The Boat

Estra

A Boat Built by Hand

In 2005, after several years of sailing a smaller yacht, my father decided to build a boat capable of crossing oceans. He chose the Didi 34, a design by South African yacht designer Dudley Dix — respected for its strength, simplicity, and offshore performance.

Over the next seven years, largely by hand and with occasional help from friends, he built the boat near Kyiv. It was a long-term family project shaped by patience, determination, and the dream of one day sailing beyond enclosed seas.

Estra was launched in 2012 and completed while living aboard in a marina. She later became part of our family life: we sailed, raced, worked, and learned on her together.

From 2015 onward, Estra sailed mainly in southern Ukraine, used for charters, local racing, and coastal passages on the Black Sea. Over time, she proved herself to be a practical, capable, and dependable yacht.

For me, Estra is more than the boat for this expedition. She is where I learned seamanship, responsibility, and what life under sail can be.

Designed for the Ocean

The Didi 34 is known as a compact offshore cruiser-racer, combining seaworthiness with efficient handling. Built in plywood/epoxy using radius chine construction, Estra is light, strong, and straightforward to maintain — qualities especially valuable for long-distance and single-handed sailing.

Her simple systems and balanced sail plan make her well suited for an independent ocean voyage where reliability matters more than complexity.

Specifications

• Name: Estra

• Design: Didi 34

• Designer: Dudley Dix

• Length Overall: 10.50 m

• Beam: 3.40 m

• Draft: 1.50 m

• Displacement: 4,300 kg

• Hull Material: Plywood / Epoxy

• Construction: Radius chine plywood epoxy

• Keel: Fin keel with bulb

• Rudder: Transom-hung

• Rig: Fractional sloop

• Steering: Windvane self-steering + tiller pilot

• Launched: 2012

Current Status

Estra is currently in Mykolaiv, Ukraine.

After several difficult years and external damage from nearby missile attacks, she is now entering the next chapter of her life.

The plan is to travel to Mykolaiv in autumn 2026 to complete essential structural repairs and prepare the boat for transport.

She will then be moved by land to Romania, relaunched there, and sailed onward to Turkey, where the main refit and ocean preparation will take place.

The Next Voyage

From Turkey, Estra will undergo full preparation for offshore sailing, followed by sea trials and a passage to Southern Spain, the planned departure point for a solo non-stop circumnavigation in 2027.

A boat built for the ocean — nearly lost, now finally on its way there at last.

Preparation & Planning 

Here you can check the practical planning behind the expedition: equipment lists, preparation tasks, and an estimated budget for getting the boat and project ready.