Dulcibella- June 2025 -Grou

Dulcibella – Babilja 1040

Dulcibella is a 1979 model Babilja 1040, built by Jachtwerf Edam B.V. – a smallish shipbuilder located north of Amsterdam.  Our version has an aft cabin and head, a raised center salon, dinette with telescoping table, and an expansive, open v-berth in the bow.  We also have an aftermarket swim platform on the stern, and our holding tank and propane lockers are installed here, which makes it a bit easier to pump out and manage the hose to the grill (yes, we are one of a very few boats in NL that has a grill).  

We are the fifth “generation” of American owners, and the previous owners took very good care of her.  She’s had some major and minor updates along the way, we’re not sure about “why” some of the changes were made, but the systems are in great shape and we look forward to spending summers on her for the foreseeable future. 

Netherlands is an incredible place to cruise – literally a country built on water, for water, and around water.  It’s amazing to see how many people are out and about in their boats – and the huge variety of boats out there.  Reclaimed barges turned into year round homes, tiny little cuddy cabin runabouts that are used for family vacations, and the incredible number of non-Dutch people who show up there every year to enjoy the scenery, the putting along at 6 km through the neighborhoods – overall it’s like nothing you have ever seen until you have tried it. 

Anyway, this is our quick and dirty blog and photo dump site for our time on the boat.  You can use the links at the top of the page to find the articles and galleries.