I have been a boat owner for nearly thirty years, commencing with half shares in my first two boats: an Achilles 24 “Emma,” followed by the Sigma 36 “Barafundle, subsequently buying outright a Beneteau First 27 “Delta of Venus,” which was replaced by a Beneteau First 310 “Gwen 3.”

These were second hand boats & I was looking for a second hand Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 35 or 37 to replace “Gwen 3,” however, having looked all over Wales, Ireland & the South Coast, I was dismayed with the condition & asking prices of the boats then available, so decided to sell “Gwen” privately & purchase the first of my new yachts, the Jeanneau 36i “Shearwater of Mumbles.” This was part exchanged a few years later to purchase my Jeanneau 409 “Shearwater Mumbles.” Four years later, in March this year, the 409 was part exchanged for my current boat, a Jeanneau 389 “Shearwater 3.”

I concede that I lack imagination when it comes to naming yachts…

All of my new boats have been supplied by Yachts.co which are part of the Network Yacht Brokers group & I have loved all of them, especially the 409, having sailed her, with my long suffering wife Julia, in the Bristol Channel, Devon, Cornwall, Scilly, Brittany & as far South in Biscay as Rochefort. In fact, I had no intention of selling the 409, furthermore, I admit that my sensible side is infrequently exposed, nevertheless, the logic of having a lift keel boat that can take the ground in my favoured sailing areas did appeal, so when Jamie of Yachts.co based in Swansea approached me with an offer I could not refuse, I had to buy the 389.

I am privileged to race on a friend’s Dubois 37 “Dark Angel,” which is currently the most successful racing boat in class, based in Wales, so I enjoy sailing on fast boats. Having bought the 389, I have been pleasantly surprised at the sailing ability, enhanced by the twin rudders: it’s so much fun to sail! The 409 would be a better boat to sail across the Atlantic or keep in the Mediterranean, neither of which appeals to me; so far, the only downsides to the 389 when compared with the 409 have been the handling under power in Harbour, which is to be expected with twin rudders & the smaller forecabin. Passage times have been quite similar in spite of the lesser waterline length.

If anyone is considering buying a Jeanneau Sailing Yacht, I can honestly say that Jamie has always given me an outstanding deal & his small, friendly, obliging team, consisting of Alex, Amy, Joe & Jon always prioritise the customer. The sister Company Wraymarine has successfully Coppercoated my 409 & the 389.

If Jamie’s potential customers are considering keeping their boats in Swansea, the berthing costs are some of the cheapest in the UK, with the magnificent Gower Coast on the doorstep, with day sails available to North Devon, Somerset, Pembrokeshire & North Cornwall, using our powerful Tides to advantage. The outstanding Isles of Scilly can be enjoyed without a night sail following a one night stopover in delightful Padstow. I have sailed from Swansea to Camaret in Brittany non stop in 35 hours. My preference is to sail to France in three hops, via Padstow & Scilly making my first Brittany stop in L’Aberwrach. During the Summer months, all three stages can be completed in daylight. Cork in Ireland can be reached with one night sail & Kilmore Quay in 17 hours, or most comfortably via a night stopover in Milford Haven, Dale or Skomer Island in Pembrokeshire.

To conclude, you, the reader probably realise by now, I love Jeanneaus & the sailing areas available to me, being based in Swansea, moreover, I thoroughly recommend buying from Yachts.co in Swansea. In my experience, you will not get a better deal anywhere.

Bob Wells