The special boat"Potvis": a gem with character

Fridtjof Gunkel

 · 11.07.2022

The special boat: "Potvis": a gem with characterPhoto: YACHT/Stefan Schorr
Pars pro Toto: The bronze sperm whale that gives the boat its name adorns the patinated main boom cam - just one of many loving details on board
How a compact gaff cutter with the cool type name Island Plastics 23 can be transformed into a nautical gem: the portrait

One owner refurbished, finalised and equipped the "Potvis" with obsessive thoroughness, while the next took over what he considered to be a perfect boat. Both are now happy to use it together.

At first glance, it appears black and butt-like. The round stern and the bulky bulkhead stand out, as well as a stark deck moulding, a white superstructure and a mix of perfectly mirror-polished brass parts and patinated bronze fittings. The previous owner invested 1,500 hours of labour in his "Potvis", planning and executing everything himself, from the repainting to the cast model for the bronze whale on the main boom.

Sturdy and unique: "Potvis" in the Dutch home territoryPhoto: YACHT/Stefan SchorrSturdy and unique: "Potvis" in the Dutch home territory

The result is a piece of nautical jewellery that is second to none and can conceal its relationship to variations of its design. The IP 23 was also built with a driver's cabin as a fishing boat or as a trawler.

Discover a small cruiser that is making it big. Read the portrait here!

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Fridtjof Gunkel

Fridtjof Gunkel

Deputy Chief Editor YACHT

Fridtjof Gunkel was born on Helgoland in 1962; he started his sailing career there in the Opti and quickly switched to keelboats. North Sea Week, Cowes Week and Kiel Week were early stops, followed by many years in the Admiral's Cup scene on the cuppers “Container” and “Rubin” World Championships and international regattas in the Starboat, with the mini-maxi “SiSiSi” and various tonner yachts as well as participation in the Whitbread Round the World Race were further formative stations, flanked by extensive cruising trips. Fridtjof Gunkel joined YACHT back in 1985 as part of a traineeship, where he later became Head of the Test & Technology department and then Deputy Editor-in-Chief around 25 years ago. He is also responsible for the regatta and sports section. Fridtjof Gunkel privately sails a performance/cruiser moored on the Baltic coast, his favorite areas are the eastern Swedish archipelago and Brittany.

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