ULTIMATE BALEARICS BOAT

David Ross takes delivery of Europe's first Schaefer V44

- By David Ross

When I was a child, I was enthralled with the Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau. Those TV adventures took me far away from suburban life into a world full of adventure. I loved Cousteau's freedom to escape on his famous expedition ship, Calypso, and when I grew up, my love of the sea remained strong. I did an RYA competent crew course and sailing holidays in Greece. At first, work and family made boat ownership impossible, but when I turned 50, the urge couldn't be denied...

THE BOATING CV

My first boat was a Sessa Key Largo 30, with two 250hp Yamaha outboards and wonderful seakeeping. It proved to be safe, fast and immense fun, but provided only limited sun protection. So in 2015, as my family grew in size, I traded up for a seven-year-old Sessa C52, Vamos II. This was a handsome sportscruiser with large, D12 800hp Volvo diesels and three cabins. She had been unloved, with only 122 hours of use from her previous owner. Though the upholstery and paint were pretty awful, the boat was structurally sound and, after some cosmetic work, Vamos II proved a dependable boat that carried our family to some wonderful areas around Denia and the Balearics.

However, after 15 years, she was starting to develop recurring and increasingly expensive problems, including a leaking fuel tank. Throughout this time,