BOATS AT THE CLUB

This is another in the series of articles aimed at providing you with an insight into new boats and other boats of interest at the Club. Contact Pat Catley through the Club if you are interested in having your boat featured here.

SEDUCTION

Seduction is not a new boat to the Club but her owners, Mark Moore and his wife Deb, are and they are very proud owners of the Farr 38 IMS Cruising Racing yacht. Seduction was designed and built by Binks Yachts to the highest standard. The simple but practical layout is the perfect combination for racing or cruising. She was designed to be comfortable for friends and family as a casual day sailor or for cruising to more exotic locations but she is also fast and stylish as a racing boat. She rates well and has had many successes along the way. The interior is very comfortable and Seduction can sleep eight, with a large practical V-berth, two large quarter berths and four bunk-style berths in the saloon. The galley consists of a gas stove, double sink and plenty of cupboards for storage, with a fridge and freezer close by. A central table makes for comfortable and friendly dining while seated on plush cushioned seats and she also has a well-positioned navigation station. There is a hot shower in the head and a cold water shower on deck for rinsing salty bodies after a swim in the sea. For entertainment after dark a TV and DVD player can fill the hours before sleeping to the sound of waves lapping gently on the hull. Built in 1995 of fibreglass, Seduction has a Volvo engine and Whitlock steering system and a Raymarine autohelm and GPS assist the helmsman. She has a full set of racing sails, Profurl twin-track furler and Harken winches and deck fittings. Mark’s sailing history goes back to when he grew up in Woodville. He sailed socially, not competitively, in his early teens. They had a Cherub back in the days when you could drive your car onto the beach at Somerton Park, very near to where he lives now. After graduating with a degree in dentistry, Mark moved to Loxton in 1983 and settled there. It was a long way from the sea so sailing was put aside. He recently sold the dental practice and his commitment there ended. He moved back to Adelaide and still works a few hours a week. Buying a yacht wasn’t really on the radar, even eight months ago, but through a weird chain of events here he is, the proud new owner of Seduction. More boat than he probably needed but Mark is delighted with his purchase. Joining the CYCSA seemed like a logical thing to do and Mark did so at the start of the new membership year. He admits he has a lot to learn and in a way the sailing seems to be the easy part. It’s the mechanics and electricals of the boat that are a whole new world to be discovered. Mark would like to get involved in some Club racing once he has a little more experience and would definitely like to do some cruising with his wife and friends as they approach semi-retirement. Their three adult children are also keen for new adventures. Seduction has been beautifully cared for by the previous owners and Mark feels very lucky to own it. Thank you Mark for allowing me to profile your new yacht and I wish you, Deb and your family many happy sailing days ahead.

SHILO

It is always sad to see one of our yachts sold and move away from the CYCSA but it’s an even happier occasion when the new owners bring her back into the Club. Shilo is one such yacht, a beautiful Catalina 320, Hull Number 251 of 1,877 built in California in 1995 and now owned by Tony and Sarah Belton. Shilo spent the first 16 years of her life in Port Lincoln waters before coming to the CYCSA for the first time. For those who don’t know him, Tony is affectionately known as ‘Snow’ because from a small child he had, and still has, snow white hair. Catalinas have a reputation for being strong, reliable boats. They build the largest selection of honest, sturdy boats that hold up to real world conditions, perform well and cost less to maintain. For Catalina owners this means lots of extra value and enhanced sailing pleasure with the added bonus of excellent resale value - not that the Beltons intend to sell. Since bringing Shilo into the eastern marina Snow and Sarah have been racing in the winter two-handed races, accepting the challenge while getting to know their boat and enjoying being so close to the sea after many years of river sailing. Shilo is 9.8 metres (32’6”) in length with a roomy cockpit. Below deck she is fitted with six berths including a queen size berth in the aft cabin. The galley has all the conveniences you expect from Catalina Yachts and has a Westerbeke engine that makes her easy to handle when the wind dies.

Sails and canvas work have been replaced since purchased in 2017 and many other items have been upgraded and replaced. Shilo is well set up for short-handed and solo sailing and Snow is often out at sea while Sarah is at work. Sarah and Snow’s two adult sons often race aboard Shilo and quickly nicknamed her the ‘racing caravan’. While doing a bit of winter and twilight racing the main purpose is just to get the owners, friends and family out on the water as much as possible, often accompanied by their border collie ‘Buddy’. They have done many trips to Port Vincent and sailed to Kangaroo Island and Port Lincoln, covering well over 3,000 miles in three years. They feel they are still learning about boating and sailing and are happy to occasionally go outside their comfort zone. Sarah and Snow met and started sailing with their parents at the Port Adelaide Sailing Club at about age seven and eight but quickly moved on to race dinghies and keelboats in their teens. They sailed Holdfast Trainer, Heron, Fireball and Hartley TS16 classes at the Port River Sailing Club before buying a Spencer 30 called Rouseabout which they owned for ten years at the PASC before the big upgrade to Shilo.

Sarah will be familiar to many as she is one of the efficient staff in the Club office, always happy and smiling and goes out of her way to be helpful. Thank you Snow and Sarah for all your help and I wish you many more happy and exciting sailing days ahead.

Pat Catley