Regular readers may remember my previous story in MBY Sept 2020 about buying Duchess, a 59ft Van der Valk steel motor yacht, as a floating second home in Chichester Harbour as well a means of satisfying our thirst for cruising adventures further afield.
In 2018 we ventured to the Channel Islands and the West Country. In 2019 it was northern Brittany. For 2020, after many years dreaming about it and bearing in mind the difficulties of travelling overseas during the pandemic, our goal was to make it to the Isles of Scilly. I had been loosely planning a cruise there for a couple of years and this seemed the perfect opportunity. After the strict measures of the first lockdown, it was a relief to see the harbours in the West Country opening up to visiting yachtsmen in early July and the pubs and restaurants we were hoping to visit also sparking into life.
Being 30 miles to the west of Land’s End, a trip to the Isles of Scilly usually comes with a certain degree of trepidation for many boat owners. Quite right too. To get there and back safely you need the right weather conditions for the passage. And in an ideal world you also need a good weather window in order to enjoy a carefree exploration of this remote archipelago. I had read many reports of boat owners getting to Falmouth, not having the right weather window and having to postpone the trip to another time.
Denne historien er fra June 2021-utgaven av Motor Boat & Yachting.
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Denne historien er fra June 2021-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.
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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...
