Motor Boat & Yachting

It may still be a fair few years away but I suspect that when the time comes I will look forward to retirement with decidedly mixed emotions. On the one hand it will doubtless come as some relief that I’ll no longer be beholden to the monthly scourge of looming deadlines, on the other I’ll be wondering how to fill my time. Sailing off into the sunset on a liveaboard motoryacht is the obvious choice but somehow I can’t see an editor’s pension running to a Fleming 55, even an ageing secondhand one. Luckily, I think Rob and Shona Adams, whose story you can read on p110 of this issue, might just have the answer. Faced with the same retirement quandary, they bought a beautiful old 43ft motoryacht built in 1938…

We’ve been itching to see Pearl Yachts’ new 82 in the flesh ever since we first clapped eyes on the renderings released last year. However, even we were surprised at how good it looks when the first proper set of photos landed in our inbox last month. The idyllic setting, believed to be a rocky inlet near Cala del Toro, Mallorca, certainly helps, as does the skill of Italian photographer Alberto Cocchi. But all credit to its designer, Bill Dixon, for making such a high volume tri-deck boat look as good as this on a relatively modest LOA of just 83ft. You can read more about its clever design and features on p69, along with other semi-custom yachts making their world debuts at this month’s Cannes Yachting Festival. SEE MORE mby.com/bigpic…

1 BUMPER SOUTHAMPTON SHOW This year’s Southampton International Boat Show promises to be a spectacular bumper edition. The show, which runs from Friday 13 September until Sunday 22 September, features over 600 exhibitors, showcasing everything from chandlery to superyachts, but as ever, it will be the boats that are the main attraction. THE EDITOR’S VIEW… Cannes may have usurped Southampton as the place to see the very latest new boats but when it comes to entertainment, the UK show is a much friendlier, more enjoyable event for families and boating newbies. You’d be amazed how many boat owners first caught the bug wandering around its colourful pontoons. Over 650 craft are expected on display – around 350 of them afloat in the temporary marina and another 300 or so ashore. This time the pontoons…

I’ve written about Justification Day before in this column. Well this year, I had to wait until June for it to arrive, but at least when it did, it turned out to be a Justification Weekend. The English Riviera Airshow was the weekend of the first and second of June this year, and my aeroplane-mad friend Adrian and his partner Tracie joined me aboard on Saturday morning. The weather was sunny and dry, although I was slightly concerned by the northeasterly wind direction. Any wind with a bit of east in it is generally bad news in Torbay, but at least the expected winds were fairly light and, crucially, forecast to drop as the day went on. New Zipwake trim tabs proved their worth on the run to Torbay, allowing me…

THE SHIP LYME REGIS Situated at the northernmost point of Lyme Bay, Lyme Regis is a place too often overlooked by boaters transiting from Portland to the West Country and vice versa. It seems a straightline passage between the Bill and Brixham is frequently the preferred option. But for anyone interested in a spot of coast hopping along the Lyme Bay coastline, the historic town of Lyme Regis – aka The Pearl of Dorset – provides a delightful and picturesque stopover. Our visit there coincided with a downpour that had everyone rushing for cover, which for me and my partner meant a dash to the nearest pub. As we were already exploring the town when the heavens opened, that pub turned out to be the Ship Inn in Coombe Street, a few hundred…

CUTTING MY LOSSES! I’m definitely set on buying a new boat rather than a used one but I must admit, I am wary of depreciation. Any tips on how to minimise it? Greg Tennant If you want to commit to a new boat rather than a well-kept used example, then you could simply rein in your budget until the likely rate of depreciation (factor in around 25% over three years) feels comfortable for you. Otherwise, you can mitigate depreciation by opting for a relatively sought-after small-volume builder; by speccing it with a broadly appealing (rather than esoteric or ostentatious) fit-out; and by looking after it fastidiously, with documented back-up. You could also reduce the costs of new boat ownership by means of a shared ownership scheme or even a charter arrangement but…