Started 12 years ago with a dream to sail the world. Now, just finished my first rather long solo trip of 2 months. We were planning to cast off in 2024 together with my family and our 36 foot aluminum Koopmans sailboat (yacht :) but life happened while making other plans. But it did not mean I threw the towel. Even worse, I might be hooked... Follow me while I'm getting for my next (hopefully) epic journey!
Hello, loved your videos, watched them all, Kiel Canal and all the way to the Netherlands. I am preparing my Malo 42 to sail from Västervik Sweden to Amsterdam end of May 2025. Then to Spain end of July. Do you have any specific advice to share having sailed this route. Also, my draft is 2 metres and mast height is almost 20 meter (three spreaders), how feasible is it for me to cross the Kiel canal and will I be able to navigate through the standing mast route in the Netherlands and that way I can avoid a major part of the North Sea
Hi Sailing Aman, That sounds like an amazing trip! And a Malo 42 also sounds like the ship to make such a journey! As for specific tips, I’d suggest to read the literature (e.g. the reeds or pilots) on the area. It is not advised to exit at Cux when there is a west to north -ish wind with a 5+ if I’m correct. Local knowledge (by asking) and reading is the best route. Esp. As with 2M depth there are less options to stop midway once underway. As for the standing mast route I actually don’t know. I do know you can enter the IJsselmeer via the Wadden but honestly, if you have fair winds going straight via den helder/ IJmuiden (if you really want to visit Amsterdam) seems way simpler. Coastal navigation is easy. Reading the weather and tides is important. Again, pilots or the reeds are your friend besides good maps (both navigation as tidal) of especially the Wadden are valuable. Hope this helps! Enjoy the sail. It can be mesmerising!
I just found your channel. Looking forward to learning your story. My family emigrated from Amsterdam to New Amsterdam in 1648, but I still treasure my Dutch ancestry. I am enjoying listening to the language and the excitement in your voice. I too am a sailor with a 9.75 meter sloop rigged boat on a lake near Atlanta, Georgia. I purchased her about a year ago, so I understand the excitement of bringing her home. Fair winds!
HiTJ, The “van de” sort of shows the ancestry, great to learn you treasure it! Also great to learn sail on a lake near Atlanta. Been there once in Atalanta but can’t recall the lake. Sea is close-ish and with your boat the world is yours. Hope you enjoy the other episodes as well. This year was a bit slow but a new adventure is in the making! :) Keep you posted and fair winds for you as well! Jw
Hi, Ik weet niet of het een vet gesmeerde schroefas was maar denk t niet. Zit geen aansluiting voor. Er zit idd wel een geforceerde wateraanvoer op. Dat om te zorgen dat er altijd water druk op de seal staat. Werkt prima, zit achter de impellor.
Hi guys, great video and thank you Peter for the very clear explanation, I owe a windpilot Pacific installed on my ovni 39 named Pacific, the windpilot is very easy to installed, as it come pre assembled for the main parts and so easy and straightforward to use , and it can be expended …. You can add a low cost autopilot like the Simard 100 to interact with you windpilot when you have no wind…. I installed it after 3 days at the wheel after my old auto helm drive broke in the Biscay gulf……good to know, Peter and Windpilot are there to support you when needed!
Hi , would it be pissible to get the exact dimensions from windvane top sail and rudder please? Mine broke and the new price is a bit over the top. Thank you very much. Patrick
Okay, 88 cm at 19 and a thickness of about 0,5 cm. Shape wise it’s circular edges. Not sure how much one costs but I guess giving it a try should be doable..
Hahaha! That is a good one! For now I’m not so sure if I like it because it seems to spoil the vision quite a bit if you don’t wear them. Maybe increase the font size a bit if possible… ;)
The exhaust tube just after the mixing elbow is old and somewhat chafed. It would be best if you replaced it. A leakage there will put a lot of water in your ship! I don't mind single clamps, but some insurances do.
Good point! That sounds like a great little project as Incan then also check the “knee”. In did check it actually as I also thought it looked a bit weird but the connection is sound fortunately:).
Okay, great tip! The fun part was that in my case it needed to move just 2 cm further inwards to stop the movie from the water to the hull. There is no noice from the uniflex for sure. :).
I enjoyed your delight at the thing working so well ... especially enjoyed your missus's little celebratory dance! I only came across your channel because I was doing some research prior to installing my own Windpilot Pacific and am enjoying your content.
Thanks for your comment @claverton! I’m super happy with the windpilot. Really one of the best additions. But annoying it can’t be used on engine on my ship but beside that a marble to use!
Hello. You are 2 m tall. Can you tell me what headroom you have in the galley and saloon? Do you have anywhere where you can stand up straight|? I loved your introduction. A Koopmans 36/ 37 is on my wish list.
Hi dulls, I can, sort of, stand straight in the saloon and fully upright if I stand in the saloon with my head in the higher part of the the boat. But, in all honesty, Koopmans are not the boats known for their height. This one is made a tad higher (and beds longer) to facilitate. It surprised me when I got in as all others had proven lower.
Excellent video, thank you. I am currently rebuilding a Koopmans 52 (based on design #225), it has similar lines except that it is a hard chine steel vessel. When I say rebuilding I mean the inside was totally emptied including the insulation. I can send some photos if interested. Again, thank you for the tour, it has given me some ideas and inspiration ...the rebuild takes much physical and mental effort to keep fighting.
Hi PJ, thanks for the compliment, appreciate it! Great to hear you are rebuilding a Koopmans 52. Amazing ships. Quite some vid’s on YT as well! I can kind of see the struggle. It’s not easy to rebuild a ship and it’s a lot of work. Maybe a good channel for you is saillife. made (and Ava) rebuild a warrior from 76. Total overhaul. I don’t know how he did it but he really became to love DIY, finished it and is now sailing towards the US. Definitely you’ll get some ideas from him and prob some inspiration. Where would you like to sail to once you ship is ready? Keep that fire burning and keep pushing.
@@SailingWindRose Thenk you for the reply and information ...and apologies for the slow reply, I failed to see the notification. I have looked at the Sail Life channel in the past, but am revisiting it now. He has done some very good work indeed. I hope that you are well and enjoying "Go Anywhere" wherever you might be in the world 🙂 Since I last commented, I have installed 5 new poly water tanks, installed the floor and much of the roof with 5mm ply.
@PJ-jz5fm sounds like a lot of work is done! Great job! I remember Mats also installed a new watertank but used stainless steel. As you might have seen I cut out a piece of the hull, had it replaced and then painted it. Also works like a charm. Good luck with all the work! And don’t hesitate to join the RU-vid if you like it! Love to see some pictures.
Actually, if you plan the tide correct its okay but if you get that wrong and the wind is off you can get a standing wave of 3M+ in front of Cuxhaven. Quite tricky water for sailors unknown to the area. But then again, there are people sailing each day so I guess it’s a matter of perspective….
The German Corner does exist but apparently that's in Koblenz. You conquered the German Bight ;) Which is enough nitpicking, for now. Skipper, the simple fact that you felt sad when you had to leave us in Rendsburg says a lot about you. A few days before, when our engine troubles surfaced, you (and Jacco) showed zero hesitation, proclaiming 'We're going to get you through the canal, towing you if necessary'. After the (most un-German) mechanic (ever), judged our engine 'it's fine' but it still wouldn't run in idle when warm, we decided to take the train home, having to wait another 5 or 6 weeks before the easterly winds were back on the menu. But your intentions prove the heart of a true sailor, for which I'll be ever grateful. Really hope we can find a weekend this year in which we can make a trip with the three of us.
Thank you for your kind words mr Sunshine sailing, or mister S’eau de Jus! In hindsight the troubles gave extra grandeur to the trip but at that moment I really would have liked it to sail together. But, I think this year there will be plenty of opportunities so let’s get organised! :)
More than welcome SpiderMoose, in all honesty, it’s a pretty straightforward canal. The more tricky part is the sail from cux to the islands but in the end with the right wind that will also be fine. Have a great trip! It’s a lovely sailing area!
It reminds me I was sailing in the Florida canal ICW with the people on the shore, no motor I was sailing slow with slow current against. So I had to sail skillfully or I would be going backwards. So I was in the same place sailing for over 5 minutes with fisher people 20 feet away. eventually the current weakened and I gained some SOG and around corner.
Hahaha! Yes, you got me! or us, actually. Sailing with a buddy really leaves time to contemplate. Which is great if you love to think about life. In my case, with a normal job, three/ four days at sea is plenty enough to just take a step back.
well done, but one tip, have a d-ring installed on the deck, and have the "staysail" in a bag, so it deploys easy (as due to this stay design the sail will have to be a hank-on style, so will take some time to rig, if not done in harbor, beforehand), but this is a good way of having a backup, or also installing a storm sail pre-rigged, so you can deploy easily.
Hi Andy, Thanks for the tip’s. I actually have the staysail in a bag on deck and ready to be deployed. Fully right, you don’t want to rig it when you need to. As for d-ring I’m not sure. The previous owner pre-welded a “connector” on deck and it proved to work good 👍!
I mentioned a d-ring, as it is flush to the deck, as the ring folds up when not in use, so you don't have the tripping Hazzard, like with other eye style fixed fittings.@@SailingWindRose
Ah, that makes sense. However, the current solution is welded to the deck so can’t really take that off besides grinding it down. Agree with you though, for the lifelines I did apply d-rings and that works great. Tnx for the tips @andyvan5692
Hi Christopher, it seems I’ve made a mistake reading it. It is around 30 appearantly! My mistake 🫣. As for the scheepvaartmuseum, that is highly recommended! :)
Hi Blsl6206, hope the vid’s don’t make you to jealous but more inspire. This although realise I’m in a blessed position to be able to do this…. Thanks for your comment!
That actually is a very good point! I never realised this. I did adjust the idle (stationary?) rev’s. Also I had a discussion on how much revs I should make but I tend to listen to the engine rather than look at the revs. But fair point! Thanks for pointing it out!
Well done! There are many ways to skin a cat. My preference is always (90% of the time) to have some mainsail up when motoring; Sometimes full, sometimes two reefs. With slow wind from behind I can either lock it in the center or have the boom out with a jib preventer to stop any slamming. My thinking behind using sail while motoring is to stop the boat from rolling in the waves - and sometimes I also pick up a little bit of speed from the wind. Moring: Side to the rock with enough depth is a nice way to moor. There is no issue with tides in South Norway and Sweden. Allows for 4 ropes to the shore and hammering down bolts in the cravasses in the rocks. Like being mored side to a solid pier. Best when the wind is from the shore, but also works towards the shore if there are no waves. Using a fenderplank and fenders floating along the boat's waterline solves some issues. Have a try and ask a local for help.
Merci merci! Learning by doing but indeed, it feels a bit uncanny when not used to dock/ anchor like this. Maybe it’s experience. As for the mainsail up under engine. I have to give that a try. Did not really do it this time. And I’ve motored quite a bit… more than I’d expected to be honest. So good tip, Tnx!!
Thanks for your video. I have been an advocate of fuel polishing ever since I had a clogged fuel line off the coast of Cuba many years ago. I have to say something about your tank. Who in the world welded that tank? He/she deserves some harsh words.
