Big news

It's now June 2025 and there's quite a lot of updating needed for this blog... and a lot more activity on the way!
We have exciting plans set in place to move to Warsaw in Poland for six or seven months. We will live with Julia's mum and the focus will be on improving Zefi and Theo's Polish. Then come early spring we will set sail for the Adriatic, with the kids for up to 5 months of adventure before returning to normal life in the UK.
We have been blessed with the most amazing weather so far this spring -making good use of our new swimming pool. We will all miss it while we're away but it's been 10 years since our last sailing adventure and we're getting itchy feet.

In our last post there was a line that read; "I confess that I have developed a wandering eye for for 15 metre boats with navy blue hulls.." This has in fact manifested more than I could have imagined. Long story short, say hello to Dragonfly our trusty stead for the next chapter of our ongoing adventure!

She is a Jeaneau Sun Odyssey 49 DS from 2006.  Julia and I really like the warm traditional interiors and built quality of the early 2000's production boats. Being closely related to our Beneteau, there are lots of familiar features and fittings.  She is the perfect size for our family of four plus a few friends.  Being of a similar vintage to Bumblebee means that inevitably some refitting would be required.  This has been taken care of in the form of an electronics fit out with B&G kit, all new standing and running rigging, new batteries and in the coming month a new teak deck.  Having owned Bumblebee for ten years without really planning to, we have decided to do all the work needed asap and enjoy Dragonfly for the next ten years in excellent shape. Also sailing with our children onboard really changes our priorities and responsibilities.

We visited Malta back in February to meet her and fell in love with the stunning architecture around Valetta. We were there for just 24 hours so barely had time to explore. We now have flights booked to return in two weeks time-which will be 5 months since visiting. Thats how long it takes to buy a boat, complete all the surveys, and refit the rigging and electronics!  The next post will be our maiden voyage across to her new home in Sicily.

The rigging was 19 years old so despite a satisfactory up-mast survey a complete replacement was ordered to comply with our insurance but most importantly to be safe sailing with children.  While the mast was down it made sense to update all the wiring, instruments and radar.

We had in and out of water surveys conducted. Worrying moisture levels were detected but fortunately were easily rectified.  Below the starboard helm controls are being installed.