Island Packet 440, SERAPHINA OF CHICHESTER

Broker’s Comments

SERAPHINA OF CHICHESTER is still in her original ownership and it is the first time that she has come to the market. She has taken her owners across the Atlantic in the 2015 ARC and then cruised the Caribs, shipping back to the UK. She has also cruised extensively in UK waters, the Western Mediterranean, and the Baltic.

In 2019 she had a serious refit at Foxes in Ipswich including a new stainless steel arch to house her solar array, davits, new Victron charging systems and Rolls AGM batteries. Her standing rigging was replaced in 2018. In 2023 she was Coppercoated and had a smart new Awlgrip Majestic blue topsides respray. Her sails are by Jeckells, replaced in 2022/23 and she also has Starlink and a smart Elite Covers sprayhood from 2023.

SERAPHINA is a handsome, go anywhere cruising yacht that is offered in full cruising trim.

Owner’s Comments

Our previous yacht was a Tradewind 35 and so having owned a long keeled yacht, when we were searching for a replacement, we knew that we wanted a modern alternative to her that offered very high build quality, extreme seaworthiness and the security of an encapsulated keel, which removes concerns about keel bolts. Our new yacht had to have volume, modern systems for comfortable living aboard and plenty of storage to accommodate our long term cruising plans. SERAPHINA the Island Packet 440 was on display at the Southampton International Boat Show in 2005, which is when we first saw her and once we decided that she was perfect for our needs, she soon became ours.

SERAPHINA has taken us far, sailing extensively in UK waters, in Scandinavia, and the Mediterranean. However, without doubt our transatlantic with the 2015 ARC was the highlight of our programme with SERAPHINA. She is a superbly confident downwind performer, regularly exceeding 190 nautical mile 24 hour runs. Because of her stability and robustness, she can carry her sail a lot longer before reefing, whilst lighter displacement members of the 2015 ARC fleet slowed after having to shorten sail much earlier. The owner of a Swan 48 in our ARC group was aghast that he was beaten by an Island Packet! We crossed in only 18 days and 23 hours. Spending time cruising the Caribbean Islands with my wife and children, anchoring off white sandy beaches and taking the dinghy to shore for beach barbecues was all quite magical.

As a family we have spent extended periods aboard and SERAPHINA is a fine liveaboard yacht. She is perfectly designed for doing just that from her transom swim platform to her large capacity refrigeration, large water tanks, and well equipped and spacious galley. We have loved being aboard in either the Caribbean, Mediterranean, UK or Scandinavia.

We love SERAPHINA; she is full of character and very sea kindly. Even in the worst storms we have faced, in Biscay when it was gusting 50 knots plus (edge of Strom Betty 2023) with all the family onboard, she looked after us and gave us total confidence. She is very forgiving. We love her sail plan which gives multiple options with her self-tacking staysail on a very robust Hoyt boom, coupled with the 110% genoa and in-mast furling mainsail. We are sad to be selling SERAPHINA, but our family circumstances have changed, and we now need to change her for a land-based alternative!