The daily schedule reads something like a boot camp for yacht owners:
- 09h00: List of pending points
- 09h30: Presentation of plumbing, air conditioning, hydraulics and engine systems
- 13h00: Lunch
- 13h30: Validation of inventory and delivery of spare parts
- 17h00: Debrief with questions
This is just sample of one day of a well-tuned delivery process at Privilege Catamarans. But don’t let this intimidate you, taking delivery of your new yacht is a wonderful experience. Between provisioning and orientation, there is still plenty of time to take in the flavors and sights of the Vendée region, learn about your new yacht, and of course, begin your new adventures aboard your Privilège. We are there to support you throughout the process, and this time, we were fortunate to participate in the first leg of the delivery.
While everyone’s circumstances and experiences are different, you don’t leave the dock until you’re ready. In this case, owners Roger and Marta, who had previous sailing and boating experience, appreciated the thorough orientation of the on-board systems. In addition, training from Professional Skipper Eric Darni was geared specifically for their skill-level and they were instructed on how to reef their mainsail, tweak their headsails and test out their ground tackle.
With paperwork completed and a farewell celebration from the Privilège team, Ona is ready to leave the dock – we just needed a good weather window to cross the Bay of Biscay. True to form, crossing the Bay involved beating upwind for two days until we literally turned the corner and sailed south along the Atlantic Coast.
After a phenomenal downwind sail off the coast of Portugal, we docked in Cascais – an ideal location to refuel, re-stock and take in the beachy vibe. This is also a great launch point to spend a few days exploring the region, including Lisbon – a 30 minute train ride to the charming city that, in our opinion, is definitely not to be missed.
Of course, we took some video while underway. Link below for a tour of Ona while sailing to Portugal.
