Sublime syndication

Running costs are $1,350 per month which includes home port berthing, insurance, operations maintenance and management expenses. Yachtshare Mariner provides a free, two-day induction course before private usage to ensure competence.

At the end of every owners’ cruise, the yacht will be inspected underwater, all systems checked and serviced as necessary, the yacht cleaned and prepared for the next owners.

One of the first to jump at the opportunity to co-own the magnificent new Bali 4.4, ALEKA are Paul and Kerrie Ansell.

Paul has spent much of his life and career at sea in the Merchant Navy, 25 years of which were in the Onshore Oil and Gas Industry and then as a Marine Pilot, guiding ships into and out of Sydney Harbour and Port Botany.

But it was a sojourn in the South Pacific in his 20s that inspired him with dreams of spending his ‘golden years’ sailing the azure waters of the South Pacific.

“In my 20s, straight out of my Deck Officer Cadetship, I decided I needed to spread my wings and so I went off to ‘Tramp Trade’ the islands of the South Pacific,” Paul recounts.

“I was Second Officer then Chief Officer on small tankers, delivering fuel and supplies to the islands. For a young kid, it was incredible. When I was up there, I got a taste for sailing from meeting all the cruising yachts who, with few or no charts of their own, would come on board asking if they could make tracings of our charts. They would then produce the most wonderfull hand drawn charts of their voyages.

“When I came back to Australia, I got into catamaran racing on Maricats and Nacras. In 1982, we bought a Cavalier 32 and put it into charter, but it was always on my retirement ‘bucket list’ to return to the Pacific islands for a few years of cruising.”

In 2021, Paul and Kerrie chartered a cat in the Whitsundays. On their return home, they had what Paul describes as “a major reality check”.

“I’m 65. I thought, ‘are we really going to set off cruising the islands?’ We have family and other commitments here. So, we considered boat ownership. Catamarans are the way to go for space, safety and comfort. But, if you’re not full-time cruising, it can just be sitting around the mooring costing you money.

“I put my feelers out as to what else we could do. I asked around the industry and everyone said syndication. Through the grapevine, Trevor got in touch and we started communicating. He sent me the details of the Bali 4.4 and its features.

“We took a cold hard look at it and it ticked all the boxes. With these new designs, cats can achieve a good speed in safety and comfort which makes the sailing comfortable and enthralling and the passage times between the anchorages shorter, giving more time for ’sundowners’.

“You only have to look at the technology of the America’s Cup foiling multihulls, for example. Their shape was developed for hydrodynamics, not fashion.”

What sealed the deal was Trevor Joyce’s expertise, experience and proven syndication model.

“Trevor answered every single question and query, with measures in place to handle every eventuality. Trevor has put his heart and soul into this venture, and I’ve got all the time in the world for him,” says Paul, who was equally impressed with the mod-cons on board the Bali 4.4.

“All the living space is on one level. You don’t have to go up and down stairs like a mountain goat, as you do on a monohull,” he says. “From the saloon you can simply walk out the forward door direct to the foredeck seating area, which is ideal for socialising and entertaining.

“It’s just one great big, relaxing social space from the stern, through the saloon to the bow. The helm station is up on the flybridge, out of the way. The three-cabin layout is fantastic. In one hull, there’s the spacious owners’ cabin with its own ensuite, and the other two cabins are on the opposite side, each with its own ensuite. We want to invite our friends, other couples, and they all like their own facilities.”

Large windows in the saloon and air-conditioning below decks ensure guests’ comfort in any conditions, whether inclement or hot.

“The Bali 4.4 is like a houseboat – stable, spacious, comfortable and easy to walk around (without tripping over all the ’sailing bits’) – but it’s a fantastic piece of kit that can take the weather and is offshore passage capable, unlike a houseboat.”

Paul and Kerrie, along with other owners who have signed up so far, are eagerly anticipating the arrival of their new boat, scheduled for September.

After commissioning, Paul will assist with the delivery of the vessel to Airlie Beach, stopping along the way at Tin Can Bay, Fraser Island, Great Keppel Island and on to the islands of the Whitsundays and Great Barrier Reef.

“We are taking along another owner and a professional skipper, so ALEKA will be fully commissioned and ready for use shortly after arrival in Airlie,” says Paul.

“Kerrie and I are looking forward to spending two weeks on board in November, before the boat heads south to Port Stephens. It’s going to be the culmination of a long-held dream to cruise in in tranquil tropical waters without a care in the world.”

Yachtshare Mariner will welcome a second Bali 4.4 in May 2023, delivered for the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show for a second syndicate, and each 1/8 share will be priced at AUD$225,000.

A detailed syndicate brief is available from Trevor Joyce on 0412 295 656, by email to trevor@marinerboating.com.au and online yachtsharemariner.com