system on the next trip. I’m really struggling with mucus buildup here. The air is warm and dry, with almost no humidity. Meanwhile, outside, a whole stack of stainless steel coils is sitting in the snow, waiting to be loaded.

A distinguished older man approached me on the bridge and asked in German if I was the passenger, to which I naturally replied in my best German. He introduced us to each other, and sure enough, it was Mr. Hans Langh, founder of the Langh shipping company, and I continued chatting with him about ships, LNG as a clean fuel, and so on. He was particularly proud of the large LNG tank and refueling stations for his ships, several of which already run on LNG. It was an extremely informative and friendly encounter.

I chatted with some other visitors about the disappearance of the traditional (dimmable!) carbon-filament bulb, which has a huge impact on ships because all the push-button switches use this type of bulb and can’t simply be replaced with halogen or LED bulbs without incurring enormous costs—meaning everything on the ship would have to be replaced all at once! It’s now 4:00 p.m., so… I’ll do a little Sudoku and have dinner later. See you tomorrow, then.

Thursday, February 19, 2026

It's going to be an interesting day.

Meanwhile, two ships are coming in, and we’ve taken the spot of one of them… which is now stuck diagonally behind us and completely immobilized. It’s being freed by a small harbor tugboat that doubles as a mini icebreaker. It’s been decided that we won’t be going to Helsingborg after all, but will head straight back to Terneuzen. Then we got word that one of the locks in Kiel isn’t working anymore, so there’s still a chance we’ll have to go back via Denmark. It’s coffee time now, so time for a quick cup.

11:00 a.m. In the meantime , the Charlotta (sister ship) has docked. Loading is expected to begin tomorrow, and as soon as that’s done, we’ll set sail for Terneuzen. We’ll likely go via Kiel, depending on lock repairs and wait times. Expected arrival in Terneuzen is Wednesday, February 25; the exact time is still unknown.

Friday, February 20, 2026

2:30 a.m. Woke up because of the cold. Took the small space heater out of the closet, set it up, aimed it, turned it on, and went back to sleep.

5:30 a.m. Woke up to the alarm. Morning routine & breakfast, then off to the bridge

8:00 a.m. The bridge is cold and empty, but all sorts of activities have started outside. All the loading hatches are open, and the frames on which the rolls are placed are now being loaded. I assume yesterday’s repair was successful. Loading will continue throughout the day. Beautiful sunrise.

Monday, February 21, 2026

2:00 a.m. Hjördis is rattling and shaking as she tries to pull away from the dock. Oh yeah, I’m awake 🤭 Sailing through the ice in a little train with a massive icebreaker (the Urho) as the locomotive. Went to the poop deck to see if I could still take any photos of the Northern Lights, but the fog was so thick that it was almost impossible. I’ll see tomorrow how it turned out. Finally went to bed at 4:00 a.m.

Woke up at 7:30 a.m. Darn, I missed breakfast. The cook was forgiving and let me help clean up and save some food for breakfast 🤭 Update from the cook: we’re completely stuck!! Rushed to the bridge, and now we’re really stuck. Our icebreaker from last night is on its way. The Urho is there in all its glory, ready to be photographed and filmed. It quickly freed us by breaking and tearing through the ice around us, and we’re back on the move. Half an hour later, we’re stuck again in ice that’s at least 75–100 cm thick. The Urho has already spotted us on radar and is coming back. It’s amazing to watch how it maneuvers around us, breaks everything loose, and then heads off again. It’s now 9:10 a.m. The Urho instructs us: “Keep a distance of 3 cable lengths, maintain a maximum speed of 13 knots, and follow.” That’s basically how we sail for the entire morning. At one point, the Urho even parks us in place because it has to make a small detour to clear the way for a very large RoRo ship. After half an hour, it’s back, and we get to do the polonaise through the ice again 😂

12:00 p.m., back from lunch. The cook had made a delicious, thick soup with homemade brown rolls and—damn it—a truly delicious apple pie with whipped cream. That guy is worth his weight in gold on a ship like this.

12:30 p.m., back on the bridge. The captain came up, panting, and said, “Those stairs are killing me.” I couldn’t help but smile and told him I’d trained specifically for that. “It shows, Nic, it shows.” Pfffff 😓😓

1:00 p.m. Handover message from Urho to Polaris. We have to head south with the Polaris. Urho is staying here / heading back north. Spent the rest of the day plowing through the ice and managed to take some nice photos. Saturday dinner is always steak, and oh my gosh, it was so tender and delicious. Also helped replace a broken 2,000-watt searchlight and learned a bit about the different voltages—AC and DC—and frequencies used on ships. The weather and ice conditions make most activities impossible, so I went to bed early. See you tomorrow.

Sunday, February 22, 2026

6:30 a.m. Just got back from the bridge. We’re rocking gently; I don’t have an internet connection, so I’m checking to see where we are. We’re out of the ice field and heading toward southern Sweden. We’ll have a nice breakfast in about an hour.

8:30 a.m.: Check out the situation on the bridge to see why we're moving so slowly.

The captain is alone on the bridge, and the reason is simple: we’re out of the ice field and don’t need to use as much engine power. This is actually our normal cruising speed—15 knots—and we’re reaching it easily because we have a tailwind: “we call that a company wind.” It’s free, so we don’t have to use a single barrel of oil.

It’s beautiful to see the water rippling, sometimes on the verge of freezing. The temperature is just barely below freezing. Little ice floes start to form. Great for taking photos. Spent the rest of Sunday just relaxing. Dinner was fries with indescribably thin slices of meat, and they were actually pretty tasty 😋

Monday, February 23, 2026

Going to bed early also means getting up early, so I was wide awake at 4:30 a.m. and just did some Sudoku puzzles. It’s going to be a quiet day of sailing to the Kiel locks, which seem to be working again. The passage will take three hours longer than usual because the condition of the canal banks is so poor that the maximum speed has been reduced from 8 knots to 6 knots. At least I’ll get to take a leisurely shower again 😂

Fun facts:

1-The Hjordis also has a black box system that records bridge communications and all engine, computer, and navigation data, just in case. The data container is always located outside the ship, on the top deck, so it’s easy to find.

2-When a ship has to enter the dry dock, the crew simply stays on board and rotates as usual even if the process takes longer. The reason is that there is so much work to be done that they, too, can carry out tasks that normally cannot be done unless the ship is in dry dock.

4:45 p.m. Dinner : delicious spaghetti with meat sauce, lettuce, grated Parmesan, and cubes of goat cheese—mmmm. It’s raining now, so we’ve really experienced every kind of weather. The internet is very unstable today. It keeps switching between Sweden, Denmark, and sometimes Germany. So right now, I don’t even know exactly where we are.

6:30 p.m. The internet is working again, so I quickly sent our positions to the folks back home, along with some screenshots of wind farms and navigation screens. The Kiel locks are having issues, so we’re going to drop anchor at 10:30 p.m. instead of continuing on.

Tuesday, February 24, 2026

3:15 a.m. Started the engine . Is the lock operational again?? Heading toward the Kiel locks and, from the looks of it, toward the lock that broke down last night.

4:00 a.m. It looks like both locks are operational again. Pilots on board, and off we go. Very thick fog, so there’s not much to see or photograph. Conditions improved a bit toward the end of the day, so I tried to capture some shots of the ships in the fog. At the canal exit, I tried to get myself on the webcam, but that turned out to be impossible. I was able to capture and admire an impressive LNG ship.

7:00 p.m. The pilot took us out to the open sea and then disembarked. The sea is as smooth as glass, and there’s almost no wind. We’ve made the ship seaworthy and are now heading full speed toward Terneuzen, where our arrival time has been pushed back from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. I’ll try to catch up on some sleep tonight, but first I’ll shave and take a shower.

Wednesday, February 25, 2026

Woke up at 3:30 because of the cold. Grabbed the space heater, pointed it at the bed, and went back to sleep. Woke up right before the alarm, washed up, and put on fresh clothes. Did a Sudoku puzzle, and then it was time for breakfast. I was pretty much the only one up, since the crew was exhausted from locks, pilots, and waiting times. Now that we were out on the open sea, they could finally sleep in. The cook was preparing chicken drumsticks to go in the oven for lunch. This time, no rice as a side dish—it was the main course. Spicy sauce, and all the Filipinos were happy as can be 😎 Packed up my stuff and tidied and cleaned the room and bathroom. Tried to send an update to the folks back home, but the internet was either nonexistent or spotty. So I’ll have to send it later tonight. Pilot expected at 1:30 p.m. Expected arrival time at the port is 6:00 p.m. I’m sitting on the poop deck and can see the giant ships waiting for Rotterdam in the distance. Signing off for now.

12:00 p.m. — A spectacular arrival of the pilot.

The pilot boat moves slowly because the water isn’t very deep here. If you go any faster, the ship will shake because the propeller can’t draw in enough water, and that will also disturb the seabed. At this speed, there’s just enough sediment displacement for the channel to maintain itself, and if all pilots do this, you keep a nice, shorter route open to the Scheldt. I got a geography lesson from the pilot: West Kapelle, Vlissingen—the old way of water, dunes, sand, and channel currents—and, of course, the World War II story about the Canadians and the flooded land—Montgomery’s mistake.

Fun fact: Pilots should preferably use the outside stairs so they don't wake up the sleeping crew members!

3 :06 p.m. Entered the lock .

4:40 p.m. We docked, said goodbye to the crew and the old lady Hjördis, and disembarked. The trip is over, and it’s definitely worth repeating. I think I’m going to redefine what “winter sports/vacation” means for me.

CptnZeppos Tour ZEPPOS-0025 Terneuzen – Tornio, Finland 14-day tour