Lagoon 500 – David & Gudrun

The co-owners of Sunset Valley resort in Langkawi talk to Simpson about their LAGOON 500, EDU-CAT

What is your boating experience and how long have you been sailing?

I have been mucking around in boats since I was a toddler. So I guess it is fair to say I have had a love affair with boats of all shapes and sizes for the last 60 years! At school in Melbourne, we used to sail dinghies on Port Philip Bay but my real love then was fishing. I spent many hours on Port Philip Bay in my Dad’s 15’ clinker-built boat, chasing the magnificent snapper found there. Port Philip Bay is a large shallow bay that can very quickly change from a mill-pond to very rough. Being out in wild conditions in a small boat teaches a great respect for the sea and mother nature.

What boat do you own currently?

We own a magnificent Lagoon 500, Edu-Cat. As keen conservationists we wage a constant war on plastic pollution. We charter our boat from time to time as it is the perfect sailing yacht. Everyone who sails with us, apart from having the time of their lives, is gently “educat(ed)” about looking after our most precious resources; water and the ocean.

How did you select your current boat?

We were already living in Malaysia when we decided to do more exploring of our beautiful adopted home. We spent a year researching boats that fit the bill for us and finally decided that a pre-loved Lagoon 440 was it. We struck up a friendship with Simon Theseira at Simpson Marine in Port Dickson, the Lagoon dealer, Simon also provided great support and assistance f or our big Educatmalaysia ‘Klang River Clean-up’ on October 15, 2011 (www.educatmalaysia.com). In November on a visit to Port Dickson we found the boat of our dreams, a well-maintained Lagoon 500, and after a quick trip to Pulau Pangkor and a professional survey we signed on the dotted line. Simon Theseira and Ruby Lee from Simpson Marine made the transaction a pleasure. Their extremely knowledgeable and professional manner and advice were key to a successful deal.

All around Simpson Marine showed professionalism and obvious expertise during our visits to their offices in Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand and of course Malaysia.

Where do you keep Edu-Cat?

We lived on our pride and joy for a year until we purchased our boutique resort. Edu-Cat lives at the Royal Langkawi Yacht Club when at home. The staff and amenities at RLYC are first class and they have always looked after us like royalty!

How often do you use your boat and do you pilot it yourself or hire a captain?

We use our boat as often as possible. We have thousands of hours exploring the stunning west coast of Malaysia, Thailand and Myanmar in the Andaman Sea. We have done many successful charters of seven to fourteen days as far away as the Mergui Archipelago in Myanmar.