FAMILY TIME
Russell, Kate, Hugo and Felix Hall / Hallberg-rassy 46 Kathryn del Fuego
The traditional, solid bluewater cruiser has rather fallen out of fashion in rally fleets. Yet these can represent a fantastic buy for couples or families with bluewater ambitions. Older models from builders such as Hallberg-rassy, Malö, Contest, Oyster and others have many virtues: steady, medium displacement cruisers with seakindly attributes, most with centre cockpit layouts, large aft cabins and a secure place for young children in the centre of the boat.
Happily, many of these types were well-built, and have generally been very well cared for and regularly refitted. Some may have done many miles, perhaps even a circumnavigation, yet be capable of so much more. They also tend to hold their value, a big consideration if you have a time-limited plan.
Refitting a second-hand yacht for new adventures has some other advantages: in the process you get to know your boat from stem to stern, and understand how the systems work. They also come ready equipped with an inventory of 101 assorted items you are going to need. These persuasive factors mean a good-quality secondhand yacht may, for some, even be preferable to buying new.
A SENSIBLE CHOICE
This was what Russell and Kate Hall decided to do. The Halls had reached a point in their careers when they felt they could take two years off, and their two boys, Hugo (8) and Felix (6), were old enough to enjoy and remember the voyage. Russell sold his veterinary practice and Kate is taking a break from her job as a civil engineer and design director of the UK’S HS2 high speed train programme.
They wanted a seaworthy centre cockpit boat with three cabins, straight spreaders for downwind sailing (swept back spreaders can be restrictive dead downwind and are more prone to chafing the mainsail), “and we also wanted a draught no greater than 2m,” adds Russell.
“Within our budget we were looking at an Oyster 47 a Hallberg-rassy 46 and a Contest 48. Then it was a case of finding it, and that took quite a long time.”
Eventually they found a 20-year-old, lightly used
Hallberg-rassy 46, which they renamed Kathryn del
Fuego. They feel it’s a sensible financial choice. “It will depreciate but it will still have a value when we come to sell – it’s not a sunk cost. And we are letting our house so we have a small income,” says Kate.
Russell spent six months refitting the boat, having a watermaker and a generator installed, changing all the electronics and fitting a bimini and solar panels. He left work six months before the family was due to sail from the UK, but still they were finishing off jobs as they left last summer.
Their plan is to spend time in the Caribbean then sail into the Pacific and continue as far as Thailand before shipping back home – “but we are flexible,” they add.
They readily admit that sailing with children is not easy. “It’s really like sailing single-handed. There are jobs that require both of us and you have to rely on the children to keep themselves safe at times,” says Kate.
“Somebody said to us that living with kids on a boat for a year is like living on land with them for four years,” she laughs. “It can be quite draining but it’s also part of the reason why we are doing this, so it’s the yin and yang.”
Home schooling was a very daunting prospect, Kate admits. “I was quite scared about it. But they are at an age where they can keep up with English and maths. We try to have projects that are relevant to the places we are visiting. So my advice would be: be easier on yourself.
“We started with five hours’ schooling a day and now we do two or two-and-a-half. Chill and relax; it all works out. In fact, I suppose we school all day. It doesn’t have to be with the workbook; there are always things to learn.”
Asked what advice they would give, Russell says: “It doesn’t need to be perfect, just good enough. We were very strict about our leave date. You could have a perfect boat and still things will break. But you do need to know your boat, or a small repair can take a long time.
“We have also learnt how good the yachting community is. Everyone really looks after each other. We may have left friends and family behind but you quickly make new friends while cruising. The kids also have to make friends in each port; they get good at doing that.”
At the end of their careers and work commitments are Canadians Ann Graydon and Richard Gauthier. Ann and Richard bought their brand new Outremer 51 in 2017, and since then have been living on board and cruising in the Med. They were about to cross the Atlantic, and were discussing a wishlist for the next 10-15 years:
San Blas; Chile; Baja; South Pacific…
Ann (54), a retired theatre nurse, and Richard (61), a former actuary, have been planning their ‘freedom cruise’ for over two decades. In 1992, aged 34, Richard started a spreadsheet in which he set out how much he would need to buy a new boat and set off in comfort at 55. He reasoned that “usually people either have the time or the money, but seldom have both.”
Calculating that “$100 would be $300 at 55 and the big ticket items such as children’s education would be done,” he began investing.
“I knew that the earlier I started the less the saving requirement would be to do what I wanted. So I put away 7-10% of my income on a weekly basis and adjusted my standard of living to fit that.”
Perhaps more could do the same, but people get often drawn on to what psychologists call ‘the hedonic treadmill’. As Richard observes: “The problem is that if you climb yourself into a standard of living, it [traps you] into continuing to work.”
By resisting this, making shrewd investments and latterly downsizing from a house to a two-bedroom apartment in Toronto to keep a foothold in the market, they reached their retirement goal. For a time, Richard continued to work part-time, but eventually quit. “You have to be near an airport, read your emails every few days, have a phone signal. It polluted the first two years, so I just cut it. I have zero regrets.”
In equipping their boat, they have been pragmatic, adding only gear that will help them be self-sufficient with some basic home comforts. “We don’t have a generator. A generator would weigh 300kg or more and sailing
‘I worked part-time but it polluted the first two years and I just cut it’
performance is important to us. Then there are the spares and maintenance to consider. We think that not having one is a big plus. We try to live with a low carbon footprint.
“When we are at anchor, if it’s sunny we can feed the boat with our solar panels. When we are on the go, we use our Watt And Sea hydrogenerators, and if we are sailing above 8 knots we will run out of food before we run out of energy. The Watt And Sea makes enough power for us to run the watermaker without starting the engine.”
They recommend having two autopilot systems. 2 Cano‘s has a quadrant linear drive and a tiller pilot.
Some things they have learned on the way: the small air conditioning unit installed for their aft cabin is “just good enough. We can run it on batteries for 24 hours but actually what we do is cool the cabin down before bedtime and then turn it off. Once asleep you don’t need it.”
They have a hydronic heating system throughout the boat with fans in each cabin. The circuit goes through the water tanks so they can have both heat and hot water.
Richard says the most important thing (besides having the money to buy a boat and leave) is “to make sure your spouse is on board with the plans” and says it’s important to build complementary abilities.
“We switch around jobs and share tasks like maintenance and engine maintenance. You both need to have a complete set of skills.”