Bris I 1971-83

BRIS I, 1971- 1983, Long 6.1 meter, 20’ Beam 1.72 meter

Yrvind introduces Bris l, built in 1971. With this boat, he spent 4 years on the Atlantic Ocean. He visited several of the most isolated islands in the world and was very close to round Cape Horn.

1971 I started to build a 20 feet dubble ender in my mothers back yard. True to Swedish tradition it did not take long before the town planner was there and asks me to take down what i had put up. “I will only build a small boat to sail to Brazil in” I said “What will happen if every one builds a small boat” he said angrily. “What will happen if every one becomes a town planner” I answered. That made him only more angry. I had to take down everything. When mother heard what had happend she said “Clean out the basement, drive the junk to the dump and build the boat there”

Bris in the basement
THE DOOR BEHIND WHICH BRIS WAS BUILDT. THE FOUNDATION WAS SOLID. IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT THE BEAM DID NOT EXCEED 1.72 METERS
Despite what many peaople said we had just calculated it right. She got out of the door.
It was an experiment. She was rigged as a cat schooner with lug sails. She had a homebuildt windvane a centerboard and an outboard.
I did not get far. The centerboard leaked, the mast was to heavy and the outboard broke down.
After a winter in Holland, pondering my situation, with little money left I decided to take her back to Sweden on a trailer and rebuild her. Out went the outboard, the windvane, the centerboard. I bermudarigged her, put on a three feet keel with 300 pounds of lead.

In May 1973 I left Sweden for a secound time, by way of Norway and out between Shetland and Orkney North of Scotland west of Ireland I finally made a landfall in Madira after 45 days at see. I did experience much rugh weather. Gales drove me nearly up to Iceland before i finally could make my way south.

Here Bris is at the Harbour of Madeira with anouther small boat from Scotland. Today there is plenty of boats out sailing and Madeira has an Marina. Then back in 1973 we where only two boats and we where at anchor. Times has changed.

More pictures and text from the journey to the south and back

click on the images to enlarge them and for more text!