It is an emotional moment. Philippe Carlier, the owner - otherwise a rather level-headed guy, after all he flew jumbo jets - runs across the deck like a startled squirrel. The daughter and co-owner sheds a tear or two. The shipyard crew has gathered on the quay. Even the seasoned boatbuilders are unusually unpragmatic. It takes around two and a half years to complete a project like this, including engineering and construction. Now the aluminium yacht is leaving the shipyard. For good.
A final "Thank you!" sounds from the bow. Back comes the Dutch wish for a "behouden vaart", a safe journey. The co-operation with the shipyard was trusting, even more so: cordial. When the owners told us at a construction meeting that they had actually wanted to set up a brewery, in typical Belgian fashion, but then decided in favour of the ship and charter company, a K & M employee offered to produce the beer according to the owners' specifications; he runs a small hobby brewery in Harlingen. This is how the company's own "Qilak" beer is created.
Naming after own beer
However, when it comes to turning the aluminium yacht in front of the shipyard and sailing away towards Harlingen, the owner and skipper is immediately professional again: a stern spring, a little help from the wind and the heavyweight turns calmly. This is followed by a small moment of shock: with the keel raised and because of the double rudders, the boat needs some speed to complete the turn and overcome the drift. The skipper looks positively to the future, saying that he still has to learn all this.
More about aluminium yachts:
On the way out of the harbour, the daughter and co-owner tells the story of the "Qilak": "I lived in Hamble in the south of England for a while and worked in a pub. That's where I came into contact with the designers at Owen Clarke. They immediately understood what we wanted to do with the ship. That's how the collaboration came about."
The "Qilak" can be sailed with a small crew
Once on the IJsselmeer off Makkum, a few sailing manoeuvres are to be practised before heading for the Wadden Sea. The first step is to raise the main. The 1:2 ratio halyard helps to raise the 124 square metres. North Sails has used a very stable laminate - no wonder with a specification that includes expedition sailing in high latitudes with guests and a ship weight of 44 tonnes. Accordingly, the last few metres are hauled with one of the three electric winches.
The aluminium yacht should be navigable with a small crew, so such aids are essential. The mast itself is braced with rod rigging. In order to avoid having to loosen or retighten the tensioners - as there is a risk of the threads seizing up - the mast can be raised a few tenths of a millimetre with the help of two hydraulic rams and a thick rod that is inserted through the mast. Shims are then removed from under the mast; the rig is loose and can be lowered. If necessary, thicker plates are simply inserted for retrimming.
The aluminium yacht sails elegantly
Finally the sail is up, the jib is quickly unfurled and off we go to the wind. The huge ship sets off immediately. The steering feel, well, at least it's there. A wind edge can be found. That's surprising for such a monster. And on the windward side, the clock quickly shows eight or more knots. That's quite a lot happening. The owner stands at the bow and looks down. He is satisfied: despite the large width of the stem, the aluminium yacht cuts cleanly through the water.
And although the average wind is 14 knots and the keel has to remain fully upright, the yacht sails almost upright; the large beam makes this possible. Of course, the drift is correspondingly large. The owner, all pilot, asks for a "crash tack", an emergency tack, which is a "safety drill". This involves beating the ship over stays at full speed. The jib is back, you lie alongside, the boat stops. All of this works perfectly. However, we are drifting to leeward at 2.5 knots.
However, the keel has to stay up because the 3.57 metre draught is simply too much for the shallow IJsselmeer. The design, on the other hand, only allows two sailing positions: all the way up or all the way down.
Successful training programme
After a few more training manoeuvres, "Qilak" finally sets off for Harlingen. This involves passing through the lock to the Wadden Sea. Although it is nine metres wide, it suddenly seems much narrower, so massive does the 66-footer feel at the helm. But even this manoeuvre is ultimately a success.
The engine comes into play further along the way, so it's time to take a closer look at the interior of this extraordinary format. Yes, there is a sauna, a room with a urinal, the woodwork in bamboo is of the finest quality and fits in perfectly with the character of the ship. There are height-adjustable bunk beds in the cabins, which can be used either as storage space or as a place to sleep. Another beautiful detail: the beam under the shrouds, which almost runs through the saloon table.
Complicated technology on board the aluminium yacht
But all this is just a pretty accompaniment to the technology on board. At first glance, it seems very complex and not necessarily suitable for use far away from civilisation. There are bus systems for various electrical consumers and the navigation electronics, full equipment with everything Mastervolt has to offer, and technology as sophisticated as it is vulnerable, such as heated helmsman's chairs. Great on superyachts, but perhaps not quite suitable on a sailing boat, where the watch sometimes sits on deck in wet oilskins after a sail check.
At second glance, however, it becomes clear that very solid technology has been installed in the key areas. First of all, there are the tanks and their capacities: 3.7 tonnes of water, 4,600 litres of diesel. They are obviously designed for long stays away from any petrol station. Thanks to the generator and flywheel generator behind the diesel, there is also enough power.
To ensure that the machine always works reliably, a sophisticated fuel system with a day tank and large filters including water separators was installed. It goes without saying that these also report when water is found in the diesel. To avoid being slowed down by ice in the cooling water intake in cold weather, there are cooling surfaces in the outer skin for both the drive and the generator. These are filled with glycol and therefore do not freeze.
Technical considerations and advantages
The exhaust does not require water cooling. It ends in the equipment carrier aft very high above the waterline; water hammer is therefore ruled out. Unfortunately, the outlet is exactly at the helmsman's head height - unfavourable in aft winds.
The shaft is grease-lubricated. A press is located in the centre of the engine room. This also protects it from frost damage; a water-lubricated system would be a safety risk in ice, as the stern tube would be full of water and could therefore freeze and burst.
All these considerations ensure that the drive works, electricity is always available and water comes out of the tanks. Furthermore, the hull of the ship is very solidly built: the aluminium plates are 25 millimetres thick in the keel and rudder area, 10 on the waterline and 8 above. That should hold up. This means that the yacht can also fall dry on the raised keel and rudders.
The "Qilak" is very efficient
The drive also has a special feature: a so-called CPP, which stands for Convertible Pitch Propeller, has been installed. This means that the pitch can be adjusted. This is done using a 10 millimetre thick rod, which is moved in a 12 millimetre hole drilled lengthways into the 65 millimetre thick propeller shaft.
"This allows the pitch to be adapted to the respective load situation, which is very efficient," says Eeuwe Kooi, owner of K&M Yachtbuilders. "If you have to motor long distances in calm conditions, you can set the pitch high and manage with a low engine speed. If you have to go against the wind and waves, a smaller pitch helps. The whole thing is controlled from the wheelhouse, also based on the engine's exhaust gas temperature," continues Kooi. As the propeller blades are pre-balanced, adjustment is very easy, even manually in the engine room if necessary.
Aluminium yacht with large diesel tanks in the hull
The diesel tanks are another technical centrepiece. They are double-walled on the outside and yet form an integral part of the hull. This ensures that no diesel can get into the water in the event of damage to the outer skin. This is important in view of possible future navigation regulations for sensitive Arctic waters. At the same time, the double-walled design helps to reinforce the structure of the ship. "That was a real challenge for our welders," reports Kooi.
Various standpipes in the ship are less of a challenge and more of a good idea. One such pipe protrudes from the engine room: "That's for the water maker, if we still want to install it. First, we'll see if we can manage without it given the capacity on board," says the owner. And the two pipes in the forepeak? "They were installed to take samples, even under the ice when we are frozen, to see what it looks like under the ship with a camera and, of course, for fishing in the ice," says the owner, describing his plan.
The forepeak is not only huge and the second watertight compartment of a total of five when viewed from the front, but also the storage location for the two 100 metre long anchor chains. "Qilak" has two 70-kilogram anchors, each solid enough to hold the ship even in 60 knots of wind. And, as I said, there are two of them.
Practical thinking on board the "Qilak"
The owner therefore likes to have reserves, possibly a reminiscence of his work as a pilot, as aeroplanes generally have this too. The desire for redundancy is also evident in the deck saloon. You can access it from the cockpit of the aluminium yacht through a watertight door. However, according to the CE recreational craft directive, this is not sufficient to achieve the highest category A classification (formerly "high seas"); this requires a 30 centimetre high bridge deck. The shipyard also solves this problem and comes up with a metal plate which, as required, can only be removed with tools. The door can then only be closed with difficulty, but the CE standard is satisfied. It is not known whether the plate will remain in place for a long time or whether it will disappear into the forecastle box after individual approval.
The upper saloon can also be rinsed out with water. If a crew member is unwell, the consequences can simply be flushed away; everything is collected in a sump and pumped outboard.
From the deckhouse to the interior of the ship, there is another, much smaller door, more like a manhole. This acts as a kind of airlock or vestibule to protect the interior; water ingress must be avoided at all costs. "The deckhouse was initially intended to be a cold shelter in which to keep watch, with pipe benches and no fixtures. However, we were able to convince the owner to heat the deck saloon, not least because of the long watches that are kept there," reports Eeuwe Kooi.
Robustness for rough waters
The inward-sloping windscreen at the front of the superstructure ensures a clear view ahead. The large window areas on the sides are designed to withstand enormous sea impact. Nevertheless, as with all windows, there are impact plates for when the going gets really tough. That's exactly what you want to experience on a ship like this, at least briefly. However, the "Qilak" and her crew will hopefully be spared this on their voyages.
After all, the plan to spend around 90 days a year travelling north for the summer, then south for the summer there and back to northern climes means, at least in theory, that you always follow the warm season. Just as the Arctic tern - after which the yacht is named - does. However, it remains to be seen whether the aluminium yacht with all its technology will be able to keep up with the small but fast migratory bird.
This article first appeared in YACHT 1/2019 and has been revised for this online version.
Technical data aluminium yacht "Qilak"
- Designer: Owen Clarke
- Total length: 20.07 m
- Width: 6.14 m
- Sail area: 248 m²
- Draught: 1.70-3.57 m
- Weight: 44 tonnes
- Diesel tank capacity: 4600 litres
- Water tank capacity: 3730 litres
