Captain Willem van Decken was a daring seafarer. Some people even called him reckless. Over three hundred years ago his ship dropped anchor by the Cape of Good Hope, held back by a storm. After six days had passed his patience began to wear thin and he decided to once again set sail. His helmsman begged him to wait for better weather. However, the Captain would not listen and set sail regardless, when at once the sails turned blood red, it grew dark and the ship was lifted up by a magical force.Niels Roods modern text and the beautiful illustrations by Yke Reeder bring the classic tale of the Flying Dutchman to life once more.