Hellooo sailors. Thanks for joining us on this mad journey - it really is great to have you on board. Speaking of: I thought I’d tell you a bit more about this floating motorhome we plan to live on for a year. I’m not exactly what you’d call a “boat person” but even I know she’s a beauty. What can I say? Charlie has excellent taste in women. 

Actually, as I wrote that I decided it’s a bit creepy to refer to a boat as a woman. Veers into the dangerous territory of people who have sex with inanimate objects. Anyone else remember the woman who married a chandelier? Or the man who got caught doing unspeakable things to his car exhaust? I fear that Charlie may go the same way with this boat. So yes, anyway, from now on it is an it, not a she. 

Anyway, the boat is called Tartuga, which means turtle in ancient Catalonian, apparently. Andy, the previous owner, chose the name, which makes me think of him as a kindly sort of chap who really takes care of his boats. I like turtles as much as the next person but might have gone for something a bit more striking like The Megalodon or Flying Dutchman. Luckily for everyone, it’s bad luck to rename a boat. So, Tartuga it is. 

So, the boat. Tartuga. The Turtle. The Flying Dutchman. Whatever you want to call it. It’s 12 years old and 48ft long. That’s about eight of me, give or take a few inches, or about seven of Charlie. He really is very tall, which is a key factor to consider when you’re buying a boat: too small and he’d risk knocking himself out every time he walked into the galley. Not ideal when you’re in the middle of the Atlantic with a woman who doesn’t know where the mainsail is. 

Other requirements included three cabins (or “berths” if we’re doing boat lingo) so that we could comfortably sleep at least six people. Seriously, you buy a boat to escape your friends and family but they all insist on coming to stay on it (if any of my friends and family are reading this, that was a joke and we can’t wait to have you) (except you Chuck Davidson-Houston) (that was also a joke) (or was it?). 

Anyway, after many (many!!) months of trawling through websites like yachtworld.com (him) and saying things like “is there not one with a bigger freezer though?” (me), it was decided that we needed a “Beneteau Oceanis” whatever that is. Next came a very exciting boat-buying excursion to Greece. There, nestled in Preveza Marina, was our little turtle. 

I appreciate that this was meant to be a post about the boat and so far all I’ve really told you is that I have terrible taste in names and that Charlie is of above average height. But hey - I did warn you I wasn’t a boat person. Maybe it’s best I just hand you over to the skipper himself who can talk you through the actual specifications…

Charlie! Remind me why we bought this boat again? 

I was looking for a reliable and comfortable blue water cruising boat that could accommodate ourselves and up to four other guests. I also wanted to maximise the budget, balancing size and age. 

Spoken like a true surveyor. Confused about the “blue water” bit though…

Blue water means open ocean sailing. Unlike boats that just hug the shore, these vessels need to be extra solid and seaworthy - able to withstand ocean crossings and the challenging conditions that come with them.

Pray for me, people! What were the key features that stood out?

The big win was that we were buying off an owner - Andy, from New Brunswick in Canada - who had lived on the boat for five years, as opposed to an ex charter boat rented for holidays and used very intensively by lots of different people. 

Should have known he’d be Canadian. 

Yes, he is really very nice. Overall, Andy has cared for the boat really well - and I’ve been able to stay in contact with him. I’ve had regular calls getting to know the boat and quizzing him on various elements, which has been really valuable.

Poor guy. Talk to me about some of the specifics then… 

Andy has heavily invested in the boat, with some great upgrades including a large solar arch, along with a watermaker, air conditioning and numerous navigation upgrades. He also recently bought a new tender with a whopping 20hp engine, so we can comfortably anchor away from ports. Plus, he fitted a new Bimini which can be fully enclosed. 

I truly have no idea what you just said. 

The solar arch is a series of solar panels shaped into an arch which will power the batteries (and - in turn - all the electrics). The tender is a smaller motorboat that runs to and fro the larger sailboat, for when we drop anchor off-shore and want to go on land. The bimini is a big sunshade/waterproof cover that sits over the cockpit - useful for big seas and wet weather. 

Err… I was promised year-round sunshine. What other features stand out?

I really like the electric transom design, which can change from an aft cockpit bench to a wide swim platform at the back of the boat. 

Come again?

The transom is the bit at the very very back of the boat, which turns from a bench into a swimming platform at the click of a button. 

Okay that is actually quite cool. Anything else?

I also really liked the ‘hard chine’ aft design which gives a lot of width in the cockpit area and has a sleek racing look.

Eh?

The aft (or ‘afterdeck’) is the wide area at the back of the boat, also called the stern. The ‘chine’ is the change in angle where the side of the hull meets the bottom of the hull. 

And just so we’re clear, the hull is…?

The main body of the boat, including the bottom, sides, and deck - but not the masts, rigging and engines etc.

Ok sure I totally knew that... What’s going on below deck? 

The galley layout is great, with three spacious berths (spacious in boat terms, anyway). I also liked the separate shower and toilet configuration for the master head.

I love it when you talk about toilet configurations. Feels like the ideal place to end this post. What can the good people of Substack expect next time?

Errr - shall we give them details about our route? I could draw a map and show them my special Excel spreadsheet!!

Seriously guys - try to contain your excitement.