boat hire in La Rochelle · Kirie — Feeling 346 (1994)

The positive aspect of the feeling is that the sails and all the ropes are from 2025, so they are in great condition. The furling mainsail is practical, especially if you are sailing with a small crew. The main negative aspect is the general maintenance of the boat. When we arrived on the day of reception, it was a repair project (broken and unscrewed cockpit slats, repair of the bilge pump, door under the sink to be reattached). Of course, Michel is doing his best to get everything back in line, but this should have been done beforehand with a major check-up of the boat. The dinghy engine wouldn't start. Another disappointment: I had booked the boat in January at the old port with a steering wheel. In the end, in August, the boat was at the Minimes and the steering wheel had been removed as a tiller. It would have been nice to have been warned beforehand.

We had a very pleasant week of sailing. The rigging is in very good condition and the interior is comfortable. It's a shame that the engine wasn't properly serviced before the season (a loose belt problem that led to the breakdown). The stuffing box should have been changed several years ago, while the propeller shaft decoupling should have been done a few weeks earlier: professional negligence according to the technician who came to replace a part on the exhaust. The owner's responsiveness to this was exemplary and flawless in limiting the boat's downtime. Once these elements are under control, I recommend the boat without hesitation; it offers excellent value for money and will be reliable for offshore sailing. Thank you