Ron Spithill
Hi David,
We met at the Sydney Australia Boat Show in 2005 and the hour or so you spent talking with me convinced me that our next boat would be a Marlow.
After retiring, I eventually purchased Charmer, your first Marlow 57, from a US owner and had it shipped to Australia complete with the US skipper. I attempted to buy a new Marlow 57 through David Ratcliffe in Sydney but the long lead time was not attractive compared to a fully equipped ready to go used vessel. Also at USD1.2m, Charmer looked like a good deal.
The main reason for this mail is to let you know that we have just completed a serious blue water voyage in Charmer to Lord Howe Island, 425nm each way across the testing Tasman sea.
Charmer met and even exceeded all my expectations and what was a real delight, we did not have a single maintenance issue. Lord Howe Island is a spectacularly beautiful place half way to New Zealand. The voyage took 48-50 hours each way. If the story of this trip is interesting to others, I could write it up and provide some great photos.
Flush with this success, I plan next year to voyage from Sydney to New Caledonia via Lord Howe Island. The second leg is 700 miles (4 days) which is about the safe limit of our range.
It is always exciting to read about your new designs, who knows, if the world economy regains its balance again some time, I may be in the market again.
Most sincere thanks for conceiving and creating these state-of-the art boats.
Kind regards,
Ron Spithill
