Buying a boat is a thrilling moment whether you’ve owned yachts before or not. Even if your ‘new’ yacht is 30 years old and should be well tried and tested, it is likely that her previous lives may have been very different from what you intend to do with her. The chances are that once you get the boat to her home mooring, there are things you’ll want to do to make her yours, as well as the jobs you discover need doing after the first few sails. Boat upgrades to suit your purposes can escalate alarmingly, as we all know, so hopefully you will have factored in a reasonable margin to your budget.
Having sold Polar Bear, our wooden 1974 Holman & Pye 34-footer, the Najad 390 we bought in the early summer of 2019 was immaculate. This was partly because she had had some meticulous owners, but also because she had been very lightly used. One Dutchman had kept her as his office in Amsterdam. So she had a full blown television aerial at the masthead and exceptional Radio 3 reception, but no lee cloths, no bunkside book shelving and still had her original cooker. How a boat managed for three decades without a single lee cloth, nor anywhere to rest spectacles, books and morning tea mugs I can’t imagine. These would be my first modifications before we started cruising.
This story is from the June 2021 edition of Yachting Monthly.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the June 2021 edition of Yachting Monthly.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Orford Sailing Club celebrates 100 years
Situated in arguably one of Suffolk’s prettiest villages and under the watchful eye of its medieval castle and church, Orford SailingClub celebrates its centenary in 2024.
THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF AIS IN THE NIGHT-TIME
When container vessels mysteriously started keeping clear of Peter Webb's yacht, it seemed odd, but the answer to their unusual behaviour didn't emerge until they were safely in harbour
A sea change in lifejacket design
Mustang Survival introduces ils new ISO approved Atlas 190
Are you brave enough to have a go?
The flexing of spring’s muscles calls for a dusting down of my jobs list.
Translated 9 retires from OGR with hull damage
Translated 9, one of the leading yachts in the Ocean Globe Race (OGR), has been forced to retire from the round-the-world race with hull damage and has diverted to Madeira.
Tributes paid to boatbuilder lain Oughtred
Tributes have flowed in for renowned boatbuilder and designer Iain Oughtred who died on the Isle of Skye in February, aged 84.
Russia suspected of 63-hour attack on GPS signals in the Baltic region
Russia is suspected of launching a 63-hour-long attack on GPS signals in the Baltic region, starting on 31 March, Easter Sunday, in a move that affected more than 1,600 passenger planes, as well as other GPS users.
TECHNICAL KETCH TO SCHOONER
Roger Hughes explains why he swapped his masts to create an impressive brigantine square-rigger
TECHNICAL CHOOSING THE RIGHT PROPELLER
A change of propeller can dramatically improve a yacht's performance while saving money on fuel. Sam Fortescue reports on the latest options
10 BEST HIDDEN SCOTTISH ANCHORAGES
The sheer beauty of the Western Isles draws many yachtsmen, but cruising on the west coast of Scotland has always been for the brave.
