We finally did it!!!

 

We came here to find a Beneteau 473.  On our first day we saw the first 473 on our list of appointments and were bitterly disappointed. The next 3 on our list, while better, were still not what we were after.  Upset and frustrated, we reminded ourselves that we had come here with an open mind, and to look at everything and anything.  So we decided to look at the Beneteau Cyclades 50, for comparison sake.

We stepped aboard a 50 in the Moorings fleet.  She was huge. I immediately fell in love with the wide open cockpit, with plenty of seating space (aka sunbathing space).  Her decks were wide (again, more sunbathing space), wide enough to fit my yoga mat and more!  With excited anticipation I went down below.  She was light and bright, with a huge kitchen and lounge area.  The leather upholstery was an added extra that set my heart aflutter. The only thing that concerned me was that forward she was split into two queen bunks, and we were adamant that we wanted an owners suite.

Giles, our obliging Moorings broker with the patience of a saint, told us about Toodles a Beneteau 50 that had left the fleet, and been converted into the owners cabin.  The next day, on our way to the airport to fly to St Martin, we saw Toodles.  We stepped onboard and I immediately made a dash for the forward cabin.  The king sized bed sent a wave of excitement through me.  All I could think of was what I would write in an email to my Dad “I’ve fallen in love.  I’ve fallen hard.  I know you said the 473 was the one for me, but the heart wants what it wants”.

After having no luck in St Martin, we were left with a choice.  We had both fallen in love with a 473 in Martinique.  We had both thought she was the one we would buy.  We now had to decide whether we offer on Toodles without seeing the Martinique 473, or see her just in case.  You will have seen our earlier blogs you will know that we decided to go se her. 

The Martinique 473 was immaculate inside, but she had teak decks which had always bothered us.  When we arrived on the boat, it was immediately obvious that her decks were in worse condition than either of us had anticipated.  When we arrived back to our hotel in Martinique we were confused.  Both of us felt attached to the 473. She was what we had pictured while daydreaming of our trip while still at work back in New Zealand.  For weeks we had discussed her excitedly every night.  We would wake up and fire name suggestions at each other.  Dinner conversations had been limited to what equipment she needed.  And here we were deciding whether to go with her, or let her go.

Like a handsome colleague at the Christmas party, I had flirted with Toodles, knowing it was wrong, feeling like I was cheating on the 473.  But somehow I knew it was right.  After seeing the 473 in the cold harsh light of day, I knew Toodles was for me.   This however, was much harder to convince Gary of!

For days Gary researched the Cyclades 50.  He furiously sent emails to experts for opinions.  The designer of the Cyclades 50 confirmed that she would be more than adequate for our trip.  After all, all the 50’s in the Caribbean have already done a trans-Atlantic crossing to get here. Ballast ratios and rig configuration were heatedly debated. Slowly but surely, Gary began to allow himself to seriously consider the 50.  After much thought we offered on Toodles with no reservations.

After survey and sea trial, we are now the proud owner of Toodles, the Beneteau Cyclades 50.

   

I have to thank Moorings Brokerage, and in particular Giles and Flavia.  They did everything they could to make the deal happen for us.  We didn't make Giles' life easy, with constant phone calls and visits just to ask more questions and pose more problems to him, or sometimes just to use his printer!  Paperwork was all dealt with for us and there seemed to always be someone in the back office to assist us, even over the Christmas and New Year period.  

We move to the boat tomorrow.  We are very excited and are planning what provisions we need to buy.  We are planning to head off sailing later in the week, and finally be able to live the dream.