MY FANTASY FLEET
Keith Wheeler – Current Boat: Broom 41
y the time this is published in what I hope will soon be a post-corona era, I feel a sense of duty to help get British boat builders back on their feet. I have therefore made one adjustment to my fleet to support this aim, but given what we have been through, this is no hardship. I love classic lines mixed with modern technology and love all forms of boating, so it is an eclectic mix.
DALE CLASSIC 45 (FROM £1M INC VAT)
Now you have kindly made me rich, this is going to be my extravagant choice for a day boat / weekender. The Dale Classic 45 can get me from Dartmouth to Guernsey and back for lunch even if the weather turns or take me for a week cruising from Dartmouth to Padstow via my favourite Cornish and Devon havens. Sacrilege I know, but I might even just nip out for an afternoon’s fishing or tuck into a local cove for a picnic lunch aboard with friends. Fabulous, timeless good looks and seakeeping, and even more fabulous build quality by a wonderfully talented team in Neyland who continuously hone and finesse this exquisite boat. If I could only take home one boat out of the three, this would be it. Enough said! pristine gelcoat damaged by randomly aimed hire boats. In my book a steel hull painted black is the best choice and whilst the Delta Marine Services Luxemotor may look workmanlike from the outside, the standard of finish inside may come as a surprise . Add the flexibility provided by customisation and I would be able to make this my floating rural idyll. Who knows, I might even spend an extra £100,000 and buy the 70ft version? With the collapsible wheelhouse the air draft drops down to 2m, giving me access to lots of interesting little waterways. Specify Cat B and I could even pootle back across the North Sea and explore the UK wide beam network.
SUNSEEKER PREDATOR EVO 60 (£1.8M INC VAT)
I now think a trip down to Poole is called for to spec up my Predator Evo 60. I need something that will take me around the Italian and French Rivieras in exquisite style not to mention a capable hull that will whisk me swiftly and safely down to Corsica, Sardinia, Croatia and on to the Greek islands. As I am going to treat myself with a full bells and whistles spec I will also upgrade to the 1000hp engines on shafts not pods – I can’t give up all my traditionalist leanings. With this much power, a huge sunroof and drop down cockpit doors I can really experience that wind in the hair feeling whilst I still have hair left. Having once enjoyed a Sunseeker shipyard tour, I can vouch for the quality and attention to detail that goes into building it, so I know that this is not just a pretty plaything but a proper boat with the benefit of a huge grin factor built in.
Send in your suggestions to mby@ti-media.com with My Fantasy Fleet in the subject line