Motor Boat & Yachting - January 2016 UK

I’ve always dreamed of buying my

own boat but until recently I’ve

never had the time or the money

to indulge that dream. Having

recently turned 64 and with fewer

work and family commitments to

contend with, I felt the time was

right to make that dream a reality.

My ultimate goal is to buy a three-cabin flybridge

boat which my wife Geraldine and I can cruise

around the Mediterranean and still have space on

board for our children and grandchildren to come

and holiday with us. But in the meantime, since

Geraldine has a fear of flying and is almost as wary

of the water, I knew we would need something

smaller and closer to home to get her used to

spending time afloat while I built up my own helming

experience. Provided that went well, we could then

go ahead and pursue our Mediterranean dream.

In the end I spent almost three years looking for a

boat that met all my expectations. As a collector of

classic cars, including a rare Ferrari P4, I knew I

would never be happy with a run-of-the-mill

sportsboat or family cruiser. I needed to find

something with a bit of heritage that looked the part

and had excellent seakeeping credentials but could

still give me an adrenaline rush when conditions

allowed. The trouble is that it also had to fit my

budget of £25,000 so that I had enough left in the

pot to buy my longed-for flybridge in the Med.

OWNER UPGRADES

Crafty concept

Fulfi lling your boating dreams can often involve playing the long game, something

this reader has done with aplomb with a mid 90s Chris-Craft sportscruiser

Text: Philip Badder talks to Hugo Andreae Photos: Philip Badder & Lester McCarthy

Spotted at Bates Wharf

Marine, a 1995 Chris-Craft

Concept 27

OWNERUPGRADES

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