Skipper's Seat: April 2009

It’s scary how time flies. It only seems like yesterday that I was knee-high to a would-be sailor, holding my dad’s hand — a Pluto pup dripping in tomato sauce in the other mitt — as we trawled the hardstand at the old Sydney Showground during its annual Sydney Boat Show.

There was no on-water exhibition space back then and a big boat was a Hood or an Endeavour yacht. Following one particular show, I remember sitting up in bed for days and weeks later pining over the brochures. And from those formative years, from those seeds at boat shows, a love of boating sprouted.

Next month, the annual boat-show season kicks off with the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show. Via our magazine and website, we are keeping you up to speed with all the latest news, releases and we’ll have our video crew on hand for live crosses. The show is shaping up to be a ripper.

Meantime, we’re finding ourselves stepping aboard a lot of smart, new mid-sized yachts and cruisers these days. The new edition of Trade-a-Boat has tests of the compact Beneteau Oceanis 31 cruising yacht, the Monte Carlo 37 sportscruisers in Open and Hardtop guises, and the Ovation 52 Fly Bridge from our man in the Wild West.

But it’s the purposeful cover boat that takes some beating. The Selene 55 is a serious private expedition cruiser with single diesel engine, auxiliary engine with get-home facility, and hydraulic drives and thrusters.

Australian adventurer Dick Smith recently cruised around the remote southwest corner of Tasmania in a Selene. If it’s good enough for him, well, we reckon you’re in good hands.

Be sure to check our new videos at tradeboat.com.au. We have been busy sailing, cruising and sea trialing a raft of exciting new boats. We have exclusive footage from the Hanse Yacht Rally on Pittwater this month.

Happy Easter and happy boating. And do make the time to get afloat with the family. You and they deserve as much. It’s always a great day on the water.

— David Lockwood,
Editor-at-Large,
Trade-a-Boat