Greetings from Elsinore

[Kyrsting]

Hello CF community,

By coincidence I stumbled across this goldmine of knowledge, experience, humor, tales and myths. Nice to visit during the long winter months. Thank you all! In time I hope to contribute with small nuggets.

I have been sailing since 1975 when my former father in law invited me to join a cruise in his 50 foot yawl. This I thought would be boring but nevertheless I accepted. However, after having been the helmsman across Great Belt in a light gale I was lost to the sea, and have been ever since.

Therefore I had to have my own boat. Started with building a plywood minitonner that became too small when I started a family, so the next ship was a 30-foot Maxi 909 which we sailed for many wonderful years. Had to sell it because of a period of unemployment. After a couple of dreadful years being grounded I luckily became the part owner of a Folkboat together with a friend. Unfortunately I lost my friend and had to find another boat with a level of comfort acceptable for my wife. The result was our present ship, a Polaris Drabant 26 build in 1978 (the danish website Polaris Drabant Klubben gives an idea). It is a small but fast cruiser, which we are very content with and plan to be our last. Presently a new engine is being installed.

Our destinations are danish and swedish waters. During coming years we hope to explore more of the Baltic. My wife used to be a nurse, I used to be an it professional, but now we are both retired, so we have all the time needed to explore the world – except that we have a garden that my wife cannot do without for more than three weeks in a row. But I don't mind sailing alone when needed.

I find that sailing gives you freedom, challenges, experiences, friends, contrasts, perspectives and skills. But most of all the unexpected and unpredictable. And there is always something to learn, though it can sometimes be scary.

I'm a bit superstitious, as I have had two incidents at almost the same location in two different boats with 20 years in between: the Blue Virgin at 57N 15.080 / 016E 47.564 in the northern part of Kalmarsund is said to host witches, and if you get to close to their island you must circumnavigate it counterclockwise twice. The first time I ignored this fact we had a total engine breakdown, the second time we ran aground near Oscarshamn, heading directly at the Virgin.

I'm looking forward to getting you all to know better, and hope you will bear with this introduction of mine...

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Kyrsting.

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha and welcome aboard!
Your current Polaris Drabant Klubben looks like it has more room below than the Folkboat. Our club has two Folkboats and they are a joy to sail.
kind regards,

[Kyrsting]

Thanks for welcoming aboard this great ship cruising the sea of wisdom!

Yes, the Polaris Drabant is more spacious than a Folkboat, but you are still able to touch water without actually being in it. And it remains a joy to sail. The higher level of comfort means there is a galley, the benches are wider and an inboard is possible. Being a senior I'm pleased with a manageable boat, in both practical and financial ways. The Polaris is quite common in danish waters – there are around 300 occurrences.