XTRIP SAILING · video

What this video covers

Dave and Julia Stefani, a Swiss couple in their early 30s, built their Reinke 13M aluminum sailboat from scratch — Dave had never sailed before conceiving the project.3:30 The hull design is based on Reinke plans purchased for €2,000, modified with custom frame spacing and added portlights in every cabin, a feature Dave says he has never seen on a 13M.12:07 Construction was funded partly through an interest-free community loan scheme.7:28 The boat is built for high-latitude sailing, including ice: 8 cm of insulation covers every frame with no cold bridges, and no fasteners penetrate the aluminum structure.35:23 Micha meets them in Kungshamm, Sweden, in the Swedish archipelago north of Gothenburg, where they have been anchored several days after wintering in Marstal.0:55 The boat carries a Kubota two-cylinder diesel driving a 270-amp alternator, a Scandiesel generator with a 400-liter-per-minute bilge pump across five watertight sections, three 55W and two 40W solar panels, a pending wind generator, a Reflex heater plus a wood-burning stove, and an Aries windvane not yet tested.34:05 Humidity sensors throughout trigger ventilation above 80%.42:32 The rig uses a storm foresail and storm staysail with low-set sail centers, fixed backstays, and inner forestay — a setup Dave says delivers 9 knots through waves with minimal heel on second or third reef.41:01

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