Flagship Yacht Sales sits down with Captain Matthew Sigman, owner of Grand Soleil 42 Long Cruise SERAFINA, based on Puget Sound in Seattle, Washington. Matt is a technology leader by day, working in software developing autonomous vehicles. He’s been sailing various small craft for over 20 years including his teenage years on the east coast.
Q: What drew you to the GS 42? Was there a “runner up”?
A: Choosing a new boat is both exhausting and exhilarating, and probably the most fun part of the whole process. I spent over a year looking at many boats before making the final decision. At first I cast a wide net, looking at beamier full-size cruisers but then realized I wanted a high performance yacht that would be exciting and fun to sail which became one of my top requirements.
I looked at catamarans because of their speed and comfort, but I didn’t think they would be as fun (not to mention slip fees), so I ruled those out. I then looked at production boats because they’re readily available with tons of information out there on them. We saw a Hanse 458 which I quite liked; the closest to a ‘runner-up’ as it was roomy and spacious with lots of light down below. When I found the Grand Soleil 42LC, it was more expensive but I knew I was getting more for my money than the others. So, I pulled the trigger on SERAFINA.
Q: Was it always your plan to offset your ownership costs with chartering?
A: Yes, this was the plan from day 1. It took about 9 months for the yacht to be delivered to me in Seattle after ordering, and I used that time to set up the business plan and develop the marketing materials. I considered third party charter companies, but since I knew Captain JB, I figured we could do just as good of a job and have some fun with it!
It took a season to get pricing dialed in correctly, but after that we were off. It worked out even better than I hoped, as I’ve made several new friends from charters and we’ve had several folks come back 2, 3, even 4 times.
Q: What is your craziest charter story (guest, circumstance, etc.)?
A: We’ve been lucky to have the most amazing clientele who are generally very well behaved and polite. But once on a personal 3-day sail over July 4th weekend, in a harbor with lots of seaweed, we sucked up a piece of kelp in the sail drive intake cooling the engine. Despite using an air pump to push air out in an attempt to dislodge it, we couldn’t get it out.
This was early in the morning; we checked the tides and weather and made the decision to set sail in the hopes it would dislodge itself while underway. For the next 8 hours we nervously sailed home. It seemed as though we were going to make it but as soon as we saw our port on the horizon, the sun set and it was as though someone had flipped a switch.
The light breeze we’d been sailing in trailed off to nothing, and we were left adrift in Puget Sound. With about 30 minutes of daylight left, we saw an anchorage approximately 1-2 nm away which could keep us safe overnight while we regrouped. We fired up the engine for the few minutes needed to limp there and watched the temperature gauge closely. We were able to get to a 50 ft depth spot, dropped anchor and settled in. Did I mention this was coincidentally on Independence Day itself?
Right as we finished anchoring, the most incredible fireworks display launched from the shore of the very same inlet we pulled into and we had front row seats! It was an exciting end to our little adventure. The next morning, we called a tug who brought us home so we could clear the raw water line and replace the impeller. This is also how I learned insurance will reimburse 100% for a tow without a deductible.
Q: How far offshore have you taken the 42LC?
A: Our insurance restricts us to the Salish Sea, so the farthest we travel is south to Gig Harbor and San Juan Islands to the north. These islands are part of a stunningly beautiful archipelago here in the Pacific Northwest between Washington and Vancouver Island, British Columbia. There are tons of anchorages available in addition to several fun maritime-oriented towns such as Friday Harbor, WA. Last summer we stayed for a week and we plan to do the same this year. The best part about sailing in the Puget Sound is how many seaside towns and anchorages are packed into such a small area! Even though we don’t go far, we have many options and there is always something new to do.
Q: Who do you sail with when you’re not chartering?
A: Mostly my beautiful fiancé and our daughter. But in the summer I also participate in a casual local regatta called the Downtown Sailing Series. About 50 yachts depart from our marina every Thursday evening and race to downtown Seattle and back again. Then we all gather at the marina for drinks, food, and live music afterwards. It’s great fun and we love to bring family and friends along for the festivities.
Q: How many days was your longest cruise?
A: We typically don’t stay on the water for longer than 7-8 days. It’s challenging to bring that much clothing and provisions and frankly we’re usually ready to get back on terra-ferma by then anyway. In the summer, we do a lot of Friday through Sunday sails to maximize the time on the water while respecting my day job schedule. So 3 days is probably the most common trip length for us.
“The effortless performance is my overall favorite feature of the boat.”
Captain Matt
Q: Favorite and least favorite feature of the boat?
A: Well, the styling is certainly one of my favorite features. SERAFINA gets compliments wherever we go, and I’m even guilty of admiring her. More tangibly, remember the casual regatta I mentioned earlier? We typically finish in the top 10 out of 50 boats and that’s with a self-tacking jib and furling mainsail. We never break out the gennaker, although many of the competing boats do. So overall, I have to say that the effortless performance is my overall favorite feature of the boat.
There are some smaller details I appreciate as well, such as the large helm station pods that let me fit a full-size MFD at each helm, plus additional Triton2 instruments and bow thruster controls. The huge galley also deserves a special callout; it would be hard to go back to a “standard” size galley after this.
As far as least favorite features, there are a few things I wish were different. For one, the cockpit table is huge. Good for al fresco dining but a bit awkward when trying to navigate around it while sailing. Additionally, I wish the interior porthole windows were a bit larger but I think there will be things you dislike or would change about any boat you buy, you just need to get the right set of trade offs for your use. For me, I’m happy with SERAFINA.
SERAFINA CHARTERS Based in Seattle Washington’s Puget Sound, this distinctive Grand Soleil is available for charter with a licensed captain (and optional additional crew) included for a one-of-a-kind, full-service experience. All guests are welcome to partake in the sailing as much as they’d like, and experienced sailors are even welcome to take full control of the helm. You can customize your entire charter with meals, sightseeing and more.
