13th of September, 2020
All is well with our beloved Sofia! We got these pictures taken a couple of days ago by our berth neighbors @derflaschenpost and we are really really happy seeing that everything seems as we left it in February. With crossed fingers and toes we are looking forward reuniting with our dear boat in just a couple of weeks. And, doing some cleaning, because you know, sand from the Sahara. :)
The excitement is real!
26th of July, 2020
Why did we choose a Hallberg-Rassy Monsun to be our new home? Or, technically, why did Kristoffer choose a Monsun and Sabina learned that she’d choose the same boat?
Hallberg-Rassy is a Swedish west coast shipyard known for producing sailing yachts of high quality intended for the blue waters (sailing the seven seas). Our Monsun Sofia is best described by HRs own words: She is a no-nonsense sturdy long distance sailor that has never been modern and will never go out of fashion. The idea behind this sailing yacht is a shiplike appearance offering stability and very safe sailing, although not the fastest one as she weighs around 5 tonnes. With her long keel she is not that easy to maneuver nor is she a light wind sailor but her greatness comes in the form of being able to take on serious offshore sailing, safely cutting through waves with her heavy long steel keel, making her gentle on her crew. Sofia has a full keel rudder meaning that the rudder is hinged all the way along the aft of the keel. A Monsun has three bronze fittings where the rudder is attached to the keel, and between the keel and the rudder is the propeller, well protected. This construction makes our boat very strong and protected and there is a saying that if a Monuns runs aground, the ground breaks. The downside is that she is a bit hard to steer and therefore a lot of gas, intention and tenacity is important when manoeuvring her in ports. There is also another saying among Monuns-owners: “If the boat does not go where you intended it, just look as if it is exactly there you meant to go”. Conclusively, a Monsun is a boat that will keep you safe although it sometimes has a will of its own!
In our next posts more about the interior, our windvane, improvements we need want and some words about the rigging and sailing performance.
19th of July, 2020
So, what will be our home from mid-October and for the foreseeable future? We present to you our Sofia. She is an Hallberg-Rassy Monsun, 31 feet with a long keel. She was built with love on Orust, Sweden, in 1975. Her hull number is 142, so she is one of the older Monsuns, since there were approximately 900 built until early 80s. In an upcoming post we will introduce you to her in more detail.
16th of July, 2020
We love that 70s vibe of our Hallberg-Rassy Monsun 31, and therefore this 70s inspired logo.
16th of July, 2020
The first and logical answer is because we love the sea. We have no ambitions to look for adventures, set up goals, make sailing deadlines or find our selves. What we long for is being with ourselves and finding our way by allowing as much freedom as possible, as well as embracing the limitations of the sea and wind. Welcome to share this existence with us. 🎈