I was introduced to the boating world 40 years ago when I was 11-years-old. My parents bought a Fletcher Zingaro 28 which they kept at Brighton marina. Not long afterwards they moved up to a Princess 38, which they bought at the Boat Show and named Campbell’s Lady.
They soon got frustrated with the UK climate and cruised her down to the South of France. The local gardiennage company, which looked after our boat, was run by an Englishman who offered me a job in the school holidays. I took it, loved it and never looked back. I now run my own boat maintenance business. Perhaps it’s hardly surprising given that my surname is Hook and my first name begins with C.
It took a while before I could afford my own boat but as soon as I could I bought a Buckingham 20 and kept it on the River Medway near where I lived . Since then I have owned a number of boats: a Birchwood 22, a Fairline Weekend 21, a Fairline Carerra 24, a Jaguar 24 sailing boat, a SeaRay 22, and a Fairline Targa 33 Mk2. I kept the Targa for 14 years, crossing the Channel multiple times to Brittany, Normandy and the Channel Islands.
It was around this time that I met my partner Anna, who was born in the UK but had family and roots in Malta. I also shared a love of Malta having delivered a couple of big Princesses there for a client, taking the opportunity to thoroughly explore the island.
MOVING ON UP
Denne historien er fra April 2020-utgaven av Motor Boat & Yachting.
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Denne historien er fra April 2020-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
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...
FERRETTI INFYNITO 90
Ferretti Yachts is diversifying into the long-range fast-displacement market. But can its debut model justify the hype?
