Anton Houtsma, mayor of Wijk bij Duurstede, was standing in wellies with Aart Staartjes at his side waiting for Pakjesboot 12. A special role was reserved for Reinier Sijpkens. Utrecht residents may know him as the skipper of De Notendop, a small boat with an organ on which Sijpkens pays tribute to people on the shore. “It was really an honor,” says Sipkens. Actor Bram van der Vlugt, who played Sinterklaas for many years, had seen Sijpkens sailing and had the idea to invite him to the arrival.
Back to 1998: when Saint Nicholas arrived in an almost flooded Wijk bij Duurstede
