Zenith
| 01 March 2010
Our “Zenith” is a Windy 52 Xanthos, built in Västervik, Sweden during 2007-2008.We received the boat on May 28th 2008
Zenith has two Volvo Penta; D12-800 engines , each producing 755 hp. Furthermore there are twin diesel tanks which take 1000 liter each of fuel, and one water tank with a capacity of 1000 liters. (fyll inn her tilsvarende ett eller annet)
The vessel uses approximately 150 litres of fuel hourly when running at 1700 rpm, which calculates to approx 27-29 knots. Roughly calculated we can motor at this speed for about 15 hours before we need to refuel.
The gross weight of the boat is 21 tons.
Apart from this, there are three bedrooms, two bathrooms with shower facilities, a pantry and a salon with a TV. Zenith also has a salon upstairs which is defined as the “wet bar”…
I think Zenith is quite well equipped with a double pair of plotters from RayMarin, G 400-series digital radar, front and stern thrusters, remote controlled hydraulic rear platform which can be raised and lowered, a halogen spotlight on the antenna tower, a full Bose stereo system, TV, SART (search and rescue transponder), EPIRB (emergency positioning radio beacon), autopilot, and electric side windows, We also have an Onan generator on board that gives 11,5 kw of power to drive the electronics. Zenith has air conditioning with temperature controls in every room, and also dimmable lights in all ceilings.
Other stuff; Ice cube machine, freezer, grill, oven, and not to forget, Geirr`s blue mood lights mounted under water at the stern of the boat. Really nice when it is getting dark.
We will bring our water jet with us instead of the Williams jet tender.
The water jet is a Yamaha FX Cruiser with a high output, 4 cylinder, 1052 cc engine. The Yamaha has a 100 liters fuel tank, can carry from 1 – 3 passengers and tow a water skier. The jet weighs 360 kilo, and has 164 horse power. The Jet is from 2007, and runs on gasoline.
Homeport
Zenith is moored in Anfi Marina on Gran Canary, which is our homeport. The marina is located in the southwest of the island, just west of Arguineguin, Gran Canary, Spain.
This is a small marina with a capacity for between 93 and 97 boats, and has a sheltered location considering we have the great Atlantic Ocean, located right on the outside of the mooring.
Our good friend Nono has the main responsibility for the Marina, so we have renamed the marina to Nono's Marina.
Nono is Spanish, and is a wonderful and charming man. No matter what time of day we need help, he is always there for us.
In my eyes Nono must be the perfect employee as he is not only professionally competent and conscientious, but also so incredibly friendly and sociable.
This is not an easy combination, so there are probably many of us who have something to learn from him.
Windy
As with all boats, we have had various problems after we put the boat in use, and have therefore needed professional help at times to resolve these problems. Bear in mind we motored/sailed the boat from Norway along the west coast of Europe and down to Gran Canary some 3400 NM.
As both manufacturer and supplier, and despite the fact that we have the boat moored in Gran Canary in Spain, Windy has always contributed and lined up in any context. (forstår ikke poenget)Windy has fully demonstrated to us that they are both serious and professional, and have taken all challenges in stride!
Therefore, Windy will get our warmest recommendations.
We already look forward to the new 65 foot Yacht in 2012.
To move to an island in Spain where people seems to have their own way of looking at time is a challenge. Days are not mentioned and time is relative, where people come "next week some time”, it has been incredibly nice to get all the help and support we have received from Wndy in both Norway and Sweden.
We will therefore use the opportunity to give a big thanks to Dan, "Bosse" and "Putte" from Windy in Västervik/Sweden . Jørgen Haga and his staff at Aaby Marine in Asker/Norway, http://www.aaby.no/, and last but not least, Jon-Geirr Spockeli and his staff from Vollen Båtservice in Asker,/Norway, http://vollenbatservice.no/
What a unique bunch, both highly skilled and also very sociable people!
We also need to thank Frank Stene and Cato Allweiler from BelaMarin in Norway, http://www.belamarin.no/ for always being there for us when needed.
Locally, we especially thank Luis and Alejandro Molina, Nono and Julio at the Anfi Marina, Volvo Penta in Las Palmas (Gran Canary), and not to forget Ed Kuczynski who has helped us with everything electrical on board when we have needed this.
The Blog Master describes the technical stuff in her own words:
The boat has room for 6 to sleep, but If I want to get a good night’s sleep I need to move out of the “ Captains“ bedroom and into my own room so I don’t have to fight for the sheets.
I love working in the galley, but it’s not difficult to see that a man without any cooking experience at all designed this space. I would like to have a talk with this guy but I am not sure that we would end up as friends afterwards.
There are a lot of boring things on the boat that I have no interest in at all, and lots for me to ruin if I am not careful. I am the type of 
person that likes to push all the buttons to see if I get the results that I want. Not good in this boat my friends.
Things go wrong sometimes, and then Geirr gets a bit mad at me. Just five minutes ago I was extending the wing on a table and ended up tearing out the screws holding it all together. Geirr just shook his head, but I am thinking; who was the idiot that designed this table? Idiot patent!
When were not connected to the electricity at the dock we have a machine down in a warm, cramped room under the deck that makes electricity for us. The only thing that I have understood about this machine is that it is good to have an impeller that works, whatever that means, so that I can make coffee.
Since I get sea sick so easy, I don’t make much else than coffee while we are at sea you know…
Otherwise, I know that the boat has big fuel tanks and before we get to the fuel pumps I usually brew a can of coffee.
While we start filling the first fuel tank, we drink coffee and chat with the pump attendant. When we fill the second tank we get his life history.
Therefore you could say that you can tell your whole life story in short in the time it takes us to fill our fuel tanks. Something to think about!
If the boat sinks, it won’t, but if it did, we have a wonderful little thing up on the roof of the boat that will automatically float up to the surface and send a signal to a satellite letting the search crews know where we are. We have the same thing in the boat in a bag that we take with us if (when) the boat is sinking.
This is very reassuring you know, because then it won’t take long before we are rescued, and as you can imagine, the facilities on board the rescue float are next to nothing!
Personally, I am hoping for a rescue helicopter with a tanned, muscular rescuer, preferably without his shirt on.
If a woman rescuer arrives, I will be quite disappointed and am not even sure I will want to be winched on board that helicopter if this is the only option…
Apart from this the boat goes as fast or slow as we want, and and that is nice to know if we suddenly are in a hurry one day.
We can shower and wash dishes for several days in a row without running out of water, and this is also a very nice and practical detail I think.
When the sun sets and the cool blue lights begin to shine from under the boat, detail oriented people like me really appreciate what Geirr has done. Geirr gets a star by his name for the blue lights that he mounted under the waterline at the stern of the boat.
The same goes for the ice maker and the air conditioning on board, the Blog Master likes her comfort more than speed and excitement!
I understand that my husband has used a good deal of money on board for equipment with lots of colors and graphs on the screens. My bet is that this means that we can use it to catch fish, but who knows for sure…
Technical gadgets like the once we have on board must be a man thing, and the more the merrier. Switches, alarms, bells and whistles are about as interesting to me as a sack of flour.
But, again, it is important that the boys have their toys and that they are happy.
The equipment must be working, and be in ship shape as they say. Geirr told me this and I choose to believe him….
It is like when the guys are playing golf; who cares about the play as long they are doing it in style!
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En liten hilsen fra Lubbe