Benthic

TypeSailing Yacht

Make/modelDe Kloet - Fellowship 28

Length9 metres

Berth3

Language spoke aboardEnglish

Boat descriptionA classic fibreglass yacht from 1976, the Fellowship 28 is a heavy, safe and stable yacht, built by the De Kloet dutch shipyard. This same model is known for having crossed the Atlantic successfully, although in this case we are going to be slightly less ambitious (for now) ;) She is very seaworthy, but at the same time has very shallow draft (1.1m), meaning that she can anchor closer to shore than most ships of her size, which makes her a very versatile vessel. But regardless of her draft, she can still handle heavy weather very well - while also sailing perfectly and stable in light winds, and with reduced rolling due to her S-bottom shaped hull (with encapsulated keel). Be advised that the steering is tiller, not helm. By using only the very large furling genoa (which is 140%) without the mainsail hoisted, it can reach decent cruising speeds of 4 - 4.5kt in light winds - especially when sailing close hauled. It also has 2 spinakkers (symmetric and asymmetric) and a storm jib. Maximum speed on surf while broad reaching was 8 knots. The relatively new engine (built in 2003) is a 20hp 2 cylinder, twice as powerful and less noisy than the 10hp 1 cylinder included in the original design - although i plan to use it as little as possible, only to enter and leave marinas, or if the wind becalms for long enough to bore us to death. Also built-in is a handy mast lowering system, which allows to clear low bridges with relative ease, so we can go further into inland waterways such as the Amsterdam-Rhine canal or into some of the bigger Amsterdam canals. She sleeps 5 comfortably (4 in double berths, 1 in a single berth), divided in two cabins (2 in the v-berth and 3 in the saloon) - but i would like to keep crew to a maximum of 3 including me, so everyone is more comfortable. Includes a complete galley with stove and fridge, and a separate head compartment for extra privacy (rare in this yacht length). The cockpit sits 6 comfortably, and maybe more sitting aft. For electronics, It has an excellet autopilot which allows for hours of carefree cruising, three GPS's / chart plotters, a compass, digital windmeter and anemometer, VHF radio with ATIS, and a solar panel. And of course a soundsystem (Bluetooth, so we can play from our phones).