Practical Boat Owner – June 2019

Calypso’s saloon– the

trick to small spaces is

organisation and cosiness

We bought Calypso, a fi breglass

1984 Hans Christian/Union 36,

built in Taiwan, in Mexico when the

Australian dollar was fetching

US$1.15 – boats in Mexico are

negotiated in $US. Taking

advantage of currency swings can

allow you to upgrade your boat at

no cost.

Calypso needed some work, so

our sailing was restricted to the

Sea of Cortez for 18 months. Once

ready, we set sail for the Mexican mainland,

then south to Acapulco before doing a

33-day Pacifi c crossing to the Marquesas.

Next we explored the Tuamotu

archipelago (also called the ‘Dangerous

Archipelago’) before visiting Tahiti to stock

up. We headed back (1,000 miles against

the wind) to the Marquesas Islands for

cyclone season and to meet Ben Fogle’s

New Lives in the Wild television team, who

fi lmed us for an episode. Once the cyclone

risk had passed we returned to the

Tuamoto because it is truly amazing.

We then had several delivery jobs to do,

so Calypso was laid up in Tahiti for a year

while we earned money sailing other

people’s boats. Back on Calypso, we

remained in the Society Islands (Moorea,

Huahine, Bora-Bora, Raiatea) and sat out

a pretty grim cyclone season in Moorea

before leaving for the Cook Islands via the

little-visited Maupiti. We went to Tonga and

spent a year exploring the three

island groups and refi tting

Calypso, before leaving for Fiji and

the South Pacifi c, where we fi nd

ourselves some 20,000 miles later.

Getting by

Funding depends on so many

factors – from buying a low-

maintenance boat, to changing

one’s attitudes as to what is

desirable and what is necessary.

Our overheads are less than half that of

most sailors. We simplify.

A well set-up boat should be able to

source its daily requirements from

sustainable energy sources. Our four 50W

solar panels and a Fourwinds wind

generator charge our fi ve-battery bank that

has a nominal capacity of about 1,000Ah.

We carry 140gal fresh water and 45gal

diesel in our tanks. Plus another 10gal fuel

and 30gal water in the jerrycans on deck.

Learn to fi sh and your health and budget will improve

Bananas are cheap and plentiful – and

keep well when dried

CRUISING