The SAONA is a Beneteau Oceanis 411, probably the most successful cruising model in history. She was built in 2001, an era when boats were truly made to last a lifetime. As a blue-water cruiser, she offers exceptional safety, comfort, and livability. Measuring 12.34 meters in length, she features three double cabins and two heads.

The interior reflects her era, built with fine wood finishes and solid craftsmanship. Inside, the layout is simple: a salon with sofas to starboard and a galley to port. It’s a space filled with natural light, designed for comfort and a true feeling of life at sea.

As for the exterior, the spacious cockpit with its central table comfortably accommodates the entire crew. This is where we typically share all our meals on board and where we find shade from the summer sun.

The SAONA never goes anywhere without her link to the shore: a 2.80-meter tender equipped with a 5 hp outboard engine.

And she has a curious story. In 2018, I told my partner at the time that if we ever had a boat, I’d love to call it SAONA (after a beautiful cove in Formentera). A few months later, searching online, we found a boat in Belgium, suspiciously cheap and with no photos. We asked the owner for some images to get an idea of her condition, as our budget was very tight back then. His response was blunt: ‘It’s like all the others; if you want to see it, you’ll have to come. A few days later, we were on a flight to Brussels. We arrived at the port of Blankenberge and found not only a boat in pristine condition but one that was already named SAONA. It was love at first sight. Since then, she has been our floating home, where Oli and I live all year round.