Growing up a stone’s throw from the sea in Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire, it was difficult not to fall in love with the ocean. As a child, I would have to rely on the generosity of others to get out on the water. Whether that was a quick trip on a friend’s speedboat, a gruelling sail on an old captain’s wooden-hulled racing yacht, or a precarious and frantic row on a 5ft tender to drop our mackerel feathers into an incoming shoal, I always grabbed any chance I could. But the highlight of any year was a trip on the Conservancy Board pilot boats that I would often sit and watch in fascination from the rocky little beach at the bottom of the hill near my home, known locally as Cunjic. Those moments would guide me in my choice of boat and the name I would eventually choose for her.
After university, I spent the next 25 years or so living and working all over the world, invariably in places where getting on any sort of boat was impossible (Kazakhstan), undesirable (Moscow) or, frankly, not one of my top priorities (Tokyo). When I retired and returned to the UK in the summer of 2018, buying a boat was at the top of my bucket list. I would moor her at Milford Marina (five minutes’ walk from my family home),and spend as much time on her as the weather would permit exploring the Pembrokeshire coast and beyond.
WHY DALE?
Denne historien er fra September 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
Denne historien er fra September 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
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...
