Well, todays attempt fell short, the mountainbike of the oceans is spending the night just 10km from Horta. Light winds predicted for the weekend, better whip out that yuloh Sven and prove it's supremacy over any other powerplant
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Why I'm Following Sven Yrvind
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Post by Sven's friend and webmaster Beppe:
Sept. 13, 2020 Yrvind at Horta Azores after a long voyage
‘‘ . . . . . 78 days at sea is a long time. His muscles is far away from what they use to be and he need support to be able to walk. . . . . . I spoke to him on telefon and he said he was in a good mental shape and look forward to stay on land and visit Horta. . . . . ’’
Sept. 13, 2020 Yrvind at Horta Azores after a long voyage
‘‘ . . . . . 78 days at sea is a long time. His muscles is far away from what they use to be and he need support to be able to walk. . . . . . I spoke to him on telefon and he said he was in a good mental shape and look forward to stay on land and visit Horta. . . . . ’’
Nobody escapes old age, not even Sven. I truly hope his next design will take this into account.
Regular excercise has been a major contributor to his wellbeing so far, and being confined to such a small space for 2,5 months and not to be able to move around is very, very risky for any person of his age. Add to the equation the diet he has been on for that time, well...
For elderly people setbacks are deep, and recovery slow. I fear for his health.
Regular excercise has been a major contributor to his wellbeing so far, and being confined to such a small space for 2,5 months and not to be able to move around is very, very risky for any person of his age. Add to the equation the diet he has been on for that time, well...
For elderly people setbacks are deep, and recovery slow. I fear for his health.
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Some kind of an onboard human powered recumbent genset would be good for health, and give some juice in return for the by leg muscles burnt energy...
Set up example found at Bespoke Gear Recumbent Pedal Generators (scroll down a bit for it)
‘‘ . . . . The Bespoke Gear recumbent generator is a robust and efficient pedal generator system. It is designed to be more suitable for cinema events and better for people who do not want to get onto a ‘normal’ bike. It has a 500W generator and a reasonable cyclist can maintain 100-200W on this system. . . . . ’’
Set up example found at Bespoke Gear Recumbent Pedal Generators (scroll down a bit for it)
‘‘ . . . . The Bespoke Gear recumbent generator is a robust and efficient pedal generator system. It is designed to be more suitable for cinema events and better for people who do not want to get onto a ‘normal’ bike. It has a 500W generator and a reasonable cyclist can maintain 100-200W on this system. . . . . ’’
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Now, let's imagine a situation (a highly unlikely in my opinion), that Sven was actually able to complete a trip from europe to NZ in one of his miniscule designs. What would his physical condition be upon arrival...
Now, I'm a fit man, I dare say, but having gone through an injury lately I can tell you you lose your muscle mass and cardiovascular performance astonishingly fast when your ability to move is limited. A young person will recover quickly, an oldtimer might never.
Now, I'm a fit man, I dare say, but having gone through an injury lately I can tell you you lose your muscle mass and cardiovascular performance astonishingly fast when your ability to move is limited. A young person will recover quickly, an oldtimer might never.
MoeJoe
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One topic related to boat design which I consider fairly important, but which Sven obviously gives very low priority: Speed is also safety.
The ability to reasonably swiftly leave an area in the ocean when hurricane season approaches.. To be able to sail faster than most ocean currents.. And to be able to use a shorter weather window to safely head for a harbour (like Horta) even with a broken engine. . Or move to the side if a storm approaches.. And of course, increase chances to avoid collision with other boats and ships which might not have seen you..
Having the ability to average at least 5-6 knots makes a huge difference.. And that is possible to achieve also with a small , strongly built, long-distance cruising boat.
The ability to reasonably swiftly leave an area in the ocean when hurricane season approaches.. To be able to sail faster than most ocean currents.. And to be able to use a shorter weather window to safely head for a harbour (like Horta) even with a broken engine. . Or move to the side if a storm approaches.. And of course, increase chances to avoid collision with other boats and ships which might not have seen you..
Having the ability to average at least 5-6 knots makes a huge difference.. And that is possible to achieve also with a small , strongly built, long-distance cruising boat.
A lot of larger cruising sailboats don't average 5 to 6 kts. That would be 120 to 144 per day.
That would be quite a good passage for a 30 footer even.
For a boat of around 20 ft, an average of 3 to 4 kts would be quite good.
I'm talking about a cruising boat here, which has stores and provisions making up a major portion of its displacement, not a mini with a massive sail plan and an expected voyage measured in weeks, not months.
If I were in Sven's place, I would go with at least double the sail plan, but maybe not much more.
The smaller rig is more likely to survive rough treatment, and will be easier to repair at sea.
But it would also mean more sitting and waiting while other boats sail by.
That would be quite a good passage for a 30 footer even.
For a boat of around 20 ft, an average of 3 to 4 kts would be quite good.
I'm talking about a cruising boat here, which has stores and provisions making up a major portion of its displacement, not a mini with a massive sail plan and an expected voyage measured in weeks, not months.
If I were in Sven's place, I would go with at least double the sail plan, but maybe not much more.
The smaller rig is more likely to survive rough treatment, and will be easier to repair at sea.
But it would also mean more sitting and waiting while other boats sail by.
Keep in mind the mountainbike of the oceans averaged about 2 knots. So going for an avg speed of 4kts would be doubling the speed. No small change would achieve this...
2kts is considerably slower than normal walking speed. It is v e r y slow.
2kts is considerably slower than normal walking speed. It is v e r y slow.
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BlueWaterBoats → Flicka 20 (LOD ± 20' ~ 6.1 m), I'll guess about 3 × ExLex II planned displacement and build costs, without the Flicka's engine and rig...
‘‘ . . . . . . Under Sail
Given the Flicka's short waterline length, heavy displacement and small rig, it's generally agreed she sails exceptionally well. Though most Flicka owners would agree that boat speed is not the number one priority, she is not a laggard by any means. According to Pacific Seacraft long passages of a 5-knot average are not uncommon. Owners report that she can easily sail 4 to 5 knots in the right conditions and can exceed 6 knots on a reach in winds of 20 knots or more. Her best point of sail is a beam to broad reach.
Like most heavy displacement boats, light air performance suffers. Many owners recommend the use of a drifter in 10 knots for a bit of extra go-go juice.
With her wineglass sections, short draft and 30% ballast ratio the boat is tender. Owners have also reported a tendency for weather helm. Tacking can be difficult in choppy conditions due to her tendency to pitch. Some owners have suggested that in certain weather conditions she can induce seasickness in even the hardiest of sailors but her motion is generally kind.
That aside, she is renowned for keeping her crew safe in a blow and she is a whole lot of fun to sail.
Specifications
LOA: 24' 0"
LWL: 18' 2"
Beam: 8' 0"
Draft: 3' 3"
Displacement: 6,000 lbs.
Ballast: 1,800 lbs.
Headroom: 5' 11"
Sail Area: 243 sq. ft.
Fuel: 8 US. Gal.
Water: 20 US. Gal.
Engine: Yanmar 1GM10, single-cylinder diesel, 9 horsepower
Designer: Bruce P. Bingham
Year Introduced: 1972
Builder: Custom build / Nor' Star / Pacific Seacraft . . . . . . ’’
‘‘ . . . . . . Under Sail
Given the Flicka's short waterline length, heavy displacement and small rig, it's generally agreed she sails exceptionally well. Though most Flicka owners would agree that boat speed is not the number one priority, she is not a laggard by any means. According to Pacific Seacraft long passages of a 5-knot average are not uncommon. Owners report that she can easily sail 4 to 5 knots in the right conditions and can exceed 6 knots on a reach in winds of 20 knots or more. Her best point of sail is a beam to broad reach.
Like most heavy displacement boats, light air performance suffers. Many owners recommend the use of a drifter in 10 knots for a bit of extra go-go juice.
With her wineglass sections, short draft and 30% ballast ratio the boat is tender. Owners have also reported a tendency for weather helm. Tacking can be difficult in choppy conditions due to her tendency to pitch. Some owners have suggested that in certain weather conditions she can induce seasickness in even the hardiest of sailors but her motion is generally kind.
That aside, she is renowned for keeping her crew safe in a blow and she is a whole lot of fun to sail.
Specifications
LOA: 24' 0"
LWL: 18' 2"
Beam: 8' 0"
Draft: 3' 3"
Displacement: 6,000 lbs.
Ballast: 1,800 lbs.
Headroom: 5' 11"
Sail Area: 243 sq. ft.
Fuel: 8 US. Gal.
Water: 20 US. Gal.
Engine: Yanmar 1GM10, single-cylinder diesel, 9 horsepower
Designer: Bruce P. Bingham
Year Introduced: 1972
Builder: Custom build / Nor' Star / Pacific Seacraft . . . . . . ’’
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MoeJoe
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Yes, I know, and nowadays a 30 footer is considered a small boat for longer passages. Perhaps because of increased disposable income, more need for comfort, and less patience and time available. I don't think I've ever thought "I wish this boat was slower" . Not even when I crewed on a 72 feet racing yacht across the Atlantic. And for that reason, my next boat will probably be 32-36 feet, even if I will continue to do a lot of singlehanded and shorthanded sailing. More for speed than for comfort and space. I see my limiting factor as "the largest strongly built cruising boat I can safely manage single-handed, in any condition, with only mechanical power (not being dependant on hydraulics and electrical engines for sail management, anchor management etc - But nice to have regardless). And for larger boats than that, cost of maintenance, harbour fees etc also increases steeply. The Flicka 20 is cool, but not for me, at least not for bluewater passages. (Would be excellent in the Swedish and Finnish archipelago though)
Back to Yrvind's latest boats and "speed is safety" - If he has any serious intention that others will build the boats he designs, or at least take inspiration from his designs, I think that his designs realistically have to have a bit more space and comfort, windward ability and speed. Very, very few sailors wants to endure storms and hurricanes if they can be avoided, regardless if you are in a boat that can survive it multiple times.
The Flicka is a great design, and 6.0 kts is entirely believable under the right conditions. That would be her displacement hull speed.
A larger boat may be more comfortable and faster, but would certainly be more work to operate and more costly to maintain.
What Sven seems to be aiming for is the absolute minimum needed to safely go to sea in.
Since a smaller vessel is going to require a longer passage, and that passage is going to require even more stores, a much larger portion of that vessel's displacement is going to have to be made up of payload.
This is going to be a major design constraint. The amount of ballast and how it is to be deployed is going to be limited too. A drop keel may seem like a good idea, but it would have to be in the widest part of the hull, the very place the skipper is likely to be living. And he or she cannot be shoved forward or aft, if the boat is to have the proper trim.
So, the ballast must go under the boat, or at least under the skipper. And the sailing draft should be kept within reason. Keel strikes seem to ruin every bodies day. A lot of voyages I have read about have ended or have been severely delayed due to keel strikes.
A shallower draft per size heightens the access of the tiny boat, which is one of its few advantages.
So, shallow sailing draft must go with limited ballast. And this must come with very high ultimate stability.
Such will effectively limit the spar heights and weights. And this will, in turn limit the size of the sail plan.
My Lola 520 design, for example, has a sailing draft of only 1.5 ft, yet has a positive righting moment at up to 140 degrees of heel. It can carry 1,000 lbs of stores or more for a total displacement of 2800 lbs.
The sailing rig has 140 to 160 sf of sail for an S/D of about 11.0 to 12.0, which is more than twice that of Sven's creation.
I think Sven skimps too much on sail area.
But, like a mountain bike for the road (to make the actual road trip on), the mountain bike of the sea may be more suited for younger adventurous types, and really may have no place now that older, but mostly sound, larger larger boats are available for often next to nothing. They can be put right, if the owner is willing to do the work, for a fraction of the cost of building one of these mini-voyagers.
But I like playing with design ideas for the type.
I consider an ocean capable sailboat with a sum of 30 ft (in Beam, Length an Draft) and a loaded displacement of 1.5 short tons or less, to be a mini-voyager.
A larger boat may be more comfortable and faster, but would certainly be more work to operate and more costly to maintain.
What Sven seems to be aiming for is the absolute minimum needed to safely go to sea in.
Since a smaller vessel is going to require a longer passage, and that passage is going to require even more stores, a much larger portion of that vessel's displacement is going to have to be made up of payload.
This is going to be a major design constraint. The amount of ballast and how it is to be deployed is going to be limited too. A drop keel may seem like a good idea, but it would have to be in the widest part of the hull, the very place the skipper is likely to be living. And he or she cannot be shoved forward or aft, if the boat is to have the proper trim.
So, the ballast must go under the boat, or at least under the skipper. And the sailing draft should be kept within reason. Keel strikes seem to ruin every bodies day. A lot of voyages I have read about have ended or have been severely delayed due to keel strikes.
A shallower draft per size heightens the access of the tiny boat, which is one of its few advantages.
So, shallow sailing draft must go with limited ballast. And this must come with very high ultimate stability.
Such will effectively limit the spar heights and weights. And this will, in turn limit the size of the sail plan.
My Lola 520 design, for example, has a sailing draft of only 1.5 ft, yet has a positive righting moment at up to 140 degrees of heel. It can carry 1,000 lbs of stores or more for a total displacement of 2800 lbs.
The sailing rig has 140 to 160 sf of sail for an S/D of about 11.0 to 12.0, which is more than twice that of Sven's creation.
I think Sven skimps too much on sail area.
But, like a mountain bike for the road (to make the actual road trip on), the mountain bike of the sea may be more suited for younger adventurous types, and really may have no place now that older, but mostly sound, larger larger boats are available for often next to nothing. They can be put right, if the owner is willing to do the work, for a fraction of the cost of building one of these mini-voyagers.
But I like playing with design ideas for the type.
I consider an ocean capable sailboat with a sum of 30 ft (in Beam, Length an Draft) and a loaded displacement of 1.5 short tons or less, to be a mini-voyager.
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