Vilm 136
2008 February 7
February 2008
Bluewater cruiser
Now here's a boat that is defying the trend and makes a unique design statement while staying conventional. The design is from Georg Nissen of Kiel, Germany, and built by Bootsbau Ruegen, also of Germany. This is what we would call a "serious cruising boat." By this I mean the design is intended for sailors planning extended cruising. Wolfgang Dietrich, who heads the small Vilm group, insisted that the boat be designed with all systems easily accessible and removable without having to perform any surgery on the boat.
The hull shape appears moderate all the way. However, at 204 the D/L is on the low side for an offshore boat. This may be based upon a "light ship" displacement. A displacement of 26,500 pounds seems low to me for a 46-footer with a full complement of cruising systems and tankage. The L/B is 3.41 and draft is modest at 5 feet, 9 inches with a low aspect ratio fin with a bulbed tip. The rudder fairs into a partial skeg. I suppose this is good for emotional security but really a full spade rudder could be built just as strong. With the partial skeg you get a lower bearing that reduces the required diameter of the rudderstock. Other than reducing the bending loads on this rudderstock, I can't see any advantage to such a small skeg, assuming there are advantages to any skeg. My complaint with this hull is that it could have looked so much sweeter with more spring to the sheer. As it is the sheer is almost a straight line.
This center-cockpit layout is different and reminds me of older center-cockpit boats. There is no walk-through from the forward accommodations to the aft stateroom. The volume below the cockpit is dedicated to machinery space, tanks and stowage. This puts a priority on accessibility to items that are generally ignored in favor of "amenities." You access this area through large seat hatches in the cockpit. The rest of the boat is laid out for two couples or it would be ideal for a couple with two children. The aft stateroom has berths port and starboard. The berth to port is bigger than the starboard berth but I don't think it is double size. Not to mind. This design is semi-custom built and you can have your aft cabin arranged any way you like. If you don't need a large double berth I think the layout as drawn is ideal. Note the separate shower stall aft and the small settee between the berths. The biggest drawback to this overall layout is you have to go through the cockpit to get from one end of the boat to the other and this could be a problem in wet weather. But the Vilm's cockpit is half-covered by a handsome hard dodger. With the addition of an optional small bimini the cockpit could be entirely covered.
Forward of the cockpit there is another head to port and a large dinette to starboard. The galley is forward of the head and adjacent to a nav station to starboard. The forward leg of the dinette seat provides the seat for the nav station. There is a V-berth stateroom with port and starboard hanging lockers and plenty of toe room in the berth. A bow thruster is mounted under the toe of the V-berth.
The rig of the Vilm features a Hoyt boom to make the headsail self-tacking. With a masthead rig configuration the spreaders do not need to be swept much. This rig has forward and aft lowers. The midboom sheeting comes off a padeye on top of the hard dodger. The SA/D of this design is 17.28 if I use the figures the brochure list for the sail sizes. I do not have I, J, E and P, but I think this figure is very close given the small roach on this main and the fact that the headsail is very close to 100-percent LP. If you want to do more powering and less sailing there is a shorter rig available as an option with 25-percent less sail area.
The most unusual feature of the Vilm is its aft steering station with the wheel pedestal mounted proud on the aft deck. On paper at least, I have a hard time warming up to this feature. I don't see any provisions for seats at this wheel. Keep in mind there is a bulkhead-mounted wheel in the cockpit. Like I said this design bucks the trend.
I have liked all the Vilm boats I have seen. Mr. Dietrich has firm ideas about what makes a good cruising boat. I called him to chat about this new boat and I reached him while he was off cruising on his own Vilm. He sounded happy.
Bluewater cruiser
Now here's a boat that is defying the trend and makes a unique design statement while staying conventional. The design is from Georg Nissen of Kiel, Germany, and built by Bootsbau Ruegen, also of Germany. This is what we would call a "serious cruising boat." By this I mean the design is intended for sailors planning extended cruising. Wolfgang Dietrich, who heads the small Vilm group, insisted that the boat be designed with all systems easily accessible and removable without having to perform any surgery on the boat.
The hull shape appears moderate all the way. However, at 204 the D/L is on the low side for an offshore boat. This may be based upon a "light ship" displacement. A displacement of 26,500 pounds seems low to me for a 46-footer with a full complement of cruising systems and tankage. The L/B is 3.41 and draft is modest at 5 feet, 9 inches with a low aspect ratio fin with a bulbed tip. The rudder fairs into a partial skeg. I suppose this is good for emotional security but really a full spade rudder could be built just as strong. With the partial skeg you get a lower bearing that reduces the required diameter of the rudderstock. Other than reducing the bending loads on this rudderstock, I can't see any advantage to such a small skeg, assuming there are advantages to any skeg. My complaint with this hull is that it could have looked so much sweeter with more spring to the sheer. As it is the sheer is almost a straight line.
This center-cockpit layout is different and reminds me of older center-cockpit boats. There is no walk-through from the forward accommodations to the aft stateroom. The volume below the cockpit is dedicated to machinery space, tanks and stowage. This puts a priority on accessibility to items that are generally ignored in favor of "amenities." You access this area through large seat hatches in the cockpit. The rest of the boat is laid out for two couples or it would be ideal for a couple with two children. The aft stateroom has berths port and starboard. The berth to port is bigger than the starboard berth but I don't think it is double size. Not to mind. This design is semi-custom built and you can have your aft cabin arranged any way you like. If you don't need a large double berth I think the layout as drawn is ideal. Note the separate shower stall aft and the small settee between the berths. The biggest drawback to this overall layout is you have to go through the cockpit to get from one end of the boat to the other and this could be a problem in wet weather. But the Vilm's cockpit is half-covered by a handsome hard dodger. With the addition of an optional small bimini the cockpit could be entirely covered.Forward of the cockpit there is another head to port and a large dinette to starboard. The galley is forward of the head and adjacent to a nav station to starboard. The forward leg of the dinette seat provides the seat for the nav station. There is a V-berth stateroom with port and starboard hanging lockers and plenty of toe room in the berth. A bow thruster is mounted under the toe of the V-berth.The rig of the Vilm features a Hoyt boom to make the headsail self-tacking. With a masthead rig configuration the spreaders do not need to be swept much. This rig has forward and aft lowers. The midboom sheeting comes off a padeye on top of the hard dodger. The SA/D of this design is 17.28 if I use the figures the brochure list for the sail sizes. I do not have I, J, E and P, but I think this figure is very close given the small roach on this main and the fact that the headsail is very close to 100-percent LP. If you want to do more powering and less sailing there is a shorter rig available as an option with 25-percent less sail area.
The most unusual feature of the Vilm is its aft steering station with the wheel pedestal mounted proud on the aft deck. On paper at least, I have a hard time warming up to this feature. I don't see any provisions for seats at this wheel. Keep in mind there is a bulkhead-mounted wheel in the cockpit. Like I said this design bucks the trend.
I have liked all the Vilm boats I have seen. Mr. Dietrich has firm ideas about what makes a good cruising boat. I called him to chat about this new boat and I reached him while he was off cruising on his own Vilm. He sounded happy.
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