Training:
– In February, I passed the German ICC Sportbootführerschein (SBF) See exam
– In March, I passed the SBF Binnen exam for EU inland waterways
– In April, I passed the marine (GMDSS SRC) and inland-waterways (UBI) radio operator exams
Boat search and surveys:
– Read several thousand adverts and shortlisted the ones I liked
– Through @Unakaru, I met @AlexMemfis, who helped me find, buy and maintain the yacht
– In Kiel, I viewed a Deerberg Amethyst 27 and Haff 35, flew to Norway to see a Marieholm 32, viewed a boat in Hamburg, the Marieholm 28, and in Lübeck, the Najade 900. Alexei ruled all these out as overpriced or needing too much investment
– In May, I went to Sweden on a one-way ticket to view a Lord Helmsman, Linjet 30 and Ohlson 29, which I eventually bought
Spending:
– Buying the yacht: €6,200, plus €1,000 for survey assistance and €300 for three technical consultations
– Annual insurance €350 + berthing and storage (summer and winter): €2,400, plus help unstepping the mast €185 + crane services for winter storage: €550
– Equipping the yacht — mooring lines, fenders, lifejackets, lifelines, jackstays, flag, diesel, tools, chemicals… around €1,500
– Losing half the boat’s speed led to quite a struggle with the engine. In the end, a hull clean for €300 solved it
– Neutralising spilt acid, replacing the batteries, fitting a distribution board and partially rewiring the boat took a month and a half and €900
– Replacing the solar panel and controller cost another €350
– Repairing the keel: €1,200
Total: €15,000, beyond anything I’d expected. That’s roughly six to twelve weeks of chartering. The boat still needs navigation instruments (€1,500–2,000), a second solar panel (€150), a Victron Orion-Tr 12/12 30A alternator charging controller (€250), a starter-battery charger (€100), and the starter battery itself (€150). AIS (€800), windvane self-steering (€2,000), a liferaft (€900) and EPIRB (€900) for safe night passages are beyond even dreaming about, never mind replacing guardwires and standing rigging.
What else:
– A sea of experience viewing and maintaining yachts. No charter could give me that
– An adrenaline-filled voyage of 300 miles from Sweden to Germany
– Several lovely outings on Lübeck Bay and the Trave with family and friends, even including diving under the boat
– Saw The Ocean Race, formerly the Volvo Ocean Race, with my own eyes
– Visited Germany’s major sailing event, Kieler Woche
– Explored Norway on a cruise ship
– Flew in a light aircraft
A packed, transformative year. Sometimes too much so. I’m a different person from last December. But I’m not stopping: I’m looking forward to more adventures and discoveries.
P.S. I’d love to hear how your year went.
#results
– In February, I passed the German ICC Sportbootführerschein (SBF) See exam
– In March, I passed the SBF Binnen exam for EU inland waterways
– In April, I passed the marine (GMDSS SRC) and inland-waterways (UBI) radio operator exams
Boat search and surveys:
– Read several thousand adverts and shortlisted the ones I liked
– Through @Unakaru, I met @AlexMemfis, who helped me find, buy and maintain the yacht
– In Kiel, I viewed a Deerberg Amethyst 27 and Haff 35, flew to Norway to see a Marieholm 32, viewed a boat in Hamburg, the Marieholm 28, and in Lübeck, the Najade 900. Alexei ruled all these out as overpriced or needing too much investment
– In May, I went to Sweden on a one-way ticket to view a Lord Helmsman, Linjet 30 and Ohlson 29, which I eventually bought
Spending:
– Buying the yacht: €6,200, plus €1,000 for survey assistance and €300 for three technical consultations
– Annual insurance €350 + berthing and storage (summer and winter): €2,400, plus help unstepping the mast €185 + crane services for winter storage: €550
– Equipping the yacht — mooring lines, fenders, lifejackets, lifelines, jackstays, flag, diesel, tools, chemicals… around €1,500
– Losing half the boat’s speed led to quite a struggle with the engine. In the end, a hull clean for €300 solved it
– Neutralising spilt acid, replacing the batteries, fitting a distribution board and partially rewiring the boat took a month and a half and €900
– Replacing the solar panel and controller cost another €350
– Repairing the keel: €1,200
Total: €15,000, beyond anything I’d expected. That’s roughly six to twelve weeks of chartering. The boat still needs navigation instruments (€1,500–2,000), a second solar panel (€150), a Victron Orion-Tr 12/12 30A alternator charging controller (€250), a starter-battery charger (€100), and the starter battery itself (€150). AIS (€800), windvane self-steering (€2,000), a liferaft (€900) and EPIRB (€900) for safe night passages are beyond even dreaming about, never mind replacing guardwires and standing rigging.
What else:
– A sea of experience viewing and maintaining yachts. No charter could give me that
– An adrenaline-filled voyage of 300 miles from Sweden to Germany
– Several lovely outings on Lübeck Bay and the Trave with family and friends, even including diving under the boat
– Saw The Ocean Race, formerly the Volvo Ocean Race, with my own eyes
– Visited Germany’s major sailing event, Kieler Woche
– Explored Norway on a cruise ship
– Flew in a light aircraft
A packed, transformative year. Sometimes too much so. I’m a different person from last December. But I’m not stopping: I’m looking forward to more adventures and discoveries.
P.S. I’d love to hear how your year went.
#results
Original and discussionOpen post in Telegram ↗