Some information about Erica

Several people have asked me for some information about Erica so, for anyone who is interested, here goes:

Name: Erica (was originally called Sensation II - but who wants a boat with a name that sounds like a sixties porn film?)

Designer: Namarco Inc

Class: Selestra 35

Builder: Hull - Metalu (France)

Fitted out: Whisstocks, Woodbridge, Suffolk

Year: 1981

LOA: 35’ (10.65m)

LWL: 26' 11" (8.2m)

Beam: 11’2” (3.4m)

Draft: 5'3'' (1.6m) 

Sail area: 735ft² (70m²)

Displacement: 5.3 tons (5,400kg) Empty

Ballast: 2.26 tons (2,300kg)

Water tanks 100 Gal

Engine: Thornycroft 90. (British Layland Sherper Van engine) 36 hp

Diesel tank: 30Gal (135 Ltr) + 24Gal (110Ltr) in can

Average consumption:

1500rpm = 0.45 Gal/Hr =120 hours x 4M = 480NM

1800rpm = 0.50 Gal/Hr =108 hours x 4.2M = 450NM

2000rpm = 0.60 Gal/Hr =90 hours x 4.5M =405 NM

Registration No.: 389016

Port of Registration: Ipswich

Sail No.: 6559Y

Call sign: MAAK5

Erica is a bermudan cutter (flies a main sail and 2 headsails at the same time). She is made out of aluminium with teak over aluminium side decks. She has only had two owners in her 35 years and Scruffbag and I have owned her jointly for the last 11. She has one Atlantic crossing to her credit east to west and has crossed west to east on a container ship. Our  (Scruffbag's) longest passage so far was about 1350 NM which took 16 days - due to very light winds in the middle. 

Facts 1 to 10

1 mast

2 spinnaker poles

3 anchors

4 dorado vents (air vents)

5 berths

6 halyards (Ropes for pulling sails up mast)

7 ariels

8 windows each side

9 winches

10 sails

Leaving Luz

Well - our 3 months in Luz are almost at an end - two and a half weeks to go and I have to say it has been very enjoyable. The weather has been great and the western Algarve has proved to be both interesting and scenic as we have walked, cycled (once) and traveled around by train , bus and friends' car. We have seen castles, monasteries, churches, museums and have even managed to listen to some  live Fado music.

The low  cost of living has been a pleasant surprise too. Scruffbag has developed a taste for large expressos - called cafe duplo - and has now bought an expresso coffee pot in order to  satisfy his craving. There is a marina in  nearby Lagos which we can wander round when we feel homesick for Erica. All in all a great time had by all - back onboard by the end of March and will resume the sailing blog.