Hi there! it was whilst being publicans in the Steamboat Tavern in Ipswich we found our love for sailing, but we never dreamt of living on a boat.
The bar was situated on New Cut West and only a road separates it from the river Orwell, our bar was often frequented in the afternoons with boat owners that had berths on the river just outside our door. It was not long before our thoughts turned to boat ownership, as a way to escape on the water on our all to infrequent time to ourself.
After looking for a while and finding unsuitable boats or more often unsuitable prices, a friend came in and asked, ” have you seen the Westerly Longbow for sale in Ipswich?” It was love at first sight. We saw her and that was it, we now discovered B.O.A.T. means “Break Out Another Thousand”
After selling our flat in Felixstowe to raise the deposit on the Steamboat Tavern the brewery turned up one day to introduce the new owners! Yes, Ridleys had bought Tolly Cobbold out, so we decided to pay off the boat, not renew our tenancy, and a few months later moved on to the boat. After the decision to not renew our lease, we felt a sense of freedom and possibility. The cleanout process was both exhausting and liberating – realizing how much unnecessary clutter we had accumulated over the years was a powerful experience. Packing our possessions onto the boat was like packing potential and adventure into every nook and cranny, symbolizing our readiness to embrace the unknown.
With our karaoke equipment on board, we felt a renewed sense of purpose. The idea of sailing to Gibraltar and using our passion for karaoke to sustain our travels filled us with excitement and anticipation. The thought of entertaining people in different ports along the way while financing our journey was a thrilling prospect.
The decision to embark on this adventure represented a bold leap into the unknown, a deliberate choice to break free from the constraints of familiarity. It was a declaration of independence from the ordinary, a commitment to live life on our terms and embrace the uncharted path ahead.
And so, with the wind in our sails and the melody of possibility in our hearts, we ventured forth, ready to create our own story on the canvas of the world’s oceans.
We cast off the lines in Ipswich on the 30th of April 2004, heading for Ramsgate then on to Dover on the 4th of May. We then crossed the channel to Calais on the 6th of May. Our first big crossing was from Camaret-sur-Mer in France to Gijón Spain, across the Bay of Biscay, a journey of some 44 hours and 295 nautical miles at an average speed of just over 6.7 Knots. Not bad for an overloaded boat with a Hull Speed of 6.7 knots but we were surfing most of the way. We reached Portimao on the 31st of August 2004, traveling a total distance of 1802 nautical miles, calling at 45 ports along the way.
As so often happens, plans must change. We got as far as Portimao in the Algarve and found out one of the marinas in Gibraltar had closed and you could not get a winter berth. We decided to stay in the Marina de Portimao and look for work as our funds were now running very low. The first year was hard to get enough work and we only earned enough to get by on, but not enough to pay the next year’s marina fees, so we moved on to a mooring in Alvor, I also managed to get more karaoke work. Then disaster struck! Our Volvo MD2B engine stopped working and was not repairable.
We had Waveney towed into the boat yard in Ferragudo and lifted out while we searched for a new engine.
We managed to find a newish used Beta Marine engine and fitted it with all all-new exhaust, control panels etc. but by this time funds were desperately low. OK time for plan B. So in 2009 we decided to leave our beloved boat on the hard in safety and head back to Germany to build up our funds, hoping to return in a couple of years. Jump to 2021 and we made it back, yes 12 years later!
As you can imagine after 12 years in the blistering summer sun, winter rains, etc. Our poor girl “Waveney” was such a sorry sight check out the video. there was no varnish anywhere on the boat, the gel-coat had taken a beating, my NASA Marine wind had disintegrated at the top of the mast, the NASA displays had badly deteriorated, and the newish Beta Marine engine had seized solid. We also had to have a new survey for the insurance and have all new standing and running rigging, we then discovered B.O.A.T. turned into B.O.A.F T. Break Out Another Few Thousand. It´s amazing just how fast you can empty your savings when you look after a boat.