"As soon as I get to my boat, I'm totally in the here and now." Clemens Richter skilfully rows his dinghy off the Dinghy Bridge of the Yacht Club Meteor, which was founded in Gdansk in 1923. His "Firecrest II" is moored at buoy 24 off the beach in Eckernförde-Borby. On this bright summer morning, the sun makes the Baltic Sea water glisten, which is so clear here that the view extends unhindered to the sandy bottom at a depth of three metres.
The sailor carefully goes alongside on the starboard side of the classic "Firecrest II". The wooden boat, a 19th century English cutter, is small and sturdy. The stern is straight, the yacht stern conspicuously long, the hull high-sided. The deck is smooth, interrupted only by a small, circular cockpit with two narrow skylights in front of and behind the companionway.
The sight of the classic "Firecrest II" never ceases to delight the owner
"I meditate regularly, but I don't need to on board," explains Richter. Arriving in the here and now begins with rowing out. He has long dreamed of a mooring with crystal-clear water from which he can sail off without any obstacles. That's why, after ten years on the Schlei, he moved to Eckernförde Bay - from the jetty at the "Schleiperle" restaurant to the buoy field. "If I haven't been on board for a few days, I sometimes go round the classic 'Firecrest' first and enjoy the sight of her. Then I slowly approach her and stroke the hull before going on board." The relationship between owner and boat is a special one.
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Clemens Richter was born in 1952 to an artist couple in Möltenort on the Kiel Fjord. He began writing at an early age, first a diary at the age of eleven, then all kinds of texts. To this day, not a day goes by without him picking up a pen. He also discovered his love of the visual arts at an early age - and of the sea. He devoured the classics of sailing literature and soon dreamed of a boat like the "Firecrest" by French long-distance sailor Alain Gerbault. Only a world-travelling sailing boat of his own would be able to satisfy his growing wanderlust. First, however, he was drawn to faraway places for work: Richter signed on to a cargo ship in 1971. He spent a total of 20 years at sea. First as a sailor worldwide, then as a helmsman, and finally as a captain on a long voyage, who also has a degree in industrial engineering in his pocket.
The gaff cutter is modelled on an English design by Alain Gerbault
He did not lose sight of his own yacht. Although his budget was not sufficient to build a twelve-metre cutter like the one Gerbault sailed, it was enough for an 8.5-metre version. The sailor built it himself from wood during his nautical studies and named it "Firecrest" after its completion in 1983. "I was afraid that I wouldn't find a fancy name suitable after a few years," explains the now 65-year-old. "That's why I chose this name, as Gerbault's ship was my inspiration."
He wrote his first book about his voyages with the classic gaff cutter: "Mit Firecrest rund Fünen". In June 1986, he and his girlfriend Christine Nissen set off on an extended ocean voyage without electronic aids to the Caribbean, which ended after the second Atlantic crossing in 1987. In order to have more time for their son Max, Captain Richter gave up travelling at sea for several months in 1988. Max now goes to sea himself and has a captain's licence.
The owner of "Firecrest II" also devotes himself to artistic projects
Former cargo ship captain Clemens Richter, on the other hand, became a writer and project artist. Until 1991, occasional jobs on ships helped him to earn a living. In the meantime, he has published around 30 books, which he illustrated himself: in addition to the cruise report "Firecrest on an Atlantic Voyage", he has published maritime reference books and books about his second great passion, flying. He has also published books on meditative archery, the Middle Ages and several novels.
Richter repeatedly devotes himself to extensive (artistic) projects. As such, he also started building his "Firecrest II" in 1999. In the first few years, he built his own design "on the side", then as a "sideline" with four days of manual labour per week. "But no condolences! It was the path of least resistance. Not doing it would have been more difficult," Richter once wrote.
The seven-year construction history is precisely documented. Each of the 3,506 hours of work is noted in the construction diary. Notes and sketches of details supplement the entries. They include the dimensions of the structure above the companionway, which he initially built from cardboard as a trial. And how he managed to turn the hull, which weighed less than 1,000 kilograms, with the help of a crate of beer, a lot of sailors from the nearby pub, two buoys and a pile of old mattresses.
The (construction) history of the classic is documented in books
The classic "Firecrest II" was launched in 2006. As described in the last chapter of his book "Firecrest on an Atlantic voyage", she is much easier to handle than her predecessor with gaff main, jib, jib, flyer and topsail. "I want to be ready to sail in half an hour and set off," explains Richter and shows on board that every move is perfect. The mainsail's sailcloth is quickly removed and the jib and jib are attached. The jib is set on the fly - the luff takes over the task of the forestay - pulled to the nock of the two-metre-long jib boom with the outhaul and rolled away with a simple furling device. The forestay also serves as a water stay.
The sturdy mast stands unsupported far forward in the bow. The self-builder has given the purchased GRP flagpole a wooden veneer. "The mast weighs around 80 kilograms and is extremely robust. I've already had a few knockdowns with the boat and it has survived them all."
Richter removes the outboard motor from the pushpit. Once he has removed the round cover in the port side locker, he can insert the 3.5 hp outboard through the opening in the hull and mount it in its well; "I can also turn the outboard and therefore manoeuvre it very well". There is also a long belt on deck for harbour manoeuvres without the engine rattling. "This makes it easy to get the classic underway. I also use the markings on it for plumbing."
The classic is easy to sail single-handed - an advantage
The line to the mooring buoy is secured with a slipsteak from the jib sheet. When the engine is running, Richter releases the line connection and chugs off. The author, who sails almost exclusively alone, operates his classic "Firecrest II" single-handed without any problems. The tiller is locked in place with a chain and Richter sets the mainsail and jib, which are tensioned around the mast. "The hoped-for advantages of the unstayed mast have been fully realised. Even in strong winds, the mainsail is easy to set without having to go into the wind. Reefing in, out, jibing - everything is absolutely easy."
Once the jib has been furled, "Firecrest II" slowly but steadily steers her course in two winds. Next to the passing Hallberg-Rassy 29 or an overtaking trimaran, the small wooden cutter looks like something from a bygone era. The steering compass in the brass housing and the traditional fittings also contribute to this. These were actually only available in stainless steel; Richter trimmed them to look old with an Owatrol primer.
Thanks to the wind self-steering system, the solo sailor is self-sufficient. If he steers by himself, he sits on deck, which is made of pine on laminated deck beams and covered with teak mouldings. He stretches his legs into the cockpit, which is only the size of a barrel. According to Richter, the ship's movements are extremely pleasant even in rough seas. The small boat sails extremely dry.
Overall, "Firecrest II" is a successful project
What it doesn't like at all, however, are upwind courses against waves - that's where "Firecrest II" gets bogged down. "But from 60 degrees to the wind, she starts to run," the owner affirms. "And she sails absolutely marvellously on a half-wind or room-sheet course."
Clemens Richter looks happy as he cruises off Eckernförde. Once again this year, he only put his boat in the water in June. Before that, he was once again travelling as a seminar leader for meditative archery in monasteries in Germany and South Tyrol. He has built numerous medieval longbows since the early nineties and has written books about them as well as about knightly martial arts.
Richter has also intensified his involvement in the visual arts in recent years, specialising in experimental photography. The amateur pilot uses his open canvas-covered Kiebitz-B 9 biplane for his "Lufträume" project with large-format photographs. He spent seven years building the aircraft from the pioneering days of aviation himself in a barn in Angeln. In the summer of 2017, the art lateral entrant was one of only ten Germans to show his work at NordArt. The annual exhibition is one of the largest in Europe for contemporary art.
He will soon be adding underwater shots to his experimental photography with self-built helmet diving equipment and a pinhole camera. Before that, he still has to dismantle the photo location of a Chinese brothel from the 1920s. "Somehow I'm usually preoccupied with times gone by. Maybe I was born a hundred years too late," the artist surmises.
The owner is busy - and has many plans and projects
In any case, his multifaceted work prevented him from taking a longer trip again last summer. The buoys have to be taken out of the water off Eckernförde at the beginning of October. Then it's off to the crane on the Schlei and shortly afterwards into winter storage in Kiesby. Despite the short season, Clemens Richter is on board for around 40 to 50 days a year. He sails about every other day. "I also just row out to 'Firecrest II', sit on board and enjoy life." However, it doesn't usually take long for the thought "I have to get out, I have to get between the islands" to resurface. Then he sails off again. The restless traveller has sailed around Funen a few times. So far, however, the trips have never lasted longer than two, maximum three weeks.
When the author is travelling, he likes to anchor. His friend, the circumnavigator Wilfried Erdmann, recommended the bow anchor he uses. Richter uses the peace and quiet of the anchorage "almost constantly to write" - regardless of whether he is sitting on or below deck with his notepad and clipboard. The companionway ladder leads down to the small cabin, which offers more space than expected thanks to a sensible layout. To starboard is a chart table that still deserves its name. Here, under the sliding hatch of the companionway, it is easy to work standing up - for example, when Clemens Richter conscientiously keeps the journal of his "Firecrest II"; it is now his third. In front of it is a bench that can also serve as a narrow berth.
The classic "Firecrest II" is created in sailor style and with an eye for detail
The massive mast dominates far forward. The keel bearings and deck reinforcements are very strongly dimensioned. Seaworthiness was a clear priority during construction. A small, swivelling table is attached to the mast.
On the short settee on the port side are the handy sail bags of other small headsails. Behind it is a steel and brass wood-burning stove, Richter detests the cold and wet on board. The stove with its flue pipe protected by sheet copper is - what else - designed and built by him personally. He smoothed out the rather rough weld seams with an angle grinder. "Deep down, I've always been a sailor, which is why I built everything 'sailor-style'. That applies to the stove as well as the hull."
If the boat looks good from ten metres away, that's good enough for Clemens Richter. If he had filled and sanded the hull, which was built using a strip construction method and covered with glass fibre fabric and epoxy resin, even more accurately, he would have been on the water several hundred working hours later.
A narrow passageway leads aft past the small galley with sink and single-burner, semi-cardanically suspended spirit cooker. The owner's cabin located there is very inviting. The berth to starboard, which extends to the angled transom, is large, and the traditional skylight ensures that the bright cabin is flooded with light. It also offers the 1.80 metre tall owner standing height for dressing and undressing. It's a good place to be.
It is not surprising that Clemens Richter is still hoping for a long voyage with his "Firecrest II". He draws inspiration for this from one of Alain Gerbault's voyages. It would certainly provide the prolific writer with material for another book. The subject: about sailing like in another time.
Technical data gaff cutter "Firecrest II":
- Designer: Clemens Richter
- Construction method: moulding construction
- Construction time: 1999-2006, self-built
- Hull length: 6.50 m
- Waterline length: 5.20 m
- Overall width: 2.30 m
- Draught: 1.25 m
- Mainsail: 16.0 m²
- Jib: 4.0 m²
- Jib: 5.0 m²
- Displacement: 3.5 tonnes
- Ballast/proportion: 1.0 t/28.6 %
