The England Voyagers: five Quooker employees prepare for a legendary crossing

The England Voyagers: five Quooker employees prepare for a legendary crossingSoon, five Quooker employees will set off together in a rowing boat. They will row from Katwijk to Sizewell in England, just as Henri Peteri - the inventor of the boiling-water tap - did in 1941.

In Quooker’s office building, a canoe hangs on the wall. With this canoe, Quooker founder Henri Peteri and his brother sailed to England in 1941, with the aim of contributing to the fight against the Germans from there. There were several ways to reach England. Of the 1,300 “England Voyagers,” 36 attempted the 189-kilometre journey directly from the Netherlands. Only eight survived, including the Peteri brothers.
“They capsized immediately after departure at night, leaving them soaking wet and without two of their three compasses,” says Roy, Quality Manager at Quooker, based on historical accounts. “Yet they kept going. It was an extremely dangerous undertaking, but they were unstoppable. After 56 hours of paddling, they arrived.” The canoe on the wall reminds Quooker employees every day of this heroic story. “It was during lunch that my colleague Martijn said: why don’t we recreate that journey sometime? I immediately knew: we’re going to do this.”

Relentless ambition
“The story reflects the relentless ambition of Henri Peteri, which he later demonstrated again when he invented the boiling-water tap,” Roy explains. “That drive to achieve the impossible is still deeply embedded in the mindset at Quooker today. It inspires and motivates all of us enormously. That’s why we’re recreating his journey—to honor Henri Peteri and to inspire others with the Quooker spirit: setting high goals and going for them.
The boat will be named ‘Han Peteri’ and will be christened at Quooker’s headquarters in Ridderkerk with North Sea water from a Quooker tank. Anyone who wishes can sponsor our crossing. To keep the heroic stories of the England Voyagers alive, the proceeds will be donated to the England Voyagers Museum in Noordwijk.”

The preparation
The journey is planned between August 21 and September 4. The five participants are Roy, Bart, Martijn, Ramon, and Maarten. They are all athletic, but apart from Ramon—who used to be a competitive rower—none of them has rowing experience. Since April, the group has been training intensively to prepare for the journey.
“My entire lifestyle is focused on it,” says Bart, Manager Electronic Product Development. “Healthy eating, no alcohol, good sleep, rowing on the Rotte three times a week, lots of cycling and running.” He’s also mentally preparing: “An old navy vessel and a RIB will accompany us for navigation, safety, and supplies, but there are still many practical things to consider. How much food and water do we take with us in our boat? How do we handle going to the toilet? But I notice I spend a lot of time daydreaming too. What will it be like at night on the sea, in complete darkness, hearing only the sound of the oars in the water? I find it incredibly exciting, but above all I’m curious about the adventure that awaits us.”
Published on 07-07-2023

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