Last update: April 2024

Life

We wanted a boat that is designed for long voyages and offers a home on the water where we can live. The ISLY offers everything we could have wished for: a solid and substantial interior with generous space, a sensible layout with two spacious double cabins and plenty of storage. We were particularly impressed by the large, bright deck saloon with a beautiful panoramic view.

Independence

The ISLY has large water and diesel tanks, a powerful electrical system, a freezer, and now very good internet via a Starlink antenna, which provides us with self-sufficiency and independence from marinas.

Saftey

For us, the issue of safety was crucial. Here, the ship's construction from sturdy steel, which can be repaired uncomplicated anywhere in the world, convinced us. The twin engine configuration is an additional safety plus, which protects us from loss of maneuverability in the event of an engine failure. It can "turn on the spot" thanks to the two engines, which makes port maneuvers a breeze. The protected midship cockpit and the sturdy railing also contribute to us being able to move safely on board.

Thanks to the robust steel hull and its streamlined hull shape, the ship glides through the waves without letting annoying engine noises through to the interior. A leisurely, stable ship that is not easily shaken by the whims of the sea.

The ship has two keels. This results in a shallow draft, allowing it to be beached comfortably and to enter shallower waters.

Here is the translation of the text from the Bootswirtschaft magazine:

Scorpion: A Perennial Favorite for Offshore Cruising

The sailing yacht Scorpion designed by Karl Feltz has been built in various versions around 700 times.

Feltz Scorpion. That's what shipbuilding engineer and Hamburg shipyard owner Karl Feltz called the first steel yacht he built to his own plans in 1959. That was 14 years after the founding of the shipyard, which up to that point had mainly built wooden fishing boats and dinghies. The first Scorpion was large for the time - 8.50 meters long, 2.60 meters wide - and presented itself as a seaworthy yacht, comparable to a schooner with an overall length of 17.30 meters.

However, the shipyard proved that they could build even larger sailing yachts with the 24-meter-long replica of an America's Cup yacht - as usual at Feltz, made of steel. There are now Scorpion-type yachts with deck saloons, as motor sailors, centerboarders, as coastal cruisers and lifting keel versions. As a rule, the hull thickness of the steel yachts was 4 millimeters in the topsides, up to 8 millimeters in the underwater hull, and even up to 12 millimeters in the bottom area.

Most Scorpions, some of which have been built in aluminum since the 1980s at the request of owners and are thus around 20 percent lighter than steel, are 11 to 13 meters in size and are designed as semi-long keel and thus as typical directionally stable offshore cruising yachts. No wonder that even today, older well-maintained Scorpions are still used for circumnavigations or owners set off on voyages to rough sailing areas.

After the first boat, more followed, for which the designer and shipyard owner, however, oriented himself according to the wishes of the owners. Over the years, the Scorpions not only became larger, but also constantly reflected the development of yacht building. After the angular frames came the round bilge. The drawings became more pleasing and the sailing performance better. One thing remained constant, however: the boat building material: steel.

After the Scorpion I, the II and III followed. In total, there are now around 700 yachts of the Scorpion type, whose hull was built at Feltz. The sons of the shipyard founder, Peter and Karl Feltz Junior, had seamlessly continued the work of their father. Many shipyards, such as the Hamburg Lüthje shipyard, have professionally outfitted Feltz hulls. Often the owners themselves also took on this work.

A motor sailor is a combination of a motor yacht and a sailing yacht and is often also referred to as a Fifty-Fifty. A perfect compromise between the two variants.

When motoring, we usually only use one engine. At low revs, the boat runs at around 5.5 knots and has a consumption of around 2.5 liters/hour. Engaging the second engine increases the speed, maneuverability and, at full load, of course the diesel consumption.

We sail our ISLY between 4 and 7 knots in our personal comfort zone. Of course, it depends on the course, various wind and weather conditions, the skills of the crew and the appropriate sailing gear.

In a calm, you don't have to drift for days. The large diesel tanks would be sufficient to overcome very long distances. It can also powerfully fight against currents thanks to its two engines.

All information provided is without guarantee!

the information on the specifications, equipment and systems of the vessel may change over time.