TORQEEDO CRUISE 4.O FP
THE POD DRIVE
Voila....this is it. The old engine, the tank, the tubes, the smell, the fuel, the holes for emission and cooling water are all gone. They are being replaced by this little shining plug inside the boat, and the sleek pod and folding propeller underneath it.
ACT 2020
VOYAGE 2020:
Yes, we went sail racing in order to raise awareness for what has been called "Humanity's most important to-do list" – the United Nation's 17 Global Sustainable Development Goals – Agenda 2030.
Due to the Covid Pandemic some of the plans had to change but we managed to keep up the spirit, participate in five races and also sail all the way back to Stockholm after we were stopped by the boarder of Norway (Covid). We collected 2.580 Nautical Miles.
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PLAN: STOCKHOLM-OSLO, 4 RACES AND
2020 NAUTICAL MILES
We took off on June 11th from Stockholm, Sweden and we planned to finish at the end of August in Oslo, Norway...passing by via Denmark and possibly also Germany (depending on Corona regulations). We didn't quite make it as we could not enter Norway due to Corona. However, the races were sailed with our 100% female racing crew and the long-distance legs between the races were sailed together with our crew and guests. And Skipper Bertoft sailed the boat single-handed more or less non-stop all the 800 NM back to Stockholm - and participated in the Lidingo Runt race.
PRELIMINARY VOYAGE 2020 (EXCL RACES)
2020 NM - DISTANCES: LONG DISTANCE LEGS 1100 NM | RACING 500 NM | TRAINING AND PROMOTION 420 NM
WE SAILED FOUR (+1) RACES:
The plan was to attend 4 major races around Scandinavia. The pandemic made it complicated as some races were canceled and some postponed to a later date. Our female racing team did anyway attend four major sail racing competitions. The first race was a shorthanded 24-hour race in Stockholm, then we sailed the distance of the largest off-shore race in the Baltic Sea – Gotland Runt (the race was canceled due to Covid-19, but our team sailed the distance, starting at the original date and site). Then we sailed the largest race on the Swedish West Coast, Tjörn Runt. Then our team sailed Byxelkroken on the East Coast and finally, Skipper Bertoft participated single-handed in Lidingo Runt in Stockholm.
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RACE 1: KOLFIBERRODRET
REPLACING LIDINGÖ RUNT (COVID-CANCELLED)
JUNE 12TH | COURSE IN NORMAL WIND | APPROX 105 NAUTICAL MILES
JUNE 12TH | COURSE IN HARD WINDS | APPROX 105 NAUTICAL MILES
RACE 2: GOTLAND RUNT
COVID-CANCELLED...BUT WE'LL SAIL THE DISTANCE!
PART 2: JUNE 28TH - JULY 1ST | SANDHAMN AND GOTLAND | 310 NAUTICAL MILES
RACE 3: TJÖRN RUNT
AUGUST 15-16TH | GOTHENBURG | 35 NAUTICAL MILES
RACE 4: BYXELKROKEN
SEPTEMBER | VASTERVIK - BYXELKROK T.O.R | 60 NAUTICAL MILES
WE'RE A FEMALE RACING CREW
It started some 10 years ago in high school – the dream to sail Gotland Runt together – Scandinavia's largest and longest race. Last year, the three young talented sailors Hanna, Siri, and Hanna forwarded the idea to manifest their racing dream, together with a gender statement according to Goal no 5 in UN's Agenda 2030. Bam!...their inspiring idea was combined with our climate project and voyage around Scandinavia. Another trio of great sailors and friends – Elin, Inez, and Eva – were then recruited to join in and safeguard that at least four spectacular races will be sailed.
HANNA TORLÉN
Sailor since childhood. Holiday, racing and off shore long range.
Sailed the Carribean and Baltics. Crossed the Atlantic four times.
Sailraced inshore and offshore in Baltics. Deckhand at 50 M motor yachts. Rib Skipper. Member in Royal Clipper Sports Team.
Formal: Marine Gymnasium 2007-10. Coastal Yacht Master. Navigator High Speed RIB Boats. Basic Safety STCW 95. Medical ENG 1. PADI Open Water. VHF.
Work: Process Manager at Zynka Group.
SIRI REMBE
Sailor since childhood, from dingies, family keel boat sailing up to large sailing ships. Sailed the Carribean, the North Sea, and Baltics. Crossed the Atlantic.
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Sailraced at the Tall Ship Race.
Formal: Marine Gymnasium 2007-10. Coastal Yacht Master. Basic Safety STCW 95. PADI Open Water. VHF.
Work: Communication Officer SIDA
HANNA MARKLUND
Sailor since childhoodwith family in keel boats. Sailed the Carribean and Baltics. Crossed the Atlantic three times.
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Sailed large sailing ships. Sailing instructor for kids. Worked on 50 M motor yacht around the world. Sailed on an arctic ski cruise in Svalbard.
Formal: Marine Gymnasium 2007-10. Coastal Yacht Master. Basic
Safety STCW 95. PADI Open Water Diver. Medical ENG 1. VHF.
Work: Space engineer at OHB Sweden
ELIN CARLSSON
Sailor since childhood in the Baltics. Freeride skier across Europe during the winters.
Sailed the Baltic Sea and lake Mälaren
Work: Architectural engineer
INEZ ERIKSSON
Sailor since childhood. Since 2015, she and her sister owns and sails a Maxi 68. Sailed the Baltics and Swedish West Coast.
Sailraced her first Match Race summer 2019 in a Fareast 28R.
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EVA GRIM
Sailor since long time back, but boat compatible since childhood. Sailed the Baltic and Swedish West Coast and Mediterranean Sea. Sailed around Sweden – Gothenburg–Stockholm with a small crew in a 24/7 set up.
Formal: Navigator High Speed RIB Boats, VHF, Ship's officers Class VIII, Engineering officer Class VIII Motor Vessels.
Work: Delivery manager at Perido AB
WE SAILED ELECTRIC
So what's the deal with sailing electric? To avoid fossil fuels of course. And to be able to charge our batteries using The sun, the wind and our speed while sailing... the Torqeedo electric pod engine and its propeller can be used as a hydro generator when we sail above 5 knots. An engine that charges its own batteries by itself? We fell in love with that thought already in 2018 – it is in a sense an eternity machine. We have had some tech glitches with the hydrogeneration, but testing together with Torqeedo and their improvements and fine tuning has moved the performance forward. As an idea. it is still a role model solution within Goals 7, 12, 13 and 14 in UN's Agenda 2030.
Sailing electric is great on so many levels, we feel the silence, the clean air, and the direct propulsion (no more prayers – "please engine, start") are factors that make the most differences compared to our former fossil fuel engine. A shorter range is a factor as well of course, but that is very much related to habits. Slowing down and sailing more has been the solution. Looking back at the actual reason why we have a sailboat, those are of course important factors. The direct propulsion makes it safer to maneuver in tricky situations. It makes us better skippers. The gained space by getting rid of the engine inside the boat and not having a tank for fuel is a blessing we enjoy every day.
– Hello electric pod engine, the cable, a control unit and batteries. And hello all extra space.
– Bye-bye fossil fuel, the emissions, the tank, the tubes, the filters, the smell, the spill, the grease, the holes through the hull, the need for cooling water, the sound, the searching for and stopping at gas stations.
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WE WENT ZERO WASTE
Plastic pollution is one of the biggest threats to our oceans and wildlife today and packaging (single-use plastics) makes up 40% of the overall plastic demand. To avoid these materials is not easy, especially during travel but as a sustainability initiative and a Clean Seas Campaign affiliate it is our mission to “turn the tide on plastic”. So we challenged ourselves to be responsible for our waste as part of our footprint during this project.
We did not only eliminate our consumption of single-use plastics but also learned a lot about what it takes to go “zero waste” on a boat. Meaning implementing the 5 Rs as presented by Bea Johnson to reduce our waste as much as possible and ultimately send nothing to the land-fill. Team member Guri from Hawaii is at the forefront in developing zero waste lifestyles for travel, her experiences are mind-blowing and the benefits of such a sustainable and conscious lifestyle are more than obvious. They are definitely mirroring the ambitions of Goal no 12 and Goal no 13 in UN's Agenda 2030.
Guri designed and managed a tailor-made zero waste program onboard our boat – from the day we took off from Stockholm until we arrived back some three months later. The program is detailed in our Zero-Waste & Solar Food Policy and included an agreement for all crew members onboard the voyage. It explains how we will eliminate packaging, single-use plastics, and unsustainable waste, such as sourcing from local organic farms, bulk groceries, alternative storage methods, reusing materials, avoiding food waste, composting, responsible recycling, natural chemical-free products, sustainable handling of wastewater, and more.
Our progress and hardships have been posted in the blog.
GURI BIGHAM
Food Sourcing, Recipe Development, Zero-waste management onboard.
Globalist, author of book Heart of Raw Food. Sustainable food and Zero Waste Developer.
BRINGING YOUR OWN BAGS FOR BULK GROCERIES IS ONE OF THE WAYS TO AVOID SINGLE USE PLASTICS… IT IS A FAST GROWING TREND WORLDWIDE.
WE COOKED SOLAR FOOD
THE SOLAR OVEN ON DECK – USING NOTHING BUT THE REFLECTION OF SOLAR BEAMS WHEN COOKING...
Nude food, solar cooking, zero-emissions slow-food, organic farms, package-free provisions, plant-based recipes… You name it, we were digging deep into the field of food sustainability with the help of Guri Bigham. She has extensive experience in health and sustainable food development, preparation, and cooking. Living a natural and conscious lifestyle on the islands of Maui and Kauai in the middle of the Pacific Ocean has colored her senses and skills. We are stoked to have her in the team and look forward to sharing what we learn in sourcing, preserving, and storage onboard a small boat...and of course her healthy, tasty, and sustainable meals, snacks, and drinks.
We challenged ourselves to find, test, and use only renewable methods for cooking, refrigeration, and water heating onboard. This is detailed in our Zero-Waste & Solar Food Policy and includes an agreement for all crew members onboard the voyage.
SOURCING LOCAL ORGANIC FARMS ON TOUR
BOILING WATER ON SOLAR ENERGY.
COOKING ON SUSTAINABLE OPEN FIRE
GURI BIGHAM
Food Sourcing, Recipe Development, Zero-waste management onboard.
Globalist, author of book Heart of Raw Food. Sustainable food and Zero Waste Developer.
SLOW FOOD COOKING IN WONDERBAG.
WE'VE TRIED TOXIC-FREE
The boat paint industry wants us to repaint every year in order to sell more liters of paint. So, when a small, unknown coating startup launches a paint that not only is 100% toxic-free, releases no microparticles into the water (like the silicone coatings do) but also does its work for six seasons, the competitors do what they can to kick it out from the market.
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We also implemented toxic-free as apart of lifestyle onboard. Switching all cleaning and hygiene products from more or less toxic products sold in plastic bottles and plastic tubes, to non-toxic biodegradable products bought in bulk or made by us onboard.
SeaBoost OY from Finland is a brave David against Goliath in this business. Their story consists of many hardships but they are still kicking and doing it well. We love to support them after having tested their coating during three intense and long seasons. We know it works and we have experienced the "new" habit of having to brush the underwater hull once or twice during the season. It is a no-brainer. We started in 2018 and are still smiling when cleaning seawater salads and barnacles with a hand, a brush, or a cloth.
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Think this was just a boat? Wrong, we gave it away as a canvas for ocean art. Julia from Mexico is a graffiti artist who calls herself an "Ocean Artivist" and she made magic happen on that hull in the spring...
SAMPLES OF JULIA'S TINY INK DRAWINGS IN BLACK AND WHITE – SHE IS NOW SKETCHING ON A LARGER SCALE...
WE CREATED OCEAN-ARTIVISM
We support new sustainable initiatives and biological solutions and are proud to announce our Ocean Artivism Project – raising awareness about the need for action now according to the Sustainable Development Goal no 14 in UN's Agenda 2030. So by using our hull as a canvas for Julia Moldonado's creative and inspirational expressions we hoped to stir up some thoughts. She went all-in with her characteristic "ink-art" using our biocide and toxic-free coating directly on our hull. Wow, did she create attention...check the unveiling blog post.
You see, the coating "underdog" manufacturer Seaboost, with their toxic-free coating, teamed up with us already in 2018. We experienced a new hard surface coating and how easy it was to clean the underwater hull that season – despite warm waters and a few intensive barnacle periods. Wiping the hull clean was an easy fix with the brushes, a cloth, or simply by hand.
Toxic painting and its hazardous effects on marine life have been a severe issue around the world for too long now – and it still is. We need to show more respect to the oceans, seas, and lakes and stop poisoning them. Now. Right?
JULIA MOLDONADO
Ocean Artivist and Street
Art Graffiti Painter. Grew up on Cozumel Island, Gulf of Mexico, in a snorkeling and scuba diving family. Illustrator and crafter, studying Digital Creative Media at Hyper Island University.