Hallberg-rassy 372
Mark Henley commissioned his new 37ft Hallberg-rassy with occasional ocean crossings in mind. Having sailed to Las Palmas and completed the ARC, he’s now signed up for the ARC Europe rally to bring her home. A dinghy sailor all his life, his latest-generation HR 372 Mutley is tiller steered and proved comfortable for him and his two crew. However, there were some challenges to overcome relating to the size of the boat.
‘We found much of the weather information provided by the rally to be too general for a boat with a short motoring range. In hindsight, we’d have used our own weather-routing software to minimise use of fuel and avoid stopping at Mindelo. We only carried 20 litres extra in addition to the boat diesel tank. We actually ended up having to chase the wind down to the trades and refuelling at Mindelo in Cape Verde.’
With only the standard-sized fridge on board, Mark and crew were strategic in their approach to food and drink.
‘Food that stayed fresh well without refrigeration included onions, apples, eggs and garlic. Fresh meat deep-frozen in blocks was eaten it in order that it would go off – chicken, pork, lamb, beef. Doing this meant our fresh meat lasted three weeks. Our best bit of kit was our Mr D’s Thermal Cooker. You could make a hot meal at lunch and it would slow cook until we were ready for dinner. Meals were supplemented with fish we caught – tuna, mackerel and mahi-mahi. It’s worth learning how to kill, clean and fillet before you leave.’