ADVENTURES OF NAUGHTY CAT

he many dogs afloat photos we receive show how important our canine friends are to us, but a year ago we brought you photos of our rst cats afloat. ot ust one cat, but ve gorgeous ersian hinchillas. ow their owners, ekki and ordon lliver, have embarked on the adventure of a lifetime on board their catamaran, aughty at, and the cats are oining them of course

Atear ran down my cheek as I shut the front door of my lovely home, not knowing when I would be back. Tenants had just moved in and nearly everything we owned had been put into storage, ready for our adventure of a lifetime starting in September. The story began, though, 12 years earlier.

After completing our Competent Crew and Day Skipper qualifications in 2009, Gordon and I went in search of a suitable first boat to purchase. We had our own list of requirements: I wanted something modern and spacious. I do not like dark wood and, being tall, wanted a boat that I could stand up in comfortably. Gordon wanted sails.

For several years we visited the Southampton Boat Show to view different makes, styles, designs and shapes, but nothing quite fit the bill. Then in 2017, quite by chance, we were invited on board a Nautitech Open 40 Catamaran, and our dream began to take shape.

In 2019, we made an offer on Kaleu, a French Nautitech Open 40, which was in northern Spain and owned by a German man. With a month to go before Brexit, it was a race against time to get her surveyed in La Rochelle and brought back to England. If it had not been for our fantastic broker Peter Norris, at Network Yacht Brokers, who tirelessly translated every conversation and email into French, German, Spanish and English to keep everyone informed, guiding us quickly through the process, checking all the papers and giving loads of reassurance, the sale would never have happened.

Testing voyage home The journey from France to England was not without its own problems. The hired skipper had never sailed a catamaran before and consequently his hesitation and lack of experience cost us time. Gordon and I had two weeks’ leave from work to complete the trip, but when we reached Roscoff (northwestern France), the November seas were rough, winds were 20kts and the skipper refused to go any further.

Our lovely (re-named) Naughty Cat was left in Roscoff, and we had to take a ferry back to the UK and return to work. The following week, Gordon flew to Brest to collect Naughty Cat with two crew members he recruited from a website; he had decided to skipper the yacht himself and bring her home.

The weather was very rough and unfortunately two new crew members made things worse by constantly arguing with one another. Half way across the Channel one of them insisted on leaving, so Gordon had to divert into Haslar.

The following weekend we brought Naughty Cat a step further and moored up in Brighton. At the marina we met two skippers, Henry and his father Norman from Latitude Yacht Services. Henry had vast experience working with catamarans, and so we took the opportunity to hire them to help with the last leg of the journey home to Chatham.

Life is certainly not without its challenges. Naughty Cat is a 12m catamaran with a beam of 7m. Chatham

The couple have been upgrading Naughty Cat ready for their travels

The cats love exploring the catamaran

Gordon is ready for the couple’s Med adventure The five Persian Chinchillas are going too! Maritime Marina has an entry lock 8m wide. We did not really have too much time to think about it, but with the guidance of our top-class guys, Naughty Cat was through the lock and moored up.

Preparation is key During 2020, Gordon and I worked extremely hard building up our sailing skills, getting to know our catamaran and making improvements and upgrades. We installed 700 watts of solar power, changed the gel batteries to 400 amp lithium ones, fitted a large 100ltr freezer under the fore cabin bunk and added a new larger fridge with an ice compartment. We also had bespoke drawers made to fit inside a cupboard, changed the French plug sockets to English ones and added extra LED lighting in the galley area.

With my art background, I designed the boat graphics, which I used on the lazy bag, fender covers, internal glass doors and quay side mats. I transformed Naughty Cat into our home from home by sourcing suitable soft furnishings and home décor.

Being a catamaran she sails flat, so I can have a glass vase of flowers on display and they will not topple over. I decided to purchase china crockery for Naughty Cat and have a variety of crystal glasses, which meant that I had to make felt separators to put in-between each plate and glass to stop them rattling when at sea. I spent hours during lockdown sourcing boxes and tins that fitted perfectly in cupboards and drawers to maximise space.

For our own fun we purchased two inflatable paddleboards from Two Bare Feet that neatly fitted into an outside locker.

And, of course, we introduced our five fluffy felines to Naughty Cat: Diamond Dancer, Emerald Sparkle, Coffee Cupcake, Vanilla Cheesecake and Strawberry Shortcake - our Persian Chinchilla cats who will be living on board and travelling with us.

Gordon and Bekki Next time: the adventure begins…

Bekki and Gordon departed from Chatham Maritime Marina on 1 September for Haslar, Portsmouth, where they had a lift booked for antifouling and anodes. They then sailed to Guernsey to have Pet Health Certificates completed for the five furries, before heading to the Mediterranean for the start of their adventure, which may last a year or more. For updates from Bekki and Gordon, follow Naughty Cat’s blog on Facebook, and you can also read regular up-dates about their adventure in All at Sea. www.facebook.com/ NautitechOpen4

The couple put their belongings into storage