“On board Hibiscus, our old Bénéteau Océanis 430, every day, we had a feeling of enjoyment of being on a sailboat, and of how lucky we were. Where time constraints had been replaced by the rhythm of life… The way it should be. 25,000 nautical miles, 25 countries and 5 enjoyable years later, we arrived in the Marquesas, where we have decided to continue our travels westwards, with no end planned. But at Taiohae Bay in Nuku Hiva, surrounded by catamarans and enjoying a few sundowners with them, we decided we would continue on two hulls. That same day, “Hibiscus” went up for sale. But which catamaran to choose? We took to reading all the tests in Multihulls World, and then wading through forums, using our experience of life at sea to filter out the most precious information. Little by little, we came up with our required specifications, and the list of candidates rapidly reduced down to one model: the Nautitech 44.2, owner’s version. We found one in Malta. Very well equipped and in impeccable condition, she had only been very lightly sailed, and had been maintained by professionals. We loaded our bags and our bikes onto our new home. From the point of view of space and comfort, it’s better than we could have ever imagined. Living “on top of” the water, well-sheltered, with a panoramic view is a pleasure we savor every day. What’s equally new for us, is sailing on the level, with several living areas which we can easily move between. We’ll be spending the winter in Greece and will continue to sail from island to island in mostly sunny and cool weather. Tao seems to be the only boat out at this time of year! Of course, there are the well-known winter gales, but they are well-forecast, and there is plenty of shelter. Of an evening, we reflect on the previous six months and the 3,000 miles we have covered, convinced that we have made the right choice.”
Nathalie and Philippe on Tao
www.taosailing.com
