October 2024  Mai Poy

By Michael Zechany

n 2014 Lisl and I saw a chance to undertake longer autumn cruises in the coming years.

We already owned a boat, a James Wharram Tiki 26, which we used to sail on a lake near to our home town, Vienna. But the Tiki was too difficult for two of us to assemble without help, so Lisl searched for a more suitable small cruising boat. I was always attracted to the looks of the junk rig, so when we found Mai Poy, in Scotland, and inspected her on the hard at the end of that November, we fell in love with her.

The interior was still in original condition (sink, cooking section, the head, …). Mai Poy‘s hull and superstructure still had original gelcoat, unpainted. We became her third owners!

In the following spring, one week after Lisl started her new life as a pensioner, we drove to Scotland and towed her on the trailer all the way to back to Austria. We could not resist putting her into the water immediately. 

The first time setting up the hinged mast and the assembly of the Sunbird rig was challenging because it was so different to the “normal” rigs. We sailed her during that summer on our lake and became familiar with the rig and with a monohull. The sail had been very well made by Christopher Scanes.  At first, I was a bit afraid because of the plastic batten-hinges. But after some harder gusts (what a pleasure to reef in and out!) our confidence increased.

As we love to anchor in quiet places, we learned to reef the sail and find the right place without haste, and without stress for the boat or for ourselves.

Kornati Archipelago

We completed only the most important tasks for our planned first sea-going cruise: we changed the corroded seacocks, installed a basic electrical system, bought a new outboard motor, did the Austrian registry(!) including the requirement to install a VHF radio, and an Epirb. The trailer became a double axle, with many lights, all needed for the registry and insurance.

End of September, ready to go? Go!

Our vague plan was to start at the River Stella in northern Italy and end up in Greece. But as Lisl does not enjoy sailing in the dark, at night, we decided very soon to change direction in favour of just “roaming around“.  With this decision, which is still our motto, we had wonderful relaxed cruising adventures down the entire Croatian coast, visiting 38 islands and cities, down to one of the most southern Croatian islands, Mljet, and back north to the city of Split.

Leaving Mai Poy in the Marina at Split, we took a ferry to Italy, went by train to Venice and back to our car and trailer. In the meantime, winter had arrived. There was some snow on the road to Split and on our way back home, with Mai Poy on the trailer, we were forced to take the route over the mountains. A section of the coastal highway was closed because of the strong Bura, a cold and violent wind from north-east. 

We ended our voyage “healthy and wealthy” in the first days of December.

This was the first of five wonderful cruises, each for 2 - 3 months, with Mai Poy.

Now, as we have become older, and desire a little more comfort, Mai Poy has been sold, to a very nice couple in the Netherlands.

[For a delightful video of that first cruise, follow this link   Ed.]

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