44 Feet of Grace... A Kadey-Krogen Story - Kadey-Krogen Yachts

44 FEETOFGRACEA Kadey-Krogen StoryBy Christine Bynum-Degenhe sound of thousands of gallons of water rushing through woodenslats isn’t something most boat owners enjoy hearing. But this day, Billvan Lenthe is relishing one of the few exceptions to this rule, as gears, leversand gravity lower his 44-foot Kadey-Krogen through the Ijmuiden Locksand into Holland. Van Lenthe and his crew of four were nearing the end oftheir 26-day journey across the Atlantic, and the excitement in the salt-filled airwas palpable as they once again viewed van Lenthe’s place of birth, from wherehe had emigrated in 1965.Their adventure, which startedin North America, was inspirednearly six years earlier when vanLenthe, on a trip to Portugal, foundhimself standing at the westernmosttip of Europe, thinking: “Wouldn’tit be nice to glide into these westernEuropean shores, or perhaps aport in Holland, on my own boat.”It wasn’t until he and his wife werecompleting their 2006 voyage of theAmerican Great Circle loop in their530 Carver Voyager that his dreambegan to take shape, when he firstset eyes on a Kadey-Krogen. “It wasa reasonably low air draft, full-displacementtrawler,” van Lenthesaid. And though the Carver hadserved them well, it was not set upfor an Atlantic voyage. So the vanLenthes traded in their Carver andin the winter of 2007 they took deliveryof the 44 Kadey-Krogen andchristened it Le rêve, which isFrench for “the dream.”Preparations now began inearnest from their home in Ontario,62 SEA / APRIL 2009

(top L-R) The crew of Le rêve led by Bill van Lenthe. The most difficult part of the crossing was enduring inclement weather. The crew faced up to 30-35-knotwinds and waves up to 18-feet at times. (bottom L-R) Drenthe is a province of northeast Netherlands and a welcome stop after making the grueling crossing.The picturesque town of Volendam, in North Holland, Netherlands has largely been unchanged since the 17th century.Canada. Van Lenthe knew thatalthough Le rêve was a sturdy boat,it was “a little small for doing thattype of trip.” After installing someadditional equipment he felt Le rêvewould be ready for their transatlanticvoyage.The two months preceding thetrip were the busiest and not withouta few near-misses. First on thelist of equipment to be installed wasa “get home” engine. Van Lenthedecided on a 2600 rpm, Nanni dieselengine, but became concerned whenthe delivery was four months late.The engine finally arrived and it wasinstalled in very short order. TheNanni was equipped with its own saildrive and folding prop, so it was trulyseparate from the main propulsionsystem and could be relied upon ifanything went wrong with the mainengine, drive shaft or propeller. Healso installed a larger alternator onthe main engine. The original alternator(a 150 amp) would be usedstrictly for charging the main enginestarting battery. The new alternator(a 270 amp) would be responsiblefor keeping the house bank batteriescharged.Modifications also had to bemade in order to hold the additionalfood they needed for such a longjourney. So, van Lenthe installed a64-quart freezer on the deck, aroundwhich he placed an aluminum boxthat was two and a half inches biggeron all sides than the freezer. Hefilled the space between the freezerand box with Styrofoam insulation,so that once the freezer waschilled to the correct temperature,the Styrofoam insulation made itpossible to use minimal power andstill keep everything cold.A Spectra water-maker wasinstalled in the engine room andextra storage boxes were installedon the bridge and in the cockpit,where they could double as seats.Keeping in mind they would be subjectto European electricity oncethey reached Holland, he installeda battery charger that would run onEuropean electricity. This batterycharger is hooked up to the housebattery bank and keeps these batteriescharged whenever electricityis available.SEA / APRIL 2009 63

StartAtlantic Highlands,New JerseyTotal days at sea 26Total hours at sea 612Total miles 3,885CrossingStatisticsThe crossing from AtlanticHighlands, New Jersey toIjmuiden, Holland was madein three legs.Note: 100 nm was added to the tripdue to inclement weather causingthem to move further south.Leg 1 Atlantic Highlands,New Jersey, U.S. to Horta on theIsland of Faial in the Azores.Leg 2 Horta to Plymouth,England.Leg 3 Plymouth to Ijmuiden,Holland.(L-R) The crew of Le rêve, Bill van Lenthe,Eugene Kohlmetz, Mike Lankes, BernNorfolk and Clyde Honeycutt paint theirinsignia on a dock in Horta keeping withlocal tradition.Leg 2Plymouth,EnglandLeg 1Faial, AzoresLeg 3Ijmuiden Locks,HollandFirst-leg StatisticsTotal distance2,150 nmTotal days 16Total hours at sea 391Total miles 2,250Average rpm 1,300Fuel681 gals.Average speed5.7 knotsAverage mpg 3.37Second-Leg Statistics(Horta to Plymouth)Total distance1,268 nmTotal days 7.5Total hours at sea 178Total miles1,268 nmAverage rpm 1,800Fuel524 gals.Average speed7.1 knotsAverage mpg 2.42Third-Leg Statistics(Plymouth to Ijmuiden)Total days 2.5Total hours at sea 53Total miles367 nmAverage rpm 1,750Fuel110 gals.Average speed6.9 knotsAverage mpg 3.3Van Lenthe obtained insurancethat covered them for an Atlanticcrossing. He also purchased flags ofevery country they would visit aswell as a quarantine flag. The quarantineflag would be raised beforeentering the waters of a foreign country,and once they cleared customsthe flag of that country would beraised.Finally, on June 6, 2008, workand provisioning was complete andvan Lenthe and crew, ClydeHoneycutt, Mike Lankes, BernNorfolk and Eugene Kohlmetz, setsail from Atlantic Highlands, NewJersey.The first leg of their adventurewas the longest: a 16-day cross-Atlantic dash to the Azores.The Azores is a group of nineislands under Portuguese rule; theport of Horta on the island of Faialis the most popular stop for boatersundertaking a transatlantic crossing.Horta is approximately 900 nm frommainland Europe, and it’s a goodplace to stop, refuel and provisionbefore continuing.From there they continued in anortheasterly direction, towardEngland. But before they left, in keepingwith Horta tradition, they madesure to paint their boat insignia onthe dock amid thousands of otherinsignias from seafaring travelers.The most difficult part of thecrossing was the inclement weather.“We only had about six decentdays of weather during the wholetrip. The rest was fairly blowy, rainyand foggy; up to 30-to35- knotwinds at times and waves up to 18feet,” van Lenthe recalled.But the continual storm didn’tseem to faze Le rêve. It glided gracefully,pushed on and stayed on thecourse that was plotted in the navigationalequipment. The crew andvan Lenthe were so impressed withthe boat’s ability to easily handleeverything that was thrown at it, thatthey compared it to a dancer.The Krogen was not the onlydancer among the waves, though.The crew often found themselves in64 SEA / APRIL 2009

the company of various types of sealife: pods of porpoises that would playoff the bow as well as mola mola(giant ocean sunfish). Just beforethey made landfall in Horta, a podof whales was spotted off the bowas if to welcome them to the Azores.These appearances, as well as theever-changing ocean, did much tokeep the voyagers entertained duringthe often relentlessly stormydays.They soon found that it would notbe all visual delights, though. Abouthalfway through their crossing andafter days of not seeing any otherProvisioningboats, they noticed a sailboat off thestarboard side. It looked strange sothey altered course to investigate.Upon arriving on scene, they saw thesailboat’s mast was broken, thesails were furled up and the riggingwas hanging overboard. The cockpitdoors were open and the raft wasstill on the bow untouched.Maneuvering Le rêve closer wasn’tan option because of the weather andthe rigging hanging overboard. Thefear that there might still be peopleon the sailboat who were injured orin need of assistance was so distressingthat one of theHalfway through the crossing the crew came upona chilling sight, a stranded sailboat with a brokenmast and the rigging hanging over the side. Oneof many beautiful sunsets the crew of Le rêveenjoyed while at sea for 26 days. The crew wastreated to a Pod of porpoise that enjoyed playingoff the bow of the boat.crew wanted to swim over to the sailboatand check. But this was simplytoo dangerous. They repeatedlyattempted to hail the listing boatby radio and voice, but with noresponse. Eventually they pulledaway and contacted the UnitedStates Coast Guard, who informedthem that they had already rescuedHow do you go to a grocerystore when you’re thousandsof miles from shore?The answer, you don’t.Provisioning for an extended trip isno small task. If you forget somethingthere’s no running to the grocerystore to pick up a few lastminuteitems.Start by creating a list of the typesof items you think you’ll need. Inplanning the food it’s helpful to drawup a week’s worth of menus. Thinkabout all the items you’ll need to preparea meal including any necessaryutensils. This list should be a goodbase to build from when you actuallystart to provision the boat.Keep an eye out for foods thatwill stay fresh for extended periodsof time, or are packaged for longevity.Cheese that is packaged in waxwill last a longer thancheese slices. Other foodssuch as salami, sausage andpepperoni that are kept in thenon-refrigerated section of themarket will stay fresh formonths.When choosing food pick itemsthat can serve double duty. Cannedtomatoes can be used for omeletsand also to make spaghetti sauce.Carrots are a great snack and caneasily be tossed into a salad to livenit up. By stretching your food useyou will lower the cost and savespace.Be careful what foods you decideto store together. They’re not alwayscompatible. Apples and carrotsstored together will often cause bitternessin the carrots. And if onionsare kept with potatoes, the onionswill rob thepotatoes oftheir moisture.It’s also a goodidea to purchasesome very simpleprepackaged meals. Ifthe seas are rough theboat galley may be an unworkableenvironment, prepackaged mealsthat require little more than heatingwill be handy.On board give careful considerationto where you store perishables.Storage lockers located closer to thehull and below the waterline will becooler and better for produce, especiallyif you boat in a humid, tropicalarea. While there is a lot to considerwhen provisioning for a longtermtrip, logical thought can reduceyour stress on launch day.SEA / APRIL 2009 65

the people and to continue on theirway. Le rêve’s crew was relieved, butremained in a more subdued frameof mind for the rest of the day.The sailboat incident remindedthem of what they were doing andhow vulnerable they were to thewhims of an unforgiving ocean.Although most crossings are completedin private sailboats, vanLenthe commented, “There areother relatively small trawlers thathave made the crossing; however,this is done in a flotilla of six or eightboats.” Le rêve and its crew had noother boats to rely on if somethingshould happened, there was no oneelse to help. This was no game, andvan Lenthe was glad he had takenextra precautions when preparing forthe trip.Soon, though, the mood lightenedas they again realized the incrediblejourney they were on, enjoyingthe astonishingly blue waters ofthe North Atlantic, the marine lifearound them and also ClydeHoneycutt’s incredible meals.Honeycutt had offered to take on theresponsibility of provisioning andcooking for the trip, and the crewwas delighted with the outcome. “Weate like kings,” van Lenthe said.The crew took turns rotatingthrough the watch and captainingthe vessel. At times the quarters gota little cramped. Van Lenthe decidedthat four other people justweren’t necessary, and if he had todo anything differently, he wouldtake a crew of three instead of four.But card games and cribbage, listeningto music, talking and enjoyingLe rêve’s gentle sway kept thembusy; they were amazed at howThe Dream“Le rêve” means “the dream” inFrench and has historical familyvalue to van Lenthe’s wife, Joanne.When the Huguenot moved northfrom France, in order to escape persecution,one of the families settledon a farm in Holland and calledit Le rêve. Joanne’s family eventuallybought the farm, and thename (although somewhat altered)stuck. They called it “t,reve.” Thevan Lenthes heard the story at afamily reunion in Holland the yearthe Kadey-Krogen was being built,and they decided to call the boat“Le rêve”.Being on the ocean for anextended period of time with noaccess to medical help can be a verydangerous situation. So, van Lentheand the crew consulted with theirphysicians before they made thecrossing to be assured of good healthand have instructions on what todo in case of emergencies. Thankfullythey had to use seasicknessmedication only once during thetrip.There were many systems andequipment additions made to theKadey-Krogen:Storm windows made from halfinchLexan and cut to be 2 incheslarger than the original windowswere installed, as well as a devicecalled a “Find Me Spot.” This isused to communicate via satellitewith up to 10 e-mail or cell phonetext messages. It also is used to letup to ten addresses know of theexact location of the boat. AnEPIRB (Emergency PositionIndicator Radio Beacon) was alsorented. A six-man Winslow life raftand satellite phone that would sendand receive texts was obtained. Andvan Lenthe set up a system withBob Jones, the weather router ofOcean Marine, to receive textmessages on his satellite phonewith weather information on a dailybasis.Before they departed, they metup with friends from Ontario,Le rêve means the dream in French. When theHuguenot moved north from France, in order toescape persecution, one of the families settledon a farm in Holland and called it Le rêve.Joanne van Lenthe’s (Bill’s wife) family eventuallypurchased the farm.Canada, who were in the middle oftheir trip around the AmericanGreat Circle. They came aboardLe rêve with a bottle of champagneto toast the pre-crossing.Le rêve has a full kitchen withan oven, stove and microwave,allowing their volunteer chef, ClydeHoneycutt, to cook daily feasts suchas steak, lobster, lasagna, meat andpotatoes, pork chops and sausages.“We ate better than at any restaurant,”van Lenthe said.66 SEA / APRIL 2009

quickly the days flew by.Soon they were gazing at theshores of England and made landfallin Plymouth. After exploringPlymouth for about three days theyleft on the last leg of their journey.Two and a half days later theIjmuiden Locks, and Holland, werebefore them.For all it had been a trip theywould never forget, but for some itwas the adventure of a lifetime. Thispoint was driven home, when twomonths and 11 days after theyarrived in Ijmuiden, EugeneKohlmetz died from a severe brainhemorrhage.The funeral was difficult.Kohlmetz was remembered as oneof the most valuable members of thecrew; the diplomat and the encourager.Van Lenthe didn’t realize howmuch Kohlmetz enjoyed their tripuntil he saw all the pictures thatKohlmetz had taken and learnedfrom his family that he couldn’t stoptalking about their adventure.The Kadey-Krogen had done itsVolendam in North Holland, Netherlands is wellknownfor its fishingboats and the traditionalclothing still worn by inhabitants. Faial is aPortuguese island of the Central group (GrupoCentral) of the Azores.job well, transporting its passengersfrom one continent to another, withgrace and ease, allowing dreams tocome true and memories to be madethat would last forever.Le rêve now waits patiently in thewater, in a frost-free shed, inLeeuwarden, Holland for the nextgrand adventure.SEA / APRIL 2009 67