Elvstrøm Sails plays an important part in many adventures – and so it does for Jan Dahl and Josefine Jørgensen on Miss Arthur.
They are well underway on their big journey, which has led them to the Caribbean and Martinique from their starting point in Aarhus, Denmark. All powered by Elvstrøm Sails, of course.
The couple only rather recently turned sailors – at the end of their studies, they both felt travelling was an itch that had to be scratched. Yet, initially they had not even decided if it should be on the water. Multiple options were on the table. Yachting was one of them, but it soon became a clear decision when the couple turned on the television.
Watching the Danish hit programme “Kurs mod Fjerne Kyster” soon sealed the deal for Jan and Josefine.
- We wanted to do something, but we had not really decided if we should sail or get a van and drive. Then we saw this show on Danish TV and it really set the scene for us, Jan says. He adds:
- Our first project was to buy an old boat to restore and learn. This very first project of ours was really blood, sweat and tears, but we learned a lot and had sort of set our aim for the Caribbean. I believe this was a good way to get going – it gave both of us a solid way to learn, and it did also lead us to where we are right now. Along the way, we realized how we would be much better off with a bigger and indeed newer boat. And that is also the very short story on how we ended up here with our Bavaria 50.
Making the switch for a much newer, much bigger boat took some consideration and work for the then studying couple, Josefine says:
- We were still studying when we started the planning. Being students, we knew we couldn’t afford a super expensive boat, yet it had to be around 50 feet if it was to make up for having an actual apartment in Aarhus. There was also another side to is, as the size of it makes us able to do what we do now, so the choice was given. More room means that we can take guests with us on the journey and share the costs. Another advantage is that our current boat is quite a bit newer, and it took less work to prepare it.
New wardrobe for Miss Arthur
However, there were still a solid amount of prep work to do – mainly on the sails. Jan and Josefine bought Miss Arthur with her original Elvstrøm Sails wardrobe from 2009 and opted for a new set from Elvstrøm Sails Nord in Aalborg, Denmark.
Miss Arthur crossed the Atlantic on the old set, and the duo has decided to fit the new wardrobe ahead of the next big leg of their journey when the Caribbean season ends in April.
- We have waited patiently and not used the new wardrobe yet. To be fair, neither of us had big expectations for the old set from 2009 to stand the test of the Atlantic, but we tried, and it held up nicely, Josefine says. Jan adds:
- It will be a totally different experience. I can’t wait to get almost blinded by the white and completely fresh sails. They are a direct replacement for what we have on Miss Arthur now, so one could say that we bought what we could – a new main plus a new headsail.
The joys of a relaxed, yet never-ending job
Touring the World has quickly given Jan and Josefine a different perspective on specifically one thing: Time.
- Sailing in this way is always a job in some way. The boat is in constant use, thus there will always be smaller or bigger jobs to do. There is always something to fix or optimize when a boat is used in this way, and you will inevitably also get a new idea to try out. You try to make ends meet, find the good deals, and start cooperating with various people and companies. Yet, at the end of the day, you will always do it at your own pace, which is nice, Jan says, while Josefine adds:
- Time has surely changed as a factor for us. When we crossed the Atlantic from Cape Verde to here, we crossed four time zones, but we could not be bothered to set the clock every time. Having that much time on your hands is a really cool type of freedom to have. It changes your perspective on things in many good ways, but it can of course also be impractical – especially if you walk to the parts store to find a shut door as you didn’t realize you had turned up on a Sunday.
The next leg of the journey for Sailing Miss Arthur is set to commence in the spring, and here the duo is also planning to put their new wardrobe from Elvstrøm Sails to the test as they head for the Pacific.
You can join Jan and Josefine on their journeys on @sailingmissarthur and www.sailingmissarthur.dk