Cool Change - a Moody 45DSe
In 2008, I embarked on convincing my wife that a boat is what we needed more than other things in life.
“Yeah!” “Big Chance!” you might think. You are quite right! However, with the right attitude, tenacity and the right selling skills one can and does succeed.
How it all unfolded
A stroke of good luck presented in the form of one of my best Austrian friends Otto, who just happened to be part owner of a magnificent Hallberg-Rassy 62. Otto contacted me from Austria with the request to visit us and to get married to his new love in his life at our place in Sydney. He also invited us to join him and his new wife on his Hallberg-Rassy to cruise the area around Hamilton Island afterwards.
The perfect set-up
A solid and beautifully 62 foot Hallberg-Rassy, great company, sunshine, winds of approximately 10 to 15 knots and the beautiful Islands of the Whitsundays. What more does anyone need to convince one’s wife?
The search for the ideal boat
Now: what kind of boat? A Hallberg-Rassy became the yardstick!
Listening to a lot of sailors, we came to the conclusion, that the ideal boat is a great amalgamation of compromises (E.g. speed vs. sea going – being able to outrun a squall or weather it? etc.etc. etc.).
After researching the usual suspects such as the Jeanneau’s, Bavaria’s, Hanse’s, Beneteau’s, Hunter’s and alike, it became quite clear that my wife had developed a taste for Swedish craftsmanship and quality.
Lucky for us, there was a four year old Hallberg-Rassy 43 available that seemed to suit the bill perfectly. Even though the price asked for was above our budget initially set by us. But isn’t it funny how fluid budgets suddenly get when one really has set his mind on a particular boat!?
So after a few test sails, the exceptional patience and the provision of very good and never pushy advise of the Hallberg-Rassy Australia Agent Peter Hrones, we’ve decided that she’ll be the one for us. A fair offer was made and it consequently was accepted subject to final inspection and we seemed to be heading towards our dream boat. However, a delay in availability to inspect forced us to consider an alternative.
A more suitable option in disguise
When researching the ideal boat for us, we were quite taken by a new, at least to us new, concept of a sailing vessel in the form of the new Moody 45Deck Saloon. The Moody presented itself as the ideal boat to go around the globe in comfort, albeit not necessarily via Cape Horn (even though she would be capable of this as well – as asserted by Peter Hrones of Windcraft).
The only hitch was the price. However, as it happened the Australian distributer had a two year demonstrator on hand that seemed to tick all the boxes; even though in a not as traditional manner as the Hallberg-Rassy would have done.
After lots of negotiations and the accompanying requirement to significantly stretch our budget, we’ve taken the plunge and settled on the Moody.
Cool Change
When mentioning Cool Change, invariably the tunes of the Little River Band song “Cool Change” with images from the sea spring to mind. Our Moody came with the name “Cool Change” that very much typified what we were about to engage in: getting our sailing experience up, work for another five or so years, and then take off around the world (the easy way! e.g. via Suez and Panama Canal). What a Cool Change!!!
Cool Change, our Moody 45DSe is an absolute beauty. Definitely not for the traditionalist and she requires you to think just that little bit outside the square. Cool Change provides plenty of space, is fast, steady, feels absolutely safe in rough conditions and is easily handled by the two of us with all lines coming back to the cockpit. We consistently seem to be faster than boats of more length, less tonnage and big overlapping foresails and she seem to have fewer troubles when faced with adverse weather conditions. This has to be taken in the pre-text of that we have not experienced any worse than 30 to 36 knots conditions yet.
Comfort
What we really appreciate about Cool Change is the idea of being part of the gang whether you are inside or outside. The patio type sliding doors open and extend the inside to the outside and vice versa. When other folks have to duck down below due to ill weather, we just close the doors and look out from the same level. The self tacking jib does add that little extra with the ease of handling. For fast passage making and use in lighter winds the gennaker comes in handy and adds that little bit of extra pizzazz.
Storage and laundry
While one can never have enough storage on a boat, Cool Change offers storage aplenty! Two cavernous lockers in the cockpit provide ample storage for the dinghy’s outboard motor, lines and sails, while one locker has been converted into a handy “step into” laundry with a full sized Miele washer/dryer expertly installed by the boys of Bayview shipwrights.
The 2.7m RIB sits comfortably under the dual helm station in its own garage with a fold out platform for easy access and at anchor activities.
Having a blast
We are now approximately eight months on the boat and gaining valuable experience by the week. Cool Change enjoys a bit of wind but moves graciously and surprisingly fast in light winds. The addition of the gennaker definitely suits her well in light winds and enables her to leave others in her wake.
Support
Our decision to buy the Moody 45DSe Cool Change had another benefit unbeknown to us at the time of purchase. The Windcraft Team in Australia not only provides you with a boat at purchase, they also literally hold your hands after you signed on the dotted line. Their after sale service team is a pleasure to deal with and while there is always something needing to be taken care of on a boat, Cool Change benefits greatly from the attention to detail by the Windcraft team.
We’ve just completed a few weeks ago a long weekend sail from Broken Bay to Port Stevens encompassing the experience of a night sail and all that in the company of other Hanse and Moody boats and under the professional organisation and guidance of the Windcraft team.
We sure feel privileged to call Cool Change our own and she sure has provided us so far with a cool change!
Please contact me if you need more info via "Contact us"
Specifications
In 2008, I embarked on convincing my wife that a boat is what we needed more than other things in life.
“Yeah!” “Big Chance!” you might think. You are quite right! However, with the right attitude, tenacity and the right selling skills one can and does succeed.
How it all unfolded
A stroke of good luck presented in the form of one of my best Austrian friends Otto, who just happened to be part owner of a magnificent Hallberg-Rassy 62. Otto contacted me from Austria with the request to visit us and to get married to his new love in his life at our place in Sydney. He also invited us to join him and his new wife on his Hallberg-Rassy to cruise the area around Hamilton Island afterwards.
The perfect set-up
A solid and beautifully 62 foot Hallberg-Rassy, great company, sunshine, winds of approximately 10 to 15 knots and the beautiful Islands of the Whitsundays. What more does anyone need to convince one’s wife?
The search for the ideal boat
Now: what kind of boat? A Hallberg-Rassy became the yardstick!
Listening to a lot of sailors, we came to the conclusion, that the ideal boat is a great amalgamation of compromises (E.g. speed vs. sea going – being able to outrun a squall or weather it? etc.etc. etc.).
After researching the usual suspects such as the Jeanneau’s, Bavaria’s, Hanse’s, Beneteau’s, Hunter’s and alike, it became quite clear that my wife had developed a taste for Swedish craftsmanship and quality.
Lucky for us, there was a four year old Hallberg-Rassy 43 available that seemed to suit the bill perfectly. Even though the price asked for was above our budget initially set by us. But isn’t it funny how fluid budgets suddenly get when one really has set his mind on a particular boat!?
So after a few test sails, the exceptional patience and the provision of very good and never pushy advise of the Hallberg-Rassy Australia Agent Peter Hrones, we’ve decided that she’ll be the one for us. A fair offer was made and it consequently was accepted subject to final inspection and we seemed to be heading towards our dream boat. However, a delay in availability to inspect forced us to consider an alternative.
A more suitable option in disguise
When researching the ideal boat for us, we were quite taken by a new, at least to us new, concept of a sailing vessel in the form of the new Moody 45Deck Saloon. The Moody presented itself as the ideal boat to go around the globe in comfort, albeit not necessarily via Cape Horn (even though she would be capable of this as well – as asserted by Peter Hrones of Windcraft).
The only hitch was the price. However, as it happened the Australian distributer had a two year demonstrator on hand that seemed to tick all the boxes; even though in a not as traditional manner as the Hallberg-Rassy would have done.
After lots of negotiations and the accompanying requirement to significantly stretch our budget, we’ve taken the plunge and settled on the Moody.
Cool Change
When mentioning Cool Change, invariably the tunes of the Little River Band song “Cool Change” with images from the sea spring to mind. Our Moody came with the name “Cool Change” that very much typified what we were about to engage in: getting our sailing experience up, work for another five or so years, and then take off around the world (the easy way! e.g. via Suez and Panama Canal). What a Cool Change!!!
Cool Change, our Moody 45DSe is an absolute beauty. Definitely not for the traditionalist and she requires you to think just that little bit outside the square. Cool Change provides plenty of space, is fast, steady, feels absolutely safe in rough conditions and is easily handled by the two of us with all lines coming back to the cockpit. We consistently seem to be faster than boats of more length, less tonnage and big overlapping foresails and she seem to have fewer troubles when faced with adverse weather conditions. This has to be taken in the pre-text of that we have not experienced any worse than 30 to 36 knots conditions yet.
Comfort
What we really appreciate about Cool Change is the idea of being part of the gang whether you are inside or outside. The patio type sliding doors open and extend the inside to the outside and vice versa. When other folks have to duck down below due to ill weather, we just close the doors and look out from the same level. The self tacking jib does add that little extra with the ease of handling. For fast passage making and use in lighter winds the gennaker comes in handy and adds that little bit of extra pizzazz.
Storage and laundry
While one can never have enough storage on a boat, Cool Change offers storage aplenty! Two cavernous lockers in the cockpit provide ample storage for the dinghy’s outboard motor, lines and sails, while one locker has been converted into a handy “step into” laundry with a full sized Miele washer/dryer expertly installed by the boys of Bayview shipwrights.
The 2.7m RIB sits comfortably under the dual helm station in its own garage with a fold out platform for easy access and at anchor activities.
Having a blast
We are now approximately eight months on the boat and gaining valuable experience by the week. Cool Change enjoys a bit of wind but moves graciously and surprisingly fast in light winds. The addition of the gennaker definitely suits her well in light winds and enables her to leave others in her wake.
Support
Our decision to buy the Moody 45DSe Cool Change had another benefit unbeknown to us at the time of purchase. The Windcraft Team in Australia not only provides you with a boat at purchase, they also literally hold your hands after you signed on the dotted line. Their after sale service team is a pleasure to deal with and while there is always something needing to be taken care of on a boat, Cool Change benefits greatly from the attention to detail by the Windcraft team.
We’ve just completed a few weeks ago a long weekend sail from Broken Bay to Port Stevens encompassing the experience of a night sail and all that in the company of other Hanse and Moody boats and under the professional organisation and guidance of the Windcraft team.
We sure feel privileged to call Cool Change our own and she sure has provided us so far with a cool change!
Please contact me if you need more info via "Contact us"
Specifications
RSS Feed
