Coveney family to sell round the world yacht

Fresh from its global circumnavigation in aid of the Chernobyl Children's Trust, the Coveney family yacht, Golden Apple, has been put up for sale.

The 51-foot vessel returned to Cork Harbour three weeks ago after an 18-month voyage. Now berthed at Royal Cork Yacht Club in Crosshaven, it is due to be advertised this month at a guide price of £195,000.

Mr Donal McClement, agent for the sale at Crosshaven Boatyard in Co Cork, said the 1980 vessel was in "remarkable" condition and a credit to the Coveney family crew. "It is ready to go again - they have looked after it that well, even after the rough passage they had in the final stages," he said.

The family decided to sell their late father's boat as they felt it would not be used to its full potential now that it has completed the 30,000-mile voyage. They said they would always have fond memories of it, and even now still think of it as "home".

The vessel was built in Crosshaven Boatyard in 1980, having been designed by a Norwegian, Eivind Amble, for a Norwegian client. The first owner died without realising his dream to sail around the world and the vessel was eventually purchased by the late Hugh Coveney, former marine and defence minister and TD for Cork South Central, in 1991.

Constructed of iroko on laminated oak, it has a solid teak deck which was replaced by Mr Coveney in 1994. It has 10 berths, two WCs with shower, galley, a chart table area and, unusually, headroom of 6 ft 6 ins throughout. The vessel carries a 130 horsepower diesel engine - refitted in 1996 - and has a 60-litre-per-hour water-maker. It has full navigational equipment and safety gear.

Mr McClement said he dearly hoped the yacht would remain in Ireland, but felt that it might be sold abroad.

Speaking in Cork yesterday evening, the Fine Gael TD Mr Simon Coveney, who is contesting the local elections in the city, said the 50-foot yacht had become impractical for the family, given that his brothers, Patrick, Rory and Tony were embarked on their own careers while his younger brother Andrew and sister Rebecca were students at UCC.

The family, he added, had invested "quite a lot of money in the yacht over the past nine years", and now wished to dispose of it for something more manageable.