The Story

We had an idea that developed into a dream: buy a boat and live on it full-time while travelling. Let our kids experience the variety of the world, and get the freedom of going from place to place. My work at the time allowed for some flexibility, and Starlink does wonders for remote and mobile connectivity. So we started looking for a boat that would be suitable for us, and safe for us. Our research suggested both a catamaran (to minimise the rolling motion of the sea), and a Prout for their quality build and bluewater capability.

We found Camala online, travelled down to Greece to take a look, and pretty quickly fell in love. In hindsight we made a few mistakes early on, but in the moment it was hard to say no. We purchased the boat in the late summer of 2024, with the intention of doing a little bit of work and then getting straight back into the water. We made the seller clear of this intention, and they never mentioned anything about potential issues. Of course we fell foul of the usual: fell in love with the boat, and the dream of the boat, more than the reality of what the boat required.

We knew the boat needed work, but also hoped to minimise the work by doing a lot ourselves. We had a survey after purchasing it (rookie error), and it highlighted a lot of things we already knew, as well as a few we hadn't considered.

After some initial work, I lived on the boat for around 6 months — doing consulting work remotely, and doing restoration work in the evenings and weekends. A lot got done, and a lot of planning was made. In the end, I estimate we're about a month off getting the boat back in the water to an acceptable standard to us. No big bluewater crossings anytime soon, just casual Med cruising. The main remaining things I believe remaining are the head, safety equipment, servicing the engine, paint, and a few bits and pieces of smaller jobs.

Unfortunately, life likes to keep you on your toes. I lost my consulting work that allowed me to work flexibly and remotely. While I've found a new job, it requires me to be in the UK and be in an office 1–2 times a week. It's unfeasible to bring the boat back to the UK at this time, and financially we unfortunately need to sell Camala.

Our experience of buying Camala wasn't ideal. It feels like a lot of truth and reality was skimmed over, and the boat hadn't been given the love and attention it deserves. I don't want that experience for the next owner, so I've tried to be as honest as possible here. We've detailed a lot of the work, and published the survey in all its gory detail. I really hope that gives a realistic picture of the boat's condition, and the potential for when she's finally back in the water. We really hope to find someone who will love Camala in the way that we intended to.

Please ask questions — either contact us directly, or if you found us via Facebook or Instagram, reach out on there. I'm keen to be honest and open, and will do my best to answer truthfully with whatever detail we can add.

Camala is in Margarona Boatyard — a lovely family-run yard who are amazing at helping out. They're open 6 days a week, and while we are not in Greece, anyone is welcome to pay the boat a visit.

EU VAT is paid and documented, and it is currently Polish registered and flagged. It is not post-Brexit UK VAT paid!