Finding the right one
Deciding to buy a boat wasn’t an overnight decision, but it felt natural for us. Christian introduced me to various YouTube channels featuring liveaboard sailors, and soon, the idea of owning our own boat became more than just a dream—it became a shared goal. After about 1.5 years together, we began exploring different types of boats, seeking the one that would fit our vision.
Spending time in the sailing community taught us that sailors are some of the friendliest and most helpful people you’ll meet. While browsing in Fredericia, we stumbled upon a Moody 38CC that caught our eye. On a whim, we left a note with our details, and to our delight, an older couple texted us back, inviting us aboard. The boat had great headroom and clever storage solutions, but it felt too compact for our needs.
Our search then led us to the Beneteau Oceanis 44CC—a boat that seemed perfect. Yet, every time we found one for sale, it was already sold or had an interested buyer. It was maddening! We even tried offering more, hoping to outbid others, but it wasn’t like buying a house. We were after a floating home, and it felt like we were always a step too late.
Determined, we scoured the internet for every picture and video of the 44CC we could find. Growing more certain with each glimpse, we took our search to Facebook, posting in a group to see if anyone knew of a 44CC available near Denmark. And then, our luck changed! We learned of a 44CC in a Danish harbor. We quickly contacted the harbor master, who passed our details to the owner. Before we knew it, we had an email in our inbox, inviting us to see the boat.
When we finally stepped aboard, it was love at first sight. Everything about the boat felt right.
Our persistence had paid off, and we knew we’d found our dream.
The moment we stepped aboard, we were in awe—there wasn’t a single thing we could fault. This was it. This was the boat we were going to pursue. But finding one proved elusive. Each time we spotted a new Beneteau 44CC, it was already sold, or another buyer had beaten us to it.
Then, on March 9th, 2021, as we sat at my mom’s place, her boyfriend Jimmy started googling the model. Each mention was met with Christian’s familiar, "It’s sold," or "Another buyer’s ahead of us." But then, Jimmy found one that had just been listed that evening! We sprang into action, contacting the yacht broker immediately. The next morning, we made sure to call and secure a viewing. Two weeks later, despite the challenges of COVID-19, we were on a plane to Portugal, our hopes soaring.
Flash forward to …
