Old and New

Opposite ends of the boating spectrum, an old gaff cutter lying alongside a modern racing yacht, well sometimes things are not quite what they seem.

The red boat, belongs to my friend Mark and is an Oyster Lightwave which has been converted into a fast cruising boat. Mark worked with local yacht designer Stephen Jones to modify the rig and make it easily managed by a crew of two. Below Mark and partner Amanda have installed a practical and comfortable interior. They returned to the Hamble last summer after a year long cruise of the eastern Atlantic including the Canary Islands and the Azores.



And that old gaffer, well gaffer certainly but perhaps not so old. I don't know the background but I recall the hull being finished in a local yard a couple of years ago. The give away though are those black carbon spars!