Owner Colin Boyd has owned and sailed yachts all his life. As a teenager, he owned an S Class mullet boat, later the X-Class Julie for 15 years, and then, since 1994, a succession of Townson keelers: the T25 Trill, the T34 Cara and the T9.2 Nush. Sadly, Nush became matchwood after her Northcote mooring dragged in a big storm in 2007.
Naturally, another Townson was required. Moving quickly, Boyd discovered the T9.6 Makahu for sale. While it shares similar characteristics with its T9.2 smaller sister, the T9.6’s 980kg of increased displacement provides a decidedly roomier interior.
Built by Vaudrey Miller Boatbuilders for the Mace brothers in 1984, Makahu was in sound but scruffy condition. Following her purchase, Boyd spent months repairing her teak decks and giving her a full repaint.
Fast-forward to 2021, when Boyd’s insurance company requested a survey as a condition of continued insurance – a situation becoming increasingly common with our aging fleet – the survey
