There is a chapter in this web site called "My Ships".
It's about some of the many ships on which I have served during almost 40 years at sea as a proffesional sailor.
But obviously they are not really my ships, since I am not the owner. They do of course belong to various national- and international ship owners.
However, - a real sailor, - especially in the old days -,  is so closely attached to the ship on which he serves, that he would normally refer to the  ship as "my ship".

In this site I have earlier referred to my fast going motor boat, - "Wobbegong" -, which is really my ship.
"Wobbegong" is excellent when you need to get quickly to an island, - to a beach, - to a diving site, - photographing other ships, - or just having fun when racing over the water with almost 30 knots!

But when it comes to true sailing, there is nothing that beats a real, traditional sail boat!
This is what sailing is all about, - and this feeling is even stronger if the sail boat is a classic, - and made the traditional way, - entirely from wood!

My sail boat, - "Kit Yu" -, named after my wife, is such a boat with lots of "feeling".
She is a classic Nordic Folkboat, - laid down in 1962 -, sloop rigged, - the hull built from larch on oak frames, - cockpit and accomodation of mahogany and teak. She is 7,62 meters long, and having a weight of just under 2 tons, - and most important:  SHE IS BEAUTIFUL!

Please enjoy some pics of classic Nordic Folkboat, "Kit Yu" ,which in the true sense of the word really is MY SHIP!  :-)
 
 

Unfortunately I cannot photograph "Kit Yu" from a distance while underway at open sea in all her glory, - spreading her wings -, because I am sitting in her.
But does such an old boat design sail well?
The answer is YES,- but with her long keel and large and heavy underwater hull, she cannot really compete with the modern plastic boats with their sky-high masts, narrow keels and much smaller underwater hull area giving less water resistance - - -
I am not interested in racing, because I do not care who wins, but I once had the opportunity to "race" with a Viking ship replica which sailed the same course as I did, - and it was no match for "Kit Yu" to outperform this Viking ship.
The highest speed I have registered is 8,5 knots, - when she "raced" over the ocean in a hard wind and with a list of 35 degrees.
This is very good for such a small boat, although I do not know if the current was helping a little bit, - or maybe slowed us down?

Her great advantage is, that this old hull design, - with the long keel -, makes a very, very strong ship, - and she is very safe and extremely seaworthy with the iron keel of abour 1 ton to keep her upright!
Therefore it has to blow quite a lot before you have to consider to reduce sail with a boat like that, - you simply don't!.
There seems to be no obvious weaknesses with this type of boat, - it's near perfect -, and one time, when we passed a modern plastic boat, the Captain shouted to us: "You have the best sail boat in the World!"
But most important: She is very, very beautiful with fantastic, classic hull lines, - an old sailors dream -, and the all-wood construction, - larch, oak, mahogany and teak -,  gives her a "feeling" that cannot be found in a modern plastic boat - - -
A classic wooden boat gives you lots of "feeling" and "true sailing", - and that's what it's all about!
 
 

My wife Kit Yu is Chinese, - and I am working on making a sailor out of her.
Flying over the oceans is not a part of her culture, - it is something more heavy and solid, like the "Great Wall" or "The Forbidden City" -, but she loves nature, and the ocean is very much nature at it's best -, and she loves it when the weather is nice!  So let's see  - - -
She is employed onboard as chief mate, chief steward, ordinary seaman, lookout, cook, occational helmsman, and good company, - and she jumps ashore to tie up the ship when we enter port, - and let go when we depart - - -
 
 

This page is actually about the joy of sailing a real sail boat, - but I also own a motor boat, - "Wobbegong"! (And a rubber boat!)
A motorboat does not quite give the same "feeling" as a sail boat, but it has one big advantage:  It sails very good when there is no wind!
Problem is, that sometimes terrible things can happen to the motor, - and then you are lost, and wish and pray that you had a sail - - -

Disaster has also struck when navigating the ocean with "Wobbegong"!
Suddenly the motor died, - and would not come back to life again, - a burst gasoline hose causing the trouble!
"Wobbegong" has no sails, but she is so small that she can be rowed, - therefore I am never completely lost -, but if you are far out at sea, your arms will be VERY long, - and you will be VERY tired, - and it will be VERY late before you are home - - -

Then you have to give up all pride, - give a distress signal -, and hope that somebode takes note of it - - - -
Here some "funny" pics from such an incident - - - -
Please enjoy!  :-)
 
 

Page initiated:  Nov.03.2010