A comment we often hear from people when they step on board our HopYacht 30.
As yachties, we weren’t initially sure this was actually a compliment? Our immediate reaction was to think about the months of design time we poured into creating the unique one sail rig, getting the layout to be totally functional and making single-handed sailing a breeze. Was this really like being on an apartment on water? And no mention of it being all electric!
However, a week ago, we spent time at La Grande Motte Boat show in the South of France. It’s a popular show and like everyone else attending, we frantically scrolled through all the online platforms to book accommodation.
We found what we thought would be a great little apartment. However, 'little' turned out to be a little more petite than we expected. Just 24 square metres of living space and that's if you include the balcony!
On the bright side, it was well designed and delightfully uncluttered. After a few days, we both agreed if you’re well organised, 24 sq metres is really all the space you need.
Over coffee and croissants one morning (from our new favourite Boulangerie), Mary-Clare commented that "we always refer to HopYacht as being 9.35 metres long and 3.44 metres wide, however, we never talk about the boat in square metres?" HopYacht has approximately thirty square metres of living space if you deduct a bit for the curvature of the hulls! Eight square metres more than our apartment!
So perhaps our clients have a point? HopYacht is like having an apartment on water. And in many ways even better! This is an apartment where you can wake up at a new address every day. An apartment that sails, generates its own electricity and can move quietly away from noisey neighbours.
One of the stumbling blocks in our small land based apartment was where to put suitcases?
HopYacht has a ton of space under the queen sized bed, or they can be neatly tucked away in one of the hulls, right along side the folding bikes, SUPs, tender and outboard motor! If we had tried to get all these toys into our apartment, we would have needed to rent a garage as well!
Tomorrow, our first HopYacht arrives onboard ship in Pireaus, Greece and over the next two weeks we’ll be living onboard, whilst we get the boat ready for its first season of sailing in the Mediterranean. We are both looking forward to experiencing our 'apartment on water’ … and of course doing a bit of sailing as well!
Paul.
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