STOMPWIJK – Pim van den Brink has built, for a customer in France, a Class Globe 5.80m. But if you are a weekend DIY enthusiast, his Kolibri Boatyard will send you a CNC-milled build kit.
The Class Globe 5.80 is the brainchild of Australian Don McIntyre, ocean sailor and adventurer. He developed a compact, seagoing and affordable sailboat, in wood, to be built by do-it-yourselfers.
“There is nothing in the world like the Class Globe 5.80,” he says. “Ocean and offshore capable … You can build one yourself, with simple tools and no previous experience. The plans cost €300 and the fun is free!
Indeed, there is something so romantic, so 1970s about building you own boat. Van den Brink offers a choice of three materials: okoumé wood, plywood or mahogany.
The Polish Setka class served as the model for McIntyre’s initiative. The 5m craft is a design by Polish designer Janusz Maderski. In 2012, two Setkas crossed the Atlantic. In 2016 another crossing was organized.
McIntyre has named agents in countries around the world to supply the plans for the Class Globe 5.80, also a Maderski design. In the Netherlands, it is Kolibri Jachtbouw, a yard that for more than 70 years has delivered wooden boats. It presses layers of veneer and synthetic resin into a seamless round bilge hull as the basis for a light, strong and durable yacht.
Some 150 drawings of the Class Globe 5.80 have been ordered. The construction drawings are only €300 euros. “You mark off the drawings and saw out the parts yourself,” says Van den Brink. Happily, there is also a CNC version, developed by B&B Yacht Design of Bayboro, North Carolina
Finishing the boat as you see fit is not allowed,” says Van den Brink. “Everything must be done according to class rules.” Sails and fittings must come from McIntyre. The 12.5 sq.m mainsail has three reefs. The jib is 6.6 sq.m. The mast has spreaders and backstays. The keel makes for a 1.4m draft and holds 220 kgs of ballast weight of 220 kilos.
The rudder and stainless steel prow fittings must also come from McIntyre.
The 10mm okoume must be covered with 1 kilo of fiberglass per sq.m. A 9 mm thickness, requires 1,200 grams of fiberglass per sq.m. Mahogany is a stronger wood and only require 200 grams/m2 of fiberglass. As a builder Van den Brink had to run a blog showing all construction phases of the Class Globe 5.80 he built for his French client.
Builders blog: www.kolibri-jachtbouw.jimdosite.com
