The name of the boat, Swept Away, was partly inspired by a 1975 movie. Directed by Lina Wertmüller, the movie’s full name is Swept Away... by an unusual destiny in the blue sea of August (or Travolti da un insolito destino nell'azzurro mare d'Agosto in Italian.) You can read more about this movie at The Internet Movie Database (the page will open in a new window.)

We personalized Swept Away to meet our needs for now and the future, as we seem to be getting older. On deck, here is a sample of options we selected and some that are standard on the boat, but new for us:

• Hard dodger in the cockpit to protect us from the weather

• Furling jib and mainsail

• Hydraulic boom vang and backstay

• Electric winches to set sails easily

• Teak decks

• Electric windlass to haul up the anchor

Down below, here are some of the options we chose:

• Teak rather than mahogany

• Extra fuel tank

• Battery and electrical systems to function well in Europe and the US

• Corian counters in the galley