We are now fortunate enough to have bought a boat; a long-overdue purchase for the Chapman family. I looked at so many sizes and designs- old, new, large, small, motor and sail. After attempting to apply logic and reason to the selection process, the final decision was driven largely by emotion- I fell hopelessly in love with a boat of a very old-fashioned design; a Menorquin Bot. It is a replica of an old boat which was placed into a mould: the new boat, which we bought, was cast in this mould so that it is an exact replica of the old wooden shape, including slight imperfections in the planking so that it appears to be made of wood (but is actually made of GRP). The original boat from which this was derived is called Margarita (built in 1911) and is still afloat in Mahon. I prefer wood but I have to be realistic- I want to spend more time sailing with the kids than working on the boat. The lateen rig makes it look very traditional (Lateen rigs are “latin” rigs which we inherited from the Romans). I visited the boatyard in Mahon where these replica boats are made- they had several different jobs in progress at the time and it was quite fascinating, not only to see the physical process but also to share the company of others who are in love with the sea and all that is in it. Every old hull had a story to tell and they are all to be refurbished so that the old can sail alongside the new “clones”. (The casting process of new hulls from old reminded me of the casting of bodies from Pompeii: equally interesting and worthwhile although somewhat less morbid.) The boat is now ours and is moored close to our home in a beautiful part of the island; Portals Vells.
