In the spring of 2004 we bought the Brandaan. We searched the internet for a couple of weeks and looked at a number of boats at shipyards. Our main requirement was that the boat had to be suitable for the four of us and for longer sailing trips. That we would make a round of Atlantic was already in our heads at that time. But also good for summer holidays in Europe and weekends in Zeeland. Then it soon became clear that a Hallberg Rassy (HR) was a fine boat for us. So we ended up in Bruinisse, at Nova Yachting, the HR dealer in the Netherlands. Marnix Hameeteman helped us a lot and soon we cut the button to buy a 2 year old HR40 that had hardly sailed yet.

And so it was that just before Easter weekend we were the proud owners of the Brandaan.