Under twelve layers of two-component paint, the dark mahogany shines with fresh chrome, the teak deck shimmers in a honey colour - it would be easy to mistake "Oromocto" for a new build in retro style. However, the boat has logged around 65,000 nautical miles in the last 50 years and almost ended up as firewood. When Ernst Greten, the grandfather of the current owner, commissioned "Oromocto" from the Bremen shipyard de Dood in 1970, the GRP age had long since begun - at least when it came to series-produced boats. If you were looking for a competitive one-off, you chose aluminium or wood. Or preferably both.
More interesting retro classics:
Manufactured in composite construction
Composite construction was the name given to the process in which the form-glued outer skin was stiffened with a framework of aluminium frames and stringers. No wonder, then, that the one-tonner designed by Gerhard Gilgenast was built in exactly this way. "It was the hottest shit in the early seventies," comments designer and refit project manager Marc-Oliver von Ahlen.
However, it was precisely this light and solid construction that turned into a nightmare for "Oromocto". On the outside, the decades on the water had hardly done any damage to the mahogany beauty. Oromocto was maintained at de Dood in winter until the shipyard closed and was kept up to date even then. The first major modifications were already scheduled for the winter of 75/76. As longer summer trips with the family were planned, a new mast and headsail furling system were rigged and the ballast was increased by 200 kilograms. In addition, a state-of-the-art autopilot and heating system were installed on board.
The petrol engine with hydraulic propeller drive had to make way for a marinised Golf diesel with a conventional shaft system, and the navigation was upgraded with a radio direction finder. Once the boat had been made fit to sail, the following summers were spent cruising Norway as far as Ålesund and Finland.
Well maintained even without a shipyard
After the building yard was no longer available for winter storage, Senior Greten turned to his own company. To this end, de Dood built a special transporter shortly before the closure. From then on, it was transported around 300 kilometres inland by truck every autumn - no easy task given its twelve-metre length, extra width and displacement of a good eight tonnes. In return, the wooden boat could be perfectly painted and maintained in the company's own purpose-built hall.
Shipyard assistance was only needed once more, when the yacht slipped out of the crane belt onto the quay wall in Schilksee in spring 78. As a result, around one square metre of the stern was dented. It was promptly returned to the lorry and to Bremen, where Burmester repaired the damage.
The generation change
In 1995, it was time for a generational change. Grandad and grandson had been travelling together in the summer for many years. "Granddad trusted me. When I was 20, I was allowed to go sailing alone with friends for the first time," says grandson Kai Greten.
The next turning point came in autumn 2001, when a grounding occurred on the way to the winter storage facility, which was back on the Weser. "We were late. At the junction of the Alte Weser fairway and the main fairway, we overlooked a buoy and ran aground on a sandbank. The grounding in the swell was so violent that the locker doors fell off their hinges," says Kai Greten, describing the night of horror. After many very hard touchdowns, "Oromocto" managed to get free again under its own steam, but took on water. "With the help of the pumps, we were able to control the water level and bring the boat to Bremen," says Greten.
A series of endless repairs
The "Oromocto" was never to recover from the near-stranding. Instead, an endless series of repairs began. Immediately after the grounding, the ballast was removed, the wooden keel milled out and redoubled. But by the next summer, it was clear that the boat was still taking on some water. The problem is that there is no obvious damage, either in the bilge or on the outside. The water seemed to be penetrating the connection between the aluminium rib and the hull, so the ballast was removed again two years later and reattached. This repair was also unsuccessful.
In 2006, Greten opts for the big solution: the aluminium strongback has to be replaced. As the new frame does not fit through the companionway, it has to be welded below deck. The boatbuilders make a serious mistake: the multi-part support structure is not connected to the shrouds in a force-fit manner.
The design fault remains undetected for the first year. The owner is relieved: the ship is dry. But then there are problems again: In tough conditions, "Oromocto" makes some water again. "That wasn't nice, but the amount didn't justify any further intervention," says Greten. Instead, investments are made in the rigging and the underwater hull is optimised to make "Oromocto" faster.
The boat takes on more and more water
The new mast with double spreaders weighs just half as much as the old tube. In addition, the main boom is 40 centimetres longer, which gives the typical IOR mainsail more surface area. Under water, the saw is quickly applied and the old rudder system and skeg are removed. Instead, a free-standing GRP blade from Jefa and self-aligning roller bearings are fitted on board. And the fixed-pitch propeller has to make way for a more aerodynamic rotorcraft.
Modernised in this way, the old lady is once again sailing at the front in regattas. First at the German Classics in Flensburg, in 2014 she even achieved an overall ORC victory at Rund Skagen. But the old problems are also back: "Oromocto" is taking on more water from season to season. The end came in 2016 on the North Sea. Greten is sailing around Skagen, the wind is blowing a good 5 Beaufort from the north-west, when the free watch at Esbjerg reports that the water level is up to the dikes.
The water level can be maintained with all available pumps. Luckily for them, if "Oromocto" doesn't bolt against the sea, the water ingress is limited. "We sailed to Helgoland, and after a good night's sleep we continued on to Bremen," says Greten, summarising the dramatic hours. "At the time, I thought: two or three weeks in the shipyard and the boat will be ready for sea again." But things turned out differently. The shipyard in Bremen entrusted with the assessment waved goodbye: the damage was so extensive that the boat builders didn't want to get involved.
That was the low point. To save the season, Greten bought a plastic boat without further ado. But he couldn't let go of the family legacy. The decision took two years to mature, then it was clear: "Oromocto" had to sail.
"Oromocto" is to be saved
The repairs are to be carried out at Janssen & Renkhoff in Kappeln. The "Oromocto", which is still intact on the outside, is brought to the Schlei by lorry. The damage analysis at the shipyard makes it clear that good boat builders alone are not enough here. The structure of the hull has to be rethought and recalculated from scratch. Shipyard boss Fiete Renkhoff brings designer Marc-Oliver von Ahlen into the team for this purpose.
"I had a desk full to the brim with projects and actually no time. But Fiete wouldn't let up, and we often work together, so I let myself be talked into it," says von Ahlen, describing how he got involved in the project. At the time, it was impossible to foresee how much work the design engineer would have to do.
Alarming damage pattern
It wasn't just the keel that was a construction site. The triple carvel-planked hull showed various hollow areas when tapped. Apparently the gluing had been done with too little pressure during construction, so that the layers were not properly joined.
Around four square metres of the outer skin had to be milled out and rebuilt. The keel was in a similarly bad state; the wooden inner keel and the keel gangway were rotten due to grounding and years of water ingress, so that they had to be replaced over a length of six metres and a width of 60 centimetres.
The dilapidated aluminium strongback could not be saved either. From then on, the necessary structure was provided by a moulded mahogany floor assembly. Not only does it look classy, it is also glued to the hull over its entire surface. "This would not have been possible with an aluminium construction, so we would not have been able to absorb the rigging and keel forces as well," explains von Ahlen. The latter is particularly important in view of the fact that it remains unclear how good the bonding of the outer skin actually is and whether new cavities might open up next to the repaired cavities under heavy loads.
The improved force transmission was ultimately also the reason for rebuilding the ballast keel. To prevent the structure from being overloaded again, the fin was to be fitted with a top plate. The lead ballast had to be recast anyway.
The keel shape is changed
The switch from the old trapezoidal to an L-shape was then a small step. The modern fin is more streamlined, but above all enables a significantly lower centre of gravity, which leads to more righting moment for the same weight, but requires less ballast. In the case of "Oromocto", it was possible to achieve both; the stainless steel fin with lead bomb is around 650 kilograms lighter than the old ballast. However, the centre of gravity is almost half a metre lower, which lowers the centre of gravity of the entire boat by around 13 centimetres. The righting moment has therefore actually increased slightly.
Part of the weight saving comes from the significantly more solid wooden floor assembly, but "Oromocto" is still around 500 kilograms lighter thanks to the keel operation. "As a result, the boat dives out and has less wetted surface area - crucial for light winds. In addition, water drainage at the transom is often critical with classic cracks. Diving out helps to reduce the pressure under the stern and increase the free stroke of the transom. Both together help the water drainage," says von Ahlen.
Completely new interior fittings
In view of the massive interventions in the structure and the underwater hull, the modernisation of the interior seems almost incidental. However, it has become an essential part of Greten's desired refit. Thanks to the larger galley and the option of showering on board, the boat offers significantly more living comfort than before.
The colour concept developed by Marc-Oliver von Ahlen also works. The horizontal division with matt white ceiling, bulkheads and cupboards is much friendlier and makes the interior appear larger than before. At the same time, the contrast with the dark mahogany emphasises the classic woodwork. "The effect surprised us ourselves. We rarely used to sit below deck because it was a dark cave. That's completely different now," emphasises owner Greten.
Nevertheless, he endeavours to preserve the character of the boat. Wherever possible, the old fittings, wooden parts and fronts were refurbished and reused.
Electronics partially replaced
Greten did not even stop at the electronics. Of course, an up-to-date plotter, VHF radio and an autopilot are on board, but they were installed relatively discreetly in the navigation corner. The depth sounder and cockpit instrumentation, on the other hand, are still original. The refurbished displays from Brookes & Gatehouse are even connected to the bus system and work. Only the electromechanical sum log is not yet working. The loggers had taken on water and could no longer be saved; the current technology is not compatible. In future, however, the characteristic click of the mileage counter should be audible again. Greten is working on procuring the necessary converter, but it is not available to buy ready-made.
Greten would rather not talk about the costs of the two-year repair and modernisation. "We could easily have bought a new ship for that. But 'Oromocto' is part of the family. And besides, we had already invested a lot in the rigging, engine and steering gear in recent years."
Even before the refit, "Oromocto" was considered an antique piece of furniture due to its good condition. Thanks to the fresh cell treatment, the half-century-old construction not only looks like a new build, it also feels much younger and livelier on the water.
Very agile for eight tonnes
During test sailing on the Kiel Fjord, even strong gusts and turns can be easily and intuitively steered, with hardly more than the proverbial two fingers on the wheel required. You would hardly expect such agile sailing from an eight-tonne, 50-year-old yacht.
Purists will object that the conversions do not correspond to the state of the art in 1970. There are certainly different opinions on this. Ultimately, however, the aim is to preserve a ship that was destined for the scrapper due to the severity of the damage. The fact that the best available technology was used for repairs can hardly be criticised. All the less so if such radical repair attempts had not only led to a deterioration of the substance.
Technical data "Oromocto"
- Designer: Gerhard Gilgenast
- Building yard: de Dood, Bremen
- Total length: 12,00 m
- LWL: 9,90 m
- Width: 3,65 m
- Depth: 2,00 m
- Displacement: 8,0 t
- sail area: 61 m²
This article first appeared in YACHT 17/2020 and has been updated
