Happy Easter!
It's been an exciting time for me with the new "Nereida" nearing completion.....
First time afloat...!! 
And then she gets a mast... 
Time to test the engine and prop... 
and then go for a lovely test-sail .....in bright sunshine and good wind.... at last.... gorgeous!!
"Nereida" is on her way to England as you read this (today is Maundy Thursday, 9th April)...all very exciting, especially since things got rather hectic (read 'stressful'. ..??!) at the very end ... but all's well and I'm looking forward to meeting up with her and being on the water with her early next week.
It's been difficult saying 'Goodbye' to so many people here in Sweden, from the Najad yard, the Stenungsund Y.C. hotel and others I've met during my time here - they've been so very kind, friendly and helpful and I'd almost taken up residence here since mid-January - even getting a little Swedish going...!
It's been a pleasure working with the guys & gals at Najad in Henån - they clearly take a pride in their workmanship and I think (and hope!) they've enjoyed the challenge of working on my boat. She's rather special and very different from the standard N380 - as they kept telling me! I know they are looking forward to reading of her sailing the oceans - as she was designed to do.
Life has been just a little bit hectic of late, tryng to keep on top of everything going on, as the end came in sight and we tried to keep to a deadline for delivery to England before Easter...!! I'm catching my breath and trying to relax now that she's en route to the Hamble, between Southampton and Portsmouth... later than hoped but it's been good to have had some extra days this last week since they were needed to sort out a few hiccups!
All being well, I'll be on board her at Hamble Point Marina straight after Easter weekend. If you're nearby, come and visit! Then there'll be the last few things to get done before she's totally ready to go sailing .... I'm so much looking forward to that...
More photos posted on Flickr.... click on this link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nereida/sets/ I'm hoping to post new info on the website 'Boat Details' and other pages a.s.a.p. - I'm very conscious of the fact that the updating there is well overdue..... but in the meantime:
New Boat Details
The new 'Nereida' is a Najad 380, hull number 82, built in 2009 by Najadvarvet at Henån on the island of Orust in Sweden, just north of Göteborg. She is named after the 'nereids' of ancient Greek mythology who were the 'handmaidens of Poseidon' (or Neptune, as the Romans called him) - so she is a 'sea nymph'! On the sea-front at Puerto Vallarta in Mexico is a lovely bronze of Nereida and Poseidon - shown as mermaid and merman. (I found a smaller version of the same bronze on the seafront at Barra de Navidad.)
LOA = 11.55m (38') LWL = 9.9m (32'6") Beam = 3.65m (12') Draft = 2.02m (6'7½")
Displacement (empty!) = 9.1 ton (9100 kg/20060 lb) Bolted lead keel = 3.1 ton (3100 kg /6834 lb)
Hull speed - 8.9 kts Mast height 15.63m (50'2") Mast height above waterline - 17.68m (58')
Sail plan
Cutter rig with furling genoa and staysail P = 14.18m E = 5.0m I = 15.3m I2 = 9.71m J = 4.25m J2 = 2.25m
Sails (sq m /sq ft)
Main (fully battened) 41.8/450; Furling Genoa 42/452; Furling staysail 16.5/178; Asymmetric spinnakers 90.6/975; Code zero 65.0/700; Storm jib 12/129; Trysail --/--
Engine: Yanmar 4JH4AE, 54hp (39.6 kW)
Ground Tackle
2 Rocna25 anchors (25kg/55lb) - one in bow with chain, one as spare (below)
Anchor Buddy CAB30
Kedge anchor :12kg grapnel, with chain & rope
Chain 100m 8mm HT on main anchor. Also 30m 8mm HT with 100m nylon multiplait
Windlass - Lofrans Project 1500 (electric) taking chain and/or rope rode
Water tanks: 400 ltrs (88 Imp.gall/ 105 US gall) in 3 tanks
Water maker (desalination) - Spectra 12v Cape Horn system with 2 pumps
Diesel tank: 325 l (72 Imp. gall/ 86 US gall)
Solar panels - 2x55W and 2x80W 12V Shell (Siemens)
Wind generator - KISS (Trinidad)
Electrical supplies - 12v DC: 12v 4kVA DC Fischer-Panda diesel generator
Secondary alternator on engine, Mastervolt 130A, with regulator
Shore charger/inverter - Mastervolt Mass Combi 12/2500-100 (230V/50Hz)
230/110V transformer for isolated shore input
5 x 130Ah AGM glass mat batteries (domestic) + 55Ah start battery
HF/SSB radio - ICOM M801 with ATU 141 & line isolator
SCS Pactor modem PTC-IIusb (for e-mail, weatherfax) for Airmail 2000 software (Winlink)
Furuno FAX408 Weatherfax, also HF radio to computer software
NASA Marine Navtex
VHF radios - Simrad RS82 2-position (25/1W masthead aerial); ICOM ICM71 (handheld)
A.I.S. - Simrad A150 'Class B' transceiver
Radar - Raymarine 18" radome scanner
Autopilot - Raymarine hydraulic Drive T3 acting on quadrant, S3G course computer with ST6002 control head
Instruments - Raymarine ST60+ wind, speed/log, depth.
GPS - Raymarine Raystar125 dGPS sensor
EPIRB - ACR ...
Charting - Nobeltec Admiral Max Pro version 10.0 using C-Map electronic world charts;
Raymarine E80 and E120 combined radar/plotter with Navionics Gold cards
Garmin handheld GPS 60CSx with Bluechart cards.
Also backup paper charts. Sextant & tables.
Andersen winches: 2x52ST, 2x40ST, 2x28ST in cockpit; 2 28ST & reefing winch on mast
Wind Steering - Hydrovane, windvane driving auxiliary rudder
Propeller - 3-bladed, automatic variable pitch - Autoprop (Bruntons UK)
Ropestripper (Ambassador Marine) - rope cutter forward of propeller on propshaft
Heating - Eberspacher 8 kW (diesel) circulated hot air; Mojave 3-speed fan heater using engine cooling water; Sigmar 120 cabin diesel heater
Refrigerator - Danfoss compressor - 110 ltrs capacity
Kenwood CD player/Radio (LW/MW/AF) with iPod connection
Liferaft - Avon Modula (4 man)
Tender - Zodiac CR260 (inflatable floor)
Outboard - Mercury 3.5 h.p.
Interior layout of standard N380:
(Note the port settee on "Nereida" has no 'return' since that is where the Sigmar 120 heater is now placed)
Support for the new "Nereida" (Najad 380, hull number 82) in 2009:
Sponsors donating equipment:
Jeppesen (Nobeltec) (USA)
Cantalupi lighting (Italy)
Sealevel systems (USA)
Garmin Europe
Dubarry (Ireland)
Whale pumps (Sweden/UK)
Denrex ApS (Denmark)
Support also from:
Raymarine (UK)
Andersen (Denmark)
UK-Syversen (Sweden)
Brunton's (UK)
Lopolight (Denmark)
Dickinson Marine (B.C., Canada)
Kelvin Hughes (UK)
ICOM UK
Selden UK
Nasa Marine (UK)
Scanstrut (UK)
Ambassador Marine (UK)
Musto UK
Many firms, some of whose products I had already been using over the last few years, have very kindly agreed to help me with my new boat, after the loss of my old one, by donating or discounting equipment or spares. In the present difficult economic climate, it has often been difficult for companies to provide this help - so what has been provided is that much more appreciated!
I have used the Nobeltec electronic charting system since October 2000. I find it really user-friendly and it makes it so easy to plot new passages, with the bonus of good tide & current information for the US and Canada. As of this year, 2009, I shall be using their excellent new C-Map Max Pro cartography, available in version 10. I am very grateful for the ongoing support I have received from Jeppesen Marine throughout my recent travels & into the next passagemaking.
Cantalupi Lighting generously provided dimmable LED overhead lighting throughout the new boat - thanks to IMP Ltd for initiating that!
Sealevel are providing me with the USB hubs and USB-to-serial communications hardware that I will need to connect boat equipment to my laptop - their products are well-known for being very reliable..
I am delighted that Garmin have again provided a hand-held GPS unit. Their GPS units are so reliable and make a superb emergency back-up - the 60CSx takes Bluechart chips and so is very useful in everyday use, not just for emergencies, with its built-in electronic compass and barometer.
Dubarry boots - are lovely! ... so many people have noticed and commented favourably on seeing me wearing them!! My old ones saw good use over several years and I'm very happy they're being replaced!
Whale pumps have provided their reliable freshwater footpump and manual seawater pump for the new boat - I expect many years of trouble-free use, as on my last boat. Thank you, Brian.
Denrex ApS in Denmark kindly sent the Propspeed coating system I wanted for the Autoprop. I had applied Propspeed when hauled out in Cairns during my first circumnavigation and found it worked well - it's not a toxic antifouling, relying solely on a very smooth plastic finish containing silicon.
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Raymarine have frequently been very helpful, both in the past and with the new boat, on instrumentation and equipment issues. They are continuing to be very supportive and are also giving me whatever technical help I need.
Andersen winches are a delight to use and they have several times sent spares & items from Denmark for my winches - servicing them is a job I actually enjoy doing, the winches are so beautifully engineered.
My Brunton's Autoprop, a self-adjusting propeller, is also a lovely bit of engineering & the last one performed impressively, requiring noticeably fewer engine revs for a given speed through the water than the previous fixed prop.
Lopolight kindly sent me heavily discounted LED navigation lights in stainless steel - I'm looking forward to the resulting energy saving on overnight passages.
Dickinson Marine in Coquitlam, B.C. (Canada) were extremely helpful in the pricing and freighting of their beautifully-designed Sigmar 120 cabin heater which I'm looking forward to using if & when I find myself in colder climes...!
Kelvin Hughes are very kindly helping with replacing books and charts I lost - thank you, Terry!
Icom UK have again been helpful and kindly donated a spare microphone along with a discounted Icom M801 SSB radio & ATU. I'm hoping the new SSB radio installation will work really well - it will see a lot of use for speaking to other boats and 'ham' radio users, as well as for emailing and weather information.
Selden - both in Sweden and in the US - gave me excellent support in the past and Selden UK are being very supportive this year.
Musto, who very generously agreed to keep me warm and dry on my previous circumnavigation, are still helping, albeit to a lesser extent, this time around - I shall be using their well-designed clothing again.
Scanstrut design excellent instrument supports - I particularly like their self-levelling radar mount on my stern steelwork.
Nasa Marine have helped with the discounted purchase of their Navtex and their AIS stand-alone units. AIS is really useful in collision avoidance both inshore and when on long ocean passages - and keeps working in storms when radar is sometimes not!
Navionics UK - their Navionics Gold+ chart cards are used in the Raymarine chartplotters.
Ambassador Marine - their Ropestripper tis placed on my propshaft to protect against lines & thin wire tangling the prop.
Finally, I must say a big "Tack så mycket!" ("Thank you very much") to everyone at Najadvarvet for all their friendly help in the boat construction and fitting out. So many people have been involved and they all seemed to take pleasure in working on the additions and modifications I brought to 'Nereida II', invariably showing great care and pride in their workmanship. It has been a delight to work with them and I hope they will (vicariously through my website) enjoy my sailing in the new 'Nereida' for many years to come!!