Testimony
Family cruises on a large catamaran : six sailors & a Saba 50
Duarte and his family
Model
Saba 50
Location
Mediterranean
A family affair
“For a big family that loves to share special times on the water, you need a safe, comfortable boat with generous living space that offers both sociability and intimacy. The Saba 50 catamaran from Fountaine Pajot satisfies all these criteria, so we decided to change from engine to sail with a 50ft Saba that we named Millennium Falcon after the iconic spacecraft from Star Wars.”
Their Saba 50 makes the perfect cruiser for this extended family that is often inviting friends aboard to share the adventure.
“For us, a family cruise is a time that we spend truly together as a family and that we live as much as possible away from land. It’s a special time where we spend as many days as possible at sea, where we see the beauty of nature firsthand, and where we can wake up every morning and feel the sea breeze and the sun on our faces.”
Last summer, they sailed from Algarve to Ibiza where they spent a week enjoying the wonderful beaches of Formentera as well as the island’s local folklore. They then set sail to South Corsica where they explored the wonderful city of Bonifacio before sailing back to Algarve.
Best moments aboard are lunch time, where we group together as a family to make and share our meal, telling stories and making fun of each other, and enjoy our sunsets. Sunsets at sea, especially in warm places, give you some of the most beautiful moments in life. When you are reeling from a busy day, you can stop and be amazed by the immensity of the sea.
The six sailors like to enjoy their boat at all times of the year
So a cruise for them can comprise a month-long adventure or a weekend escapade.
“In Algarve, our favorite places for anchoring on weekend cruises are the rocky outcrops near Portimão and Lagos. Unbelievable beauty and perfectly quiet anchorages throughout the year with great fishing. A bit farther east near Faro is Culatra, a very safe harbour with unlimited sea shells”
Millennium Falcon’s crew is always starving for adventure, in September, they were already planning their next summer journey.
“If we can, we will probably go to the Cyclades in Greece, making a stop in Menorca and Malta. For us, Menorca has some of the most beautiful beaches in the Mediterranean and is still relatively unspoilt. And with Malta and Greece, we will put together an itinerary encompassing outstanding historical sites, superb beaches and sailing.”
The 5 siblings’ favorite memories aboard their Saba 50 “Millennium Falcon”
- Constança : What I love more than anything else is enjoying life to the full with family, friends, and discovering bays, beaches and ports together. I often explore the coastline on a paddleboard and that’s a real joy too. The stern of our Saba 50 is so comfortable, I love lounging in the cockpit and snoozing.
- Matilde : I’ll never forget the starry night with a full moon when we sailed to Sardinia from Ibiza. I also like to be comfortably seated at the front of our catamaran; it’s the best place to feel the wind, taste the sea and be the first to see dolphins.
- Vicente : I love the atmosphere of night sailing, when you can see the Milky Way and you can say that you are exactly where you dreamed of being.
- Frederica : I love everything about our cruises, but what I love most is spending all this time with my brothers, sisters and my family. I play cards a lot at the saloon table and I often lie in the nets at the front watching the sea speed by beneath me.
- Sebastiao : I like wakeboarding and being pulled along by the Millennium Falcon, but also going underwater. I’ll never forget my first dive. On board, I spend a lot of time jumping or lying on the nets.