Current location for King Malu

Friday 23 October 2009

Amazing boat

OK, this is amazing day! Tim and I am now part owners each of 39 ft Nicholson... and I am thrilled. Being part owner of a yacht will definitely change my life.

Nicholsons are some of the best designed and build boats in the world. Sir Francis Chichester's Gypsy Moth was a Nicholson, as were some of the royal yachts [Prince Philip owned a Nicholson].

From the build plate you can see she is number 0003 of the 39s - there were only 60 ever built. She was originally Nicholson's show boat in Italy, was bought by a retired RN commander, then by an American who sailed her round the world, stopping in Cyprus and now selling her to us.

The aim is to get her sea worthy by December and then do on water maintenance ready to sail in the spring... and then sometime next year have a cruise to the Greek Islands. All the running rigging needs replacing, but none of the standing rigging... electronics are almost non-existant, so we will need new radio etc. We're thinking of using a NetBook based navigation system using OziExplorer software... plus paper charts [the boat comes with loads of charts]. The dinghy needs some TLC and the life-raft needs a service. Tomorrow we start...

Malu BTW is interesting word... in Hawaiian it means peace or peacefullness, in Malay/Arabic it means shy or hidden. So she is either the King of Peace or the Hidden King... interesting name?


Wednesday 21 October 2009

Out with the old... in with the new...

When the previous owner Stef bought King Malu from the owner before him, he paid almost exactly the same amount as the cost was today. Of course, the pound is not worth so much today as it was then!

The new bill of sale looks remarkably similar actually. It had to be stamped by a Cyprus official. This was done in a gazebo just outside Fanormoneni church. Tim said it felt kind of funny doing this big transaction in a gazebo!

Stef sailed her without registering but on a 'Certificate of American ownership' which was a lovely old document with ribbon and a seal.

But... it left us and our lawyers with a headache to get it registered in Cyprus.

Registration is now proceeding... we hope...