- Planned from the outside in
- "Kathena nui" - a compromise?
- Is Dübbel & Jesse building for the Have-Not?
- Time is running out
- The expansion concept - practical
- The equipment - simple and high quality
- The navigation tools - simple
- "Kathena's" character : simple, solid and reliable
- Wilfried sticks to the tried and tested
- Wilfried's credo: Simplify!
- "Kathena" is being rebuilt
- "Kathena" gets an engine
- The farewell
- The book
The story of Wilfried and the yacht, which has achieved more than any other under the German flag, began with a longing. During his first three major voyages - his single-handed circumnavigation from 1966 to 1968, the second circumnavigation as a honeymoon with Astrid from 1969 to 1972 and the South Seas voyage with Astrid and Kym from 1976 to 1979 - Wilfried realised what kind of boat he would want for his next major ventures.
He had sailed long keels made of wood, steel and GRP, had experienced storms and doldrums in them and had travelled to the South Seas three times, the dream destination of many sailors. But now he was attracted to a new area. One that would be anything but warm and paradisiacal, but rather remote and stormy, lonely and far, cold and rough.
To achieve this, he wanted a design that was unrivalled on the market: not an off-the-peg ship, but one that was designed for tough use in inhospitable sea areas. More workboat than yacht, built to circumnavigate all the capes.
More about Wilfried Erdmann:
In his book "Der blaue Traum" (The Blue Dream), published in 1983, Wilfried: "Today I want an aluminium yacht. A centre keeler with a skeg rudder and a small displacement. Eleven to twelve metres long and rigged as a cutter - I'd keep the interior spartan, with two decent sized berths, such aA large chart table with a comfortable seat and a cooking area with a paraffin cooker are enough - but put a lot of effort and expense into the "Rs": hull, steering gear, rigging, railing and life raft. If I have confidence in these things, not much else can happen apart from shipwreck."
Planned from the outside in
Looking back, one realises that Wilfried was not just playing mind games at the time. He already had a very concrete idea of the what and the what for. What he was describing was "Kathena nui" personified. He spared himself the life raft on his last trip for weight reasons. His ship seemed to have convinced him that it was sufficiently safe.
He describes his plans in more detail: "I initially planned a twelve-metre-long aluminium sloop. Firstly, I wanted it to be at least that size because I had a huge amount of respect for the stormy Antarctic latitudes. Secondly, I wanted to use the ship for charter trips and training trips after the voyage to earn a living."
A record-breaking single-handed, non-stop trip around the world was to be the highlight of his sailing career. As the first German, once again. However, the funds for the project and the construction of his new yacht were scarce right from the start. "My dream ship got smaller month by month during the planning phase"he writes, "and, like many new buildings, a compromise."
"Kathena nui" - a compromise?
It would never occur to any sailor to call "Kathena nui" a compromise. Especially not in view of what the ship has achieved on its two non-stop voyages.
No matter where Wilfried has moored in recent years: A cluster of people soon stood in awe in front of "Kathena nui" - a name that every sailor knows. With her, Wilfried created the archetype of a go-anywhere yacht.
The summer of 2024 marked the 40th anniversary of her launch. On 3 August 1984, "Kathena nui" was launched for the first time on Norderney after several months of construction.
Finding a shipyard for his boat initially proved to be no easy task for Wilfried. He spent a whole year visiting every conceivable company, talking to specialists - and finally ended up at Dübbel & Jesse on Norderney, which at the time was known for high-priced luxury yachts. "They don't build a dumpy hull for have-nots like me. I can't afford them", says Wilfried before he even sets off.
Is Dübbel & Jesse building for the Have-Not?
But Uwe Dübbel is not only a boat builder, he also designs yachts in his spare time, and he happens to have a suitable design in his drawer: the Nordsee 34.
"You want a ship with beautiful lines," argues the shipyard boss, "there are enough ugly German circumnavigators out there." And there is something else in favour of this boat: it is not a prototype. Dübbel & Jesse have already built half a dozen.
Wilfried likes the lines. However, in his opinion, the superstructure, bow and transom require some modifications, which Dübbel is only prepared to make after much discussion.
In his book "The Magic Route", Wilfried writes: "We go to the office, which is above the workshop, and want to discuss the changes I would like to see in a possible build. After three hours, we agree: the building will be 10.50 metres long and 3.27 metres wide; rigged as a cutter, the hull shape changed, the keel extended, the bow lowered, the transom straightened, superstructure only up to the mast, five aluminium bulkheads inside, two of which are welded watertight, ice reinforcement on the bow, thicker sheet metal and, and ..."
"Kathena nui" is ready. She should be afloat by 15 June 1984 at the latest. Not too early, considering that Wilfried only orders an empty hull from the shipyard, which he wants to remove himself before departure in late summer.
Time is running out
When the boat is still not ready in mid-July, Wilfried starts to get nervous, as he has to keep to his departure date at the end of August to avoid getting caught in the autumn storms of the southern hemisphere in the Southern Ocean.
Whilst still at the shipyard, he begins to fit out the interior, with Astrid and Kym helping him. Part of the layout is already defined by the two watertight sections that seal off the bow and stern of the hull from the interior. Kathena nui" therefore does not have a forward cabin, but instead has storage space with a large sail load in the bow, only accessible from above through a watertight aluminium hatch.
Wilfried also designed the cabin with a more functional focus: two dog bunks, which can also be used as storage space, a simple L-shaped galley to port, and a chart table measuring 110 x 72 centimetres to starboard, which is enormous from today's perspective, because the Admiralty Charts - the charts he will use to navigate around the world - have this size when unfolded.
"The solid chart table was the centre of the cabin for me. I used it for drawing, reading, writing, working - and of course for navigating"he explains. However, he does not envisage a cosy seating area with a saloon table, as can be found on all other yachts.
On such long sea voyages, especially through the cold and rough Southern Ocean, you spend most of your time below deck, trying to wedge yourself against the bucking movements of the boat in order to find peace and relaxation.
The expansion concept - practical
The best place to do this is in the bunk. That's why the interior is dominated by two sea berths in the saloon, the place with the least movement.
"I didn't need a toilet for this long journey", writes Wilfried. A bailer fulfils the same purpose and cannot clog.
The skipper spends weeks working with sketches to find the right dimensions for all the components. The height of the berth benches (40 centimetres), the depth of the lockers (40 centimetres), the width of the worktop in the galley (42 centimetres) - it is important to him to find the exact dimensions for everything, because a yacht that is perfectly tailored to his needs makes life on such a long sea voyage more pleasant.
He only miscalculates the headroom. "My clear deck height is only 1.82 metres. Unfortunately - I would have liked 1.84 to 1.88 metres. But the water tank is under the saloon and the height of its flange was not taken into account."
The equipment - simple and high quality
When it comes to choosing equipment, Wilfried always opts for the simplest and best quality option. The rig is top-rigged, with a cutter stay, backstays and double backstay.
The halyards run on the outside of the mast, where they are also set and used, because deflections cause friction and would put unnecessary strain on the rigging. The sailcloth is heavier than usual on 34-foot boats, and Wilfried runs the headsails on staysails, not furling systems.
For the self-steering system, he chooses an Aries, which he has already had good experience with on "Kathena faa" in the South Seas. It is mounted on two tubes welded to the transom, with the steering lines running directly to the heavy wooden tiller via two blocks. A second system travels in the sail load as a reserve.
The cockpit is long enough to be able to lie stretched out, and the cockpit tub is small enough due to the wide bridge deck so that it can absorb little water even when a wave comes in. If the cockpit does fill up, underarm-thick bilge pipes ensure rapid drainage.
Instead of a traveller, Wilfried mounts a sturdy eyebolt. Simplicity always takes centre stage. What is not there cannot break. A concept that runs through the entire ship.
The plug-in bulkhead is 18 millimetres thick and in two parts. Wilfried completely dispenses with a sliding hatch, opting instead for an aluminium folding hatch, which he provides with thick seals and can securely lash down below deck with the help of a mainsheet buoy, so that the boat is as tight as a Tupperware box even when upside down.
The only ventilation Wilfried installed on the deckhouse was a small wind scoop without a dorade box, so that he had to keep it closed at all times in rough seas. One can only imagine how bad the air below deck must have been in this aluminium box on the long sea voyages in the Southern Ocean.
The navigation tools - simple
Modern technology, which today makes it easier than ever for many sailors to cross the oceans, was not yet available back then. Wilfried's means of navigation were therefore extremely simple: to determine his position, he took a sextant reading of the sun once a day and the only technical aid he used was a mechanical log.
On departure, "Kathena nui" only has a small 12-volt battery for a lamp and two sockets on the chart table. Wilfried uses paraffin lamps for reading and warmth, and even as position lamps, for which he carries a supply of 60 litres in canisters on board.
In his guidebook "Sailing with Wilfried Erdmann", the solo skipper writes after his first trip: "I would almost say that 'Kathena nui' is my dream boat. I hardly want any changes. Just these: lighter canvas; a masthead basket to make working on the mast less dangerous; more camber in the deck to make the interior more habitable; the companionway and forward hatch a little bigger and a few centimetres more headroom in the cabin. And: If I were to come back to money, a teak deck would be due. Not only is it easy to maintain, it also gives an incredible feeling of safety in wet conditions."
"Kathena's" character : simple, solid and reliable
The first non-stop circumnavigation lasts 271 days. During this time, Wilfried travelled a total of 30,183 nautical miles. This results in an average distance travelled of 111 nautical miles per day and an average speed of 4.64 knots over the entire route.
No, it's not really fast. The short waterline sets natural limits for the boat, which is extremely small for this route. Only length works. But "Kathena Nui" doesn't sail badly for its size, and Wilfried does his best to keep the boat running smoothly at all times.
On the lid of a locker above his bunk, he notes the miles sailed each day. He logs the best time in the south-east trade winds: 167 nautical miles. The worst was 20 nautical miles at the height of the equator. Worried about the often strong winds, Wilfried preferred to have the mast built a little shorter, which paid off in the calms.
On his second non-stop circumnavigation of the globe, his record looks much more bitter, due to the many headwinds, the tough cross courses and physical exhaustion. It took him 343 days at sea to cover 31,362 nautical miles, resulting in an average distance travelled of 91 nautical miles and an average speed of 3.8 knots.
Wilfried sticks to the tried and tested
An ordeal you have to be born for. Without wishing to diminish the achievement, some readers wondered at the time why Wilfried set off again for the second trip with almost exactly the same equipment.
Of course, he had a lot of new sails and new lines on board - but everything was again made of simple, tried and tested material: Dacron cloth, polyester rigging. He could undoubtedly have sailed faster with membrane sails, Dyneema-core lines and an electric autopilot.
Even after the second non-stop circumnavigation 15 years later, Wilfried has identified some areas for improvement: "For this trip, the following additional equipment would have been advantageous - body-wise and mile-wise: two self-tailing winches in the cockpit; a self-tailing winch on the mast for the main halyard, especially when reefing; cutter stay with furling system; mast baskets; wind measuring system for more optimal courses; mast steps up to the spreaders; a blister or similar headsail; handles to the right and left of the cooker."
Many years later, fans even theorised that Wilfried would have been back home many weeks faster with adequate equipment. But that would probably not have been his wish. If in doubt, he would rather get on his old racing bike to cycle to India again than on a modern carbon bike or even an e-bike.
After all, if the aim was to get back home quickly and easily, he wouldn't have needed to set off at all because there is no convenient course. It was always the sporting performance that appealed to him. The challenge. The perseverance. And not the quick arrival.
However, Wilfried was not someone who was completely closed to modern technology until the end. On the second circumnavigation, he at least had a small Honda generator, a satellite phone and a GPS device on board.
Wilfried's credo: Simplify!
However, he always chose such things carefully. He wrote as early as 1983: "Avoid cramming your boat with accessories and technology, because the success and certainly not the experience of a sailing trip does not lie in this, but in simplifying things. Basically: the boat and accessories should not be easy to handle, but simple!"
His success proves him right. With the spartan but robustly equipped ship, Wilfried sailed around the world non-stop on his own twice, while other projects failed before or shortly after the start. "The 'Kathena nui' exceeded all my expectations, and that's why I kept it", states the exceptional sailor. When asked about new plans, he concludes the book "The Magic Route" with the words: "I'm aimless at the moment. I'll keep 'Kathena nui' - just in case, because you can do anything with a boat."
"Kathena" is being rebuilt
Other sailors are also interested in its aluminium construction. For a while, efforts were made to build a small series of this type of boat at a shipyard near Bremen, not as the Nordsee 34, but in the Erdmann version with a short superstructure and modifications.
It was not actually built in series, but a handful of boats were nevertheless built over the following decades. The Benjamins yacht shipyard in Emden still has the boat in its portfolio today.
After Wilfried's first non-stop ride, the original waited faithfully and patiently in the paddock behind the house. When there was no wind and the sun was shining, the young animals sought shade under it. When storm fronts moved across Schleswig-Holstein, it offered young cows protection by huddling close together around the keel fin. "An image that will accompany me on this ship", noted the proud owner a few years later.
The final phase in the life of the "Kathena nui" begins when Wilfried is 75 years old. He finally makes a decision that he has been struggling with for a long time. "I don't want to cut a hole in the watertight bulkhead in the stern"he had always argued.
"Kathena" gets an engine
But now the time has come: the most famous motorless cruise ship is getting an engine for the first time for its 31st birthday. The choice once again falls on quality: a Yanmar diesel with a fixed shaft and rotary blade propeller is to power the ship in future.
The maiden voyage of the yacht, which is now suitable for coastal cruising, will take Astrid and Wilfried first up to Skagen and via Norway to the Faroe Islands in 2016. Then on to Scotland and through the Caledonian Canal. "Kathena Nui" motors through the Highlands and across the legendary Loch Ness.
To make the boat a little more cosy, the couple have installed a folding table in the saloon. Four cleats on deck make mooring easier. Astrid does most of the navigation using an iPad. Only Wilfried sticks to his paper charts: "I'm just a stone age sailor."
The journey around half the North Sea takes 121 days. "Kathena nui" leaves a good 2400 nautical miles in her wake. An exhausting journey for everyone. Astrid struggles with seasickness, Wilfried with getting old: "You get older and realise that you can't act the way you used to. An unpleasant situation."
Nevertheless, the book about the journey ends in confidence: "We will set off again. 'Kathena nui' demands it."
Two years later, the most famous German sailing couple experienced their last summer under sail on a 100-day trip to Sweden. After that, things became difficult. The following year, everything seemed to conspire against the Erdmanns: First the engine went on strike in Denmark, then the weather, then their health. Nevertheless, Wilfried can't let go. "We'll try again next year", he summarises on his website. "Or 'Kathena nui' is sold." Did he really write that? Does he mean it?
"That can happen", Wilfried adds. "My ship is old, I'm older. That's the reason."
Perhaps. It's like a prophecy. In spring 2022, he is still preparing his boat for the new season. Over the winter, he has already freshly varnished all the natural wood: the tiller, the fender board, the spinnaker pole. As summer approaches, the now 82-year-old is looking forward to it. But he never gets round to launching his boat. A cancer diagnosis changes everything. "Sailing"he announces to his readers with a heavy heart in August 2022, "we have to give up."
The farewell
Since Wilfried's death in spring 2023, "Kathena nui" has been standing in a hall on the Schlei. Many fans would give the shirt off their backs to buy it. But who could take over Wilfried's oversized legacy? Perhaps sail non-stop around the world again with "Kathena Nui"?
Many sailors think it belongs in a museum. "The idea is not new"said Wilfried during his lifetime. "But the museums in question are certainly not interested and have no space."
It is hard to measure how much she meant to Wilfried. In a portrait by Hamburg filmmaker Jochen Lueg, he once said, standing next to the fuselage: "This is mine"and it sounded like a late declaration of love. "She did the most. I sailed the longest with her, especially the hardest."
He hits the aluminium rudder blade twice lightly, as if to say: "You've done well. I'm proud of you. Wilfried turns to the camera and says : "She did a lot for me."
The book
Johannes Erdmann compiled memories of Germany's most famous cruising sailor. A tribute to Wilfried Erdmann. Delius Klasing, 34,90 Euro.
