Our First CBYA Day Charter

One bright, sunny Monday morning, late October 2021, we set out to find our skipper and crew at the Marina de Dénia.

We had been furnished with information as to what to bring and whom we would be going out with, so we soon felt at ease with our co-sailors for the day.  After a short briefing, we were led to our extremely nice 44-foot yacht for the day, the Corcho Odyssey XII.

Soon we’d manoeuvred out of Dénia’s harbour and were ready to set sail. As there wasn’t much wind we had to choose between sailing along the coast in the direction Jávea to Cap de Sant Antoni, and having to motor back, or sailing further out to find more wind. We chose the latter, and spent a delightful day out in the deep blue chasing the wind.

Everybody who wanted to had a chance at the helm and in between our skipper, Hugh, gave us some pointers and explained the MOB (man over board) drill; we even did an impromptu knot tying workshop.

The crew comprised Hugh Epsom (Skipper), Marion Oprel (First Mate), Ernst and Donne Kaars-Sijpesteijn,  Bibi Casson, Tana Holmes (Hugh’s daughter), and us.

An easy camaraderie developed, and by the time we got back to our moorings it felt like we’d found new friends. We finished off the day’s sailing with a drink together at one of the restaurants at the Marina de Dénia harbour, and went home feeling very privileged to have experienced such a lovely day.

Definitely worth revisiting.

Tessa & Mark Kloosterboer