“When we went on deck for the first time we knew it is the right boat for us…it has a very solid hull, mast and bulkheads and the balance between living space and sailing joy is amazing.”

ForTuna, Beneteau Oceanis 393

Interview with the Captains — Greta & Michael

On Long Range Cruising

Where have you sailed to, and what was your longest trip?
We started in Sardinia, sailed to Sicily, Greece, a lot of the Greek islands up to Izmir and then down the Turkish coast towards Antalia, crossed to Cyprus and then to Isreal were we stayed the first winter – then all the way back over Crete towards Italy, Sardinia and Balearic islands, Valencia and Spanish coast towards Gibraltar and then from Portugal towards Las Palmas into the Caribbean.

Could you share a memorable story from your sailing adventures so far?
In Turkey we were in Butterfly Valley, a very narrow anchorage with a deep drop off and got lazy with checking the weather…so we woke up in the morning at 5 with 45 knots of wind and the anchor dragging out of the bay, but the anchor windlass failed.  We had to keep the boat against the strong winds while being pushed against the walls and pull 1 meter after the other manually with the winch (we had down 60 meters of heavy chain) up again.  Took us 4 hours and the wind and rain never stopped – one of us had to maneuver the boat and the other had to attach the rope on the chain, winch it up a meter, reattach it etc.

Most under-rated piece of equipment for long-range cruising?
Comfortable cockpit cushions 😉 Allows you to sleep comfortably over night outside and you can check the surrounding every 30 minutes.

Do you have any other notable resources you use (apps, devices, etc)?
Anchor – best anchor alarm so far as it always works (looks like 20 years old app but is amazing).

About the Boat

Why did you choose to buy an Oceanis?
When we went on deck for the first time we knew it is the right boat for us, it was still good construction (compared to new charter style boats, it has a very solid hull, mast and bulkheads) and the balance between living space and sailing joy is amazing. Great interior, lots of space and height and the cockpit has enough space to enjoy the time out there while sailing.

What other kinds of boats did you consider before buying this model (and how did they compare)?
Comar Genesi 43, Comet and a Grand Soleil 38 – they were all more for sports sailing, very good boats but the comfort of living was lower.

How did you come to find/locate her before purchasing (and what’s the boat’s history if you know it)?
We were searching ourselves but then shared the experience our Instagram channel and were contacted then by another sailor who knew a couple in Sardinia who were selling their boat after deciding living onboard was not for them. There was only one owner before and he kept it up really well both internally and externally – which was also confirmed by the survey.

Who first introduced you to sailing?
Greta was sailing as a child already with here family a few times as her father was racing in regattas; Michael has sailed once 6 years ago with some friends in Croatia and was so amazed by it that he earned his license a year before we bought the boat.

What boats have you previously owned?
None, ForTuna was our first.

What are the features you like most about your boat?
The forward cabin is amazing, you can walk into it, have nice couch next to the bed and the overall traditional design, high quality wood interior and great cockpit spaces for comfortable living are amazing.

What features/improvements have you added or do you plan to add?
Mostly security upgrades for the Atlantic crossing, AIS, radar, liferaft etc. and solar panels – ideally new batteries and a watermaker in the future =)

How do you typically use your boat over the summer, and where do you go?
We’ve lived on it and over 2 years, we travelled from the Med to the Caribbean.  From here we might go up north towards New York but who knows…

What is the biggest challenge you have in servicing your boat?
Antifouling is definitely the biggest challenge.

Do you have any advice for those looking to buy an Oceanis like yours?
Check the skylight, it’s an amazing big window but it might leak 😉

What’s the story behind the boat’s name?
Fortuna means luck in Italian and Michael loves to fish so we split fortuna into For Tuna which proved very valuable (we caught a few tunas along the way;)

Check it Out
Click the gallery below for more photos and information about ForTuna!