WINDING PATH TO WINDY

After yet another day spent jostling for beach space my brother pointed out to sea and said, “Why aren’t we on one of those?” Following his gaze, I spotted a line of boats anchored serenely on their own private patch of azure Med.

And so began a 15-year odyssey and seven new vessels. I knew nothing about boats. Research wasn’t easy back in 2004. I ended up buying a new Cranchi Endurance 33. It seemed a sensible, middle of the road boat with a good production record and some Italian flair. If we didn’t enjoy boating, we could sell it without losing too much money. It was a boat show boat so it was dripping