Embarking For Germany Embarking for Germany: The 107-foot sailing yacht Sintra awaits her transatlantic voyage at Wotton's Wharf.

Occasionally a particular yacht catches our interest arousing curiosity, as we wonder "Where is she from?" "Who owns her?" "Where is she bound?"

Often the stirred curiosity surrounding the mysterious yacht goes unquenched as the vessel slips beyond the horizon for parts unknown.

Many area residents driving along Boothbay Harbor's Mill Cove on Route 27 have undoubtedly caught a glimpse of Sintra, an elegantly sleek, dark blue, classic looking sailing yacht. Arresting one's attention is the 107-foot-long wishbone ketch's towering main mast climbing 75 feet skyward.

Sintra embarks on a transatlantic voyage, returning to her homeport of Bremenhaven, Germany in a matter of days. Her predominantly German crew of six busily readies the yacht at Boothbay Harbor's Wotton's Wharf for departure. Tasks occupying her veteran, professional crew include stocking her with provisions, making last-minute fine tunings and tending to the necessary bureaucratic hurdles involved with international sailing.

Captain Rudolf "Rudi" Neumann is entrusted with sailing Sintra on her anticipated five-week voyage to northern Germany. The veteran 70-year-old German skipper, Neumann has logged over 250,000 miles of sailing experience in over 40 years of charter captain experience.

"I am happiest on the sea, away from the bureaucracy of customs officials, harbor masters and other government officials," said the good-natured Neumann. "I have never regretted devoting my life to sailing and have sailed throughout the world."

Asked his favorite place to sail, Neumann acknowledged every ocean and sea is beautiful in its own way, yet he confessed the San Blas Islands of Panama is his favorite destination.

"The San Blas islands are home to the Cuna Indians," said Neumann, "who have a reservation there.

"When Christopher Columbus cruised through the aqua-green Caribbean waters surrounding the San Blas he exclaimed There are more islands than days of the year.' "The islands are very natural, unspoiled and beautiful and the sailing is good with steady trade winds."

One of Neumann's most memorable sailing highlights over his many years occurred during a sailing voyage from the Caribbean tropical isle of Saint Lucia to Gibraltar. A giant whale surfaced close the yacht he was captaining startling him and the crew. For the next three and a half days to the crew's amazement the mighty leviathan followed the yacht.

Having spent the last two weeks in Boothbay Harbor, Neumann expressed his admiration for the beauty of the area and the friendliness of the locals. "I like Boothbay very much--a lot of islands and islands which are good for day-sailing."

Although taken by the area, he is anxious to set sail, hoping for conducive wind and weather conditions for Sintra's departure this weekend (April 16-17). If the wind gods allow, Neumann hopes to sail for the Azores, then north skirting the Bay of Biscay, through the North Sea to Germany's Elbe River and onto Bremenhaven.

The voyage represents a coming-home for both the Sintra and its captain. The Sintra was Bremen built at the Abeking and Rasmussen shipyard in 1959, and Neumann learned to sail as a youth in dinghies on the Elbe River in Germany shortly after World War II.

Neumann anticipates a smooth and fast sail home, "The Sintra is both fast and stable, she will do 13-15 knots on a reach in a good breeze.

Once back in Bremen the Sintra will undergo refitting for its new undertaking as a training vessel for corporate managers. Juergen Bredfeld purchased the classic yacht last fall from Sintra's former owner who had it docked at the Ocean Point Marina in East Boothbay. "We are going to keep her name, which we believe her first owner gave her after a picturesque Portuguese seaport near Lisbon."

Bredfeld became aware of Sintra's availability on the market several years ago but only last fall and the wherewithal to purchase her. "My knees shook a little when I first saw her last September," said Bredfeld. "She is a classic steel and wooden boat with no electric halyard winches or motor to weigh anchor.

"We hope to use her for leadership training with corporate CEOs and managers. We hope to instill traditional values through the use of a traditional sailing yacht.

"Good managers must be first be able to manage themselves. We believe the experience of working with others, handling the ever-changing demands of ocean sailing will impart valuable lessons such as flexibility with business leaders. The week-long sailing experience provides an opportunity for corporate leaders to look into themselves and develop a life balance between work and home life. Many German CEOs have difficulty with this balance and burnout early and resort to alcohol and drugs."

Bredfeld hopes to continue Sintra's participation in classic yacht regattas such as Antigua's Race Week, where Sintra holds a perfect three-for-three record in winning her particular class as well as various Mediterranean classic yacht races.

Her intended cruising realm, Bredfeld said, will be the Mediterranean during the summers and Brazil and the Caribbean during the winter.

Sadly, we may not see Sintra's graceful beauty in the Boothbay region again, but a fortunate soul might catch sight of her later this week as she sails into the horizon to undertake a new chapter in her life. Reporter Daniel Fayen can be reached at 633-4620 or danielemmett@yahoo.com.