Call Mandy Chapman with your enquiries on the contact details below.
The first sailing I ever did was over 20 years ago onboard a new 34 Beneteau that we had to deliver, from Toulon to the Greek Island in the month of April, loved it and soon realised how to stop the boat healing as much by letting out the main sheet.
Since then have spent a good amount of time sailing our own boat a Rebel 41 ketch with my husband Neil and animals around the Med, Ireland and the Baltic.
Sailing for me is a life style, escapism. It keeps you healthy and relatively fit and it’s a great way to explore new continents and different cultures. Travelling by boat whether large or small is the best way to travel as your luxuries always with you and you can anchor in the best anchorages in new places, where you can meet the most delightful people all with a different story to tell.
Before the sailing bug bit, my graphic design background brought me to Marks & Spencer’s where I designed badges and fabric prints for their various departments.
Loved working in these creative departments with short deadlines and only the best would do, this comes in handy now running our own business, Boatshed.com which started back in 1999 after we took a 10 month sabbatical from our jobs. Boatshed today is the largest Yacht Brokerage Group in the world and we are constantly developing the business so that it benefits you our customers.
During our 10 month sabbatical we managed to find ourselves in storm 10 in the Biscay and rolled 360 dismasting both masts and breaking a few of our windows. Our Mayday was relayed by the gas supply ship Cervantes and a helicopter from Shannon and a Lifeboat from CourtMacsherry both arrived on the scene at the same time. Our engine and come out of its engine mounts, the universal joint uncoupled and a crate of wine from the bilge ended up on the cooker with nothing broken and the right way up!
Read more here... Rolled 360 in the Biscay
After this experience we decided to turn our passion into a lifestyle and it certainly hasn't killed my passion for all things boating. Starting the Boatshed.com business and seeing it develop from a small cottage industry into an International brand is very exciting.
In Boatshed I deal with the Brand, systems and training. We have a great team of Boatshed HQ people who all help this run smoothly.
Life’s’ experiences certainly do teach you how to stick together when things get rough. Love life and live for my sailing.
