NEWS FLASH NEWS FLASH NEWS FLASH
NEWS FLASH NEWS FLASH NEWS FLASH NEWS FLASH NEWS FLASH NEWS FLASH
Let the new adventures begin!
Many of you may well know that our original cruising dream was to buy a catamaran in the Med. Last year things did not quite go to plan but we went sailing anyway. Reasons are many, the least of which is that we can both get very seasick (got worse with age) and we just wanted to have a little more space which you need when living aboard for longer periods.
Have to admit that Robyn is the queen of the art of studying boat porn. She scans all the sites looking for the ideal boat. She belongs to a Facebook group, Fountaine Pajot Owners group, and up pops an Orana 44 catamaran that seems to fit the bill. One owner, owner version, NZ flag, Australian broker and in Greece! Yes in Greece but not next door as we were in the eastern Aegean and the boat was in Preveza on the western side of Greece in the Ionian Sea with big tracts of sea and land in between. So contact was initiated and an offer was made and accepted.
I was packed off to Preveza on a 3 day travel epic using trains , planes and hire cars; clocking over 1000 km to do see the boat and, together with a registered boat surveyor, survey the boat before the sale became binding. Robyn was left behind in Samos at Marathokambos on the town quay to mind MACSEA (and David who was with us during this time). We can confirm now that negotiations have been completed and we have spent the kid’s inheritance. We now own two boats- hmmm.. minor technicality?
Not to worry as our friend Rod Waterhouse, yacht broker extraordinaire, had interested buyers from Australia lined up. We had promised first refusal to our good friends Warren & Helen Duncan from Newport Beach California. I have known Warren since Auckland University Engineering school days. Last year when they sailed on MACSEA for a couple of weeks break with us they expressed interest so with the latest developments we got in touch. They brought in another couple (Richard and Gretchin) who are their good friends and sailing buddies, and together they have purchased MACSEA. They have some wonderful adventures ahead of them. Good for us and an easy entry into cruising life for them
As might be expected our cruising plans for this year have been turned on their head. The logistics of buying a boat, getting Macsea back onto the hardstand and accommodating planned visits from friends and family have been complicated but amazingly seem to be working out – with only a couple of hurdles to jump. Currently it is a race to pick up the Duncans in their new boat at Paros and have a tour on the way back to the hardstand at Almira Boatyard near the Corinth Canal.