At last the search for my dream yacht is over and the day has arrived where I take possession of her. An OVNI 385 , currently called “Seraphim III”

THE SEARCH

The search started in April 2020 just after we entered self isolation and lock down due to COVID 19. I had planned to visit the Ukraine with my friend Stas. The trip was meant to encompass my 60th Birthday and a visit to the town where my Father was born and lived for the first 12 years of his life. A visit of nostalgia, history and ancestry. Hopefully, I will manage to resurrect this adventure. The other adventure, was a sailing trip, with best mate Ed, from Sardinia to Venice via Croatia. Again, a postponement rather than a cancellation, I HOPE!!

I started by reviewing my criteria and requirements for my new yacht. After 12 years of sailing Yaga, my 30 foot fin keeler, i soon realised that one of main limitations was the ability of getting into many more shallow draft marinas, harbours, shallow bays, creeks and rivers. I needed a sturdy yacht that could go almost anywhere, and with a shallow draft. This led me towards the aluminium OVNI range

Finding one is not easy. They are in high demand, and finding one in lock down even harder. The events that led me me to my final purchase were a series of bizarre and random coincidences. From travelling to Scotland, viewing yachts on line in France, speaking to previous owners and brokers. Ironically, my eventual choice led me back to Southampton. This is where I found Seraphim III an Ovni 385, owned by a wonderful couple, Nicola and John Rodriguez. After a few visits, chats and inspection the deal was agreed. By sheer chance, Yaga was sold within 4 days of finding Seraphim, by a chap who had lost his Huzar 30 to a storm, when she slipped her moorings. So the planets and stars aligned and the deal was done.

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At last the time has come where I can go for a day sail.

I arrived at Quayside Marina at 0730 and made my way to Yaga. She’s been sitting here since August 2019 and the only movement she’s had was horizontal due to the rising and falling tide. She looked impeccable, this is due to the fact that I had commissioned Lewis, a local in Kemps Quay, to wash her every 6 weeks and polish her every 4 months.

If was odd getting back into the routine of preparing her for a sail, but the old routine soon reinforces itself, at bit like riding a bike, once mastered, you never forget.

By 0800, all was ready and I was just waiting for Ed, who arrived promptly at 0810. High water was at 0730 and we have plenty of water to get out.

We slipped lines at 0825 and motored up the river Itchin, past Shamrock Quays and then Ocean Village, both home of Yaga previously.

Even with no wind and motoring through Southampton Water was a wonderful feeling of freedom and peacefulness, away from the madness that has fallen upon us. Once out in the Solent the wind eventually picked up and we were sailing. Turning of the engine and listening to the wind whistle through the rigging and the sea splashing on Yaga’s hull, must be one of the most beautiful sounds in the world.

We made are way to Newtown Creek and as we drew closer could see a mass of mast in the creek. So we opted to anchor outside on Hampsted Ledge. We dropped the hook at 1230 in 4 metres of water and settled into a lunch of Chilli Con Carne, which I had prepared earlier, followed by apple strudel, from my local Polish deli.

We could have stayed all day and night for that matter, if it had been allowed, but we had to make our way back to QuaySide and catch the next high tide to enable us to get back into our berth.

Sailing in Southampton Water was eerily quite and only encountering one half laden container ship and an empty cruise liner, probably going out of port to save port charges.

We managed to sail all the way back and were back on the berth by 1753

A fantastic day, with my best mate. Good for the mind, body and soul.

No matter how good a surveyor you may have commissioned prior to buying the yacht of your dreams, there is only a limited amount of checking that can be done.

One of the first jobs that I undertook, especially on an aluminium yacht, is the check the bilges. I went through mine two or three times and found a multiple of items ranging from underwear, coins, and remnants from past works carried out. This clean up, not only safeguards your investment, but also allows you to familiarise yourself with every nook and cranny. In this process I discovered potential storage spaces, seeping pipes and electrical conduits. In my inspection, I checked bilge pumps, water pumps and gas alarms.

In fact one leak, which the previous owner had for many years was isolated to the fridge sea water cooling pump. This leak alluded the previous owner, so much so that he accepted it and regularly drained the water, with a specially purchased mini electric portable bilge pump. The leak was narrowed down relatively easily, by tasting the water. Discovering it was salt water, eliminated all fresh water system and allowed me to concentrate on sea cocks, engine inlets. Admittedly, the sea water fridge pump, was a bit of an oddity.

This familiarisation process is also beneficial for future servicing and troubleshooting, especially when you may be out at sea and there is no one around to give advise.