Ownership
SYLPHE has had eight owners in her life time. The last two owners each held on to her for 20+ years. That says something about the boat, about the possibilities, about her seaworthiness and about her comfort. She is big enough to spend prolonged periods of time on board. The last owner spent (at least) seven months EVERY year onboard and had friends, kids and family onboard for weeks/months in a row. And he did not like marinas, he liked to be out at anchor in full freedom, but in all comfort. So, SYLPHE is fitted out for exactly that: with water maker, autopilot, BBQ, converters, inverters, remote anchor windlass, you name it.
She is a head-turner where ever she goes. She is stunning and a beautiful example of a boat of the good old days. And at 60 foot she may seem a big boat to handle. But still, she is equipped and small enough to be handled by one person, even the sailing, the anchoring or the docking in ports. The longest single-handed sailing that SYLPHE did was from Malta to Dubrovnik…non-stop. 72 hours under sail. Modern electronics help to have a little sleep along the way, including a modern autopilot that even steers on the wind angle, so one does not have to fear a crash gybe. It is all there for convenience, and yet it is not in sight or directly visible. No radar dome in the mast, as it would totally ruin her looks. She remains truly original on the outside.
Throughout the last 20 years SYLPHE has always been upgraded by the owner himself. A new deadwood in the rear, a few planks of the hull replaced (turned out it was not necessary, but that aside), the varnish, etc. The electrics and electronics are up-to-date. The Nespresso machine always works………
