Ness Yawl, Otter

By now it must be apparent that Doryman loves a double-ended sea boat. Then, it comes as no surprise that at the Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival last month, a particular boat stood out. Now, to claim you have a favorite boat at such an event is very hard to say. Impossible, in fact.

So, let's just say that Dan and Mette's Ness Yawl Otter was one of the finalists on Doryman's list. Iain Oughtred designed this fine sea boat on the lines of the Shetland Yoals. In days of yore, these boats were imported to the Shetland Islands from Norway, and then assembled by local builders. They were of lapstrake construction dating to the Vikings.

In the years since the development of the Ness Yawl, many similar boats have been built to it's capable sea qualities, including several new designs by Iain himself.

The popularity of the open double-ender was apparent at the PT Festival, with several examples tied along the same dock, all rigged for open water sail-and-oar gunkholing.

Otter was moored at the end of the dock, amid a jumble of small boats and the activity of a cul-de-sac, but Doryman has a discerning eye for a well crafted boat.

Dan confessed he was not a professional boat builder though he's a fine woodworker, there is no doubt.
His new Ness Yawl is beautiful.

Congratulations Dan and Mette! A fine vessel. May she provide you with many pleasant hours on the water.

The proud builder. He looks mighty pleased, and well he should.

Doesn't get better than this.

If you would like to see what a Ness Yawl can do, please visit the Man on the River, for Giacomo de Stefano's fabulous trip across Europe in Clodia.

For a very good example of how a Viking might build a boat like this, visit Adrian Morgan.

Building the Iain Oughtred Ness Yawl

Remember last May (2008) I posted about the Iain Oughtred Ness Yawl? It was a new design to me, by a designer I love. My friend Chuck is the builder/ owner of "Selkie" and has graciously contributed his own words to the DoryMan blog:





 "I’m flattered by your interest in Selkie, my Oughtred Ness Yawl. At the same time, I completely understand – Iain Oughtred has both the artist’s eye and designer’s mind. I note that Iain’s own boat is a Ness Yawl, which I consider a strong endorsement!"

"Selkie started, as many boats do, as a discussion between friends – in this case, Jamie Orr, of Victoria, BC, and myself. We had both competed in the first Shipyard Raid, from Silva Bay, Gabriola Island, BC to Port Townsend, in 2005. Jamie and I have been friends for years, sharing an interest in our Bolger Chebaccos – Jamie’s Wayward Lass and my Full Gallop. While both boats are similar, they are also expressions of their masters, with different detailing and rigs, but both true to the designer’s intentions. It was in these boats that we both participated in the ‘05 Raid."

"In the winter of ’06, we were discussing the upcoming Raid, the ideal raidboat, and the fun we’d had. As one thing led to another, we decided that the right thing for us to do was to enter in ’07, only as a team instead of competing against one another. As the Emeritus team, we’d bring our superior intelligence and experience to bear!"

"It was clear that neither of us wanted to row a Chebacco 100 miles again, and so I offered that, if James would agree to crew, I’d build a Ness Yawl, which we both agreed would be a serviceable raid boat. She’d carry a modest load, sail in any blow, and row well enough (we’d rowed a majority of the time in the ’05 raid, with the wind on our nose for most of the trip)."

"I ordered plans, and started work in February, ’07. Almost 6 months to the day later, we launched Selkie on the North shore of Vancouver Island and rowed for Silva Bay on Gabriola Island. It had been a forced march for me, with assistance from Jamie and a friend, Alan Woodbury, who donated Pete Culler-pattern square loom oars, sewed the Sailrite balanced lugsail and mizzen kits (as well as a custom drifter jib we rigged) and drove from Canada to spend a long weekend building spars at my boatshop in Fall Creek, Oregon. The effort had taken most of my after-work time, as well as almost full time efforts on weekends, but as the pictures show, the effort was worth it."




"Oughtred’s glued-ply lapstrake construction was initially suspect to me; I wasn’t sure how to lay out the planks and account for the curve of the planks when scarfing the plywood. Information on the web was mixed; everyone had their own ideas, and none of the descriptions were clear. On the other hand, other builders reported only minimal confusion, and had worked out their own methods for resolving the many questions I had."


"Oughtred’s planset included full-size patterns for molds and stems; setup was in the conventional manner. I have an embarrassment of high-quality African mahogany lumber, which became the stems, keel, and other solid-lumber components."


"I developed a method for patterning the planks using inexpensive hardboard paneling ripped to 12” widths; each piece was temporarily clamped to the molds, with the adjoining piece overlapped and screwed to the first. This made a full-length piece composed of 3-4 12” wide ‘planks’ screwed to each other with sheetrock screws. From the underside, I scribed the critical points, such as plank lands, keel, etc. I was then able to gently remove the attached sheets, “connect the dots”, and describe the shape of the “real” plank from the pattern."


"I decided to trace and cut the pattern material to shape, tho I could have picked up the shape on the real planks by pricking through the pattern. By cutting the patterns out, I was able to test them on the molds to ensure their shape was accurate, and I didn’t mind cutting the inexpensive pattern material to ensure a proper fit."

"I was able to economically cut 9 mm okume plywood into rough planks, place the patterns on them, and plot the shape and location of the scarfs on the real planks. I built a jig to cut scarfs with my skilsaw, which resulted in quick and accurate scarfs. I’m glad I decided to build the jig, as the planking required something like 36 scarf cuts, and the jig ensured that each one was near-perfect with little effort. I then fit and glued the scarfs, re-traced the pattern from the inexpensive pattern stock, and cut the final planks, two at a time, port and starboard."

"Many lap-ply builders go to great length to explain techniques for developing a good beveled land for the next plank; I found this very simple, scribing a pencil line 1” in from the bottom of the installed plank, and using a handsaw to pick up the approximate bevel, making small cuts on that plank edge every 12” or so. I power-planed this bevel to the approximate angle, and finished with a hand plane. Laying out and planning the bevel took 15 minutes per side, max. The planking progress fairly rapidly, using System3 resins and sanderdust filler."




"I built clamps according to Iain’s plan, included in the drawings, to clamp the planks. These clever wedged clamps were a key to success, as they quickly pulled the planks tight, and their low cost meant that you could make 20 or 30 of them to keep you moving."







"The rest of the story is pretty straight-forward, but it does the process a disservice to call it routine; I greatly enjoyed a long weekend visit from Jamie and Alan to lay out and mill the spars, which we made from Khaya mahogany. Lacking readily available spruce, the Khaya was light and strong, and made a handsome set of 2 masts, a boom, a sprit, and a yard. The project also required a significant daily effort to meet the deadline for the Raid. As a project manager, I took the time to carefully schedule the tasks, and worked hard to meet my interim milestones.

In the end, the project came out almost precisely on schedule."


"Selkie has several designer-approved modifications, as well as some un-approved ones. I wrote to Mr. Oughtred regarding seating to accommodate 2 rowers, instead of the one rowing position shown in the plans.





He promptly replied with a pen-and-ink sketch and narrative, outlining how an additional station could be added, but also indicated that his preferred raiding arrangement was for his crew to row, and him to steer from the stern!"






"Other options include a steel centerplate, instead of wooden centerboard, since I anticipated single-handing the boat much of the time, post-raid, and the 100# plate would add stability and security. I also built a removable wishbone-type bowsprit to carry the 50 s.f. drifter jib Jamie designed and sewed. In the end, this was a huge asset on the Raid, as we found that rowing with the jib and mizzen was perhaps our fastest mode; trying to row with the mainsail was difficult, as the heel of the boat made rowing almost impossible."

"We tracked out Raid performance closely via GPS, and could easily row 3.5 kts for extended periods – hours, in fact – without any sails. This isn’t bad for a couple of 50+ year old office jockeys. We reached 5 kts under sail on occasion, which would be about hull speed for this design. And, while we didn’t win the Raid (we were 4th of 9) we were the most photographed. Selkie is a joy to sail and look at, lean, graceful elegant and fast. I find her without fault. Her RED lugsail is unmistakable, and she is complimented wherever she goes. I recently added a fabricated motor mount for my 2 hp Honda, which, while not in keeping with her classic lines, does help when cruising. However, she rows so well that using the motor feels like a loss, as she easily makes her way with 1 or 2 rowers, even over long distances."


The design of the JII Ness Yawl is drawn from the Shetland Yoals. Initially, these boats were imported to the Shetland Islands from Norway, and then assembled by local builders. They were of lapstrake construction that dates to the Vikings.

The Ness Yoals became a popular boat for inshore fishing, averaging 21 feet over all, with a 5 foot 5 inch beam. They were rowed by a crew of three men with a pair of oars each. Hence the name Sixareen. When the wind was right, they raised a single lug-rigged square sail.

The boat designs from Iain Oughtred retain many of the desirable qualities for both rowing and sailing. Built of high quality marine plywood and employing glue lapstrake construction, they are lighter in weight and move easily on the water. When matched with other boats in the "Raids" they have proven to be fast and seaworthy.

Man on the River

The latest video from Giacomo de Stefano shows tremendous progress on the Ness Yawl being built for his upcoming trip through Europe. After many months of working toward this goal, it must be thrilling to finally see the project pulling together.
Roland, Silvio and friends are working hard!

You can watch the build live via web cam. The Lago lobby where the boat is being built is in Italy, so those (like me) who live on the other side of the world have to get up very early to see any action. This is a unique opportunity to see a quality boat built by professionals live, simultaneously, over the entire planet.



Thank you Giacomo and team!



A list of links for Giacomo's efforts to help bring the plight of the world's rivers and seas to the attention of all of us:
Ness Yawl on the Po River
unaltropo
Canto Mediterraneo (there is a lot here, look diligently and keep your translator handy - posts are in English, Italian and Portugese.)
Canto Mediterraneo (on DoryMan)
Ness Yawl on the Po River (on DoryMan)

...more about Iain Oughtred's Ness Yawl and open boat cruising.

North Sea to Black Sea is Giacomo's new challenge. He will row and sail from London to Istanbul by going up the Rhine and down the Danube with the aim of making people aware of these rivers that are dying, and to show the possibility of living in a way that is both light and slow.
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Remiera a Venezia

Historical Rowing Vessels in Venice

Our friend Giacomo Stefano is tireless in his promotion of the historical vessels of Venice. In this video, you can sense the almost militant tenor of the preservation effort for human powered boats and the quiet tradition of the rowing culture in Italy.

I have a great bit of empathy for this effort and additionally, support the preservation of traditional human powered vessels the world over.

It's plain to see the degradation that wave action from the multitude of motor powered boats must have on the ancient buildings of the canals of Venice. The apparent disregard for the rowers by the motor boats would cause me to be militant too. A water taxi nearly runs over the starboard oar while passing a sandolo!

Water quality is another subject dear to Giacomo and rightly so. There is not a drop of water left on the rock we call home that is not polluted by the activities of humans. We could use much more militancy on that subject.


Giacomo Stefano is planning a journey from London to Istanbul, which he has dubbed North Sea to Black Sea; to embark next spring. His low impact "less is more" voyage is intended to highlight the need to address the human impact on the essence of life, water.

You might not be surprised to hear that Giacomo has had some difficulty finding support for this event. His original intention was to organize a volunteer effort to build a Ness Yawl, but it looks like he has decided to continue on without sponsors.

His father's Eun Na Mara is also being outfitted for the trip, as the required companion boat for crossing the English Channel.



Giacomo reports on new solar panels for Takatani an Eun Na Mara gaff yawl.

"The Solon company, famous solar leaders throughout the world, which provides solar panels to Giovanni Soldini, has just made to measure, the solar panels that cover the deck house of Takatani, the support boat for the next trip North Sea to Black Sea, which will be moved only by the wind and an electric motor from ASMO Marine Copenhagen, Denmark."




"The panels, tested by Giovanni Soldini in the seas around the world, are about 2 mm thick and will provide 200 watts max power, to recharge the batteries. This will allow us to sail or with the quiet engine, allow filming without vibration to the cameramen."

"I thank the enthusiasm and expertise of Dr. Nicola Baggio, an engineer manager at Solon Italy who helped us in this first big step for a clean trip from London to Istanbul in 2010."

"Do not leave the planet to the stupid! Is the motto of Solon."




Doryman has been invited to participate in this six month voyage of purpose and if sponsorship can be found, surely he will.

A list of links for Giacomo's efforts to help bring the plight of the world's rivers and seas to the attention of all of us:
Ness Yawl on the Po River
unaltropo.com
Canto Mediterraneo (there is a lot here, look diligently and keep your translator handy - posts are in English, Italian and Portugese.)
Canto Mediterraneo (on DoryMan)
Ness Yawl on the Po River (on DoryMan)
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Man on the River

My compatriot and citizen of the world, Giacomo de Stefano has announced that he will resume the journey he was forced to abandon last year due to ill health.

For those who don't yet know Giacomo, he is the person who rowed and sailed the Po river in Italy as a demonstration of how travel and commerce could be accomplished with minimal impact. Along the way he discovered that cultural exchange was part of the process. He met and shared his passion for protecting the river from the ravages of industry with so many like-minded people that the journey became a cultural event.

I met Giacomo here on DoryMan. His boat for the Po river trip was a Ness Yawl, designed by Iain Oughtred and I was fascinated by the versatility of that seaworthy vessel inspired by the ancient designs from Norway. Giacomo's use of such a design is not far removed from the original. The simple, beautiful and ultimately utilitarian lapstrake double-enders were the sole transportation from one community to another for centuries and Giacomo was determined to show that they could be useful once more, not just an attractive anachronism.



So, I joined the effort to promote Giacomo's new adventure - the ambitious navigation of Europe by rivers and canals that he initially called North Sea to Black Sea. As the project grew, he found sponsors and volunteers to build another Ness Yawl (his first one was borrowed from his friend Roland). Many people in Italy became enamored of the project and as it grew, it became Man on the River, a journey from London to Istanbul by fair means.














But as Giacomo and his friend Jacopo left London and headed down the Thames he began to feel weak and listless. As fate would have it, pneumonia gripped Giacomo in a life struggle and the journey was canceled.





Back in Venice, Giacomo has spent the last year recovering from his illness, but his dream never died. His Ness Yawl, Clodia, moored patiently in Ramsgate, waits for his return.


Once again, like a phoenix, the Man on the River cultural project is underway. I am concerned that Giacomo is not yet well enough to tackle a six month journey of such proportion but he is the judge of that. I do know that he needs our support. The Man on the River is not about just one man, but about the future for all of us. Can we find the courage to live in harmony with our environment and with each other?


















That is the simple, yet intricate message of this endeavor. To build a global community around a paradigm of a world much more loving and supportive than the one we live in today.

You may say this is utopian, but I say it's possible if we want it bad enough.

I invite you to join us as we travel with the Man on the River.
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St Ayles Skiff, Doineann

Shortly after this blog began, almost a decade ago, I became enamored of Iain Oughtred's Ness Yawl . The Ness Yawl has taken Doryman readers through many voyages. (If you took the time to follow that link, welcome back!)
In the intervening years, Iain, who was then an internet no-show, has become possibly the most popular small boat designer in the world. And once again I find myself drooling over a new design from the Master, his beautiful sharpie, Haiku.
She's exquisite, but that's a subject for another day.

While I was writing extensively about the Ness Yawl, Iain designed the St Ayles Skiff. The Scottish Coastal Rowing Association was formed on 29 May 2010, to encourage boat building and rowing and racing of coastal rowing boats along the Scottish Coastline. Communities were encouraged to become involved in the building of new boats to be rowed, principally the St Ayles skiff.

Doryman was quick to promote this extraordinary design and though hundreds of these boats have been built globally, only two St Ayles Skiffs exist on the west coast of the US, Doryman's cruising grounds. Both were built in Portland, Oregon at the Wind and Oar Boat School .

The first boat off the molds at WOBS (Rosie) lives in Portland, rowed regularly by the team of women who built her. The second St Ayles Skiff to come out of that shop was Doineann (Irish for tempest or storm), built for her proud owner, Julius Dalzell. The following update from Julius is the answer to my suggestion that the St Ayles Skiff might make a great sail-and-oar boat, if only she had a sail rig.

"Hi Michael,

It has been sometime since our last communication. As you may recall, Doineann was the second St. Ayles skiff built by the Wind and Oar and Oar School. My wife and I decided upon retirement, in July 2014, to move to a favorable locale, in Cathlamet, Washington for a variety of reasons, not the least being the beauty and boating opportunities of the Lower Columbia River. A significant aspect of our new abode was the availability of a large shop. Today it is a home and restoration facility for small craft.

Of course Doineann is one of the permanent residents. And yes, we did proceed to design and make a sail-rig for Doineann.

Before proceeding with the story, you might be impressed to know that we have a regular crew rowing Doineann, most having little prior rowing experience. We find that performance is outstanding regardless of wind or chop. She slices through anything with little fuss. Totally enjoyable.

We started with an e-mail exchange with Iain Oughtred himself. Iain warned that the craft was designed for rowing, not sailing, and would be tender, so recommended a small lug sail, maybe something around 90 sq. ft.. Iain stated that the existing keel might be sufficient to support lateral stability with minor leeway. He wasn’t sure how she would tack because of her wide turning radius.

We decided to go low budget. After considering many sail designs, our choice was an 85 sq. ft. balanced lug.

The mast was a used item acquired from a builder. Quite the specimen, ugly but it works. A sail was ordered from Lee Sails. I insisted that the sail be mounted without use of fittings or attachments. No screws, nails, brackets or drilled holes. In other words, no intrusions that would impact the original design.

The mast partner we devised uses the kabe support at the forward rowing station, using the kabes and pins incorporated into each rowing station at the gunnel. The mast step slips into the floor boards below. So, on a fine August day, we took to the river for the first sail. In a fresh, accommodating wind, her response was beyond expectations. She went like mad with five adults aboard. The existing steering rudder, though designed for rowing, performed well.The boat was not tender, in fact quite stable regardless of wind on any quarter. We had a ball!

Tacking was a challenge. Because of the long keel, she took her time. Speed would drop off and we would be in irons, propelled in reverse. Throwing the rudder over steered her in reverse through the tack. The sail would again fill and we were off. Too much rudder did nothing but enhance the stall, acting as a brake. The answer to a successful tack was two fold - lots of speed going into the tack, and finessing the rudder. A slow tack became doable.

The materials I used for gaff and boom are too light. Currently another gaff and boom are under construction. Three strips of tight grain fir to be epoxied and shaped.

So, Michael, that is the Doineann story to date. My expectations for the craft are progressing!"

Thank you Julius for that update. It's obvious you love your boat and it's easy to see why.
Of course the St Ayles Skiff is a one-design racing machine, so Julius was careful to keep the design legal for racing. He looks forward to the day when more St Ayles are built and racing here in the US. (me too!)

Meanwhile, the Haiku is calling me. Isn't she a beauty?

North Sea to Black Sea

Design Conversations with Nicola Zago

"At Lago in the last few days strange things are happening.
We have always designed and built furniture. Some furniture is often very detailed, but we never expected to start building boats."

"On Monday a carpenter's bench and tools appeared in our reception area where the shipwright Roland Poltock and his loyal friend Silvio began to shape a boat of 5 meters." (A Ness Yawl from the pen of Iain Oughtred. DM)



"Of course as you know, our reception area has now become the famous "Art Waiting Room" where we host live installations and performances, but until now we have never seen anything like this."

"Everything stems from a journey that Giacomo de Stefano plans to take in the coming months from London to Istanbul first rowing the Thames, crossing the Channel, then navigating the Rhine and Danube rivers to the Black Sea using only sails, oars, the energy of the sun and the aid of people met during a trip of 5-6 months. A true journey of zero impact. The journey involves no competition or sports, but hopes to build a dialogue with the land and the people about sustainability, respect of water and the real needs of Man at a time when these things have been forgotten."


"Giacomo is no stranger to these journeys. In 2008, in the same way and with the same tenacity he went up the Po, from Venice to Turin, discovering the hidden aspects of a river, perhaps overlooked but still with much to say. His whole journey is the site: unaltropo.com"

"As you can see from the pictures the boat is already on site. We will also have a site dedicated to streaming live video and when the time comes we will follow this journey of over 5200 km."

Nicola Zago

Translation from Italian by Doryman.

The Ness Yawl being built for North Sea to Black Sea is the same design Giacomo employed for his trip on the river Po and this boat is being built by his friend Roland Poltock, who also built his first Ness Yawl.

Be sure to check out the live stream video of the lobby at Lago. Maybe you can catch the boat building in progress!

Those who might want to join Giacomo, for encouragement or just to row a little can leave a comment below or contact him at unaltropo.com.

Here is a map of the proposed route:


Visualizza Man on The River, by fair means in una mappa di dimensioni maggiori

Yawlboat Tillers

There has been some talk lately, here at DoryMan, about steering systems for yawls. That pesky mizzen mast creates some problems for tiller design and there are many effective solutions.


We'll take as examples a handful of double ended yawl boats profiled here in the last year.
The subject came up as a reference to the Ness Yawl currently being built in Italy for a journey across Europe. Shipwright Roland Poltock is building the boat Giacomo de Stefano will use on this trip and although we have not yet seen the tiller arrangement, we'll assume for the sake of this discussion that it is similar to the tiller Roland designed for the Ness Yawl Giacomo used for his last trip, on the river Po.
Simple and graceful.







On Selkie, Chuck Gottfried used an articulating tiller extension on a tiller that fastens to the rudder perpendicular to the centerline of the boat. Chuck would say "why make it harder than it needs to be?"
















Another traditional solution to the conflict of tiller and mizzenmast is a yoke on the mizzenmast. Kees Prins developed a pivoting tie rod arrangement for Laingdon Schmitt's Sparrow. The pivot on the mizzen became a bronze mast partner.








Less simple but oh, so elegant.





















Bernie Arnell's Avocet uses a bow shaped yoke made of wood. The boat is steered with a symmetrical yoke on the head of the rudder post, from which runs a loop of line that circumscribes the boat. The line is tied to the ends of the rudder yoke, runs along the gunwale and loops around a pulley forward of the main mast.



This allows him to adjust the rudder directly at the yoke, or using the line, from any location in the boat - which is useful when single-handing.























Bernie just sent in photos of details for his Avocet and was spurred by the news about Giacomo's build. We've waited all winter for news of Bernie's finish work. One clever detail is his adjustable oarlock base.


A lot of love went into building all of these boats and the marriage of form and function is the proof.

Bach’s Suite for Cello

From the North Sea to the Black Sea, across Europe in a human powered boat. For the last year Giacomo de Stefano has been planning this trip to highlight his concern for the degradation of water. It's not the first time he has made such a statement.

He has told me several times that the message is so important that it will have a life of it's own and a community of concerned citizens will grow from the effort.

And so it seems.

Two nights ago, an event was held at the art house, Antiruggine in Castelfranco, Veneto, where a four hundred year old cello played by Mario Brunello created some incredible music from inside the Ness Yawl, Clodia.



Is it art, or politics? Yes, and yes. Has it caused you to ponder the destiny of this water planet? Certainly hope so...

If all goes well, the Ness Yawl Clodia is scheduled to leave London on the fifteenth of April on it's six month journey to Istanbul.

Will you be on-board?







The Clodia and Giacomo de Stefano will participate in the International Boat Show of Venice from the 18th to the 21st of March.

For more information visit Man on the River.

The Ness Yawl on the Po River

Doryman received a note from a compatriot in Italy recently about his voyage up the Po river, the longest river in Italy. This two month trip in an Iain Oughtred Ness Yawl is documented by Giacomo on his blog and it's a great story!

This is his note and a link to his site, well worth the visit:

"Congratulations for your blog and your work.
My name is Giacomo De Stefano and I rowed and sail for more than 1000 km the Po river, the Italian longest.
You can see more on my blog unaltropo.com


Thank you for the kind words, Giacomo! We admire your work, too!


Post Script: Giacomo has a new project for next year. This man's heart is in the right place!---
"North Sea to Black Sea (by fair means)":

"We undertake the voyage without the pretense of trying to teach anything, but with the objective of shining a light on that which we’ve forgotten. “The river” is a metaphor for life, and the voyage is a way of clearing the useless superstructure
that weighs us down; that is, the false security of material possessions. We want
to experience, and to show others, the wonderful feeling of freedom that can be felt from being transported by the current and by using the strength of one’s own arms and the wind to move in harmony with nature."

“A journey can be a key to finding our real nature and leaving behind the heaviness
of unneeded things, of enjoying how we can give and receive,” says Giacomo. “True happiness doesn’t come from having things, but from having the knowledge of how to attract good things to us. Prosperity is really a way of living and thinking."

Giacomo's convictions:
"With the help of Roland Poltock as master shipwright, along with and some boys and girls from the local community for the disabled and school students, we will use only using only recycled wood. Electric power will be supplied by a local wind farm."

Giacomo has taken the challenge to transform the culture of consumerism and to cultivate the human spirit. A grand and worthy aspiration.
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Man on the River, Voyaging with the Ness Yawl Clodia

Speaking of travelers, Giacomo De Stefano has resumed his journey from North Sea to Black Sea.
As winter set in on the Danube last year, Giacomo was obliged to put his Ness Yawl, Clodia up in storage in Budapest, Hungary.
Giacomo is committed to life as a nomad, drawing together people of like mind to create a new paradigm - life more in harmony with our water planet. This is not just an eco-vacation. Giacomo delves deep into the culture of the river communities he visits.

I doubt that Giacomo realized how much of his life would be consumed by this venture. Three years ago he attempted to launch from London only to be stymied by pneumonia, the silent thief.

Last year he fared better, rowing and sailing along the canals of Europe, making his way uphill through lock after lock on the Rhine. Along the way, he has met and introduced us to many people and multiple cultures. You could spend a lifetime making a journey such as this!







But the goal is Istanbul and Giacomo, with renewed energy, is on the downhill leg. We'll follow him as he makes his way downriver on the Danube over the next few months because we are part of the community that is the Man on the River.



Fair winds, Giacomo!

This voyage can also be followed on Facebook.