Around the world
with ”Elvina”
Our members Gunilla and Krister Bewert – aged 35, and 36 respectively – from Kristinehamn are planning to go on a longer sailing trip with their OE 36 "Elvina", more precisely, to go around the world.
Gunilla tells here about their extensive preparations.
Krister and I had a modest future plan but after a rainy, evening walk in October 1996, that plan became a set idea: we’ll sail to somewhere warm! Where we lived, we had a semi-detached house with three rooms and a kitchen, we had two cars and a small sailing boat - a Maxi 68. Our next boat had to be beautiful, have a toilet, standing height in the cabin and an inboard motor. A quick move to a two roomed apartment and the sale of the Maxi gave us, after a short search, our dream boat: the OE 36 boat number 1 S/Y "Elvina", built in Norway in 1970. She fulfilled every demand that we had. The first summer, we sailed her in our home waters on Lake Vänern to learn to handle her.
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Planning and budgeting
One of the first considerations before planning a long voyage is to work out a budget and we set a departure date for the summer of 2002. The whole time, it was our purpose to make sure that we had no outstanding debts in Sweden or, at the least, as few as possible. We realised that we had to save more money, so in 1998 we moved again into a smaller apartment of one room and a kitchen which was just as well! The boat is just a bit smaller…
Renovating the boat
After our third summer, we began to renovate the boat in earnest. "Elvina" had to be made suitable for us and our purpose – blue water cruising. We had earlier applied an epoxy treatment. It was now necessary to change the engine. The old one, (from the Norwegian Sabb Motors AB) was certainly heavy and reliable but it gave up bit by bit and so we changed it for a new 3-cylinder Yanmar which weighed 100 kg less than the older engine. We were able to test out the engine for one year, because the departure date had been postponed until the 19th of June 2003.
During the two winter seasons, we had "Elvina" set indoors and we had worked with, among other things, the change of engine, changing the windows, a new integrated water tank in the forepeak, a new gunwale rail, panelling everywhere inside, scraping and painting all of the storage areas, a new galley and new cushions for the whole boat. It was quite a lot of work for the most part, it was fun and of course we did it together. I have learned to work with a jigsaw, Sikaflex, fibreglass putty and many other things. Every summer we sailed and knew we had to evaluate what was good and not so good. Things didn’t always work well the first time.
Examinations and Certificates
We also undertook to improve our knowledge when we had time, by reading a large number of books. (Literature List) We went to every long distance sailing seminar and met other blue water cruisers who gave us both practical hints and gave new life to our dreams. We had taken the Offshore Yachtmaster examination (previous knowledge of piloting and Coastal Skipper examination) and the LRC (Long Range Certificate, including VHF/MF/HF) and I went to two courses in Spanish.
The final spurt before departure
Now we commence the final phase in our preparations – to settle our land life; give notice at our jobs, sell the apartment, store/sell/loan out our belongings and last but not least complete the work on the boat. Contacting the taxation department and the social insurance office, vaccinations, a bank card and power of attorney will take up our time.
We hope that all of the pieces of the puzzle will fall into place by the 19th of June 2003 and that we can send you a holiday letter while we are out!
Kind regards,
Gunilla Bewert
The boat’s equipment
Engine
Motor: Yanmar 3GM, 27 hk
Propeller: Fixed, three bladed.
Diesel tanks: 2 stainless steel, total volume 180 liter
(39.6 imperial gallons or 47.5 US gallons).
Rigging and sails
Mast: Seldén. Standing and running rig was changed.
Boom: Changed to a new one with inboom reefing.
Peke med Vaterstag.
Furlex genoa roller furling system in the bow, forestay at the bowsprit.
Main sail: Dacron, crosscut. 3 reef. (Syversen Sails)
Genua: Dacron, triradial. (Magnusson Sails)
Remaining sails: Jib, storm sail, spinnaker.
Anchor equipment
Fore anchor: CQR 15kg (33lbs) with 60m (196ft) of chain in the fore.
Anchor Gear: Sprint 1000.
Aft Anchor: Bruce 15 kg (33lbs).
Stock anchor in reserve.
Electrical equipment
Diesel engine generator: 55 A
Battery charger: Mobitronic 25 A.
Batteries: 1x75 Ah + 3x75 Ah.
Wind generator: Aerogen 4
Solar cells: 2x25 W.
Shore power.
Inverter 600 W from Awimex.
Navigation and communication equipment
GPS: Lowrance handheld + Shipmate fixed.
VHF-radio: Fixed Shipmate + movable ICOM.
HF/SSB-radio: ICOM 718 with AT 180 automatic antenna tuner
and insulated aft stay as antenna.
Weather receiver: Nasa Marine Target Navtex Pro.
Radar: Simrad/Anritsu 772 with 8” screen. Radome antenna on the mast.
Wind Vane self Steering: Windpilot Pacific.
Electric auto pilot: 2 x. Autohelm 3000 (for steering wheel).
Galley
Stove/oven: Eno LPG.
Water maker: Pur 40E.
Water tanks: 50+50+250 litres.
(11+11+55 Imperial gallons) (13+13+66 US gallons)
Safety Equipment
Stainless steel frame over the dodger.
Life raft: EV’s Crewsaver (4 person).
Rubber dinghy: Avon.
Bilge Pumps: 2 fixed hand pumps and 1 fixed electrical.
Fire extinguisher: 2.
Planning to purchase EPIRB.