I have been boating since I was a teenager with my father in our Shetland 535. In later years I have married Tess my wife and produced two children. We bought our first boat as a family, an ex-RNLI 12’ rib. This proved to be a slightly impractical boat for a young family, so we exchanged it for a Caprice 19 mini yacht, which was used frequently for weekend trips in Poole harbour.
After that came a Snapdragon 22 which meant we were moving up the yacht ladder. This was followed by a Leisure 23 SL which allowed us a little more comfort aboard.
Then came our mid-life crisis, albeit a little early. After much deliberation, and many investigation visits, we bought a bare hulled (or more correctly hulls!) Heavenly Twin 26’ catamaran and transformed it into a long term cruising home. With the permission of the childrens’ schools we took two years out and headed for the Mediterranean, greatly recommended to anyone with children. We all flourished, then reluctantly returned to the UK.
Our next boat was a Norman 23, which we picked up in Nottingham and spent numerous holidays aboard whilst meandering through the inland waterways of England. However, our hearts still lay in the Mediterranean so we researched dimensions of the French Canals and bought the boat, which ticked all the boxes of our wish list, a Senior 31, heading south during school holidays. We managed to acquire an annual berth in Sete, South of France and spent three years cruising the coast and canals.
Lastly is our Broom Ocean 37, which we stumbled upon. We are currently carrying out a complete refit including an alteration to the aft deck. The plans for her voyages once complete are not yet set in stone.
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