LOA: 48 feet, 5 inches • BEAM: 14 feet, 10 inches • POWER: single 150-hp John Deere 4045TFM diesel • SPEED: 6.5 knots cruise • RANGE: 6,825 nautical miles at 6.5 knots • TANKAGE: 2,000 gallons fuel, 250 gallons water • CONTACT: Seahorse Marine, Zhuhai, China, +86 (756) 550-1060. seahorseyachts.com
What type of modifications/special gear/systems/equipment did you have to install to prepare your boat for this type of voyaging? We added fuel capacity to increase our range, for starters, and having dual autopilots is essential for the type of voyaging we do, so we added one for redundancy. I don’t know of any long-range cruising boat without a reliable watermaker and lots of fresh water storage. Storing food is important, so we have two fridges and a large freezer. All safety gear should be offshore capable.
What was the first voyage where you pushed the limits, distance-wise? Our first voyage, from Thailand to India, a 10-day passage.
What was your scariest moment at sea? Most of our scariest moments are in marinas, but ours was in the Gulf of Mannar, between Sri Lanka and India — 10 days, two with very high winds, 35 knots, high seas on the beam.
What can you tell us about your best cruising moment? We love the Philippines: beautiful clear water, coral, fish, desert islands, great scenery and very friendly people.
What is the favorite spot you’ve cruised to so far? Port Barton on Palawan in the Philippines. It’s a beautiful anchorage with clear water, plenty of low key resorts on sandy beaches and desert islands to relax on.
This article originally appeared in the April 2018 issue.
