With the weather that’s in it this week writes W M Nixon, you could be forgiven for kicking over the traces and getting down to the sea and buying a boat. Immediately. If not, then sooner.
But not a boat that needs work done to her. On the contrary, you seek one that’s ready to go, in good order, and with a fine pedigree. For you want to get sailing right away.
Well, down in County Cork, John McDonald of MGM Boats has a little beauty of a 21–foot sailing cruiser in Kinsale, a pretty boat which ticks all those boxes above, and adds a few desirable features which are all her own. She's listed on Afloat's boat for sale site.
We know she was a special build from the very start, as she was destined to be a London Boat Show exhibit back in 1992. And with a fussy builder like Peter Poland of Hunter Boats, and a demanding designer like the late great David Thomas, this particular Hunter Horizon 21 was always going to be something special, and the Horizon 21 marque was something special to begin with anyway.
Somehow David Thomas managed to make her look like a proper yacht while still managing to give her as much accommodation as a 25-footer of an earlier era, albeit while providing it very much in contemporary style.
This version has a twin-keel configuration, which in an era of rocketing hauling and craning costs makes it a very attractive proposition. You know you can simply dry out on any reasonable surface for free to do exterior hull work below the waterline – all you need is the tide to ebb, which it also does for free.
It also makes her a very manageable trailerable proposition. But being a Thomas design, she’s one of those clever twin keelers which can outperform many a comparable fin keel boat. As to her equipment, it’s extraordinarily comprehensive and in very good order. And the price? You’d pay more for a fancy bicycle, as she’s factored in at €6,750.
However, the thing that really appealed to me is that John McDonald says this little boat is “charming”. It’s not a word your hardened yacht broker will usually deploy. In fact, it sounds as if he’s tempted himself. Give him a shout on 087-7777322 or email him a [email protected], and you’ll find you’re talking with a real boat enthusiast who wants to see people fixed up with boats that suit their needs.
He wants to establish MGM’s Cork office “as a friendly, approachable and professional place for all boaters to buy and sell”. And he emphasises that this means boats of all sizes.
Click to see the full advert for the Hunter Horizon 21
