Ruhaven  - Rudolf Heijdens

We all live in a world that is becoming increasingly more stressful. Having been born in Schiedam , now a suburb of Rotterdam , the largest and busiest port in the world, and having a father who was Chief-below-deck i.e. a chief marine engineer, I grew up with the sea being the major part of my life. The other part of my life involves music and all its stresses. Besides being a Minister of Music and organist at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Belleville , Ontario , I am also the founder/director of the Hastings and Prince Edward Children’s Chorus. This chorus, founded in 1986 and consisting of two choirs, has just returned from its fifth European concert tour (including concerts and competition in Vienna , Salzburg , Schladming in Austria , and Munich in Germany ). Planning, in addition to my other duties, for the choirs in areas such as choristers, staff, repertoire, touring, fundraising, etc., creates a great deal of stress. 

I learned to sail when I was a teenager, I am now 69, and gravitated to sailing as soon as I settled in 1972 in Belleville on the shores of the Bay of Quinte, God’s sailing country. My boat became my daily refuge. My haven. Most people refer to me by my first name Rudolf, or Rudy or Maestro Heijdens. However, my sisters and their families refer to me by the nickname ‘Ru’ given to me by my parents when I was born. It seemed only natural – to me anyway – that the boat be named ‘Ruhaven’. My safe harbour.

For those interested, particularly when seeing the gold hull of an Aloha 28 (sailnumber 38) when in the Eastern area of Lake Ontario,  I bought this boat in 1974 and have just completed a major refit, including renewal of deck and coach roofs, new paint on deck and topsides, installing of all the electronic toys e.g. radar, chart plotters, autohelm,  bimini, dodger, and much more. I love the boat and have no intention of ever selling her, because I have already designated her in my will. She has taken me in  all sorts of weather over Lake Ontario and as far as the Gulf of St. Lawrence and although I singlehand her I feel perfectly safe. Ruhaven is Ru’s Haven.