COLUMNS138 JANUARY 2016C
arole and I have been Princess
owners for many years,
enjoying our boats in their home
marina of Chichester, despite
living in North Yorkshire. We
generally cruise in the Solent
but also to the Channel Islands
and Brittany.
Our V53 is now eight years old and we were
considering a change but were undecided as to what
we wanted to replace her with. This had been our first
sportsboat after years of flybridge boats and we’ve
definitely become accustomed to the comfort of
having a big boat. The fact we can get out on the water
and not get wet is a real bonus!
We’d been looking at options but couldn’t decide on
the next boat. I was in the process of selling the
medical IT company that I’d founded and when it
actually sold, while we were boating in Brittany, we
decided that was the time to get serious.
During our trip, the spring in the forward toilet door
lock had failed and left us with a droopy handle and a
door that wouldn’t shut. On the way back home from
holiday we had to drive past the Princess office at
Swanwick and decided to call in and grab a
replacement lock. This was swiftly arranged and left
us with a spare few minutes to look at boats.
Before we had gone on holiday, there had been a
V57 on display in Swanwick so we were keen for a tour.
To our great disappointment we were told it had just
been sold and that the model was being discontinued.
Our faces dropped.
Just then Princess’s sales director Roger Lipman
appeared. He brought with him the news that a
new V58 was soon to be built in an open style and,
later, as a deck saloon version. He showed us
drawings, an accommodation plan and the
specification. We were immediately smitten with
the superb looks and ordered one there and then- without even having seen one!
Never before have we bought a boat on such a
IAN PINDER: A quick stop off to buy a simple boat part turned into a rather large
credit card purchase for an as-yet unseen brand new boatI went to buy a lock and
came back with a V58
I’LL NEVER FORGET THE DAY...
Usually we spend months poring over brochures, looking
at countless boats and insisting on several sea trials
EMAIL US YOUR STORY. WE’LL PAY £100
FOR ANY WE USE! [email protected]whim. Usually it’s weeks and months spent poring
over brochures and specifications, looking at
countless boats and insisting on several sea trials. But
this time it was the day we walked in expecting to
spend a few quid on a doorknob, and walked out the
proud new owners of a 58ft boat. We still didn’t know
which of the versions we would prefer, so instead
simply wrote ‘version to be confirmed’ on the order.
Roger told us that the first boat would be built
as an Open model and displayed at the Southampton
Boat Show. The show couldn’t come soon enough!
Finally we clapped eyes on our new baby and spent
the next two days eyeing her up at the show and
confirming the specification.
I’d forgotten how much needed to be done tospecify a new boat! My areas are engines and the
technical stuff, which is relatively easy, but Carole had
a much harder time choosing wood, furnishings and
finishes. We eventually decided on the Deck Saloon
version, which is quite similar to our first boat, a
Princess 30DS. All we have to do now is be patient and
wait for the new boat to be delivered in June 2016.
But please do bear this cautionary tale in mind next
time you go to buy a replacement door lock, you just
might come out with a brand new Princess V58!
Looking back on it, we should have asked Princess to
throw in the door lock for free...It was love at fi rst
sight for Ian Pinder
and the Princess V58