Hi UFO 34 owners.My boat Close Encounters, which I've owned for about 13 years, is moored in Hobart, Tasmania. I used to race her frequently, but for the last 5 years or so I've just used her for cruising. I sail her almost every weekend, and each summer go on cruises for 3-5 weeks around the Tasmanian coast, sometimes with family, sometimes with friends, and sometimes solo. I've covered close to 30,000 miles in her now, and haven't yet found a boat anywhere near my price range to match her for ease-of-use, comfort and toughness when the going gets rough.She was built in Freemantle Western Australia in 1985 and fitted out for the 1986 Melbourne Boat Show. The shipwright did a pretty good job and she's very comfortable below.She's rigged for single-handed sailing except I don't have any furling gear yet, as the old racing sails are still in good condition. She's fitted with a 24HP 3 cylinder Yanmar and a 300 litre fuel tank, although this doesn't get used much as I prefer to sail her as long as there's even a sniff of breeze.I've recently added an electric anchor winch and replaced all the original instruments and the auto-pilot I installed when I bought her. Plans for this summer include a 3 week cruise to the Gippsland Lakes in Victoria, Australia.
3 comments:
Hi Damien,
Yes I published your comment about the sprayhood and dodgers. I was fortunate enought to meet Filipe in Madeira and to be shown over Jackpot last year. In fact I visited Tasmania in February and was looking out for Close Encounters, but failed to see her.
Please send photos. I will try to add you to the contributors list.
Adrian
Hi Adrian, great to finally get in touch. I've been accessing your site on and off for many years but have only contributed one pic and responded to one blog in all that time. I'm communicating with Filipe via email now to send him more pics and measurements for the bimini and dodger.
Next time you're in Tas, give me a call and I'll be happy to take you for a sail; Close Encounters is berthed at the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania in Hobart.
Unsure at this stage how to atach pics - perhaps you can give me some tips.
I'd love to contribute ideas and pics to help with any inquiries your site gets. Also happy for you to add my email address to the list of UFOs and their owners.
Here's some more info about sailing in Tas: add as much or as little to your site as you like.
I chair the RYCT committee that every second year organies a 5 week circumnavigation cruise of Tasmania. The fleet is limited to 45 boats, and we usually get them from all Australian states, as well as entries from the UK, USA and NZ. The next circumnavigation, in 2011, is the club's tenth.
Every other year we organise a 3 week cruise elsewhere around Tasmania, most recently to the Bass Strait islands, and this summer to Victoria's Gippsland Lakes. This fleet is limited to 25.
Sorry Damien, I just can't work out how to make the text flow around more than one picture
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