Elsket, 1977
Length: 6.8m, Beam: 2.35m, Draft: 0.3m
Propulsion: Inboard
Construction: GRP
Owner: Peter Bennet
Elsket is a Gilcraft 20. She was made by Gil Allbut in 1977 during the so-called ''Energy Crisis''. Back then there was a shortage of petrol and people were considering alternative methods of propulsion such as diesel. That is when Gill Allbut (who made about 200 boats all together) designed a 20 foot displacement boat diesel driven. Gil targeted the boat as the first fibreglass trailerable fishing boat with a diesel power unit in Australia.
My model is the same hull but has a glassed in thwart for the mast . The cabin has head room and a galley all in a 20 foot boat! Elsket (which means loved one in Norwegian) had the yanmar single lung (one cylinder) YSE 12 hp with a large prop and a 3:1 gearbox. When you worked out the maths of the gear box she only used 6 hp to attain 5 knots. She could motor at 5.5 knots and come home in any weather due to her 1.5 ton weight . This particular boat has 635 kg of ballast! The ballast is a combination of glassed in cement and 20 kg lead ingots along the keel.
She maintains 5 knots against three foot waves and wind due to a combination of momentum and of inertia. Newton's first law of motion. The old motor would not die and I had a brand new Yanmar 3ym20 in a packing case in the garage for 8 years before finally getting Dylan (who can think out of the box) the marine engineer from Paynesville Complete Boating Services to install new engine bearers and lock the new power unit in. I bought all the new running gear prop shaft, prop, cables etc from Luxford Marine in Mornington and they were great. They also have a Gilcraft but it's electric!
Elsket can now touch 7 knots with the new engine but you have to remember her actual hull speed is really only 4.9 knots so you are just burning diesel to attain this speed. She sails downwind or on a beam reach like a dream but my second-hand mast, boom and sails are really off a much smaller boat . If I had a 3 meter boom and a sail with a similar foot she might point to the wind....who knows and who cares. With the new motor in one year she has 150 hours on the clock! Some people don't get this up in 5 years! Elsket is truly a loved one.
