How is the energy balance going, and how is the pace, the sailing life in the tropics on board? And a happy welcoming arrival in Batam.

Energy balance

Sat Jul 04 2026 08:41:00 GMT+0700 (West-Indonesische tijd)

Since the motor doesn’t generate electricity, there are only the solar panels (we sail with the wind in the back, so the windgenerator delivers close to nothing). How does it work? Will the Ya make her destination before the batteries are dead?
If you check the Energy Balance on the website, we use about 2,5 kW per day. That is 5% of the battery capacity. With the battery bank on 70% now, we could sail another 14 days. So no worries But still the solar is working.
To be always on the safe side, the consumption is reduced.

• The plotter and auxiliary screen (using 30 Watt) in the cockpit is off now, and the navigation is done by the the little laptop (20 Watt) which is always on. This saves 30W X 24 hours = 720 WattHour (Wh)
• the 230 Volt is switched off and only on for cooking. The inverter and laptop adapters are taking 20 Watt when running idle (so when the laptop batteries are full) so that saves about 22 hours X 20 Watt is 440 Wh
• just being more critical on lights, saves an estimated 4 hours X 10 Watt, so that is 50 Wh
  All together, the energy is brought back with 720+440+50 WattHour is 1330 Wh. That makes a reduction of 50% of the regular consumption.
  The sun shines great from 10:30 to 13:30. Then the mainsail covers the solar panels, and after a gybe there is another hour of full sun on the panels. That delivers on the average hour about 400 Watt. So there is 1200 Wh coming into the battery bank. These are LFP batteries, so there is hardly any loss on charging or uncharging.
  So actually, the household is in balance. With a loss of 1330-1200 Wh the deficit is 130 Wh. The Ya can continue sailing hafl the world this way!
  This is another example how easy it is to start first at the consumption side before even thinking of regeneration. Because it is 3 times simpler, cheaper and safer and quicker.

Easy going days

Sun Jul 05 2026 18:30:00 GMT+0700 (West-Indonesische tijd)

Just as every day, sailing is easy here in Indonesia. The wind has always been between 9 and 16 knots, so force 3, 4 and (low) 5. The Ya sails downwind, so that is easy. The waves are small, only half a meter or less. So it is easy going.
Great time to do some maintenance every day, and start really early in the morning. From 11 till 3 PM the sun is too harsh to work. Then it is time to have a slow lunch and a light nap. The traffic is little. Only son now and then, when passing fishing grounds, there are fisher boats. The fishing is like the Dutch way, so with trawlers taking nets trough the water. The boats are way smaller than in the Netherlands, but there are prety much of them. Especially in the night one can be busy with it. That is the only time that it is busy. These fisher boats are little and go slow. Also, they don’t mind if you pass them on 200 or 300 meters. So even the navigation between these ships is easy going.

Easy and slow, slow

Mon Jul 06 2026 18:53:00 GMT+0700 (West-Indonesische tijd)

Approximately the next night the Ya will arrive at Batam. Perry lives there. He recommends to do the last part in daylight. And he can do some pilotage, but that would also be daylight. This sounds wise, so let’s do that.
But, then we have to go slower. About 3.5 knots. Peter worked on that half a day, but still Ya runs 4 knots just on the staysail, with only 10 knots of wind from behind. How to get her slow, slow? Finally all the sails are down. Yes, that works, the speed is now about 3 knots. The effort is bigger to get the speed out of the Ya then to give her speed..

We enter the Equator. And, indeed, it is hot. Between 11 am and 3 pm the sun burns too hard to work on deck. And even in the morning and afternoon, you’d better take it easy and work slow, slow.

Hard to get

Wed Jul 08 2026 09:48:00 GMT+0700 (West-Indonesische tijd)

Everything was set up beautifully to get exactly in time for tide and in daylight to Perry, and what happens, lighting, thunder, a squall and the wind became against. A tack, and an hour later there was hardly any wind. The wind slowly picked up to a very light breeze, just to make a bit of speed. But then the tide became against. We made 1.9 miles per hour. for the last 12 miles, would be 6 hours!

Then, suddenly, the current changes. the wind picks up a bit more. Perry now gets a dinghy for the last mile in case there is no wind at all.

Batam, here we come!

Arrival at Batam

Sat Jul 11 2026 05:43:00 GMT+0700 (West-Indonesische tijd)

Perry arranged two local fishermen with their boat to pilot the Ya through the poorly charted water. The two miles took nearly an hour and with the last little bit of wind we entered the anchorage before Perry’s house. A warm Indonesian welcome with a great meal.
The house Perry is building there, is built with reused materials. for example, the actual living consists of a set of sea containers. But that’s another story. The Ya is on anchor.

It is time for a new chapter in life. Peter’s body and soul ask to begin to say farewell to the ocean sailing.

After 11 years of intensive sailing, first as a charter yacht with guests on board and then for private purposes, the Ya is for sale.

You can find the sales story on the site of WhiteWhale Yachtbrokers .

Right now, we are slowly sailing to Europe, to finish her second circumnavigation.

Here you read what Peter has in mind with the Ya before, while and after all these years of sailing. You get some background reasons why he and Dick Koopmans sometimes chose for other options than what you see on the mainstream yachts. Like: why no traveler, no genoa rail, why a centerboard, why carbon masts and not aluminium? Yes, these choices often cost extra money, but at the end it was not that much; the price is probably 10%  higher, but you win a lot on safety, on comfort, a better trim. Often it also implies that you are safer and more prepared to get into adventures off the beaten track.

Design of the Ya

In 2010 three naval architects were challenged with a tender to design a small but comfortable, spacious yacht that would sail and cruise the world. The title of the tender was: Sailing is Playing. It became a Koopmans design.

The Ya is a rather extraordinary yacht. This yawl is made for sailors. Sailors who want to cruise the world sailing (so with sails, not diesel). She is fitted to sail autarkic, to get to the remote places, off the beaten path. The Ya is so much self-supporting, she even doesn’t use diesel or gas, so fossil free.

This yacht proved to handle the Roaring Forties well and she is able to sail in light winds. She even sailed through the Doldrums. Fossil free of course.

The hull

She is only 10 meters long, but her 4 meters beam is wide. This gives her a more effective form stability. The stability is designed on 125 degrees, 5 degrees more than the CE-A (Ocean) requires.  The CE-Ocean requirements are often met beyond the strict norm. The windows construction, for some people a point of doubt, also meets the Lloyds standards.

The hull is vinyl ester on foam (so no osmosis). There is a final layer of Kevlar in case of running aground or heavy hits.

The hull is smoothly flattened and professionally provided with Copper Coat in 2026. The heat exchanger in the hull and the Autoprops are coated with PropSpeed foul release.

There is a centerboard, to be lifted by hand (so no electric/hydraulic things that can stop working). All ballast is inside the ship. The centerboard gives extra trim opportunities. When the centerboard is up on downwind and running courses, especially in hard weather, she sails much smoother and straighter, calmer than a keel yacht can. And, when sailing close hauled, the centerboard is down to 2.65 meter, it is way more effective against leeway than a regular keel can do.

The Ya is fully insulated with 11 cm of PIR foam for a better interior atmosphere. This also gives extra floatability. Together with the air compartments and a fully closed engine room, the ship would in theory stay afloat in case of a hull damage. That is only theory. But at least it gives us time to abandon the ship in a calm and thorough way.

The rigging, the sail plan and the sailing

Before we start sailing, first the deck. The deck of the Ya is probably the only deck without ‘things’ on it. Like a genoa rail, or a stay and plating, pad eyes and what have you to break your toes. In warm weather you often walk barefoot, so the deck is designed to be completely free from ‘toe breakers’.

The yawl rig and the versatile sail plan invite sailors to sail. Its diverse possibilities are challenging for the sailors who like to use their brains, experience and feels. For this last group, the Ya could be the yacht.

The masts are carbon fibre, because it is light and spares a lot of (counter) weight. The booms are of aluminium. The bowsprit and spinnaker pole are also carbon. Now they are so light and easy to handle, that makes it worth every penny.

The smallest sail is the mizzen. It is only 5 m², but this sail makes her even keep course in very light winds, when other yachts already have to start their engines.

The 38 m² mainsail is built out and fully battened for an effective propulsion. This sail works. Yes, it is opposite to the trend of mast furling. But this built out sail has the surface where the wind is: higher. And, we have no risk that the furling gear gets stuck when in a storm. The full battens also make reefing and lowering easy.

The sail has a tackline (so no fixed boom) for a better trim and to keep the shape durable. It costs a bit, but it saves a lot. So every sail on board has a tack line.

The main sail (and also the mizzen and staysail) is sea sheeted. This means with double sheets: one to starboard, one to port. This way you can trim the sail well all the way from close hauled to dead down the wind. That is not possible with a traveler rail (mostly only close-hauled trimming). The sea sheeting is worth it, because a world cruiser sails mostly running courses. The sheet blocks can be placed on several padeyes. If you put the fore sheet block to the most forward pad eye, it works as the preventer. For sailing on rivers there are two pad eyes in the toe rail, to make a quick gybe safe and easy. And, if a block of one sheet breaks, you still have the other sheet as backup.

The 20 m² staysail is self-tacking, with a boom rotating for self trim: a big curve in the sail when running, and a sharp lift profile when the sail is pulled in. There is a tackline, to save the shape and to trim the luff effectively.

The storm staysail of 5,5 m² can replace the staysail.

The bowsprit is 2.5 meters long, and that makes the sails effective in a wide wind angle. A course change doesnot imply that you must lower the sail and that is what I want as a lazy cruiser, just hoisted that sail.

The jib is furling around a full anti-torsi line, that also works as temporary stay. It is set on the bowsprit with a tackline that runs to the starboard cockpit winch. For the sheet we mostly use the mizzen winch.

The long spinnaker pole is exactly on length to pole out the jib. Thus, it makes the jib the most used sail in trade winds, after the staysail.

The flying sails are the gennaker and a Parasailor, both can be set on the bowsprit with a tackline (next to the jib tackline), on the stem or on the spinnaker pole.

The gennaker is made for, and works fine till 15 knots of wind. The sail does great when running or abeam. The sail can even do 65 degrees upwind, but there is not much forward power left over then. I had great joy with it, but I often kept on sailing it with an apparent wind over 15 knots and then a broach and…. 🙁 .  The five tares are all repaired and sawn professionally.

For us as a shorthanded cruisers, the Parasailor is the ideal flying sail. It sails like a steady spinnaker, and without the disadvantages of such sail. Its profile opens the sail steady in light winds of only 5 knots. When it blows 15 knots the hole in the sail works as a safety valve. You can get the sock down on your own even with 18 knots. It is a big sail, but with a bit of experience with the sock, she is still easy to manage alone. Whereas Inge always looked worried with the gennaker up, she always smiles when the Parasailor is up. We share the joy.

The cockpit

The two rudders are placed on a 15 degrees angle, to make the course steadier and more comfortable in gusts. It is also nice to have a backup rudder if one breaks. The Aries windvane is connected straight to the rudders, so no lines through the cockpit. The Aries steers well and steady, and if not, it is because a sail is to big or wrong sail. This really solid windvane steering gear is forgiving when mistreated, and it made my sail trim better.

Each tiller can be lifted to get more space in the cockpit. They are also used to lift the rudder blades.

In the transom on the port side a swimming ladder can be flapped out. On Starboard is a flap to make an easy step to the quai or dock when moored astern.

The cockpit is big, but green water will be drained in 1-2 seconds through two holes under the swimming ladder and flap. In the front in the corners there are two little drains for the last bits of water, or rainwater.

The biminitop frame is on 2 meter height from the floor (not visible here). The floor consists of a 15 cm high iroko frame. If necessary, this can be lowered 12 cm, so the height would then be 2.12m.

Behind the mizzen mast is the fender box.

The pole on the port side of the center of the cockpit functions as a steady grip. On the pole the cockpit table can be slid down.

In a rough sea I make the cockpit smaller by making lines from astern to the sides of the entrance.

There are two storages. On the port side there is the bosun’s storage, and on starboard the sails storage. Both have a wide hatch to open.

The compass is mounted on SB in the bulkhead. On the port side there is the panel and double throttle for the motors, and next to it the B&G plotter. Lower is a foldable step, in case you have bad knees. Smaller people use this step also as a seat.

There are two double speed winches, on starboard and on port over the bulkhead, just on top of the little awning. To save my lower back, I can run the winch handle on four levels: when standing on the cockpit floor, on the lower bench, on the higher bench or on the side board.

In the center of the bulkhead is a wide opening to the saloon. This width is technically possible because the sliding hatch and three wash boards are made of unbreakable polycarbonate. There is close contact to the saloon inside and the cockpit and that gives a new dimension to living and cruising on the yacht. Like on a modern catamaran.

Inside

The cockpit-saloon-contact is also close, because the saloon floor is only two steps lower.

The wide beam gives the yacht the spacious room under deck. The large full windows improve this experience and bring an extraordinary lot of daylight. When you sit you see the horizon, and what’s going on outside at sea or on your anchor spot. The height is 2.0 meter, under the sliding hatch 1.90.

The layout is traditional, so the space is not split up in cabins. Two persons can live here, and when there are guests, six persons sleep here comfortably. I chartered the first circumnavigation, with guests staying one month on the average, and we were always with two to four people.

The chart table is to the starboard.

There is a book shelf on it. Next to it is a small cupboard, an outlet for 230V and two outlets for 12V/USB.

The switch board includes the 12 Volt users, anchor switch, and the device to have control on the 230Volt system. All this together works fine.

There is a navigation laptop on the chart table with OpenCPN from which we generally navigate. It includes charts for a circumnavigation, but they are dated 2011. It has GPS and AIS (reception and transmitting). The plotter outside, also with AIS, is used as a backup. There is also an iPad for new Garmin-Navionics charts, to safely enter the coasts.  It has a watertight cover of thick rubber. It works also as a second back up.

The chart table also comes with a third backup, the paper charts. They cover the circumnavigation from Europe through Panama and along south Africa. There is also a sextant and the Sight Reduction Tables to get a plot if you’re able.

The drawers include a bag of flags of countries around the world and prints of most of the manuals.

One of the drawers is also built as a Cage of Faraday, to put your devices in when there is lighting.

When not under sail, we often use the chart table as desk to work on, like writing articles and so on. Privacy seems to be an attitude, because when one works there, he is not disturbed.

Before the chart table, there is the pilot berth. Behind the chart table is the quarter berth, currently used as sail storage. Both are longer than 2 meter and rather wide.

Every berth on board has its own light, a 12 Volt/USB connection and a fan.

The galley

The galley has a double sink with a washing water tap (pressurized) and a drinking water tap (foot pump). See ‘water system’ for full functioning and details.

The fridge is 50 liter and adjacent is a freezing part of 25-30 liter, just enough to freeze in a 5 kilo tuna and a 5 kilo wahoo. Usually the fridge on yachts is poorly insulated, so it consumes much energy on yachts. Then one needs a whole lot of solar panels, or batteries. Or diesel. On the Ya it is 4 times better insulated than usual and 3 times less consuming.

The compressor and element are renewed in 2026.

There is a double induction cooker, a double skinned water cooker, a bread baking machine, a microwave. All this saves about 70-80% of energy compared to traditional gas cooking. See the spread sheet ‘Energy Balance’ on this website, read the numerous articles about it, or check ‘Duurzaam Varen’, (‘Sustainable Sailing’ in Dutch), ISBN 9789064107801. Being free of gas, also makes the ship safer.

There is an extra cupboard with three drawers. The bottom one is an insulated ‘hay box’ to slow cook or to safely put a hot pan away. In practice it works as a third ‘burner’.

Table section

The table and couches gives plenty place for 4 persons to eat. The couches invite to lie alongside the table, what I often do. The table can be lowered and turned into a double bed. There are some cupboards on the port side next to the table and couches.

The table is just big enough to make it a six person table if necessary.

Stepping through the door of the bulkhead, you see to the right a closet for sailing coats. Afore is the door to the drytoilet, with sink and shower.

The dry toilet has its natural air ventilation through the sewer and holding tank, and into the mast (chimney effect). This way the disadvantage of a big fan/blower running continuously to suck out the smell, is effectively solved.

On the port side, there is a small double bed of 200X135/80. Before this bed there is the bulkhead to the watertight peek compartment with the anchor chain box in it. There is a watertight hatch to get into that compartment.

Engine room

The engine room is shown in the picture here under. It opens with a big watertight hatch, to keep the moist out. The blue cylinders are the motors, E-Tech 7 kW each (total 19HP). But we often call them regen(erator)s because 99% of the sailing time they are used for regeneration to feed the battery bank. Above each motor is a controller mounted. The motors are cooled by a closed cooling fluid system, including a stainless-steel heat exchange built in a recess in the skin of the hull. So, no risk on blockage or leaks by seawater.

To the left side behind the motor and controller is the grey distribution box for the 48volt system. The cable from the battery bank comes in here and every connection to the various users and regenerators are made in this watertight box.

Just behind it is a little DC/DC converter, converting 48-volt to 12-volt for the board net of the yacht. Next to that is a 12-volt distribution box, for all main connections and main fuses in the 12-volt board net.

Invisible but behind this distribution box is a little 12-volt solar panel converter. The solar panels in the windows deliver their power to here and this device converts the current suitable to fill the 12-volt battery and board net.

In the aft on the bulkhead is from left to right:

• The solar MPPT converter for the bimini top panels
• The solar MPPT converter for the deck panels
• The MPPT for the wind generator, which can also be used a backup MPPT for the ones here above.

To the right side, just next to the controller of the portside motor, is the Studer Xtender inverter/converter. Its inverter takes the electricity from the 48Volt battery bank to make 230Volt for the galley equipment and more. It is also able to convert shore power to 48 volt, to charge the battery bank.

Just behind it, there is a spare converter. Just as the Studer Xtender it converts any shore power to 48-volt for the battery bank, but only up to 700 Watt.

Behind that, is the 230-Volt distribution box with fuses and connections.

Behind that is still space for a small hot water boiler. The cold and hot water lines are already installed and the fusebox has a separate fuse for it. Only, we never missed such a boiler.

Water system

There are 2 water tanks of each 275 liter. Both tanks can be filled with a hose from shore through the hose in the boatswain’s storage.

The port side tank is called ‘drink water tank’. Only the footpump under the galley sink is connected to it. Since one has to push pump it, it saves a lot of drinking water.

The starboard tank is called ‘wash water tank’. We also used it as the extra drink water tank. An electric pump sucks the water out here and pressurizes the waterlines to the tap in the galley, to the toilet/shower tap and to the deck hose/spray rolled up in the boatswains storage.

If you like to be self-supporting, you can use the tanks and the water smarter, and catch rainwater, or use sea water if you need to rinse only. Here is how it works.

First catching the rainwater. The whole boat is designed that way that all rainwater will be drained through the two outlets in the front of the cockpit floor. When you close the seacocks (in the engine room) and open the overflow line, then the rainwater will go into the wash water tank. This is as good as fresh water, but chlorine or silver ions need to be added to prevent deterioration. Then you can get the rainwater in the drinkwater tank by opening the connecting valves, under the floor. The water will level then.

If you only need water to rinse, you can use seawater. Then, open the seacock down in the food storage bilge and push the diverter valve down. Then, the seawater is connected to the pressure pump and the wash water tank is disconnected. The pressure pump pumps the sea with pressure into the water system, which consists of the tap in the galley, the toilet/shower and the hose/spray in the boatswains storage. From there you can rinse with seawater now and save your scarce fresh water.

You read Dutch? It’s all worked out in the book ‘Duurzaam Varen’, (‘Sustainable Sailing’ in Dutch), ISBN 9789064107801.

Energy system

There is no diesel engine on board, just electrical. As long as you only use what you need, you can stay energy neutral or energy positive. It is a bit of an awareness that most of us lack, but you can easily get this by checking the energy meter above the chart table. That is the key thing. The technics here under is the detail stuff.

Let us follow the current of electrons to explain how it technically works. On anchor, the battery bank is charged by a set of solar panels on the biminitop, a set on the top deck, the wind turbine on the mizzen mast. That is enough to stay energy neutral.

When sailing, the solars do less because of the shades of the sails. But the wind generator does more and when over 4.5 knots, the two motors make it good. So good, that we nearly always end up with a full battery bank before we see the coast of our destination. A reliable feeling. Once only one motor worked, and we still were energy neutral. So no worries on the energy.

You can read in the Energy Balance on the website how the Ya does in various scenarios. In the book Duurzaam Varen it is worked out in detail.

Electric instead of diesel makes things more reliable, safer, and more understandable. And it is way more simple on the maintenance and repairs.

At first glance, the electricity system looks complicated, but it is not. It is way simpler than a diesel engine.

It is acrually three separate systems and these are clearly recognizable.

• The 48 Volt system. This is used to regenerate, and to store the electricity in the battery bank, to run the motors for propelling and to feed the 220Volt and 12 volt system. The 48 volt items in this system are:
• Battery bank 42.5 kWh1 biminitop panel, 720 Wp1 set deckpanels, 320 Wp1 wind turbine, 480 Wp2 motors each 7 kW, used as engines and as regeneratorsStuder Xtender to invert the 48Volt to 230 Volt AC and to charge from shore power.
• DC/DC converter Smart Solar, to feed the 12-volt system.

All connections, junctions and fuses are put in the grey 48-volt distribution box (the open box in the picture). All 48V cables to and from it, are put in a black flexible pipe.

• The 230 Volt system. This electricity comes from the Studer Xtender, or, in case you are plugged in on shore power, from shore. On the switch board at the chart table you can switch it on and off under ‘Energy’.

The 230 Volt users are:

• Galley: induction cooker, water cooker, bread baker, microwave.
• 1. Chart table: one outlet Dinette: one outletBoatswain’s box: one outletStuder Xtender to convert 220 to 48 volt, for charging the battery bank
• (spare or if want, boiler)

In the engine room is a separate box with all connections and fuses. The 230 Volt cables are all yellow, or covered in a yellow flexible pipe.

• 12Volt boat system. This system is just like on any yacht. Except, for safety all main connections and fuses are made in the 12 volt distribution box in the engine room.

Like on most other yachts, all the lights and other users can be switched on the switchboard at the chart table.

The only maintenance the system needs is that you put the 230V plug into shorepower every two months. The Battery Management System does it from there and it is ready when you see 100% on the display.

The Studer Xtender can be set to all sorts of shore power in the world, even the irregular. And If there is no shore power available (like in the Pacific), there is a little petrol generator on board. I also use this generator as a back up.

Although a Studer product doesn’t fail, there is also a small backup charger of 700 Watt.  And there is a 2000W spare inverter.

To prevent moist/maintenance on the battery bank and the BMS, the bank is installed in a watertight compartment. For an hour per day a dehumidifier and air circulation system keeps everything extremely dry there.

The little 12 Volt battery is maintained by the app of the Smart Solar MPPT. It is your choice to automatically or manually switch on the equalization process.

Survey and more

There is a comprehensive survey made in 2026 by Topside Marine Surveyors. It is done when the Ya was on the hard. Peter can send the report to you. These things came out:

• The aluminium toe rail under the GRP is corroded on some places and delaminates the GRP. Cause is water along the stanchions. I will close that, clean the aluminium and I will renew the delamination.
• The little awning over the cockpit makes a different noise under the surveyor’s hammer, so the surveyor concludes it could be delamination. Only a destructive proof can prove that. I know that the awning is built on separately in the building process and a different not constructive material is used, which makes the different sound. I understand the position of the surveyor, but I consider the chance on delamination close to zero, so I don’t take action on that. The winches and pad eyes are mounted on aluminium inserts, so no risk on that either.
• The carpentry shows various darks spots as a consequence of historic leaks. I accept that and took it into account in the sale price of the yacht. I leave the decision to the new owner to do something about it or not.

More to know:

• At Whitewhale Yachtbrokers  you will find the sales text and a lot of pictures.
• On www.fossilfreearoundtheworld.org you can check The Yacht for all details and numbers. Or check the Blog for our stories the last 6 years. On History you will find older stories, including the building process.
• On the Youtube channel: Fossil Free Around the World you will see our experiences. Also with some videos sailing the Ya, like with the Parasailor.

Contact Peter on info@fossilfreearoundtheworld.org or send him a Signal app. (No Whatsapp), +316 283 44 823

List of products, devices and parts

All devices listed here, you buy with the Ya. So this is in the price included. You already read about the double motor, double solar panels, double/triple navigation system. Here under you find much more to be prepared to go safely off the beaten path.

Here and there the age of purchase is mentioned. If no age is mentioned, it is from 2015.

Ground tackle

1 Rocna anchor 25 kg, galvanized in 2026

55 meter of galvanized 10 mm Force DIN766/A chain, 2026 (it means that it can stand the heat of another galvanizing if you need to).

1 kW anchor chain winless with extra drum

60 meter of 20mm anchor line, 2020 (line fits and runs through the gipsy wheel)

50 m orange 5 mm floating line

Second anchor: 1 aluminium Fortress FX23 anchor with 25 m of line incl 10 meter leadwoven line, 2020

12 meter of galvanized 10 mm chain

200 meter roll of 14 mm polypropylene black mooring line

1 10 kg bar of lead.

Third option: 1 spudpole for ‘anchoring on the spot’ up to 2.5 meter deep

Mooring

3 polypropylene black mooring lines 14 mm 10-15 meter

2 black cylinder fenders 25cm

1 ball fender 80cm (backup, not blown up)

1 white fender cylinder 20 cm

1 fender step, works as step

Sails and running rig

• Mizzen sail 5 m²(2023), dyneema halyard and topping lift, tackline, double sheet, sail cover
• Mainsail 38 m² (2024) dyneema halyard (2020) and topping lift, tackline, boomvang (up/down), sailcover. Ronstan battencar system (2025)
• Staysail (2024) m² dyneema halyard (2020), tackline, sailcover.
• Storm jib 5,5 m² instead of staysail.
• Jib 28 m² on a furler, dyneema halyard (2020) tackline together with furling line to the cockpit winch. In sailbag.
• Gennaker 68 m², polyprop/polyester halyard (2026), tackline to the cockpit winch. In sail bag.
• Parasailor 104 m² (2020) with 4 sheets (2020): 2 to the cockpit winches and if wanted: 2 to the mast winches. In special bag.
• 2 Lewmar 40 double speed winch
• 2 Lewmar 14 single speed winch on main mast
• 1 Lewmar 14 single speed winch on mizzen mast

Lines, boatswain’s box

• 1 spare halyard dyneema 35 meter new
• 1 spare halyard dyneema 30 meter old
• 1 spare line for Aries
• 20 meter water hose with connections
• 5 meter flex water hose
• 20 meter yellow CE proof electricity cable 3 wire 2.5 m2 with CE plug and counterplug
• 1 adaptor CE to European
• 1 adaptor European to CE
• Boatswain’s chair
• Extra harnas with Boatswains chair
• Device to hoist yourself into the mast
• Footholder steps to put in cockpit frame
• Navigation devices
• Suunto Compass with night light
• Beamer LED 12V
• Simrad RS40A VHF (2026)
• B&G Plotter Zeus Touch (no sd card)
• B&G Extra display
• B&G Windsensor (2026)
• Airmar BST800 depth sounder, temperature, speedlog (2026)
• COBRA Float 350 Handheld VHF (2020)
• Amtrek B100 AIS transceiver (2020)
• Microsoft Laptop with OpenCPN, Predictwind, Wifi repeater, and other apps
• Sextant
• Sight reduction Tables for Air Navigation
• Wifi antenna repeater for in the mast

Motors and props

• 2 E-Tech WG7 electric motors SB 1301D5H319Z, BB 1301D5H318Z
• 2 Kelly/Etech controllers for regeneration and propulsion
• 1 telephone with the ACADuser app on it.
• 2 25 mm steel propshafts with Volvo inner bearings and outer bearings
• 2 Autoprops 415 mm

Regeneration

• (2 E-Tech motors and Autoprops, see above)
• 3 solar panels Sanyo 240Wp 24 Volt
• 1 MPPT Epever XTRA3210N/XTRA4210N for 48 V
• 4 solar panels Sinoltech Flex 03-80 80Wp (2026)
• 1 MPPT Epever XTRA3210N/XTRA4210N for 48 V
• 1 wind generator SilentWind Pro 400 (2020)
• 1 MPPT SilentWind Pro (2020)
• 2 solar panels Sinoltech Flex 03-40 40Wp (2026)
• 1 MPPT SmartSolar MPPT 100/20 (2026)
• 6 solar panels Hyett Flex Custom 10Wp
• 1 Sunware Fox 220 PWM

Battery bank

• EV-Europe 3P16S battery bank 48V Lithium Ferro phosphate, 42.5 kWh (2021)
• EMUS Battery Management System (2021)
• 1 Eva EDV-1200 Dehumidifier
• 1 Century 27lx-mf 12 Volt AGM battery (2026)
• Studer Euroconverter 48/12V (2021)

Converter/inverters

• Studer XTender 6000W-48 V Converter/inverterDC-AC Power Inverter
• HTRC p3648 smart charger 700W 48V Converter (2026)
• SmartSolar MMPT 75/15A 48/12V Converter (2024)
• EV-Europe 220V/3,2V converter

Galley devices

• Induction cooker Nova 3500W ((2020)
• Watercooker NEBIS 1000W (2024)
• Bread Baker Inventum M35
• Micro Wave ETNA ECM 153

Safety Gear

• SB and PS jackstays/-lines
• Jackstay/-line cockpit
• Liferaft Seago 4 persons, approved till April 2029
• 1 Iridium transceiver with antenna on biminitop
• 1 handheld VHF with extra separate battery set
• 2 PLB1
• 3 Secumar 275N life vests, need service, each with:
• Safety line
  • PLB1
  • personal laser beamers
  • spare CO2 cartridge
  • spare salt melting tablet

• 4 fire extinguishers, expired.
• LED Flare
• Beamer LED 12V

Dinghy

• 1 West Marine dinghy PRU-3  (2023)
• 1 set of oars
• Airpump
• Repair set

Fishing gear

• Roll with fishing line and bait
• Pieces of lead in various weights

Backup devices, spares, maintenance materials and special equipment

Sailing off the beaten path brings the extra responsibility to keep everything running. The double motor is a typical example. At sea and in the tropics, all devices are exposed to extreme sun, temperature, moisture. Technical skills on board are limited to the standard maintenance (although I learned a lot). But one doesn’t have to be an engineer to exchange things: unmounting and mounting the backup thing in.

This led to a number of extra devices, spare parts and extra equipment.

Navigation

• Spare navigation laptop, everything installed, ready to exchange
• 2^nd spare navigation laptop of HP, all apps on it, it still works, but it is slow and old)

Sails, rig and ropework

• 20 various shackles
• 5 spare blocks (Rutgerson, incl mainsheet bloSpare Rutgerson block parts
• 2 spare sail battens 4 meter
• 1 spare aluminium 39mm threat nut for Lewmar winch
• miscellaneous

Sail repair set

• Sail repair tape for light cloth (gennaker et cetera)
• Sail repair strips for dacron cloth (mainsail et cetera)
• Diverse pieces of sail cloth

Rudders, steering

• Backup Simrad Tiller Steering TS10 12Volt
• Spare Aries vane
• Spare Aries tab
• Spare Aries counter weight
• Spare Dyneema lines for Aries
• Spare JEFA bearing including JEFA roll

Pumps/water

• Spare pressure pump for wash water
• Spare pressure switch for pressure pump
• Spare Ocean 12V 24-62 l/m bilge pump with level switch
• Spare Ocean 12V 24-62 l/m bilge pump with hose and plug 12V
• Maintenance set Whale foot pump drinkwater
• 1 maintenance set Trudesign  diverter

Motor and props

• Grease for inner bearings
• Grease gun with grease for Autoprop
• 2 stainless steel wedges for opening propshaft coupling
• Wooden piece for under propshaft coupling
• Prop shaft bearing stops/plugs (don’t throw it away)
• 1 Spare Propshaft and key
• Spare volvo inner bearing
• 2 spare outerbearings 1” and 25mm
• 3 Autoprop bearings
• 3 Autoprop anodes
• Special spanners and adaptors for Autoprop maintenance and bearings exchange
• Autoprop small pulley
• Fixed propeller 17” 25mm (spare)
• Controller

• 2 extra cooling fluid hoses
• 1 liter of cooling fluid
• 1 spare (old but still working) double throttle
• 1 spare (old but still working) interior display for motor/controller
• Spare plastic caps buttons motor
• Spare button for motor

Electric

• 3 spare blades for SilentWindgenerator
• Set of spare/maintenance parts SilientWind generator
• Spare EMUS BMS (complete circuit board)
• Spare EV Europe battery 3.2 Volt
• Spare Studer RCC unit for xTender
• Spare inverter 48V/230V 2000 Watt
• 3 Spare DC/DC converters 39-60VDC to 11-15.5 VDC 3A
• AC: diverse plugs to get around in the world for 110/220/240/Asian/etc

DC: Diverse spare plugs and special wires (like NMEA, VHF, USB)

Paint

• Capri blue one component for touch up
• Left overs what I used during the last refit (2026):
• Epifanes Marine Primer
• White gloss paint
• Anti slip paint deck
• UV varnish

Miscellaneous

• Water bail hand pump
• Refill set for fridge (needs probably new cartridge)
• 3 12Volt fans
• Petrol generator Dehray Rig1000 (2024)
• 3 petrol cans 20 ltr
• 2 petrol cans 10 ltr
• Petrol hand pump
• Oil SAE 10W/30
• Leftover pieces iroko and oak plywood

Documents

• Certificate of Registry Netherlands
• Boat Passport (Dutch)
• CE A certificate of approval
• CIN number
• Radio license VHF and PLB’s
• Set of manuals of devices on board (paper and digitally)

Traffic from everywhere

Sun Jun 14 2026 18:25:00 GMT+0800 (Centraal-Indonesische tijd)

In the evening we heard on the radio a call for us. It was an airplane of the Australian Coast Guard. “What is you port of call, and your registration,” was the question. Peter gave the info Later that night again such a call, again from a Coast Guard plane. Now Peter asked what was the problem, what they were doing here, about 100 miles from the coast? (the territorial waters go till 12 miles from the coast). They said it was only a routine check. Which is even more worrying because one would hope these extraterritorial controls would be an exception.
The next morning. On half a mile distance we saw an old Indonesian fishermans boat. Small, about 20 meters long. We checked it on AIS, the registration system to see boats on your laptop. Then, we saw suddenly 5 other ships on the AIS, and pretty close to us. The were named: 40%, 45%, 80%, 85% and 90%. But in reality we could not see any ship around us. Small dinghies that we can’t see behind the waves? Like an attack by the Australian Navy, because we asked the wrong questions?
Then, we saw a little sail on a little mast on the water. Huh? Yes, just a sail, about half a meter high, catching full wind and it doesnot seem to move. And we saw more of these sails in a row after the first one. So no entering the ship bij Australian SEALs or other young people still doing what the boss says.
What we saw was a fishing technique which is typical for Indonesia and it works like this. They take a long net and on one side the big ship is pulling, but on the other side of the net there is a buoy attached with a sail on it. That is what we saw. And on that net were five of these little ‘buoys-with-sails’ attached. Must be a big net. Then, we saw the big fisherboat make a slow turn, till the net formed a circle. That is the beginnng of the end for the fishes. The mothership pulls in the bottom line of the net, so there is no way out anymore. Then they pull the net in. at the end, the net forms a ball with all sorts of fish.
This technique is very energy efficient. But the disadvantage is that you get all sorts of fish, and not one specific sort.
There was more traffic. This time from under water. Our bait passed a yellow fin tuna. Long story short, we just ate ceviche.

True or apparent

Mon Jun 15 2026 19:33:00 GMT+0800 (Centraal-Indonesische tijd)

the wind as it really blows, comes from a direction, let’s say: from the West. and let it be in this example 5 miles per hour
Now, if you sail, or bike, or run, to the North with 5 miles per hour, the wind appears to be from the Northwest. The wind direction averages between (true) the West and (caused by your speed) the North. You experience a North Western wind. They call this wind on your sailing ship the Apparent Wind.
Now, there is also a True Course. Next to the Magnetic Course. But Geerhard and Peter had a discussion about the course we must sail now. Peter: “In two days the wind will be East so we have to make a curve over the North a bit, to get an Apparent Wind of 160 degrees.” Geerhard: “Come on, I don’t understand shit of this, just tell me what is the course” Peter explains again, but no clue emerges in Geerhards mind. He simply replies: “then just give me your apparent course, just what counts on this boat. what is that? “

Yesterday we changed the watch time because daylight gets later since we made many miles to the West,
So in stead of midnight, Peter must wake Geerhard now at 1 o’clock. But he forgets that, calls him an hour to early, and Geerhard asks “Come on, Peter, is this true?” Peter realises his mistake and answers: “No, it’s the apparent time, what counts on this boat.”

Wow, Wahoo!

Tue Jun 16 2026 18:27:00 GMT+0800 (Centraal-Indonesische tijd)

Yesterday we did everything to get space in the fridge and to eat as much as possible, so Geerhard could throw his line out for a next fish. He did so this morning and not even 5 minutes later there was a beautiful smal tuna on deck. We ate it during lunch, could put the rest in the freezer en still there was place. So Geerard couldn;t stop to throw the line out again.
This afternoon he caught a beauty of our favourite fish, the WAhoo. 10 kilo at least. Wow. Again, we ate seviche and tonight we ate a lot of beautifully cut medaillons of the Wahoo. It was delicious. And, the rest just fits in the fridge and freezer.
But for now we are packed. Fridge, freezer and two stommics.
Wow.

Anchored near Kupang

Thu Jun 18 2026 09:44:00 GMT+0800 (Centraal-Indonesische tijd)

Around midnight we lowered anchor. The predictions were wrong but in our favor, and we arrived way earlier than we expected.
We had to deal with fishing nets in the water of a rather industrial size. That was the only worring hour.

We have one apple left, one tomato, and further still plenty. Even a bag of 5 kilo of rice! And plenty of fish still in the freezer compartment. But we will do shopping here and do the repairs and sent the broken controllers to E-Tech.

Now we are waiting for the authorities. Sometimes that takes long. In Bali 9 years ago we coud do all authorities in one day. If we do it that fast this time, that is written in the stars. But we patiently wait. We won’t die of starvation, plenty of rice.

Peter always says that you have not arrived in a country if you are not cleared in and stamped completely. Often this costs a day. One could do it in an hour, if things would have been organised with a bit of sense. But no government does. If they make procedures, they only put more requirements into it, so it only gets more complicated. That complicated that you never know what new requirement they are up to. Indonesia is one of these countries. Perhaps not as bad as New Zealand or Australia, but on the issue of bad organizing they are the extreme. They tried to solve it by making the hiring of a Clear In Agent mandatory. This only covers the quality of the organization. With an agent, it makes it even more complex.  And expensive, because he counts $250, which is a lot of money down the drain.

In our case, the first group of authorities came on board the second day after we anchored. It was Health. They had big forms to fill in, and they even wanted to know the motor numbers of our electric motors. For what? How healthy is that? It took Peter some hours to find these numbers.

The  Customs also came on board. We gave them coffee. Two weeks earlier we did already send them the complete digital list of medicine on board, but they didnot know that, it was another department perhaps, so they were happy to see our printed lists, and they made pictures of that with their mobile phones. Which you can also call ‘digitalized’.

Immigration was the easiest. Our agent took our passports, gave them the Crewlist, and Immigration stamped our passports before they even have seen us.

For the Customs we later had to go to the Customs office. That is about a 1 1/2 hour drive, and the Customs said simply: “to give you the Clear In  document”.

So we suggested that  they would give that document with the approval on board? The response was a big silence.

The Health Department took longer. There were these motor numbers not yet filled in, and a blank spot on a form is about the biggest failt one can make, no matter the sense of the numbers. Our agent could sweettalk them into the final stamps.

The Port Captain will give you a Cruising Permit on the condition that all other papers are ready. But the Port Captain was late today. After all, we arrived Wednesday night and now, Saturday morning, we are through the authorities.

Now we really can say: we are in Indonesia!

First thing we did after arrival was putting a priority list together. The radio was working with a poor range. The Aries needed some TLC and the radar suddenly stopped working after a seagull size XXL spent the night on it. The port motor controller was defect and the tablet we use for navigation could need a check.

A damaged radio cable in the mast

The part of the radio cable that was in the mast, was not working OK. Lucky us, the people here were very helpful and 3 days later there was a crane on a truck and we improvised a way to get the Ya close to the shore. Here the mast hangs in the crane.

This tiny damage to the cable was enough to diminish the range of the radio to about 5 miles. A new cable through the mast solved the problem.

Tablet repair

This is how a tablet looks on the inside. They found the broken part. But… there is no spare part in Papua New Guinea, because this tablet is 4 years old and that is too new. Lucky us they are very creative to make something of nothing so we have a sort of fixed tablet now.

Motor and Hall sensor

Whatever a Hall sensor is, it is a circuit board thing and needs to be well adjusted. The technician of Etech gave all instructions to do so.

Tooth

Meanwhile Peter broke a complete tooth crown. The dentist fixed it for 250 Kina (about 50 Euro).

Enjoying Papua culture

Geerhard went to the Highlands, some 300 km into the high mountains. He enjoyed the hospitality of the Papua tribes while the Papuas enjoyed their traditions as well as Geerhard.

The tale is that the big monster (next to Geerhard) attacks the people but leaves the skeletons in peace. So everybody is dressed and painted as skeletons.

To Indonesia through the Strait of Torres

When you read this, we are on our way to Kupang, West Timor, Indonesia. That will be a journey of about 1500 nautical miles, so some weeks again. We will go for 1 ½ day through the corals of the Great Barrier reef and finally find our way through the Strait of Torres. All this is on a plateau, where the bottom of the Pacific Ocean rises from two or three thousand meters to 20 meters. This implies strong currents. Also there is plenty of wind expected, so It is a challenging navigation.

We will keep you posted.

Peter and Geerhard left Whangarei for Port Moresby last week. Especially 8-10th May might be challenging in their first week. This trip is not for the faint-hearthed. They are near Kingston now; how are they?