Sometimes in life, a temptation is so great that you simply have to give in to it. After many years as a sailor, in February 2018 I suffered what the French call a coup de foudre which roughly translates as ‘love at first sight’ – not with a leggy blonde but a beautifully proportioned Broom 41. A quick bit of man maths, permission from a very forgiving wife (who hates going to sea) and this object of desire was all mine. How’s that for self-indulgence when the year had barely begun?
The next bit of indulgence was to plan a three-month maiden voyage from Plymouth to the Inner Hebrides. Engines were serviced, the boat lifted and a list of jobs given to Nathan Bone Yacht Repairs to get her shipshape for our mid-May departure date. In the meantime, I enlisted the services of long-time boating pal Colin to join me on our adventure. Over the years we have enjoyed many memorable cruises together in Europe, the Med, and the Bahamas, and work together instinctively on a boat – a priceless attribute when things get hairy.
Both of us being retired meant there would be no time pressures, so if there was even the slightest doubt about the weather we wouldn’t need to press on. This trip was all about enjoyment, not endurance. Whilst the boat can happily travel at 25 knots, it’s not compulsory, and being a Broom it’s just as comfortable at displacement speeds, making very little wash and burning a fraction of the fuel.
As we filled up the tank ready for the first leg of our adventure, the guys on the fuelling berth asked where we were headed. They seemed suitably impressed with our destination but then asked if the boat’s owner was coming with us – patently my sartorial standards fell far short of those expected of a Broom owner!
CORNISH CREAM
Denne historien er fra November 2019-utgaven av Motor Boat & Yachting.
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Denne historien er fra November 2019-utgaven av Motor Boat & Yachting.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Lofoten or Bust- Part 4- Grandezza owner Per Harrtoft heads back to Sweden after an epic 3500nm adventure deep into the Arctic Circle to visit the mythical Lofoten islands
After ten memorable days in the Lofoten Islands in the far north of Norway, we are on our way back south towards Sweden. We have already made it as far as Trondheim, a charming place even if it was raining so hard we had to cycle round the city centre clutching umbrellas. But now we are back on board Deamare, our Grandezza 40 Fly, eating up the miles at a steady 31 knots.
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT YACHT TRANSPORT
As the name suggests it's a means of having your boat moved professionally from one location to another. It might be as simple as hiring someone to tow your RIB a few miles down the road or as complex as shipping a superyacht halfway around the world.
HANDLE A SINGLE SHAFTDRIVE BOAT PART 1
Single shaftdrive boats are relatively rare these days but the reduced costs of buying, servicing and fuelling such a simple but reliable drivetrain does mean they are making a bit of a comeback.
COCKWELLS MOTOR LAUNCH
There can be very few boats that have appeared three times at the Southampton Boat Show and been sold off the stand each time.
INSTALLING AN AUTOPILOT
Rick Channon makes solo boating simple with a Raymarine Evolution Autopilot
GOOD AS NEW
Why fit a brand new engine when Volvo Penta's remanufacturing service can rebuild you an old one to the same standard for a fraction of the price?
BENETEAU SWIFT TRAWLER 54
Alex Smith heads to France's Beneteau HQ for a UK exclusive on what might just be the best Swift Trawler yet
ΧΟ EXPLR 44
Can XO's all-new aluminium flagship really make it big in the Med?
BUYING OUR FIRST CLASSIC
Instead of whiling away their retirement playing bowls, Rob and Shona Adams decided to invest their time and money in a classic Silver gentleman's yacht. Would the gamble pay off?
PRINCESS S65
Torn between the V and F Class flagships? The new S65 might be the boat you've been waiting for...
