David Ford from Plymouth had wanted a yacht since he was a child so when he placed the winning eBay bid on a 33ft yacht he was delighted but was surprised to learn his Sigma 33 called Lucy was moored abroad.
 
Princess built the 33ft yacht in Plymouth in 1990, but she’d since found a new home in Greece.
 
After paying £14,200 for her, Mr Ford planned to sail her back to Plymouth from the Greek island of Poros.
 
The journey, spanning 3,400 miles, took the novice sailor three months to complete. He arrived in Plymouth with Lucy yesterday, where a welcoming party greeted him.
 
“At one point, my worst moment was a severe gale Force 9 which tore one of the sails to shreds,” he told the Plymouth Herald. “I thought this is it, it’s all over for me.”
 
“It has been a dream, especially in the Mediterranean around the Greek islands, but as I’ve got nearer home, it’s been more and more difficult,” he said. “My two saviours have been ‘Tilly’ my tiller pilot and ‘Geeps’ my GPS.”
 
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