While sailing on my previous boat, the ‘Dione III’, the ideas about my next boat arose. Especially in strong winds and bad weather, my Shipman 28 reached her limits. I wanted a bigger, stronger, and heavier boat. My preference for a ketch rig had always been there. I like the sight of multiple sails on multiple masts instead of the simple triangle shape on most yachts.
So, I started thinking about a sturdy ketch.
August 2002
While I was in Lisbon on business, on a day off, I visited Belem Marina. There, I saw a beautiful boat named Pandora. I had been thinking about a new boat for a while, and it looked like all my ideas about style and layout were in this boat: clipper bow, deck salon, ketch rigged, and heart-shaped stern. Though with her 48 feet, she was a bit bigger than the boat I had in mind.
Back home, I contacted Dick Koopmans, the famous Dutch naval architect and yacht designer. His father, Dick Senior, sailed the oceans with his wife Elly in 5 of his own designs and they wrote 4 books about that.
Dick Sr. had designed a ketch with the beautiful lines I liked so much on the ‘Pandora’ and Dick Jr. showed it to me. It is their design ‘156’.
Here’s the original 156 under full sail in the 1970’s, underway with main sail, mizzen sail, mizzen stay sail, jib and spinnaker! The yankee sail is on deck.
A beautiful ship, for sure, but I wanted a deck salon…
Dick Jr. said, “I can design a deck salon on this hull”… and he sent this picture.
That started to look like something!
There was one problem however, the hull of the 156 design has a flush deck and below this deck, there was not enough standing height for me.
On a sailing trip with my former boat, I saw another Koopmans design, the ‘330’. That one has an elevated salon roof (with the 4 little portlights) and that inspired me. Like this, there’s enough standing height.
Back home, I call Dick with this idea.
Dick says, “I can easily add an elevated salon roof”! But he’d need to check with his father, because they had never before designed a boat together… each had previously created their own designs, so doing a joint design was something new and very special. Dick Sr. agreed that this would be a good design and then they sent me this drawing.
I was in love! This is it!
In the first months of 2003, Dick transfers the paper drawings of the hull (made in the 70’s by his dad) into a digital form. In that way, he can supply all shapes and sheet metal layouts in a 1:1 plot for the construction of the hull.
Every week I get more detailed drawings.
Deck plan.
After some visits to several yards, I chose one to build the hull and we sign a contract. It says:
“A spacious, strong, safe, low-maintenance, comfortable, stable and well maneuverable yacht. Suitable for all waters of the world.”
That sounds excellent!
In the meantime, I’m making drawings of the interior design on my computer. Although Koopmans had a proposed interior layout, I wanted to incorporate my own ideas into the design.
January 2005
The first pieces of the steel frames are bent.
And spot-welded together on a 1:1 plot of the drawings of the frames.
Febuary 2005
The keel and the first frames are in place, and that is a time for a small keel-laying celebration with some family and friends.
The first screw of a stainless steel keel plate is attached by my daughter Dione.
Second screw by my daughter Yara.
The last screws by myself.
Many happy miles, Dione IV!
More frames…
March 2005
All frames in place.
The first hull plates.
The first deck and upper structure plates.
She’s getting her shape!
June 2005
All hull plates in place and welded.
July 2005
Engine in place.
August 2005
Centre board case welded in.
Diesel main tanks welded in.
At both sides of the center board case is 500L of diesel.
September 2005
Rolling her over to weld the bottom plates.
Stacking and pouring lead as ballast.
5000 kg of lead.
October 2005
Welding the upper structure.
December 2005
Starting paint work.
Cockpit ready.
February 2006
Paint, paint, paint…
March 2006
Windows and hatches mounted.
Steering system mounted.
Adding layers of paint.
April 2006
Ready to leave the construction hall!
Loaded on the truck.
On our way to Haarlem for splashdown.
Sometimes narrow passages.
Lifted from the truck.
April 13, 2005, 14:07h
She’s afloat!
In the marina of Spaarndam.
August 2006
Starting construction of the interior.
8cm of insulation.
February 2007
Kitchen ready to paint.
March 2007
My daughter Dione helps painting 🙂
She paints her own cabin, the forward cabin.
June 2007
Ashore for painting the hull and mounting the center board.
June 23, 2007
Baptize ceremony.
Dione sprays champagne on the name!
The official splash!
December 2007
Working on deck salon interior.
August 2008
Working on the Port aft cabin interior.
December 2009
Working on the starboard aft cabin interior.
July 19, 2010, 14:07h
First time at open sea.
Entering the North Sea at ‘Roompot’ locks for a trip to IJmuiden.
December 2011
Constructing the stainless steel railing.
July 2014
Mounting the masts.
August 2014
Masts ready.
November 2014
Mounting all winches and all deck hardware.
December 2015
New sails.
April 2017
Installing / refitting new fridge and freezer boxes.
October 2017
Ashore. Apply Coppercoat antifouling paint.
Increase rudder surface by 12cm.
September 2019
Paint job hull.
March 2020
Paint job interior.
April 2020
New instrument pod.
October 2021
Upgrade energy system.
Lithium battery bank, new inverter, shore power transformer, DC distribution systems, monitor & control systems.
March 2022
New engine.
Mitsubishi SM105. 6-cilinder 105 HP.
May 2022
Rebuild interior around the engine.
June 2022
Installing new custom made solar panels on the deck salon roof.
900Wp.
June 2022
Refit Galley.
Induction cooker, electric oven.
November 2022
Install Single Side Band (SSB) radio system for long range communication.
June 2023
Installing solar panels at the railing.
4x 200Wp bifacial.
March 2024
Install electric winch for main halyard.