September 2020 – Sea Journal

I had Yrvind’s permission to translate his article into Chinese and add my illustrations.

December 31, 2019 BY YRVIND

A NEW DECADE

Looking back 20, 40, 60 and 80 years. Looking forward 20 years into the future.

80 years ago I lived on the windward side of a small island close to the North Sea. It was me, my mother, her mother and my grandmothers mother, my father a seaman had left us 15 of January 1940. In 1941 the English sunk his ship in Hong Kong. Good for the war they said. I never saw him again.

Nazi Germany invaded Denmark and Norway in April 1940. I was a one year old idealist and Sweden prepared for war. Our island and the waters around it were declared restricted military area. Only residents were permitted access. I saw few people during my childhood. Our house was situated within a stones throw from the sea on an insulated peninsula, far from the village. I played in the water and learned to handle small boats. I did not need toys. Eventually peace came and I was old enough for school. Being curious I had looked forward to be taught the wisdom of the grown ups but I was bitterly disappointed. School meant route learning. We had to learn by heart the names of rivers and towns. I was unable to do that. During the forties the official policy was harsh discipline. Teachers were encouraged to beat lazy children who did not do their homework. During the breaks my mates did their best to assist my teacher. I got beaten badly sometimes walking home with blood on my face. Despite the beating my homework did not improve. I was stubborn man. Born a stoic, raised by women I did not cry. I am sure though that had I been less proud and rebellious I would have been beaten less. After four years of that inhuman hell it was found out that I was dyslexic. My kind and loving mother was able to send me to a very nice and understanding boarding school with reform pedagogic. That was a real paradise.

60 years ago, an early February morning 1960, the doors of a maximum security prison opened and I was let out into a dark, cold street. What had I, a gentle, honest, curious, industrious, righteousness, young man done to be an inmate of an institution with such a bad reputation?Not much, just being stubborn, more stubborn than ordinary persons. I had been conscripted, but within hours in the army, for no reason at all, my sergeant had taken a strong dislike to me. My early schooldays had thought not to give into grown ups that humiliated and treated me unfair. I resisted. Things escalated. I did not give in. Eventually the punishments increased until I was sent to prison. As I was clearly innocent, I had just been bullied; I saw no reason to repent. That infuriated the jailers. It gave the other prisoners something to laugh at. I was accused of stirring up a mutiny. Now it was the establishment against me. They decided to break me. I was transported me to a maximum security prison. There I immediately was put into solitary confinement and ordered to do stupid work. I refused. I was told that for every day I did not work an extra day would be added to the length of my punishment. I did not let that influence me. To me it was not hell sitting in a heated room. I was feed three times. I used the precious time to reflect on the wonders of life. Finally they sort of gave up on me. One day it knocked on the door. That was odd, as the jailers did no knocking. I nice woman a psychiatrist came in. She had a paper in her hand. She told me, a bit embarrassed, that I was causing a lot of problems but if I signed the paper that stated that I was a psychopath they would let me out and give me 25 dollar to start a new life. If not they would keep me forever. Of course I am not more of a psychopath than you, but I am probably more stubborn.

They kept their part of the deal, but I soon realized that the testimonial was useless and as things stood a bourgeois career was not for me. Instead I bought a rotten old boat and become Captain of my own ship. I soon realized that a new type of small cruising was desirable. I decided I was the to be the man to fix that. That was 60 years ago.

40 years ago 1980, still stubborn after many attempts of improving the state of small ocean going cruising boats I singlehandedly rounded Cape Horn. I was the first swede to do so Cape Horn. I did it east to west against the prevailing winds and currents. My boat was just 19 feet. No smaller boat had rounded the Horn before. It was 16 of June 1980. It was winter. It was cold and very dark. It was the time before GPS. My navigation was done solely by sextant and dead reckoning. The storms and the cold were difficult, but by far the most difficult part was the navigation. Astro navigation is only possible if you can see the celest objects. Because the frequently bad weather it was often so that many days passed without the possibility to get an observation. The days were short and the sun was seldom visible. At noon, in June, south of Cape Horn, the suns altitude is not higher than 11°, same as here in south Sweden today New Years Day. A GPS is a thousand times more accurate than a sextant at any time and it gives you your position instantly in any weather in at any time of the year. It was a hard but satisfying forty day offshore passage. It had showed me the passage with the most fearsome reputation and I had done it under the worst of circumstances. I was awarded the Royal Cruising Clubs Medal of Seamanship. The same medal had been given to Chichester, Knox-Johnston and Moitessier. That was 40 years ago.

20 years ago my rounding of Cape Horn had in the eyes of the public magically transformed me from a deplorable psychopath into an established and admired hero. I had written a book and become a sought after public speaker I had married a wonderful girl we had bought a piece of land and built a house on it and I was still experimenting with small boats still trying to improve small ocean going cruisers. The future looked bright and settled. Then just as I held the golden apple in my hand, a surprise came. Right under our house was the world’s largest stockpile of oil, 2,7 million cubic meters. It had been built in secret during the cold war. The idea was to fuel the coming war against the Soviet Union. 20 years ago the Soviet Union had been dissolved and our government did not know what to do with 2,7 million cubic meter of oil so they sold it to an oil company for the neat sum of one hundred dollars. The oil company was happy and decided to commercially exploit the stockpile. Unfortunately that meant that they had to build a plant right where our house was. Might is right. Employment wins over environment. The company started to build. Permission they would get later. They were creating hundreds of jobs. Good for the community.

My response was to get four TV-teams the national newspapers etc to my workshop. There I told them that there would be action at the refinery. We acted fast. With friends I let off 150 smoke bombs plus super big firecrackers in a protest. Panic aroused. In the confusion the refinery’s security personal called in the police to assist them to take care of the terrorists, but as the smoke began to clear they realized it was just me, the crazy trouble maker. The directors know that they had no permission for what they were doing, that they were doing something illegal. They definitely did not want the police involved. With the help of newly invented cell phone they got hold of the speeding police, told them that the alarm was a mistake, that everything was OK, that they would deal with it themselves. They asked the police to turn back and forget everything.I was able to stop the project but to a price. A big oil company has much influence in a small community I was harassed I lost my wife and our house and mowed to the other side of Sweden. That was 20 years ago.

Now we have the year 2020. I am 80 years old. I am still stubborn and still experimenting with small boats. In April, in just a few months, I have to hurry; a friend will trail my new boat Exlex to Dingle in Ireland. Exlex is 5.8 meters long 1.2 meters beam with a draft of 20 cm and an empty displacement of 0.6 tons.

By the way, Exlex is Latin for outlaw. Ex means out, Lex means law. It’s the European Union Recreational Craft Directive that has criminalized her. They do not want small boats; there is more money in bigger ones. That they cause more pollution and give less happiness to their crews is the price we pay for growth and more GNP.

My plan is to test sail her the 1200 miles to Porto Santo Madeira. If I can keep an average speed of 3 knots it will take 17 days. Year 2018, with a boat 4 cm shorter, that same passage took me 40 days. I do not always get everything right. Is this new improved boat that much faster? Time will tell. Based on this trial I will in Porto Santo provision Exlex for a much longer passage. The ultimate destination is Dunedin NZ about 13400 miles and 186 days distant. I intend to sail south of Africa, Australia and NZ. Will I make it? I do not now. A less stubborn person will definitely not make it. The boat is on the small side for such an long passage. Will I be able to carry enough food and on my small boat? Hopefully, because I have trained myself, for two years, to eat only once a day. And water? On previous voyages I have drunk one liter water a day so I will carry 200 liters. Watermakers are too expensive and too unreliable even if I carried several. The original idea was to make a landfall in Western Australia. For that I needed a visa. However I got angry when I was advised sort it out with phone calls to Australia. I like to spend the little money I have on food not on long distance calls. The visa problem is stupid. They have an embassy here in Sweden and they must surely have computers and e-mail in Australia – why do they make things difficult for me?

In 2040 I be 100 years old. I have never smoked, not even one cigarette. I have never drunk not even one bear. I use my body and I use my brain that favors my sustainability. Hopefully people will get the idea that simple habits, small boats favors our worlds sustainability and everyone’s happiness. Big boats – big problems. Small boats – small problems.

https://www.yrvind.com/a-new-decade

开启新年代

回顾过去20年，40年，60年与80年，展望未来20年。

写于2019年12月31日

作者：Sven Yrvind 翻译/插图：宝盖丁

80年前，我生长在瑞典南部北海附近一座小岛的迎风面。家里有我，我母亲，外婆，还有外婆的母亲。父亲是一位海员，1940年1月15日离开家。1941年他所在的英国舰船在香港保卫战中沉没，这次战役被公认为对二战胜利起了推动作用，而我从此再没见过父亲。

1940年4月纳粹德国入侵丹麦和挪威，瑞典备战，我当时一岁。我所在小岛及周围海域被划为军事禁区，只有居民被允许出入，整个童年我就没见过几个外人。我们的房子坐落在远离村庄与世隔绝的半岛上，距大海只有一石之遥。我在水中玩耍，学习驾驭小船，不需别的玩具。

后来战争结束和平来临，我也到了上学的年龄。起初我很期待从大人那儿学点知识，但学校死板的教育让我很失望，我们需要背诵河流与城镇的名字，而我做不到。四十年代风气严格，上头鼓励老师体罚不做功课的懒学生，课间则有学生围过来帮老师使劲揍我，我经常是血流满面地走回家。而我的功课却并没起色，我可是个顽固的家伙，由一家女性抚养，生性坚强的我从没哭过，虽然我知道如果不那么叛逆倔强的话会少挨些打。

在那所没人性的地狱里待了四年后我被诊断出有阅读障碍，我慈爱的母亲便送我去了一所天堂般的寄宿学校，那里实施着教育改革，让我感到备受理解。

60年前，也就是1960年二月初的一个清晨，一扇最高安全级别监狱的大门打开，我走了出去，站在阴暗寒冷的街道上。作为一个诚实有礼，勤奋好学，满怀公义的青年，我究竟做了什么，竟沦落为这所臭名昭著监狱的犯人？其实没做什么，只是一如既往地顽固，比一般人更甚许多。

我被征召入伍，进了军队没几个小时，军士就毫无来由地憎恨我，而早年的学校经历已让我学会不向羞辱我的大人们低头。反抗让事态升级，我依然不屈，加剧的惩罚导致我入狱。我无辜受欺负，没啥好改过自新的，这可把看守给激怒了，别的囚犯则跟着起哄，我又被指责煽动叛乱。整个机构都在针对我，他们试图摧毁我。我被送进最高警备的监狱单独监禁，还被命令做些蠢活儿。我拒绝工作他们就威胁我说不工作的天数会加到刑期里，我可不买帐，对我来说待在暖气房里每天被喂三顿不算太赖，我用这些宝贵时间来思忖人生… 最终他们算是放弃了我：一天居然有人敲我的门，这儿的看守可从不敲门，进来一位和蔼的女心理医师，手捧着文件。她略带尴尬地说，虽然我惹了不少麻烦，但如果我肯签字承认自己是个心理变态，他们就放了我，并给我25块钱重启人生。不签的话就把我关到地老天荒。我当然不比您更变态，只是更顽固罢了。签字后他们守了承诺，我也很快意识到那纸鉴定毫无用处，因为加入中产的行列并不在我人生规划内。相反，我买了条破旧的船，当起了船长。没多久我就知道自己需要一种新型的小航船，而我自己就能解决这问题。那是60年前。

40年前，也就是1980年，多次尝试改进小型海航船后，我仍旧不改顽固。我独自驾船绕过了合恩角，而且是从东至西逆风逆流而行，成为了瑞典第一人。

我的船只有19英尺长，此前从未有人驾这么小的船绕过合恩角，那是1980年6月16日，正值寒冬，又冷又黑，那会儿还没有GPS，我仅靠六分仪跟航位推算行驶。无论何时GPS都要比六分仪精确百倍，它在任何天气时节里都能立即指出你的方位。与风暴和寒冷相比，更困难的是定位导航。天文航海有赖于对天体的观测，但持续的恶劣天气导致我连续几天都无法定位，夜长日短太阳总也不出来。在合恩角以南，六月正午的太阳高度角不会超过11度，正与今日瑞典南部的一样。四十天的海上航行虽然艰苦却让人满意，它向我证明了其可怖的名声，我在最艰苦的状况下完成了壮举。皇家航海协会Royal Cruising Club (RCC)授予我一枚航海勋章，跟Chichester, Knox-Johnston 还有 Moitessier荣获的一样。那是40年前。

20年前，我的合恩角绕行神奇地将我从公众眼里那个可悲的心理变态转变成一位公认的可敬英雄。我写了本书，成为受欢迎的公众演说者。我与一位非常好的女人结了婚，买了块地盖了栋房，我仍不断尝试改进我的小型海航船。人生前景看似美好又稳定，但就在我手捧金苹果时，出其不意的事情发生了。在我们房子的正下方藏着世界最大的石油储备—270万立方米，于冷战时期秘密建造，以备与苏联开战。20年前苏联解体，我们的政府不知道该如何处理该储备，便以整100块卖给一家石油公司。石油公司很开心并决定施以商业利用。这意味着他们要在我的住处设油厂。强权即公理，就业优于环境，建设开始了。他们迟早能拿到许可，因为这项目能创造几百个就业，有利社会。我的回应则是召集了四家电视台和全国新闻报刊，告诉他们一场行动即将展开。我和朋友们一同迅速行动，释放了150枚烟雾弹和巨型鞭炮以示抗议。这引起了对方恐慌，油厂保安私下报警请求协助对付“恐怖分子”，但烟雾散去后他们意识到坐阵的只有我一个人 — 那个疯狂的麻烦制造者。他们的主管自知没有许可就开建属于违法行为，绝对不能让警方介入，凭着刚被发明出来的移动电话，他们半路叫停了火速前来的警察，解释说是错误警报，没啥大事发生自己能解决，他们让警察回去，权当什么事都没发生过。

我本可以阻止整个项目，但代价太大了。大型石油公司在当地影响力太大，我不断被滋扰，最终失去了妻子和房子，搬去了瑞典的另一边。

来到了2020年，我80岁，仍然顽固，还在研究小船。四个月后，朋友要把我的新船Exlex带到爱尔兰的Dingle。Exlex长5.8米，宽1.2米，吃水20厘米，空载排水量0.6吨。顺便提一下“Exlex”在拉丁文里是“法外”的意思（Ex意为外，Lex意为法）将她定为非法的还是欧盟娱乐船艇指令，他们不想要小船，因为大船的花销更多能带动经济，尽管造成污染也更大，船员也更不开心。我计划把Exlex试航到圣马德拉港，共1200海里，保持时速3节的话17天就能到达。2018年，我驾一艘短4厘米的船走相同的路线花了40天，有些不尽人意。改良版的新船会快得多吗？时间会证明。根据这次试航我将计划一次更长的航行，最终目的地是新西兰的但尼丁，预计行驶186天，约13400海里，途径非洲南部和澳大利亚。我能做到吗？不知道。但不顽固的人是绝对做不到的。如此小的船航行这么远能装下足够的食物吗？希望如此，两年里我训练自己一天只吃一餐。饮用水呢？以前的航行中我每天只喝一升水，因此我将携带200升淡水，海水淡化器又贵又不可靠，带几个也没用。原计划登陆西澳大利亚，需要办签证，然而我得知必须打电话到澳大利亚办理后很生气，我情愿花点钱在食物上而不是长途电话上。签证的事太荒谬了，瑞典有澳洲大使馆，澳洲也肯定有电脑和电邮，为什么要如此刁难我？

2040年我将是100岁。我从不吸烟，一根烟都没有；也从不喝酒，一杯啤酒都没有。我可持续地使用着我的身体和大脑。希望人们都能了解简单的生活习惯，小船有利于世界的持续和每个人的福祉。大船 — 大问题，小船 — 小问题。

原文：https://www.yrvind.com/a-new-decade