Reading Time: 6 minutesHow this Knud Reimers design from 1943 became a template for his Skerry cruisers and other boats, like his Cruising Square Metre Boats. During the Second World War, Knud Reimers designed a new 30 m2 skerry cruiser for the Hudiksvall merchant E. Ståhlquist. As far as can be ascertained from Per Thelander’s excellent chronicle Alla våra Skärgårdskryssare, it is his …
Reading Time: 3 minutesI have been sailing since childhood in the sixties, beginning with dinghies. Since the mid-seventies open keel boats such as Dyas and Cruising Square Metre Boats type Lotus, since 1980 Swede 55. At the end of the eighties, I also specialized professionally in boating topics, at the beginning of the nineties focused on classic yachts, meter classes, yacht measurements, yacht …
Reading Time: 5 minutesA few bottles of vinegar essence and five hours of work. Descaling the cooling channels of your boat engine significantly extends its service life. Why, contrary to engine dealer’s advice, converting to dual-circuit cooling yet is worth the job in most cases. Here is a DIY instruction on how you achieve this. Indispensable fresh water cooling and seawater filter Boats …
Reading Time: 5 minutesAdvantages and disadvantages of the slender and long Square Metre Boat, the development of the so-called Skerry Cruiser, and how beam is measured since 1925. A brief look at the compromise between minimal water resistance in light wind and the ability to carry sail in a fresh breeze. Rapid Skerry Cruiser development in the 1910s The slimmer the boat, the …
Reading Time: 4 minutes→ German article The modern cruising version of the Square Metre Boat of the seventies, also known as Cruising Skärgårdskryssare, is a clever merge of agility afloat, elegance, and comfort for a family or friends. The S30 and Swede 55 are long-lasting thanks to their robust GRP construction and easy to keep. When the good times of Swedish boat building …
Reading Time: 6 minutesWhich profile is ideal for the rudder blade, different to the Swede 55 keel fin? What was common in advanced boat building in the 1970s? What is used today? Which shape helps to avoid the stalling effect? How you determine the ideal profile for your boat. Following the first article on suitable bushings for the rudder bearing and the second …
Reading Time: 5 minutesWhatever moves on a boat wears out and eventually needs to be repaired. Even the rudder blade. After stopping the noise at my Swede 55 with suitable bushings as described here, I noticed that it was still rattling. The question was why. So I dismantled it in the fall and loaded it onto the luggage rack of my car to …
Reading Time: 6 minutes→ German article Everything that moves on a boat eventually wears and needs to be taken care of. The story of old and persistently replaced rudder bearing bushings until a suitable solution was found. One of the issues that bothered me for some time aboard Gamle Swede was the rudder, specifically the guide of the rudder shaft in the boat. …
Reading Time: 6 minutesAn overlooked and notoriously underestimated topic is the weight of the boat. How heavy and thus under-rigged is it? Will it sail in light winds at all? And how much extra load, provisions, and luggage can it handle? Five examples. Cement mixer or sailboat? Today, cruising boats are considered as floating weekend flats. Whatever we appreciate at a cosy home …
Reading Time: 4 minutesBuying a boat is a risky step. Dreams, emotions, the desire to do something really different are big, fuelled by a kind of midlife crisis and some money. Some even do it without a midlife crisis and little money. So let’s look at the knockout criteria when buying a boat. A boat is perceived as promise and a placeholder for …
