25 Years of the Elling Club, Part III: Safety on board, friendship at the jetty

Text: Antonia von Lamezan

On Thursday morning, Jürgen and Ilse Blersch invite us aboard their ‘Miss Elli’. Strawberries are on the table, and the coffee machine is working flat out. The boat is moored in the middle of a cluster of boats. Other club members are constantly popping round, stepping onto the deck and staying for a chat. As well as their Elling, Jürgen and Ilse still own their Bavaria 38 on Lake Constance. “At heart, we’re sailors,” says Ilse. In 2021, they added a second-hand Elling E4 to their fleet. Living on board for several months, using a washing machine, dishwasher, tumble dryer or an outdoor kitchen – none of that would be an option on a sailing boat.

When, in front of the Waal, everything suddenly came to a standstill

She was also impressed by the sophisticated technology on board, particularly the fully independent auxiliary engine. When the main engine suddenly failed in the Netherlands, just before a lock on the approach to the Waal, it was precisely this system that got them out of that tricky situation. “Suddenly, nothing was working; the main engine stopped responding,” recalls Jürgen. At first, the “Miss Elli” drifted towards the Waal, unable to manoeuvre. The auxiliary engine has its own gearbox, its own fuel tank and its own rudder. It started up immediately and safely steered the boat out of a situation that, given the current and the fairly heavy commercial traffic on the river, could otherwise have quickly become critical.

From a mooring to a friendship

For Ilse, however, the best experiences on board her Elling have nothing to do with technology. On her first holiday with her ‘Miss Elli’, Jürgen moored alongside another Elling, even though there was plenty of space all around in the harbour. The neighbour was already standing by and took the lines. They arranged a barbecue, ended up staying longer than planned on the spur of the moment, and became friends. This mooring neighbour was Ad, who is now president of the Elling Club. Ilse and Jürgen would like to sail down the Danube in their Elling, where Ilse’s family lives in Austria. “But the sense of community is so great that we’re thinking twice about whether we really want to take the boat that far away from Holland,” says Ilse, laughing with a twinkle in her eye. A chance encounter at the harbour turned into a friendship. It’s a story that, in one form or another, is told time and again during the gathering.

​You might find this interesting:

• ​Elling: Across the Pond
• ​Boating in Practice: Seagoing motorboats – Crossing the Atlantic once

On a long journey, trust is what counts

Josh is sitting at the stern of the “Zeeotter”, looking out over the harbour. The American from Seattle is taking part in the gathering for the first time and, after just a few days, already feels right at home. “This community is really cool,” he says. Josh grew up around boats. His father used to sell sailing boats. He himself has lived on the water for several years, at times with his wife, three children, a dog and two cats. When he first saw a slipway, he was fascinated. At the time, however, the yacht was beyond his budget. Later, Josh sold his business, which coordinated care services. Many people he’d come into contact with through his work had suddenly found themselves in need of care or had died prematurely. That got him thinking. “I decided not to wait any longer.”

He bought the ‘Zeeotter’ in the UK and sailed round the United Kingdom on his first major voyage. Whilst in the North Sea, he also encountered severe weather. With winds of 30 knots, his boat battled against the current and steep waves that crashed down onto the deck. “I wasn’t afraid. You can tell the boat’s built for this. My body, however, isn’t quite as well-suited to such rough seas. I was very glad when we reached safe harbour.” Today, Josh divides his time between his home in the US and his boat in Europe. He lives on board for around three months of the year. Josh documents his travels on the YouTube channel “Port to Port”. His next destinations are the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden, and one day he hopes to sail as far as the Mediterranean.

​​Series: 25 Years of the Elling Club

In Part 3 It’s all about technology, safety and friendships, In Part 2 It’s about life on board an Elling. Part 1 tells of the anniversary gathering in Antwerp and of the sense of community on the jetty.

How important would an independent backup system, such as an auxiliary engine, be to you on a motor yacht? A must-have, or more of a niche solution? Have your say in the comments.