Princess F50 Owner Story: Lee Burt
Join us as we speak to Princess F50 owner, Lee Burt and his family on board their luxury yacht based in Swanwick Marina, Southampton. With excellent access to the Hamble and beyond, the family enjoyed their time on board especially through the pandemic.
What’s your boating history?
Janet and I bought our first boat six years ago – a Haines 400. But we wanted an extra cabin because we’ve got five children and ten grandchildren. So we took delivery of our new F50 in November 2019 and it was well worth waiting for.
Why did you choose to be a F50 owner?
The F50 is the ideal size. We could have had a bigger one (and in the long run we definitely want an F55) but for us, it would have been too big a leap straight from the Haines. With the F50, you can get into all kinds of places and it’s easy to handle too. The flybridge gives us great visibility and adds another dimension to our days out. I love it. I have a ‘Cheshire-Cat’ smile every time I go down there.
How have you been using your boat?
There’s always someone coming down to stay and the Solent gives you a great boating lifestyle. There are lots of little coves and bays, and I’ve got a great little jet boat on the back so we can mix it up a bit. The furthest we’ve been is just round to the other side of the Needles, but we’ve done about 100 engine hours in the time we’ve had the boat – and the grandkids love it as much as we do.
What was your 2020 yachting highlight?
We’ve got a lovely video of our boat sitting on the water and it looks like we’re in the Mediterranean! My son was in the jet boat, I was on the back of the main yacht, everyone was having fun and the sun was shining. If we can get a few more days like that in 2021, we’ll be well happy…
How has your F50 performed?
We visit a lot of boat shows and look at other boats – and in terms of the design, finish and engineering behind it, nothing compares to what we’ve got. I know it’s not what most people talk about but I love the mechanical elements of the boat. The Dynamic Positioning System (DPS) and the IPS propulsion with joystick control have been great for us. You can get it onto the mooring and hold it there with no trouble at all, even if you’re a bit inexperienced. It’s been such an eye-opener. We’ve got Internet on there for the kids too, but the truth is they love the boating element of it more than anything – especially with that flybridge.
What are your cruising plans for 2021?
One place I really want to go is Beaulieu. It’s only round the corner but we’ve not been there yet. The access is apparently quite demanding and I always love a challenge! As regards foreign destinations, we’d only do that through the Princess Owners’ Club – and I’ve already been onto Mark Da Costa about that. I’ve told him if there are any trips coming up, just book me on them. I don’t mind. I’ll go anywhere. Jersey. Guernsey. Anywhere they want to go, I’ll just go…
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