Kathena Nui
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The Kathena Nui is the most famous ship of the German sailor Wilfried Erdmann . With the 10.6 meter long aluminum sloop , Erdmann sailed around the world non-stop and one-handed twice .
history
The Kathena Nui was Erdmann's fifth sailing ship, but the first that he had built according to his ideas and requirements. He considered the used ships, with which he had already traveled around the world for several years, to be unsuitable for his project: in 1984 he wanted to sail around the world alone and non-stop from Kiel . Since such a circumnavigation inevitably leads around the two large capes feared by all seafarers ( Cape of Good Hope and Cape Horn ) and then long stretches in the stormy Southern Ocean, he needed a ship that could meet these requirements.
Initially, the ship was to be a 12 meter long cutter-rigged sloop with an aluminum hull. Sailing ships are generally considered to be safer and more stable against capsizing , the larger they are. A ship that is too big can no longer be sailed alone because of the effort required to operate the lines (the electric winches and trim options available today did not exist at that time). Mainly for financial reasons, the final design was then only 10.60 meters long. Erdmann only had the fuselage built by Dübbel & Jesse in Norderney ; he installed the entire interior with a map table, pantry and furniture himself. In just seven weeks he, with the help of his wife and friends, had built, tested and equipped the ship for the 300-day voyage around the world.
Erdmann's first non-stop circumnavigation of the world in 1984/85 in an easterly direction around the two capes took 271 days from Kiel to back to Kiel.
In 2000 he made the decision to sail around the world with Kathena Nui one more time, this time in the opposite direction, i.e. against the westerly winds that are common in the southern hemisphere. It took him 343 days for this trip west. After that, the ship was covered with a tarpaulin behind Erdmann's house for 14 years.
In 2015 Erdmann decided to go on another trip with his family, this time to Scotland , with his most famous ship, the Kathena Nui . The ship was still in perfect condition, but the biggest change for the most recent voyage was now a 14 HP built-in engine.
description
The Kathena Nui has an unpainted aluminum hull. The ship is cutter rigged and has a mast. Four bunks are built in, two amidships and two as aft dog bunks. On the port side of the companionway is the kitchenette, opposite the navigation and work table. The forecastle served as storage space during the long voyages. A wet cell was not installed because of the space required to equip such a long journey.
The Kathena Nui did not have a machine during both circumnavigations of the world, one was only installed in 2015 for the trip with the family.
literature
- Wilfried Erdmann ; Sailing - planning and practice - experiences of a circumnavigator; Edition Maritime; ISBN 978-3-667-10176-1
