Bypass the Beneteaus - Charter in wood

Now that travel is back on the cards, it’s time to think globally again. This week we discover for you, four interesting options that combine a love of timber boats with an unapologetically indulgent sailing holiday. And not a Flotilla in sight!

Option One
Hotel Tresanton and the 8 Metre Yacht PINUCCIA, Cornwall, UK.

Set in the South Cornish village of St Mawes, Hotel Tresanton is a collection of whitewashed buildings. Formerly a yacht club, that create a relaxed, almost Mediterranean getaway. Each of the 30 rooms has a different feel – and a view of the sea. The furniture is a mix of old and new, with some unusual pieces, and some of the best local art. The special light made West Cornwall a centre for modern and abstract British artists in the 1940s to the 1960s. The hotel is decorated with paintings and drawings from Cornwall. But the icing on this Cornish cake is the 8 Metre 1933 Classic Yacht PINUCCIA

The 8mR boats WANDA, KATRINA and PINUCCIA compete in Sandhamn in 1947

The full and engrossing story of this beauty, involving European Royalty and Mussolini is published HERE but this quote from Kathy Mansfield gives you a taste…

I drove down to St Mawes to see PINUCCIA at Easter, reminding myself that if it wasn’t such a long way down Roseland Peninsula in south – west Cornwall, tourists would have overrun this little jewel by now. Instead, it still has that Cornish combination of sea, salt, headland and hills, whitewashed cottages, semi-tropical plants, and sense of robust good health and good cheer.

What I didn’t expect was to find a touch of Mediterranean Italy. To walk into the Tresanton, past the Uffa Fox bar, is to enter different world: sculptures, the glow of candles around the restaurant and patio, a sense of peace, discretion and welcome. You’re so close to the sea it’s like being on a ship. After a superb meal of local shellfish or sirloin, finished with homemade ice creams, and a night in a chic, understatedly elegant room with the sound of the waves below, you are revived

Next day was azure blue, perfect for a summer’s sail while the rest of Britain shivered. Pinuccia was launched the day before and her woodwork, paintwork and polished fittings glowed, her lines the essence of that era when great designers built yachts of style and grace. Climbing aboard, the impression is so different from the plastic racers or cruises today – a lean racing machine but also a work of art, a piece of history. There is no ostentation – excepting her heavy German compass – rather it is in the quality of the mahogany, the simplicity of her lines. She has wooden tiller, not wheel, two primary winches for the genoa, secondaries for the spinnaker, but simple tackle and cleat for the main. 

Everything can be reached from the aft cockpit, the ‘God pod’ as skipper Brian Steptoe termed it, and two people can sail her easily. The main cockpit is free for owner or guests – the world had not totally changed when she was built. 

We raised the sail and set off in a light wind. She was beautifully balanced: she can drive herself, the tiller moving slightly to compensate for guests. Later on the wind got up outside the harbour in Carrick Roads and she carried full sail quite happily, her displacement heavy by today’s standards.

Option Two
The Dhow TUSITIRI ,
Lamu, Kenya.

TUSITIRI is a traditional ocean-going dhow with a long history of trade and travel along the East African coast and the Indian Ocean, TUSITIRI has been carefully and lovingly restored by its Norwegian owners and is today a and comfortable passenger vessel.

While remaining traditional in style, TUSITIRI has been fully converted for live-aboard guests. It offers an unusual and enchanting combination of simplicity and indulgence, tailored for Western guests while remaining completely authentic in design and spirit.

Life aboard is relaxing and laid-back and centred on TUSITIRI’s wide and comfortable deck – furnished with Zanzibar chests, Persian rugs and brass lanterns. Sumptuous cushioned seating areas line the deck and the dining table is built around the solid wooden mast. Nights are spent on white linen under the stars and meals, accompanied by excellent house wines, are taken al fresco on the deck.

“This is one of the great romantic sea journeys of the world – the tranquillity of life on the dhow will make you shed layers of stress. Spending even one night on board is a magical experience and the chef is a genius, conjuring up extraordinary meals from a tiny alfresco galley on the poop deck.”

Harper’s Bazaar

On overnight safaris guests sleep on comfortable bedding which is laid out on deck after dinner. TUSITIRI has ventured as far south as the Quirimbas islands in northern Mozambique, but is usually based in Lamu. The islands of the archipelago – Lamu, Manda, Pate and Kiwayu.

TUSITIRI has three tenders for guests’ enjoyment and convenience – a Yamaha 31 footer rigged for deep sea fishing and diving and two Yamaha 23 footers for activities and exploring.

“TUSITIRI trades in less-is-more elegance – guests sleep under the stars on beds rolled out on deck and bathroom facilities are alfresco. But with her Zanzibari antiques, Swahili textiles and freshly-caught and masterfully-prepared seafood, few on-board experiences can shimmer so close to the historical tradition of boat travel as this one.”

Financial Times

Option Three
The EDA FRANDSEN, based in
Glenachulish, Argyll, Scotland

There are some who would say, that Scotland's wild western coastline is one that is best explored by boat.

Scotland is home to some of the worlds most stunning scenery and dotted along its West Coast are countless islands each with their own distinct character and charm. Around these islands lies a body of water, teaming with marine and bird life including Orca’s, Basking sharks, Puffins and Gannets. A perfect place to explore under sail.

EDA FRANDSEN is a beautiful traditional gaff cutter, built at the Grena shipyard, Denmark in 1938. Having worked for much of her life as a fishing trawler in the harsh climates of the North Sea, her hull was lovingly restored on the remote peninsula of Knoydart, Scotland in the 1990’s.

Here she was converted to a strong and capable sailing ship, perfectly suited to a life of adventure under sail. With over twenty years of service under her belt, her current custodians, Stella and Mungo would love to share with you all that she has to offer.

At 60 ft overall in length, Eda Frandsen is the perfect size for exploring the many anchorages of the Western Isles. Small enough to sneak in close to the coastline, yet stable enough to withstand almost any weather. She is “traditional” in the truest sense of the world, not using any winches and by the end of your voyage you will have attained whole new vocabulary of sailing terminology.

Down below she can accommodate 8 guests in single berths, which are centered around her large saloon and dining area. There are two toilet/shower rooms, with separate access into the forward accommodation area. She has a small but highly functioning galley, from which many a delicious dish will be served throughout your stay.

Much of our produce onboard is sourced locally. With wild crab, langoustine, mackerel and scallops all in abundance, and fresh herbs and vegetables from gardens close by, food is something of a celebration onboard EDA

Option Four
A James Wharram 30ft
Tiki Catamaran, Thailand.

Charter catamarans as most people know them are large, luxurious, have lots of bathrooms and are usually better known for their abundant creature comforts than their sailing abilities. They do motor very well though ... Such charter catamarans tend to be expensive too which in many cases means that people can either not afford to charter a cat at all or that they have to, by necessity, share one with others in order to offset the costs.

This offer, from Siam Sailing , the Tiki 30 has, for a thirty foot boat, a phenomenal amount of usable deck space, lending her the feel of a much larger yacht . Her rig is the famed Wharram Softwing rig. Robust and easy to handle this rig delivers excellent performance on all points of sail . It looks amazingly pretty too. The jib is roller reefed and a gennaker with snuffer is part of the standard sail inventory.

This quote from a Classic Boat Article puts it well…

Well, I like Hobie Cats, and Darts, and have sailed them a bit off beaches around Gibraltar. I also find stories of the Polynesian (and, to some extent, the Indian Ocean) outrigger canoes fascinating. But the big western white plastic catamaran, with its chunky amas supporting what can only be described as a floating drawing room – complete with white leatherette furniture and matching deep pile wall to wall carpet? It seems as inappropriate at sea as wearing flares riding a bicycle.

And it’s the rub. Having sailed this 30ft (9.14m) plywood Tiki 30 design, logging around 300nM in the Andaman Sea in Thailand for two weeks in February was one of the best sailing experiences ever. The sense of speed it gives, coupled with its excellent stability and ability – with that 70cm draught – to literally go anywhere has made me something of a cautious cat convert.

The Tiki 30's is quick, yet safe and stable and easy to sail Her ease of handling and shallow draught make her the perfect yacht to explore the hundreds of islands, anchorages, creeks and rivers along Thailand's West coast. Most of which are out of reach for the average mono hull because she'd run aground.

So there we are..Four Boats: A racing yacht, a fishing boat, Dhow and a catamaran. All wooden, all for sailing, and all for charter… Suddenly the world seems more exciting!

If you have your own recommendations, or perhaps even warnings, about Wooden Boat chartering, then send us an email so that we can pass them on.