Elsanta now in Sweden
Printed From: myHanse.com
Category: Hints & Tips
Forum Name: 341 / 342
Forum Description: 341 / 342 Hints and Tims
URL: https://www.myhanse.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=4033
Printed Date: 27 March 2026 at 01:44
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Topic: Elsanta now in Sweden
Posted By: PALM
Subject: Elsanta now in Sweden
Date Posted: 28 May 2010 at 00:57
Finally I have Elsanta in Sweden. We made the trip from Chatham/UK to Gothenburg/Sweden on the 12-17/5. The weather forcast was not the best so we used the Kiel channel instead of the intended passage north of Denmark. It showed to be a good choise since there was 2 different Mayday on the VHF in the Danish area. Elsanta made a good job and we could keep an average speed of 6 KN over 635 NM.
 The graph show a 10 min moving average SOG.
 ------------- //Petter Almhagen S/Y Elsanta Hanse 342 #223 Gothenburg, Sweden |
Replies:
Posted By: Westcoast
Date Posted: 28 May 2010 at 06:14
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Welcome to Öckerö harbour!
/Westcoast
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Posted By: kirkelund
Date Posted: 28 May 2010 at 06:53
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Great Petter!! Well done. 6 knots average is a super performance, but hey, it's a 342  I can see that you eventually opted for the Kiel passage. Given the circumstances that was probably a good choice. I found the canal quite interesting when I sailed my 342 from Plymouth to Copenhagen in 11 days including a two days stay in Belgium, one in Cuxhaven and one in the canal. Not as hard core as you  Ole, Ishøj, Denmark |
Posted By: Eduard
Date Posted: 28 May 2010 at 11:21
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Interesting trip; CONGRATULATIONS!
It would nice if you could explain a little about how you navigated, if you use radar and/or ais, the sails you have used (gennaker?), etcetera. ------------- Ed sy "Nimby" Hanse 342 #611 (2007); white hull, (one) wheel steering, Selden mast & boom, furlex 200S, deep draught, two cabins, traveller in cockpit, DSC VHF, inboard ap, B&G Zeus + Triton (2x) |
Posted By: Peter-Blake
Date Posted: 28 May 2010 at 12:05
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Very nice and fast trip. Following your chart you had, except at the beginning, nearly all the time a nice wind angle. It seems you never had to tack How many people were on board? ------------- Blake 370 
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Posted By: Johan Hackman
Date Posted: 28 May 2010 at 20:25
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Welcome to Sweden, Elsanta! It must have been an exiting trip, Petter. Please let us hear more about it.
Johan -------------  http://www.johanhackman.se" rel="nofollow - http://www.johanhackman.se |
Posted By: nickflo
Date Posted: 28 May 2010 at 21:01
great j b in a very sh rt time, c ngratulatin n, ,
------------- S/Y Druid Hanse 342 #555 Kiel, Germany |
Posted By: PALM
Date Posted: 28 May 2010 at 21:08
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Some more details:
Navigation
Elsanta has a Raychart 435 at the navigation table. The navigator is small and can not be seen from the steering wheel.
We used also, in parallel to paper charts, a laptop with OpenCPN and vector chart.
Connected via USB was a GPS receiver , a NASAMARINE AIS receiver, a NASAMARINE NAVTEX and a iPhone.
The NASAMARINE USB AIS engine with a home made VHF antenna worked good.
The NASAMARINE USB NAVTEX picked a lot of information. When we learned to activate filters it was easy to find data of our interest.
When the iPhone got signal we used Ugrip to download GRIB-files (about every 12 hour). The GRIB files could be shown in OpenCPN or in Ugrib.
The laptop was placed on the navigation table on a rubber table clothing. This solution worked fine and the chart on the laptop screen was easily seen from the steering wheel.
Sailing From Chatham to Elbe entrance we had not much wind and as soon as the speed was below 6KN we used the machine.
We arrived Cuxhafen/Elbe entrance a wost possible time an had 2-4KN current against the last 20NM to Brunsbüttel.
From Kiel to Gothenburg it was very windy, so we had the main reef 2 and used reduced fock almost all the way, but made 7-8KN anyway.
In the Kiel channel there is no current and markers every KM, so we took the chance to carefully calibrate the log to be very accurate.
Living aboard Convenient!
 The shower aboard was used in the Kiel channel and appreciated.The cooking aboard went good. Some handles around the kitchen is needed for future offshore cooking.
We were 4 persons aboard and during the nights we made 4h shifts, 2 sleeping and 2 in cockpit.
Issues We had generall safety equipment aboard (life raft, flares etc) including a 30£ draft anchor. In the early morning the 2:nd day heading by machine without any wind, someone came up with the idea that we should test the draft anchor. The size was about dia=1m. We dropped the draft anchor at 5-6KN with a 30m rope. It took about 2 seconds until all four ribbons broke and the draft anchor was lost. It was lucky that we did not need to rely on that draft anchor.
 Our experince is that the main, also with 2:nd reef, is to much when tacking above 10m/s. Right, or just bad handling by us?  ------------- //Petter Almhagen S/Y Elsanta Hanse 342 #223 Gothenburg, Sweden |
Posted By: kirkelund
Date Posted: 28 May 2010 at 22:05
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Hi Petter Funny - we hit the Elbe under the exact same circumstances - or worse (around 19:00 CET). We had more than 5 knots current against us just before Cuhaven (we made over 6 knots through the water and only 0,5 knots over the ground)  We decided to stay the night over in Cuxhaven. You have to use a special technique entering Cuxhaven under such strong currents i.e. you go parallel to the shore line until the last second when turn suddenly into the harbour bassin Yeehaa Concerning the second reef: This should be enough to control the boat up to 14-15 m/s or 25 knots of wind in my opinion, especially when you have the original large rudder (as do you) Ole, |
Posted By: xenial
Date Posted: 29 May 2010 at 05:07
| Congratulations on what looked to be a very exciting trip and happy sailing in Sweden |
Posted By: Eduard
Date Posted: 29 May 2010 at 17:27
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Petter, thanks for the extra information.
Indeed, the mainsail on a 342 definately needs a third reef. ------------- Ed sy "Nimby" Hanse 342 #611 (2007); white hull, (one) wheel steering, Selden mast & boom, furlex 200S, deep draught, two cabins, traveller in cockpit, DSC VHF, inboard ap, B&G Zeus + Triton (2x) |
Posted By: kirkelund
Date Posted: 29 May 2010 at 18:29
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Hi Ed and Petter Well, I must admit that I have a third reef myself That said, I hope I never have to use it. If it is really necessary, stay in the harbour The third reef only leaves a tiny spread of canvas almost equivalent to a storm sail! Then again, that meas that you have storm sail readily at hand. I am seriously comtemplating getting rid of the third reef and fit a proper cunningham instead (now I only adjust the tension on the main halyard, which does not really do the job). @ Ed. I am curious to know if you have ever made use of the third reef. At what wind speed would you throw in the third reef? Surprised by heavy weather at sea? Ole, |
Posted By: Eduard
Date Posted: 29 May 2010 at 20:35
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Ole,
So far, I have never used the third reef. I keep on trying to avoid the circumstances under which I have to use the third reef.
In the middle of the first season with my 342 I have fitted a cunningham hole. I use the cunningham quite frequently before I have to set the first reef.
Regards ------------- Ed sy "Nimby" Hanse 342 #611 (2007); white hull, (one) wheel steering, Selden mast & boom, furlex 200S, deep draught, two cabins, traveller in cockpit, DSC VHF, inboard ap, B&G Zeus + Triton (2x) |