Stødig: from a dinghy to a real motor yacht

Two in the boat, not counting the dog

This story begins in 2018. Then a lifeboat for one hundred people, 10 meters long, was put up for sale. A conventional lifeboat manufactured in the mid-90s, it has been on board the MV Clansman for the last 23 years. The ferry sailed between the Western Isles of Scotland. 

The auction and sale of the boat would have gone unnoticed if not for two young guys. For some reason, Gaili Simmonds and David Schnabel bought an old boat. But the guys had a plan.

The ideological inspirer of the idea was Gaili Simmonds. Three generations of his family were avid yachtsmen. Since childhood, Gaili spent a lot of time sailing with his grandfather and father. When he saw an advertisement for the sale of a boat, he got the idea to make something more out of it. 

Guiley says: “I think it was my inner architect and engineer. It was he who saw the possibilities in this old boat. The boat itself seemed to be a call to test oneself.” 

David Schnabel discovered yachting relatively recently. Cruises and travel were more fun for him than serious pursuits. However, Simmonds managed to ignite a spark of excitement in his friend - and both decided to make a real motor boat out of an old boat!

Start of work on Stødig

Simmonds admits with a smile that the Stødig was the family's first motorboat: “There was even a bit of a family rift over it!” However, the dissatisfaction of older family members did not dissuade the guy from the ambitious project.

Simmonds and Schnabel bought the boat for £7,000. Overall the boat was in good condition, but there was a lot of work ahead. Simmonds recalls: “We had a total budget of £30,000 for the work. Seven thousand of this amount were spent on the purchase of a boat. The remaining 23,000 made it clear to us that we would have to do most of the work ourselves.” Friends had to recruit acquaintances to help in the initial stages of the project.

The first priority was to dismantle the benches that were located inside the boat. After this, the duo set about changing the layout of the future boat. Together they designed a new interior, which they gradually implemented.

Interior of yacht Stødig

Unlike full-fledged yachts, the boat is only three meters wide along the entire length of the hull. Although this caused some design difficulties, Simmonds and Schnabel were eventually able to create two double cabins in the bow.

The Stødig's salon consists of a galley to starboard and a table with seating area to port. In addition, due to the large hatches in the cabin, there are no problems with natural lighting. These same acrylic hatches offer stunning views of the surrounding nature. There is also a separate bathroom on board the motorboat. 

Interesting technical solutions from Stødig

Even though the boat itself is quite stable, it still needed ballast. The guys solved the problem elegantly - they placed sandbags in the holds. 

Some of the high-tech solutions appeared on board through sponsorship and donations. Electrical systems and solar panels were purchased with donated funds. In total, caring investors invested at least £10,000 in the guys’ project.

Thus, large solar panels appeared on the roof of the boat, which can generate up to 900 W of electricity. A wind turbine was installed closer to the stern. Stødig is completely autonomous - according to the observations of friends in the marina, it only had to be charged 5-6 times.

DIY yacht in action

The guys have already covered quite a long route and tested the Stødig's stability. In May 2019, Team Stødig, consisting of Simmonds, Schnabel and Shackleton, a Scottish retriever, set off from England to the North Pole. The entire route was 3,100 miles long. Three brave sailors first crossed the English Channel, reached Belgium and moved to Norway. 

Simmonds notes that the experience of sailing a Stødig is very different from sailing a conventional sailing or motor yacht. The guy describes this process as “driving a bus.” However, Simmonds and Schnabel note that no serious problems arose during the entire trip.

The most difficult crossing, as Simmonds recalls, was the crossing between Sweden and Norway. Then the team encountered four-meter waves. Stødig passed these tests with dignity.

New video on the Interparus channel🎥

Great view for a big boat! Sasha Goron will conduct a full excursion on board the Dufour 430 yacht. Enjoy your viewing!

Don't forget to rate the material. You can find other interesting articles using the links below or in the “News” section!

09.04.2024