Ocean Cruisers Turn Yard Wreck to A Bluewater Cruiser Saving $100k
Hear about learning to sail, boat buying, boatschooling, yacht restorations and bluewater cruising.
May 9, 2025
From a humble water-based caravan to a 54-foot Bluewater Cruiser
Andy is based on a Jeanneau 54-foot sailboat in northwest Greece with his wife, Hiba, and son, Moose. Together, they run a successful podcast and YouTube series, The Ocean Cruisers, and a sailing festival, Odyssey. They travel the Mediterranean while balancing work and homeschooling their son, fuelled by an appetite for adventure with a strong connection to the ocean.
Above: Andy sitting proudly on his refitted Jeanneau 54-foot sailboat in Greece. Image via Andy H.
Conwy, North Wales: A Golden Training Ground
Originally from Wigan, near Manchester in the North of England, Andy developed a love for the water early, influenced by his father's interest in humble fishing boats. Andy gained exposure to the water from an early age. Andy and his father took the boat to Lake Windermere in the Lake District (England's largest lake) and Conywy, an unspoiled coast in Northern Wales. It was the start of Andy's enduring love affair with boats.
Above: Andy dressed as a sailor as a child. Image via Andy H.
Andy spent his childhood summers on a boat in Conwy Estuary, a huge protected area with immaculate golden beaches. Since there were no big swells, it made an ideal training ground. Andy learned to sail there as a teenager. The RYA offers powerboat, cruising, and sailing courses here. According to Andy, the estuary in Conwy is the best place in Britain to learn how to sail. "The dramatic backdrop of the Snowdonia mountains along the Welsh coastline, where the mountains meet the sea, make no comparison with the Solent in Southampton," says Andy. Aside from its beautiful pristine beaches, Conwy is rich in history, with the local landmark Conwy Castle drawing visitors from afar. The quaint quayside, fishing boats, and artisan high street shops, as well as an array of festivals and music recitals, make it a dynamic and unique place to visit.
Above: Conwy Estuary. Image via Kirrin Cottage.
Andy recalls taking the boat out as a teenager, wistfully reciting his antics. He grounded the boat and spent the night hanging sideways. "The area is incredibly tidal, and there is a three-hour window on each side of a tide to navigate in and out of a marina, but it helped me to hone my seamanship skills," says Andy.
Marina Prices Have Soared
Due to over demand and undersupply. While still relatively unspoiled, Conwy Marina has seen costs for a slip surge in price over the past twenty years. "It was cheap as a kid and cost just under 1k to keep a 24-foot boat in a slip. Now, for the same slip, it is £7k."
Andy's First Day Sailboat Cost £4,000
Before the advent of the internet, boats were commonly advertised for sale in newspapers, especially in areas with strong boating cultures. Andy bought his first boat from a printed advertisement for only four thousand pounds.
Andy used the daysailor boat as a teenager for weekend adventures, exploring, and hanging out with friends. Aged just sixteen years old, Andy acquired his day skipper qualification with RYA.
Over the following ten years, Andy became less in touch with the ocean due to the prohibitive costs associated with owning a boat in the Middle East, where he lived and worked in business development for the energy industry. Living in the city, feeling out of touch with the elements, he decided to build a beach in his backyard.
Above: Andy's enduring affinity for the water and beach led him to transform his backyard into a beach when he lived in Spain for an element-between-your-toes experience. Image via Andy H.
Eventually, after meeting his wife Hiba through work, Andy began to question pursuing a career in the oil and gas industry and its impact on the environment.
Determined to stay in contact with the sea, he chartered yachts for work events at every opportunity. "Whenever there was a management gathering or a team celebratory meeting, I chartered out a yacht, and everybody enjoyed it." These charter trips were all part of Andy's grand plan: to convert landlubber Hiba to a liveaboard boating lifestyle.
Restoring a Sailboat Yacht
Andy spent three years trying to convert his wife, Hiba to love sailing. But it was not until she tried hypnotherapy that she conquered her fear of the open ocean. Eventually, Hiba became a fully fledged marinier and they eventually took the plunge and moved to Europe to live onboard a boat. They did a few charters in Greece before buying a neglected custom-made Jeanneau Yacht, which was abandoned in a shipyard and in poor condition. The previous owners were unable to maintain it due to restrictions put it place due to COVID-19.
The boat required extensive work, including fitting a new rig, watermaker, air conditioning, and solar panels, totaling around £72,000 ($95,5k). They spent six months renovating it, transforming it from a neglected state to a beautiful condition.
The complete overhaul included service windlass and new ground tackle interior refit, new navigation lights, new water heater, head refit, stern gland replacement, new bilge pumps, rudder refit, installing MPPTs and charger, lithium batteries and solar panels, painting the bottom of the hull, adding a new navigational panel and renovating the freshwater system. Andy's can-do attitude, combined with his skillset, made the boat refit a big success.
Above: Watch the 54-foot sailboat refit on OceanCruisers' YouTube channel and gain valuable insight into how Andy completed the job in six months.
Today, the family resides aboard the yacht, anchored in the Aegean Sea, Northern Greece, close to Andy's favorite local spot, the Halkadikki nature reserve. It offers some of the most beautiful beaches in Greece, with dense forest trails, vibrant sea life, and steeped in ancient history. Much of it is unique to Halkidiki, with rare Testudinata Turtles and some of the world's most famous archaeological sites. Discover cloaks of hidden waterfalls and rich marine life including dolphins, seals, and a bounty of rare fish.
Greek Charter Market
The boating industry in Greece is well-established. The charter market is a significant part of the global charter industry's manufacturing supply chain. Many catamaran brands are designed specifically for the Greek charter market. To Andy's delight, no charter boats operate in Halkidiki, making it a peaceful place to visit. Living on board boats that lay hull-to-hull comes with challenges, including noise control and damage caused by knocking into other boats.
Liveaboard Life
Andy likens the liveboard lifestyle to his grandparent's era- tightknit with a strong sense of community. "Neighbors help and learn from each other."
The cruising community includes diverse people, from adventurous types to hermits seeking solitude from cities and towns. "Because very little communication is carried out online, there is a strong ripple effect between connections among the boating community."
Homeschooling by Boat
Educating a child from a yacht comes with many challenges; living in the close confines of a boat means that the endless juggle of education, boat maintenance, and online employment creates a challenging dynamic. Yet still, Andy feels it was the right decision for his son Moose, who needs a bespoke educational program to suit his learning needs. He attends a day school on board another boat to support his bespoke curriculum. Raising a child with autism and hearing loss requires total commitment. Still, Andy feels that the tailored schedule combined with a hands-on approach means that the benefits of boatschooling outweigh the advantages of traditional schooling. Moose has shown a proclivity for adult company. Andy makes a concerted effort to encourage him to socialize with other kid boats.
Above: Andy teaching Moose economics in the salon of his previous boat, the Moody 336 . Image via Andy H.
Homeschooling requires total commitment, interest, and at least a passion for your teaching subjects. It requires a clear structure while remaining adaptable since the liveaboard life is inherently unpredictable.
Andy, Hiba, and their son Moose continue to live on the boat, juggling running a podcast, homeschooling and running Odyssey Sailing Festival, and, of course, going on boating adventures. Andy and his family have no intention of ever living on land again anytime soon.
Find out more about boat-schooling resources and how to get the most out of schooling kids on a boat by reading: Boatschooling everything you need to know.
Shop for Jeanneau sailboats for sale on boats.com
Popular Liveaboard Sailboats
Some of the most popular catamarans suited to a liveaboard island lifestyle include Lagoon, Leopard, Fountaine Pajot, Sunreef, and Outremer. The pinnacle of bluewater cruisers are Oyster Yachts. Almost every serious sailor dreams of owning one.
To learn more about Liveaboard yachts, read The Liveaboard Life: Best Liveaboard Yachts on YachtWorld, our sister site.
