De Halve Maen (The Half Moon)

You don’t need sea legs but you do need a strong stomach for this swinging ship, the ‘Halve Maen’. Are you brave enough? The ship bobs up and down on the waves quite gently to start with, and then “Woah…!”, it feels like you’ve hit a 40-foot wave! “Wait, it looks like we might capsize....” Oh thank goodness it’s all aright. Well, until the next one! “Aaaargggh.…!”
The ‘Halve Maen’ makes you feel like you are being swung back and forth at 180°. It goes up very high so you’d best hold on tight. Let’s hope you have a safe journey!

This replica of a VOC ship sailed into the port of the Efteling in 1982. At a speed of 54 km/h it swings you back and forth to a height of 25 metres. The maximum amount of G-force you will experience here is 0 negative (in other words: out of your seat!).

Ride Height: 20 meters
Highest Swing: 25 meters[3]
Maximum Speed: 54 km/h[4]
g-forces: 0 negative[5]
Capacity: 85 visitors

Children under 1m 20 require supervision
May induce dizziness
Not suitable for pregnant women
Baby switch available
Open-air attraction

Get Halve Maen souvenirs from the Efteling souvenir shop

Relive the experience in this 360 VR POV!

Accessibility

Wheelchair users can access the attraction via the path to the right of the attraction entrance.
You will need to be able to be transferred from your wheelchair in order to ride.

Legend

The Halve Maen

Written by the Efteling for Sprookjes van de Efteling - deel 10 1985 vinyl records.
Translated by Milena

🎵This is the story of The Half Moon. Of the ship that dances on the waves.
Hear the story of The Half Moon. And how the skipper faired.🎵

Imagine if you will, a small harbour with fishing vessels and by the shore, the cargo. Behind those, rows of old houses. One of them is an inn. There the lights still burned. It is dark everywhere else. For it is a cold, stormy night with lots of rain. In the inn, the sailors sit drinking and talking…

Original Dutch story here

Patron 1: 'Give us two beers! Innkeeper, hey innkeeper! Didn’t you understand me?’
Innkeeper: ‘Huh, what did you say?’
Klaas: ‘You’re getting old man! Old and deaf! That man asked for two beers’
Innkeeper: ‘Oh! Oh yes. Yes, yes, some beers. Yes, of course.’
Patron 1: ‘You look so upset. Are you in a bad mood?’
Innkeeper: ‘Yeah, yeah, all because of that terrible weather. That accursed storm.
Klaas: ‘Ah man, that shouldn’t trouble you. You’ve been living here by the harbour for some 20 years.’
Innkeeper: ‘Ah ha. Yes, yes yes that is true yes…some 23 years. Yes but still...’
Patron 1: ‘Tell us, what’s bothering you?’
Innkeeper: ‘Yeah, here your beers!’
Klaas: 'Hey, don’t joke, you’d better tell us what’s wrong. It will be a relief!’
Innkeeper: ‘Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah I suppose if you look at it like that. Yeah, you know lately it hasn’t been a normal storm, the wind it, it howls so terribly.’
Klaas: ‘Hahahahaha, you should come with me and see how it is when I sail the Bay of Biscay!’
Innkeeper: ‘Yeah, yeah but then you don’t hear what I hear!’
Patron 1: ‘What do you hear?’
Innkeeper: ‘A voice. A clear voice.’
Patron 1: ‘That’s imagination.’
Patron 2: 'Nonsense, the wind can’t talk. What about you Klaas?’
Klaas: ‘I’ve never heard of such a thing.’

Innkeeper: ‘No, no, no, no, no. I didn't want to believe it either at first. But you know my daughter Madelief, she heard it first. Haha I laughed at her too. But one evening I also heard it. A clear voice.’
Patron 2: ‘Wha, what did the voice say. The water is boiling or something like that?’
Innkeeper: ‘Yeah, yeah, yeah, whoa whoa don’t mock. The wind called out my daughter's name. Madelief... Madelief…’
Klaas: ‘Ho, ho, ho, who’d believe it. The things a person can get in his head. Well it’s a nice story but I believe that I’ll…’
Innkeeper: ‘Quiet! Quiet! Quiet! Quiet!’
Lowie: ‘Madelief…’
Innkeeper: ‘There it is again.’
Lowie: ‘Madelief…’
Innkeeper: ‘There you go! Now you hear it too..’
Patron 1: ‘It’s true. It’s coming from the chimney. Oh, but, quiet! Someone is coming down the stairs!’
Innkeeper: ‘My goodness, what now?’
Patron 1: ‘Ooh no. Settle down. It’s your own daughter. Hi Madelief!!
Madelief: ‘Hello father. Hello men. Oh father, I’m so frightened. The voice is back.’
Innkeeper: 'Yeah, yeah, we’ve all heard him now.’
Madelief: ‘Yes, yes but this time he’s saying something to me.’
Innkeeper: ‘Hmm. What?’
Madelief: ‘He…he says that he loves me. That he wants to marry me. Hush! Hush!’
Lowie: ‘Dear Madelief… I’m Lowie de Loeierd... I’m a storm wind… I love you…I want to marry you…. Madelief… Madelief…’
Madelief: ‘Father, what should I do?’
Innkeeper: ‘Euh, euh, euh…G…G…Give him an answer! Say something back!’
Madelief: ‘All right. Hello? Loeierd the wind? I don’t love you! I don’t want to marry you! I already have a boyfriend! A very good one. Teun the skipper. And I don’t need you at all!’
Lowie: ‘What do you mean you don’t need me… Well then I’ll get this Teun... When he’s gone, you’ll need me…’

Nobody slept well that night.
Madelief kept thinking about the voice but also about her boyfriend, Teun the skipper.
She loved Teun very much and they wanted to get married.
Yes, she much preferred Teun over that wild storm wind.

🎵Teun the skipper is a handsome man.
A sailor who’s wonderful at sailing.
Oh Madelief. What a man.
She sighs Madelief and blushes.🎵

Teun: ‘Madelief? Hello Madelief, are you there?’
Madelief: ‘Oh how lovely, are you home already?’
Teun: ‘Dear Madelief.’
Madelief: ‘Big strong Teun. What are you looking at me like that for? Is something wrong?’
Teun: ‘Hmm? I, I have a surprise for you. Big news! I bought a ship.’
Madelief: ‘What?! You saved up that much?’
Teun: ‘I got a very good deal. The ship is called The Half Moon. It’s a three-master. Some 19 metres high. And euh….now I wanted to ask you something. Euh…shall…euh….shall we get married now?’
Madelief: 'Haha, so quickly?’
Teun: ‘y…you don’t want to?’
Madelief: 'Haha, ah of course I do. Come here silly boy.’💋

Madelief and Teun were going to be married. There was a big celebration in the inn and everyone was delighted with the happiness of the two young people. But soon after Teun had to leave. The Half Moon left the harbour, waved off by Madelief. She stayed strong. But when the ship was gone from sight she heaved a deep sigh.

🎵The Half Moon must leave the estuary, for the skipper must go out to sea.
Madelief will wait for him. In spirit she’s sailing with him.🎵

That same evening a fierce storm arose.
Madelief was with her father in the inn. And suddenly, she heard it again.

Lowie: ‘Madelief… I love you… Madelief…

The storm wind howled over the sea, right up to where The Half Moon was sailing.

Teun: ‘We’re in for some bad weather men! Secure everything to the deck! Reef the sails!
Ah, I’ve never seen such a storm. The wind howls through the ropes. It’s almost as if someone is singing. Hush a minute! Isn’t that? Yes! Yes! That’s Lowie de Loeierd! The wind that wanted to carry off my Madelief! Go away you! Go away! Away!
Lowie: ‘You wish…This is my chance… I'll get you Teun. You stole away my girl…You’ll pay for this…’
Teun: ‘Watch out men! Change that rudder! We have to make it!’

It was a fierce battle against the wind. The Half Moon rears on the high waves. The ship resembles a huge swing which is pushed up one way and then the other.
These are terrible hours but Teun is brave. Him and his men fight for their lives. And finally, finally the wind decreases.

Teun: ‘Men! I think we made it! The wind is dying down!’
Lowie: ‘I have lost…lost…The Half Moon is too strong for me... I’m going back to the clouds…without Madelief…’

And so it came to pass. The storm wind dissipated and Lowie de Loeierd was never heard from again. But every skipper knows that the storm wind remains dangerous. And whoever sails on The Half Moon, they know that they may very well face high seas.
But Teun knows now that The Half Moon can hold his own.
He is so proud of his ship that he takes Madelief with him on his next journey.
And she is more than happy to go.
Because after all, you’re better off being married to Teun than the wind. What do you think?