Boat

Our boat is the first we’ve ever owned although we’ve both sailed on several others before her. We had a shortlist of other yachts we were considering and still are convinced that we chose the right one, even all these years on and through all the changes our family has seen. She handles really nicely under sail, balances upwind and always feels safe and sturdy. Even in the worst conditions she looks after herself which gives us the confidence to keep calm in adverse weather. Despite being her fourth owners we’ve kept her original name.

Coming from our backgrounds in architecture we appreciate how hard the space on a boat has to work. Yet our floating home never feels small, and we have the biggest swimming pool around!

Inside there are two double cabins, the forepeak ‘den’ at the bow and the big owner’s aft cabin at the stern. There’s also a single cabin called the ‘studio’ that we use as a workshop for all our boat projects. The main living space has an unusual layout maximising the full 4 metre beam or width of the boat. It has a fixed oval table to one side, which means there’s no flipping up or down to have a meal together and no shuffling past. It gives the main saloon the feel of a much larger boat. The galley has a really well thought-out use of space too and the upgrades we’ve made to it over the years have allowed us to eat like kings.

The design has a centre-cockpit, which means that we have a nice clear space on the aft deck. That’s great for landing fish, having the kids play, doing laundry and all sorts of other jobs. Now that we sail with children we have netting all around the deck, which makes it a great big playpen for them. There are two companionway entrances into the boat from the cockpit. There’s also a ‘sugar scoop’ at the stern: a small platform that you can stand on when you climb out of the water from the swim ladder or when getting in or out of the dinghy. It’s also where we use our stern shower. Below the waterline she has a long fin keel with a skeg-hung rudder.

We didn’t intend to have a family on board but have found the space to work amazingly well. Boats in general are very baby-proof from the start. No cupboards or drawers can open or fly out at sea so they all already have safety catches. Plus there weren’t any sharp edges to begin with so the transition to a family home has been very easy.

We aim to try and keep the boat simple and lo-fi. Our ethos is to sail whenever possible and to keep our electronics and equipment minimal. It means fewer things to break. Plus low power consumption means you’re less reliant on external ‘shore’ power. So all the lights are LEDs. We have solar panels and a wind generator. We never run the engine for power and have no generator. We also chose to install a Hydrovane windvane for self-steering rather than rely on our power-hungry autopilot. We also don’t have a water-maker. All the sinks have salt-water taps and we supplement the fresh water that we carry in tanks with rainwater collection, as rain in the tropics is pretty abundant.

When we bought the boat she had been on the hardstand for a couple of years. All boats take work but living on board full-time is a great way of keeping up with the maintenance. We have a belief that everything we tackle as a project on board should be improved. So we’re slowly and methodically replacing, adapting, upgrading and simplifying. From major overhauls like the fuel system or peeling layers of fibre-glass off the hull to cosmetic improvements for domestic life.

In addition to the main boat we have a hard-bottomed inflatable dinghy with outboard engine, an inflatable two-man kayak and an inflatable paddleboard. As well as being great for adventures they also allow us an extra means of transport, which is especially handy when we sail with additional crew.

The images here should give you a pretty good idea of what she looks like. Also, check out some of the articles below that outline some of the projects we’ve undertaken.

Boat

Adamastor...

Adamastor...

The name comes from the Greek word for “untameable” and is a character from an epic Portuguese poem symbolising the strong weather encountered by sailors at the Cape of Good Hope.