Boatfolk stories: Tony and Jackie

Jackie and l both retired four years ago and live in St Fagans in Cardiff. We have been sailing for 20 years, initially on flotillas or bareboat charters a few times a year, plus attending many sailing courses to spend further time on the water.

We have been proud boat owners for the last nine years after purchasing our first yacht ‘Songbird’ a Hunter Legend 326, which was already berthed in Penarth Marina, and we remain good friends with the previous owners. We bought a new Jeanneau 41 DS, White Swan, for our retirement so we could sail further afield for a longer time, in more comfort and specified to a standard that allows us easier sailing as we are getting older.  

We chose to extend our berthing with Penarth Marina as we were impressed with the friendliness, helpfulness and commitment of the marina team. We have peace of mind knowing that our boat is secure and checked regularly while we are away. The marina facilities are always clean and fresh.

We also like the area around the marina which includes great pubs and restaurants and always with the opportunity of sailing the Cardiff Bay Area or walking to Mermaid Quay or the city centre. It is so easy to slip away to the boat anytime we choose. Portishead is a great place to sail over for a few days and catching the bus to the surrounding towns is easy.

We have also met lovely friends and have had so much fun on B Pontoon.

It is a pleasure to spend time with family and friends on the boat and everyone looks forward to the summer months to spend time on the water or just sitting on the boat with a chilled glass of wine.

We still enjoy travelling and integrating with different cultures and plan our sailing trips during the winter months. We had a lovely trip to Southern Ireland with Malcolm and Linda owners of ‘White Knight’ for eight weeks and spent seven weeks sailing the South Coast last year. This included spending 11 nights in Portland Marina, where we enjoyed the benefits of free mooring as part of the new larger marina group.

Our plans for this year (hopefully) are to sail the East coast of Ireland and then along the Scottish Coast. Last summer was amazing weather wise and we had some fabulous sailing on sunny days, with fair winds and flat seas. We also used the dingy and outboard frequently whilst at anchor, and met up with some lovely friends at different and new places. This is how we like to sail, fun and watching the wildlife at sea. Amazing pods of dolphins jumping the bow and weaving under the boat.

In the next five years we would like to take full advantage of months away on our yacht, perhaps France and back down to our old favourite harbour Padstow. Feeling most alive for us is spending anytime on the water either in a kayak or sail cruising.