Sense 55 maiden delivery from Hong Kong to Taiwan – Richard Hou reports

Mid-October of last year we welcomed a new Sense 55 sailing boat from Beneteau’s Factory in Brittany on the west coast of France. Simpson Marine offloaded her in Hong Kong where she was fully commissioned before a further trip up to her home base in Taiwan. The delivery trip was done by the owner, their delivery crew, and our Taiwan-based broker, Richard Hou, who shares his experience of this enchanting adventure.

“After the sea trial in HK we sailed in no time right to Taiwan taking advantage of the winter monsoons with gusts up to 30 knots. This time of the year can be tricky for deliveries as winds vary and typhoons are common, but we were very lucky and enjoyed good winds throughout the entire journey.

Apart from enjoying the good weather, the passage was also a fantastic opportunity to sail with experts. Staying together on the boat for a longer time allowed us to get to know each other quickly, exchange incredible stories and to witness our friendship to grow quickly. That’s what I love when sailing – this intimate sharing you have with your boat mates. When surrounded by water, social barriers fade away, allowing conversations to flow. We had a watch roster, with switches every three hours for our group of three. Such a short rest period leads to a tiring day, and makes me think that the sailors who did Vendee Globe have achieved an amazing thing, a true challenge to themselves.

We had good waves all the way back to Taiwan with 10~12 knots outside Hong Kong, with 0.6m waves, then we turn to get into the head wind with 0.5~0.7m’s wave and 9~12 knots breeze. With the engine on at times, we were very effective. In total we sailed 439.5nm in only 66 hours and consuming 400L fuel. What a good passage! Looking forward for more!

If you would like to get yourself a boat in Taiwan, or anywhere else in Asia, contact us at taiwan@simpsonmarine.com