-
Expertise
Testimony
Long distance cruising aboard a catamaran motor yacht MY 44
Patrick and Janet
Model
MY 44
Location
World tour
Trip duration
5 years
“Our motto is play hard !”
Patrick and Janet Hayes, a retired couple and happy owners of “Chapter Too”, are living the dream life aboard their Fountaine Pajot MY 44. These two environmentally conscious cruisers spent several of the last five years cruising the world promoting awareness on environmental issues.
“We would describe our boat as a “floating condo”. We’ve always loved the water and have lived on a boat since 2014, so when it came time to transition to power, we wanted living space, storage and stability on the water that only Motor Yachts catamarans offered for this size.”
“Our MY 44 arrived in October 2018 and we moved aboard in December 2018, just before the holiday season. At the time of delivery, Chapter Too was wrapping up at the St. Petersburg Boat Show in Florida. We quickly moved aboard and began preparing the boat for long-distance cruising. We cruised Florida for Christmas and New Years, so our family could join us and share the experience of our new boat.
The main reason the Fountaine Pajot MY 44 appealed to us was the speed, spaciousness and build quality. Plus, losing a tall mast gave us the option to cruise the ICW (Inter Coastal Water-Bay) when the weather wasn’t optimal”
Before acquiring their Fountaine Pajot MY 44, Pat and Janet sailed the South Pacific on a 45-foot sailing catamaran. After returning to the US, they sailed Cuba and the east coast before deciding to shift to power and purchase their first motor yacht.
“After the holidays, we spent some time having warranty work completed before heading to the Bahamas for the 2019 spring season. While in the Bahamas, we cruised as far north as the Grand Bahamas, the Berry Islands, Eleuthera, Nassau and south through the Exuma Islands. On several occasions in various areas of the Bahamas we worked collecting plastic rubbish and cleaning beaches.
The best memories of the summer were when our family, including our grandson, joined us on the boat for Janet’s surprise 60th birthday over Labor Day weekend in Boston, MA. Prior to that weekend, the first family experience was during the December 2018 holiday season. The boat was very comfortable. We could sleep seven adults and one child comfortably, enjoy meals together on the large dining table, and relax on the flybridge with sundowners at sunset.”
Chapter Too arrived back to the U.S. in May 2019 before heading north along the coast of the U.S.
“The float plan was to head north up the eastern seaboard to Maine before turning around at the end of the summer season. While the plan was fast and loose, there was always the option to slow down or speed up depending on the conditions and weather. As the summer progressed, we quickly learned that we enjoyed cruising between locations at high speed in the Atlantic Ocean versus cruising the Intercoastal Waterway. Our stops were planned based on distance but also the option to play along the way.
Aboard Chapter Too we saw the Chesapeake Bay and continued up to Atlantic City, New York City, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. As the summer was ending, we realised that Maine wouldn’t be an option, therefore the turnaround point was Gloucester, MA.”
At the time of the Fountaine Pajot Magazine publication, Patrick and Janet were heading south down the eastern seaboard while dodging storms. Their plan was to arrive in Key West, FL for the holiday season so their immediate family can join them once again. They will then decide their next plan of action for the 2020 calendar year.
“In our travels, we meet all kinds of people and many are curious about our FP MY44. We have shown Chapter Too to numerous people who are genuinely interested in a boat of this size. We have shared our experiences about the liveability of the boat and the ease with which two people can handle this size boat. We’ve loved every moment onboard the MY 44 and look forward to making even more memories in the future.”
