Gary and Joey Angove say their only regret about live-aboard life is it took them so long to discover it.
By Caroline Strainig
Like so many people, Gary and Joey Angove fell in love with all things boating even before they had set foot on a sailboat.
“We were having lunch overlooking a marina and taking in the boats and lovely ambience, and we started talking about how lovely it would be to own a yacht,” Joey said.
The couple were living in South Africa at the time, and when they sold Gary’s road-surfacing business decided to make that dream a reality.
Following extensive research, the Angoves opted for a sailing catamaran and commissioned Rayvin Yachts to build them a 10-metre catamaran, which they took delivery of in 2007.
After sailing the Rayvin to Australia, the couple lived in Adelaide for two years, before relocating to the Gold Coast, where they decided to upgrade to a larger catamaran which had more room for living aboard.
Their perfect buy
They found their new dreamboat, a 2008-model Fusion 40, through Multihull Solutions’ brokerage division, after scouring the internet for a long time.
The catamaran had had remarkably little use.
“Our new home on the water was built to survey and had only 350 hours on the motors and 100 hours on the generator,” Joey said.
They were attracted to the Fusion because of its stability, speed and space.
“This model also has a galley down, which allows an extra-large saloon area,” Joey said.
Other features the Angoves liked included a large enclosed stand-up shower, two air air-conditioning units, a 5kva generator, a fully automatic washing machine, and all the required equipment aboard for long-term cruising.
Jamesby
They called their new dreamboat Jamesby after the island where they became engaged while enroute to Australia from South Africa.
The Angoves live aboard Jamesby at the Hope Harbour Marina on the Gold Coast, but head out most weekends to enjoy the local anchorages and sometimes further afield in Moreton Bay when time allows.
Their favourite local destination is Tangalooma, which they try and visit at least once a year, but they both work, and much of the time they anchor at close-at-hand Tipplers.
“We love boating on the Gold Coast. The protected Broadwater allows us to go out most weekends because there are so many places to anchor in the lee,” Joey said.
“There are also so many restaurants and shops to stop off along the way, which help make it an even more enjoyable boating destination.”
They rate the facilities on the Gold Coast as good, but warn you need to keep a sharp lookout because there are so many boats and jet-skis out on weekends.
Most of the time they go out by themselves, but occasionally they invite friends and overseas visitors. On one memorable occasion last year they had the privilege of taking out the Springbok rugby team.
Sailing the world
Long-term, the Angoves plan to cruise New Caledonia, Vanuatu and Fiji, and then head west into Southeast Asia, and onto the Mediterranean and back to the Caribbean.
They’re in the process of adding more solar panels and will buy a water-maker and upgrade the navigational equipment just before they set out.
Won’t-leave-home-without gadgets they love with right now include a Poly Cool ice-making machine (which makes ice in only 12 minutes) and the seasick-preventing Relief Band, which Joey swears by.
They wouldn’t trade their new live-aboard life for anything.
“When we are anchored, and sitting back looking at a beautiful sunset, there is nowhere we would rather be,” Joey said.
“Probably our only regret about the boating lifestyle is that it took us so long to discover it.”
