Realizing the dream of the big North!

The big adventure has begun for Camilla and Jonas Toustrup - also known as @journeyofjera. 

An adventure which took a lot of planning, even more work and a few setbacks to get going. But the Danish couple persevered and has just embarked on their big journey. Their first adventure took them to Northern Norway and Svalbard, and next up is Scotland, where Jera is mooring right now.

We caught up for a chat about the dream of the big adventure and – perhaps most importantly – the aim of slowing down in a world which seems ever busier.

- I think it was about twelve years ago that we got talking about this for the first time. I grew up in a sailing family, and I have been into everything from dinghy racing to family cruising since I was a child. I said we should get a boat, and Jonas said no. I said yes, and eventually he gave in..., Camilla remarks. Jonas adds:

- I wasn’t introduced to sailing that early, but Camilla’s family is full of keen sailors, and I had seen them working on boats before. I thought it would take forever to do stuff, and it led me to say it wasn’t interesting. As time progressed, I gave in, and we picked up our first boat on my birthday. It was April, the weather was bad, and I was horribly seasick and really had a horrendous first experience with it all. Since everything got better, Jonas says.

The first venture into boat ownership gave them appetite for more sailing and bigger adventures, and this was where the big journey began. And as for the trip and the ambition to go North and to Svalbard was a long-lasting idea of doing it in a different way than ‘just’ going by the beaten path:

- We both get the idea of going somewhere with nice weather and colorful drinks, but the raw nature experience and polar bears was indeed what we wanted – and going in the slow way that sailing can provide, was and still is the perfect way to do it. Our plan with all of this is just to sail with an open end on the calendar. It can be a few years or more. We will see what happens.

Slowing down is the key. A lesson, which the renovation process and the first big adventure has taught Camilla and Jonas on a few occasions.

Camilla and Jonas found their current boat, Jera, and set to work. And along the way, it became much more than just a leisure project. It became the start of Jonas’ new life as a boatbuilder, too.

- We looked at various options and ended up buying our Dufour 12000CT. It did fit the job for us, but it was not exactly a looker. It had wild colors and needed lots of work, but since we had seen other 12000CT’s online, we knew the potential of it, he says.

Choosing a ketch and thus having two masts was a part of the deal.

- At the same time, I was also getting to the point where I wanted to step down from my military job – so long story short, I trained as a boatbuilder, which really came in handy with the scale of this project, Jonas says and adds:

And furthermore, I feel it is very important to have in-depth knowledge of your boat, if you plan on sailing around the world. It can quickly get out of hand, if something breaks in the middle of the ocean and you have no idea how to mend it.

Discussing the wardrobe of sails was also an important topic. The Dufour was run-down and needed lots of work, and this also applied for the sails and making the furling masts run smoothly again.

And being a ketch-rigged boat, it is not the most common type of setup either:

- Working with Elvstrøm Sails has been great. Our boat was never produced in big numbers, so you need to rely on your sailmaker and their ability to design and create the right sail with the needed features. Longevity was a big point for us, so we decided on Dacron as it is possible to repair if needed. Secondly, we wanted the genoa to be cut a little higher. We have the deck saloon which is a perfect place to guard from. And having a good view here is essential. This may sound boring, but our sail selection really was a matter of practical points for us, Camilla says.

Camilla and Jonas had a full set made for Jera, which now runs the Elvstrøm Sails mainsail and mizzen sail. Fore is the new Elvstrøm Sails genoa, and to get a bit of extra speed, they also have a Furlstrøm ready to go.

- Our new sails made a world of difference. When we bought Jera, the furling hardly worked at all, but with good help from our contacts at Elvstrøm, we had new sails made and found out how to make it all run smoothly. The new wardrobe gave us a lot more speed to work with. Our old sails were not at all good, so this was a timely and very important upgrade. When we bought the boat, a speed of five knots was sort of the maximum we could get, and now it’s our cruising speed, and we got the features we planned, Jonas adds.

Exploring the world one stretch at a time also means that Camilla and Jonas have no plans. Their expedition began with two months in Svalbard, and right now Jera is in Scotland – presumably for the winter, and then next year, a tour of Scotland and Ireland waits.

- The first milestone was to make it to Svalbard after the troubles of 2025. Their first attempt at reaching Svalbard ended in Tromsø. The hydraulic steering on Jera failed halfway between Tromsø and Svalbard. They had to make a jury rudder to regain control – and made the call to stop in Tromsø, where they stayed for the winter. The long stay in Tromsø was not at all the plan – but to experience Svalbard the way intended, they had to.

Second time around, they made it, and it was a stellar experience:

- We did not know what to expect, but as soon as we got the hang of sailing in the ice, it really struck us how fantastic a place it is. It’s easy to worry a lot about the ice, but you will manage – and as soon as you come to that point, then Svalbard opens, Camilla says.

The first stop of many was also a fitting welcome. One of the possible stops in Svalbard is at Barentsburg. This is the only active coal mining town left in Svalbard. Jonas didn't expect much of the Russian mining village, but it had lots of surprises:

- Our first time on land in Svalbard was in Barentsburg. I did not expect much of it - we almost sailed past it, but eventually, we chose to go. And I am glad we did! It was like sailing into a Soviet-era museum. It was a big surprise and a fantastic experience – just what exploring should be, he says.

It was a successful way to slow down everyday life. The next chapter awaits, but the important lesson of slowing down in life has been taught and learned, he ends:

- I think we have managed to slow down and enjoy our life some more. We had our share of technical trouble on the way, but we managed to take our time and get it right. Having a long stop in Tromsø was not our plan, but what are plans for anyway? We had so many wonderful experiences there, too. The polar nights, the aurora... Having whales swimming super close to the boat. Nothing we have done fits a schedule at all – and honestly, I’m glad it doesn’t.