SY Swagman

[swagman]

BOAT PROFILE

Swagman is a Hanse 461 - the design that won the European Boat of the Year Award for innovation after it's launch in Germany in 2004.

Hanse are now second largest German yacht builders and known for innovative and fast designs from the board of Jodel & Vrolijk. Each model tends to have a somewhat plumb bow and modern clean teak decks with low coachroofs and the 461 is no exception. Hanse hulls are also usually epoxy over a foam core, with a galvanised keel web for stiffness.

She's proved to be a relatively fast cruiser well set up for short handed crew. All lines lead to two banks for clutches ahead of helmsman and with single line reefing, self tacking Gib and main, electric Harken winches, she's as easy to reef as she is to short tack up a narrow waterway. With two wheels she is light on the helm and with a balanced spade rudder, very responsive.

We find she is easily managed by two despite the big fractional rig and large sail area. A retractable bow thruster and a powerfull 75HP turbo diesel make manouvering easy also.

Below - she wil not impress traditionalists. Her cabin finish and layouts were designed by a top Dusseldorf fashion designer so its is all glass, gloss mahogony, white leather, maple floor tiles and halogen lamps. We have three double cabins, large saloon, small galley, two heads / showers and more storage space than we actually need.

The cockpit is also large enough to handle a big party, and overall her high freeboard, volume and rig is such that when parked alongside a 50' Grand Soliel - the Hanse looks the bigger yacht.

Overall - she's modern, bright, functional and fast. We love her.

LOA - 14.2 Metres or 46 ft 6 inches.
LWL 12.6 Metres or 41 ft 3 inches.
Beam - 4.47 Metres or 14 ft 7 inches.
Draft - 2.3 Metre Fin Keel.
Displacement - 11.9 tns.

We've set her up with full sized spinnaker, carbon pole and code 0 for offwind. She tends to average 6.5 to 7 knots to windward, but speed rapidly increases once sheets are eased. Max speed so far across / off the breeze has been 14 knots sustained - but we've averaged 10 knots many days when reaching in only medium breezes and she certainly feels capeable of much more.

CREW PROFILE

Sue and I have been sailing together for 25 years and we are mid 50's now. We were both born in UK, married 36 years, emigrated to Australia when in our late 20's, raised the boys there over 20 years, and returned to the UK in 1997.

We've owned / sailed everything from a 20 foot trailor sailer, via a Van de Stadt 24, to Solings, to a 30 foot JOG flyer, to a Farr 1020, a Swarbrick 9.7 OOD we built ourselves from spray gelcoat to launch, to an Adams 40 - all out of Perth Western Australia.

Been a member of Perth Flying Squadron, Fremantle Sailing Club and Royal Perth Yacht Club. Gathered a few race trophies over the years and with super crew even managed the West Australian Offshore Blue Water Championship in 1993.

Now back in UK since 1997 and getting older. Having structured new UK based business to run in our absence we realised four years back we could take time out to cruise.

So purchased a Grand Soliel 42 in 2001 from Holland. Called her Swagman. Tall race rig and deep keel. Fast and good looker. Loved her also.
Cruised her for 4 weeks in summer 2003 in France. Great.
Cruised her for 6 weeks in summer 2004 to N. Spain and Portugal. Greater.
Took delivery of Hanse in January 2005 - cruised her for 8 weeks to N.Spain, Portugal, E.Spain and Balearics. Even greater still.

Current plan in 2006 is to take Swagman on for 10 weeks from Mallorca to Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Isreal and Egypt and back to Turkey for 2006/7 winter whilst we come back.

Hopeful to continue cruise plan in 2007 by going for 18 months to do Greece, Croatia and then ARC and cruise onward in Caribbean and East Coast USA into 2008 ............... before perhaps finding we have grandchildren and have a good reason to get back to the UK.

Maybe even one day will get back to Fremantle...................

We are very lucky. We know it.

Our blog's kept at http://www.yotblog.com/swagman. Read it ONLY if you wish to be put to sleep.............

[CaptainK]

Swagman.

I wish you & Sue a great sailing voyage. God speed.

Yes. A owner of a business, can be tied down from doing the things they want to do in their lives. Unless the business is a multimillion dollar business. With lots of reliable management, to run the company for the owner. Then you could pull that off?

Anyways, good luck to the both of you!!