So some of you will know the story, but for the benefit of everyone, let's go back to the start.
Having allowed sailing to wreck my life a few years back, it became apparent that this was where I wanted to be and no amount of bricks and mortar were going to suffice. Wreck my life, you ask? In jest and a manner of speaking, yes. I was quite content grinding out the 8-6, six days a week, swanning around London and enjoying what life in the City has to offer UNTIL I followed a friend on a boat shopping expedition to Florida. Through a series of events, I found myself the owner of a gorgeous sloop (S/V Voyager) that proceeded to carry captain and crew throughout the Florida Keys and Bahamas for half a year, highlighting the freedom and joys of living under sail. Idyllic, you say? Indeed. Now try returning back to that 8-6, 6 days a week job.....
... and that, dear reader, is how sailing wrecked my life.
Attempt at doom and gloom aside, Voyager was sold (whilst still in her Bahamian Hurricane Hole location, via the internet, to a buyer I never met) and the quest was on for a new boat to really see the world. She had to be more spacious, more livable and have the ability to take captain and crew around the world. Cue what became known as the Bellissima years.
Bellissima was a tired 43ft steel schooner, once a custom one-off build who'd travelled far and wide, and now sat derelict in a southern England boat yard. She was rough but had potential - it was just going to take some hard grind to get her back in the water. Photos tell a thousand words (see: The Bellissima Years section), but in effect:
- The boat was gutted completely
- New deck and wheelhouse welded on
- New wiring, plumbing and interior
- New rigging
- New paint
Now, that may not seem like quite the to-do list but almost three years, one court case, one magazine article, three boat cars, one relationship and tens of thousands of ££ later, the clock is (finally) ticking down to departure.
The plan is listed in (funnily enough) The Plan section, but going forward I'll be posting up where as & when I can, covering the final parts of the build, the results of this season of testing, then preparations for heading off.
Enjoy!
Having allowed sailing to wreck my life a few years back, it became apparent that this was where I wanted to be and no amount of bricks and mortar were going to suffice. Wreck my life, you ask? In jest and a manner of speaking, yes. I was quite content grinding out the 8-6, six days a week, swanning around London and enjoying what life in the City has to offer UNTIL I followed a friend on a boat shopping expedition to Florida. Through a series of events, I found myself the owner of a gorgeous sloop (S/V Voyager) that proceeded to carry captain and crew throughout the Florida Keys and Bahamas for half a year, highlighting the freedom and joys of living under sail. Idyllic, you say? Indeed. Now try returning back to that 8-6, 6 days a week job.....
... and that, dear reader, is how sailing wrecked my life.
Attempt at doom and gloom aside, Voyager was sold (whilst still in her Bahamian Hurricane Hole location, via the internet, to a buyer I never met) and the quest was on for a new boat to really see the world. She had to be more spacious, more livable and have the ability to take captain and crew around the world. Cue what became known as the Bellissima years.
Bellissima was a tired 43ft steel schooner, once a custom one-off build who'd travelled far and wide, and now sat derelict in a southern England boat yard. She was rough but had potential - it was just going to take some hard grind to get her back in the water. Photos tell a thousand words (see: The Bellissima Years section), but in effect:
- The boat was gutted completely
- New deck and wheelhouse welded on
- New wiring, plumbing and interior
- New rigging
- New paint
Now, that may not seem like quite the to-do list but almost three years, one court case, one magazine article, three boat cars, one relationship and tens of thousands of ££ later, the clock is (finally) ticking down to departure.
The plan is listed in (funnily enough) The Plan section, but going forward I'll be posting up where as & when I can, covering the final parts of the build, the results of this season of testing, then preparations for heading off.
Enjoy!
