We finished the handover process after three days of sailing and 2 days of system tests and instruction. Outremer is very thorough when they hand over a boat to a new owner, and we found the whole experience to be really well managed and very valuable. We learned a lot about how to sail and operate Wildling, and the Outremer team were with us the whole time to adjust and fix any little issues that came up.
The most important were the sailing sessions where we went out on 3 different days with Jean-Pierre, who is not only an expert sailor, but also a great instructor! He gave us many helpful tips about handling the boat in different situations with a big focus on keeping the boat and everyone on board safe.
We practiced all the basic maneuvers, tacking, jibing, reefing, and sailing with the Code-D and Code-0 headsails. We also practiced a man overboard drill when Jean-Pierre launched one of our fenders over the side and shouted out “man overboard” catching us all by surprise while we were sailing along under full main and Code-0.
We were very lucky with the weather, because we got to sail in all kinds of conditions, from 30+ knots of wind on Friday to 8 to 10 knots on Tuesday, which gave us the opportunity to test out all the sails.
Each time we left and returned to the marina we did some port maneuvers and docking, which was good because Wildling is a bit bigger than our last boat, so we have to adjust to the different distances.
In between sailing sessions we had mechanical and electrical systems instruction from the Outremer after sales person, and electronic systems training from Pochon, the company that installed the instruments, navigation and communication systems. They answered all my questions, and took a lot of care to make sure we understood everything.
Now the handover is complete, we’re finishing up provisioning and getting all the things we need to live aboard for the next couple of weeks. Our plan is to leave on the weekend to head over to Marseille for a few days before we continue East.
Perfect
Beautiful boat. Happy family.
Amazing boat and wonderful experience; thanks for sharing! If your sailing East includes Genova (and it should!) I’d love to pass by to say hi and see your stunning 5x. All the best for your sailing trips. Andrea
Everything looks wonderful. You must all be thrilled. Happy sailing!