Sandettie's saga and other news from Jean Van der Linden

Hi Adrian,
I went for one week to Port Saint Louis near Marseille to work on the newly buyed Sandettie, cleaning, sorting out the contents, measuring, looking to make her single handed and taking notes…

My quest for info about her past brought me to the discovery of interesting things and contacts with different people, all very enthusiast to help or to speak about rememberings, and there are some important ones !

Herewith some details and if some one of you know more or can correct, don’t hesitate to mail me.

First of all, Adrian, can you please convert the boats name in the owners list into Sandettie, without the digit ”2” ?
Indeed, Jan Krijgsman, a Ducht guy ordered this boat as first owner and named her like this, as all his boats received the same name. Now he just sold his Swan and went over to a motor boat to enjoy a long trip on the French rivers, he is over the 70 springs !

Jan did the Fastnet with Sandettie, crewed with 5 french guys, and had a very hard time like all boats in that event …
45 miles from the rock, they were rolled over, the port cockpithatch opening upside down, cubes of seawater gets in, exploding the doghouse wall and filling the Sandettie nearly to the height of the chart table, the mast was broken and two guys injured but every body still on board and alife!!

The two spi-poles and a staysail were used to build up a emergency rigging and they headed to Lands End where a fisher boat towed them to Penzance.

Loïc Le Boulaire, one of the 6 on board, planning to buy a sailing boat decided touching land that it will be an UFO 34 and bought the UFORUS in Scotland !

And here some surprise :
This boat is still on the owners list but… rest, broken on the Floor of the Gulf of Biscay… after a encounte with a bigger vessel !! The owner to whom Loïc sold her was rescued after this accident but seems that this was not his First (near)encounter on sea !

The Sandettie was re-rigged and repaired fully (I think by Landamores ?? to be confirmed) and Jan sold her in ’82 to Dr. Bouilland of Lorient who is now 88. He told me enthusiastic that he sailed her in many races with his sons before selling her again to a certain Georges Michelin in ‘85.

Mr Michelin called her AUGUSTA and sailed 15 nice years from Groix island for fun and some races (Nantes – Setubal ’89 – 10th of 40 into 40 Knots winds). He let her in 1999 to X-Yacht when buying a X-412 he still owns.

After that, the Sandettie was sold by X-Yachts to Captain De Mik (2000 ?))from who I bought her, he sailed in 2002 from Brest to Marseille where she stays up to now, dry sinse +/- 5 years.

That’s her story, I contacted the ’97 crew and will get some documents and pictures of her, including one taken from a heli or plane after the roll over…
You understand I am sure why I want to keep origial her name.

Three questions :
- Can some one tell me where to find the hull number, I did’nt succeed in that…
- All info about vane experience on the UFO 34 is welcome (with brand name)
- Do some body know if Colvic used powder bounded CSM (chop srand mat) or emulsion bounded mat ?
Further I sent a mail to Landamores to fid out if they can find some more traces of the Sandettie story.

I wish to thank here Hubert Terentiew ( Culebra 3) and Erik Kiekens (Dr No) Chris Tsirikidis (Meander), Richard Kemp, Luc Bool (Anda), and others for theyr kind help or hospitality, as well as all of those who mailed (or will mail) me with info.

That’s for now, to be continued !
Best regards to all of you and
“Bon vent” or have a nice sail in English…
Jean


Jean Van der Linden Oostvaartdijk