Fotogalerie Kleine Beer 2001

We are Ruben & Marietje from Amsterdam and we have a Comfortina 32 called the Kleine Beer for about 5 years, now.

The name means "Little Bear" in Dutch and also it is the name of a constelation of stars in the sky used for navigation, called" the Little Dipper" in English. I should have known that everybody outside Holland reads the name as "a small glass of beer" and starts making drinking motions or the likes whenever we check into a marina or anchorage........

We usually sail from Medemblik on the IJsselmeer and the Waddensea. Two Years ago we did a 6 weeks tour around Fyn via Helgoland and the Eiderriver and Kieler Kanal. A beautiful summer and great sailing, as well. Since I lately have some more time on my hands we planned a trip to the Med that would extend over several seasons.
In addition to the usual gear we bought a asymetric spi for light wind conditions and an Epirb and renewed the 8 year old life-raft. We did not buy windgenerator or solar panels but opted for using as little electric power as possible.

We found that on the move there was always enough juice because every few days we had to use the engine anyways or could get a recharge in a marina. Only once, when we spent 10 days on anchor in a lagoon we had to run the engine for some hours every day. No heavy anchor gear but a 45mtr. anchor rope with 15mtr of leaded lead and 4 mtr. of chain kept me nicely in all conditions. No electric anchorwinch, radardome or dinghy hanging in the back etc. For daytrips I lashed the dinghy upside down on the foredeck. With all the gear you need for a longer holliday you really have to watch out not to overload and slow down the boat.

The first part of the journey from IJmuiden via Fallmouth to La Coruna I did together with two friends in two legs and Marietje was planned to join me as soon as we reached to Spain. The friends took the train back and together we would than slowly make our way along the coast of Spain and Portugal towards the Gibraltar straights. I left around end of 21 st of May 2001 around 5 in the evening from IJmuiden and with a favourable N bf 5/6 we set off with one reef in the main for the channel crossing.

The next evening after sundown we passed Dover just in time with the currents and before dark. Later that night the wind subsided and we took the reef out and sailed on into a quiet night. In the morning we saw our first dolphin or porpous, whatever and some tiny Mini Transat sailers making their training miles. I thought my "Kleine Beer" was small but after seeing them and knowing they cross the Atlantic in them I felt a lot better about the size of my Comfortina32. We started to settle into the rythm of the sea and started to eat a bit more than in the first 24 hours. In the evening of the third day we arrived at Fallmouth.

Here we planned to check on the web for the right weather window for our crossing to La Coruna. After 3.5 days it was time to leave. Around midnight we motored onto the calm sea. The next day the wind picked up and we sailed before the wind with the genua set on the boom and the main secured with 5 to 6 knots toward our destination. The second night we started seeing many dolphins speeding along with us towards the south. In the middle of the second day , I was just taking the second mackrel of the day of the hook, we got a report on the navtex that we would arrive in La Coruna in a N-bf 8 or worse.

Still from behind, but I did not want to enter La Coruna bay (open to the north) with big rollers from the back and we decided to alter course for Santander.
We never had more than Bf6 from behind and around noon of the third day we started to see the Spanish coastline and a few hours later we docked at the Royal Yacht Club of Santander. All together not more than 10 days from IJmuiden to Santander including the 3.5 days wait in England..........