Buy a boat for the Mediterranean: Retirement and maximum comfort

Mike and Debbie Morgan, who sold their business in March 2021 and retired that year, set out to buy a boat equipped with all the bells for cruising around the Mediterranean.

We could make our dream of purchasing a boat and sailing the Mediterranean a reality. We just had to make our fantasy a reality.

Our new boat had to be a home-from-home that could transport us comfortably and safely around the Mediterranean, be easily handled by two people and have the capability of storing a lot.
Going further afield.

We both agreed to want something bigger than the Beneteau Sense 46 we had previously owned, since we intended to spend eight months a yea onboard. We were therefore looking for a boat with at least three cabins and a length of 50ft or more.

We started by doing some simple maths.

In the last three years, we spent three months a year each sailing around the Mediterranean. We did between 1,000 and 1,500 miles a season.

Calculating the average boat speed at 6 knots, we are at anchor about 90% of the time.

We wanted a boat that would allow us to socialize outside and enjoy the surroundings. Budget constraints limited us to a standard production boat.

Modern boats with light-coloured woods and soft-closing, stretch-out settees as well as a pop-up television that appears when a button is pressed, have an apartment look.

The boat would mostly be used by the two us. Therefore, we wanted it to be easy to manage and equipped with the most labour-saving devices.

Buy a boat that is ready to sail the Med

After settling on the parameters of our purchase, we chose to buy a boat by one of the major European manufacturers. We placed a deposit on a Bavaria C57 at Clipper Marine Swanwick.

The Bavaria C57 was appealing for several reasons. She was available for immediate delivery and was a Clipper stock boat.

She came well-equipped with B&G navigation. She had an in-mast retracted mainsail with self-tacking, and all the lines led to the four large Harken electric 65 winches at the dual helms.

We also liked that both sheet winches could be controlled from the opposite side which is neat – good thinking, Bavaria.

The boat also had bow- and rear-thrusters, which I thought were essential for a boat of this size, and for my limited abilities.

The cockpit, with a beam of 5.3m was massive, and included a built in BBQ, sink, food preparation area, and beer refrigerator, ideal for days at anchor.

Two tables were placed on each side of the companionway. They could be easily lowered to create sunbeds, and the area was completely covered by a large bimini.

The cockpit is high above water level, and offers good protection against a following sea.

Down below we particularly liked the galley which stretched across the width of the boat just in front of the forward owner’s cabin. The galley was also a great place to brace yourself when cooking while underway.

Galleys also come with a microwave and two refrigerators. A dedicated utility room was located between the aft deck and the chart desk.

The dinghy storage was great. It could accommodate a tender up to 2.9m or even larger if the front section of the garage were deflated.

The cockpit sole is also a great place to store fenders. It was equipped with an electric winch system and rollers that made dinghy deployment a breeze.

The rear bathing platform was simply vast with the swimming ladder offset making boarding and disembarking from a tender child’s play, like coming alongside your own mini pontoon.

The boat was equipped with a Naviop system of electronic management. This meant that all controls from the bilge pump to the lighting were controlled through a touchscreen on the chartplotter’s multi-function display.

This system eliminates the need for banks of switches and their wiring. There were, however, some switches from the old key system hidden in an old locker as a back-up.

The bow crew quarters included a double bunk bed, shelves for spare parts and tools, and plenty of storage for toys and bikes.

She was equipped with a 110hp Yanmar upgraded engine, large tanks for water and fuel, and a GRP deck in white, which is better for sunny climates.

A major ‘tick’ in the box was her construction. The hull was vacuum-infused with longitudinal stringers. She had a keel-stepped mast, an independent dual rudder steer, and a shaft drive protected by a protective skeg.

The large hull windows are made of tempered glas.

The Bavaria ticked off more features than any other boat we looked at.

The standard boat was fine, but we knew there were some systems we wanted to upgrade to make it as self-sufficient and as comfortable as possible.
Time at Anchor

Solar & Lithium

Solar energy has improved dramatically over the last couple of years. Combining high-performance solar panels with plenty of lithium storage was necessary.

We spoke with Keto Marine for a long time and decided to go for 800Ah in lithium, which is provided by batteries that weigh less than a 150Ah single lead acid battery.

Because lithium offers roughly double the useable capacity of lead acid that’s the equivalent to 16 100Ah lead acid batteries with a combined weight of just over a third
A tonne.

We kept the original lead acid starter battery and thruster and installed a switch that would select them in the event the lithium failed.

A custom stainless-steel arched could be made to accommodate the solar power.

Solent Welding of Fareham has built the largest arch in its history. When fitted with four 420W panels, it can produce a maximum of 1680W.

These were all fitted with Victron MPPTs in case of failure, either of a controller panel or a panel.

We selected the Victron Power-Management System on Keto’s recommendation. It is completely automated and does not require you to switch between shore power, batteries, or generator.

The system is able to detect the source of power and switches automatically to that available. The system’s heart was a Victron 3000kW inverter/charger.

The inverter is large enough to power all the 240V devices and we don’t have to worry about putting the kettle on while the microwave is running.

The power management screen showed the amount of power flowing to the battery bank, whether it was charging or depleting. It always displayed the current charge.

Keto was able to install the solar panels, power management system and other upgrades. As an aside we decided to disregard hydro generation due to the time at anchor we would be and wind power because their noise.

Laundry

Keto fitted a washer-dryer in our Bavaria, which had a utility room built into it. This was one of the most beneficial upgrades we did.

Water Maker

We chose a Schenker Smart water maker that produces 60 litres per hour at 12V, rated 20 amps. This would allow us to produce freshwater for free all day given our solar panels which, on a good sunny day, could generate north of 100A.

It has been sufficient for all our needs.

Sleep

A custom-made mattress was the last luxury we purchased for our forward cabin. While the standard mattresses worked fine, we needed a bed that was durable and comfortable.
the owner’s cabin.

Generator

We selected a Paguro 9000 which offered 9kW of output with a water separator so we didn’t annoy our neighbors at anchor.

Lithium batteries are known for their ability to charge very fast and absorb the majority of power generated by generators.

In reality, we use the generator for less than 1 day out of 5 days.

Sails

The Super Zero furling sail from Crusader Sails, Poole was the perfect addition to our light wind inventory.

The Code Zero was heavier than normal and featured a UV strip, so that it could be displayed for the entire season.

Ground tackle

Our experience with galvanized chain is that it can pile up in the chain locker, and jam the windlass.

The Bavaria had a chain locker which could only be accessed from the crew quarters located at the bow.

The anchor was replaced with a Rocna 40kg, 60m stainless chains (which jam less) and 50m rope. All of this is controlled by a Quick Controller with chain counter at the helm.

We also bought a Fortress FX55, 32lb Anchor with 10m chain as a backup.

Air-Conditioning

We chose a Frigomar System from Advance Yachting. It has a variable-start system that allows it to run off the inverter. The unit can also be run in a low-power mode after reaching the desired temperature.

Heating

We planned to sail out of season and wanted a heater that ran on diesel.

We wanted to have heating at night and therefore couldn’t run the air-con unless the generator was running.

Eberspacher diesel heaters are simple to install and will keep you warm during the cooler Mediterranean nights.

Article continues below…

Navigation Upgrades

The AIS was upgraded to a B-plus transceiver system, which has a higher output power and longer transmitting time. A 4G radar was installed to track squalls while sailing.

We upgraded the starboard helm station with a B&G MFD 12-inch unit, which is much easier to read and use underway.

You can also read our conclusion.

The project was started in April of 2021. All the options were installed a little over two months later. We took delivery of the boat and had the naming at Swanwick Marina, Hamble River in early June.

We took possession of our boat after a quick test sail on Southampton Waters and set off for the Mediterranean.

The boat has been upgraded and we are excited to visit the many beautiful Mediterranean destinations.

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