Finding MacMac
Up until Tuesday 4th October 2022, I had only ever been interested in buying a Moody 54 to spend 6-8months a year on sailing the Mediterranean!
Dee and I had been looking at yachts in earnest from January 2022, having talked about buying one for over 5 years.
As most of you know we had been chartering for years with our friends Ian and Judith Toland-Brown, but the draw of taking the plunge and buying our own yacht and embracing a new way of life was becoming ever stronger.
There were a number of “trigger points” we had hoped to hit before we got to that moment in time, but during the summer whilst sailing on our charter from E.G.G. Yachting, I knew that that time was fast approaching to act, whether or not those trigger points had been achieved or hit!
By the time we got to the end of September, we knew it was time to be positive and I really got stuck in to boat hunting.
Still with the blinkers on and a Moody in my head we went back on another return trip to Turkey!
Not long after our arrival………………………
A conversation between Dee, myself and Incila from Sailvation in a hotel bar in Turkey turned that long embedded thought on its head. Incila asked, “why do you really want a boat with a centre cockpit?” , Dee jumped in quickly, “I never wanted a yacht with a centre cockpit either!”, so that was the end of that idea!!!
I jumped on line immediately and stated searching for “54 foot yachts”.
Half a dozen popped up immediately - Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 54 DS - that rang a bell.
I contacted my sailing buddy Mark Scrancher (who had been our family instructor in the Canaries) and he said “Great boat, perfect for you and the family - in fact I own one too!
After an evenings discussion with Dee, I phoned Mark in the morning and asked him would he help us secure a 54DS that would be right for us. He was delighted and so it began.
Some quick due diligence on what was on offer ensued and it very quickly became apparent that the front runner was a 54DS called “Gigondas” which was currently moored in Split - Croatia.
The stars soon aligned, particularly when we discovered that she was being sold via a brokerage in Barcelona called Ancasta.
Mark’s partner Lies Vercaemere has some personal contacts there and by Monday 10th October, they were both sitting in the Ancasta office in Barcelona.
Lies was despatched to Marina Baotić, near Split in Croatia to conduct an initial assessment and survey, which thankfully was very successful.
An initial deposit was given along with our first offer!
Then it was our turn to go and have a look at what we had committed to, get a full professional survey completed, undertake some sea trials and have her lifted out of the water to see what she looked like underneath.
Dee and I met Mark at the Marina on 26th October, just 3 weeks to the day from deciding this is what we wanted to do and this is the boat we wanted!
The video gives a pretty good account of our couple of days.
Then it was home to nervously wait for the survey results, get her checked for moisture, rigging check and a final negotiation with the Mercers, the current owners.
Thankfully there were no complications and it was time to agree a price and exchange contracts.
Upon reflection, this was an incredibly smooth and speedy turnaround from deciding this what what we wanted to do right now, find the boat, go and see her, discover that she was exactly what we wanted and then to buy her!
Upon getting the sale over the line and signing all the relevant documentation, we were left with a little over seven weeks to get organised for the delivery trip. Zacc and Finley said yes without hesitation. I already had secured the services of the very experienced Mark Scrancher, so it really was “flat to the mat” to get ourselves prepared.
I had been collecting tools and equipment for quite some time in preparation for this moment, so was quite a relief to start digging everything out from all the various storage places around the house and garage.
To give you an idea of what some of the “stuff” was that had to be transported to Croatia:-
Liferaft
Lifejackets
Flares
Wet Weather Gear, Boots, Thermals
Fire Extinguishers and Fixings
Pilot Books for the entire Mediterranean
Clothes, Winter and Summer
8 Boxes of Tools
Cooking Utensils
VHF Radios, Satellite Comms, Iridium Go
Sub Aqua Tanks, Wetsuits, Regulators, Fins, BCD and Masks
First Aid Kits etc. etc. etc.
More Tools!
Thankfully the four crates have arrived safely in Croatia. It just remains for us to pack up our carry on cabin bags and head off ourselves. Leaving home late on New Years Day and arriving in Trojir around lunchtime on 2nd, following a short layover in Frankfurt!
Watch this space for further updates and follow our tracks from the the TrackMac link on homepage or here!
