” We bought the boat in Sicily and have sailed to Italy and over to the Eastern side of Greece and back again. “
Hot Chocolate, Kadey Krogen 38’
Interview with the Captain – Emily Nancolas
About Sailing
Who introduced you to boating/sailing?
I was inspired to learn to sail by my Granny, who had a real passion for it, and sailed across the Atlantic in a little wooden boat called Josephine of Hamble.
Where have you sailed to, and what was your longest trip so far?
We bought the boat in Sicily and have sailed to Italy and over to the Eastern side of Greece and back again. Our longest continuous sail so far was crossing from Sicily to Greece, which took three days.
Any notable memories/stories from your sailing adventures?
Too many to count! We’ve had many a disaster, including nearly sinking the boat, various engine problems and some dragging anchor horrors. But our favourite memories are always when the sea is calm, the sails are up and the dolphins are out to play!
Most under-rated piece of equipment for long-range cruising?
I don’t think it’s underrated, but by far the best thing we’ve invested in for the boat is our autopilot. Being a crew of two we use it all the time, especially on night passages!
Do you have any other notable resources you use (apps, devices, etc)?
No Foreign Land is a great alternative/extra to Navily. We use it all the time to find good anchorages!
About the Boat
Why did you choose to buy this model/make?
It’s an unusual boat, so not many people have heard of it (us included until we bought it!) It’s well built, so we were attracted to its seaworthiness. But we’ve also grown to love the shallow keel – we love sneaking into shallow anchorages that no one else can get into!
What boats have you previously owned?
Adam owned a steel power boat on the River Thames. It was very different to Hot Chocolate and taught him a lot about boat maintenance, and the different systems onboard!
What are the features you like most about your boat?
We love a lot about this boat! The shallow keel as we mentioned. We love the cutter rig. The classic look and dolphin watching on the bow sprit. We love her roomy cockpit for entertaining and sleeping under the stars. And we love the cozy interior in the winter.
What features/improvements have you added or do you plan to add?
We’ve upgraded all the electrical systems (new wind/depth/log) and added a lot of solar as we work from the boat. Replaced the windlass, chain and anchor. We’ve added an autopilot and water-maker, dyneema lifelines, re-painted the full exterior, fitted a dripless stern gland, re-cabled the centerboard and replaced the bushings, replaced the prop, replaced all the hoses and thru hulls, serviced the engine…I’m not sure what we haven’t done.
What is the biggest challenge you have in servicing your boat?
Paying for it!
Do you have any advice for those looking to buy a boat like yours?
Join the Facebook group if you do – people who own these boats are passionate about them and will always give tonnes of advice when it comes to maintainance!
What’s the story behind the boat’s name?
We know A LOT about the boats history, but we don’t know that! We have always puzzled over it, as it’s a strange name for a boat. We actually nearly changed it but it always made people laugh when we told them, so we couldn’t bring ourselves to do it! We think it used to be painted brown…so I guess whoever named it was really going for it with the chocolate theme!
Click the gallery below for more photos and information about Hot Chocolate!
