4
Great boat for a very civilised sail-cruise around the aeolian islands
Nicholas
Jul 2011
Overall, great boat. She is in very good condition and sails well (close to the wind, in light winds, in lots of different conditions) and is a good boat to spend time on, very spacious with everything you could need down below. The two of us sailed her and it was fine, we never needed more crew. We anchored in most places at the islands and this was all very easy. The boat steers quite well in reverse so long as you keep a bit of speed, which is normal.
Communications with the owner were very smooth, and the owner was very accommodating with our requests as we were already away from home travelling when we booked the boat, so we needed to do a lot of things over email or leave it till the day of check-in. Very helpful.
Check-in was easy. The guy at the marina is very friendly and professional and helpful. My key complaint about the boat when we picked it up is that it had no wind speed or direction gauge working. This was known about, but hadn't been fixed. From a safety perspective, not really ideal! While we were away, we also found the anchor winch is be quite temperamental, and would stop working at crucial moments due to a faulty electrical switch. These faults were all reported when we returned the boat so you may just want to check they've been repaired.
The base marina is good and sheltered even when there is a swell coming in. The guys were really helpful when we returned the boat as it was rather narrow. We had four people helping us get her in safely so all was well. Facilities at the marina are clean and well cared for, with a good loo and shower both available and not at all busy. It's located just under the castle in Milazzo so you can walk up to find some great bars and restaurants for the night you return the boat.
We booked "last minute" for a discount and this is reflected in my score for quality/price.
I would book this boat again, definitely.