BY: CAPT. TED WINAND
Just like hopefully anyone reading this article, I love to sail. Sailing has been a blessing in my life. I am a cruiser. And I love to spend every minute I can enjoying my beautiful 44’ vessel.
I was an IMB engineer for 25 years, and throughout the last 20 years have been in the construction business. Everything from concrete to framing to fine woodwork in the high-end residential and commercial real estate world. I have had multiple workers underneath me, and I have worked on my own quietly on the most beautiful projects.
After being around boats my whole life, I finally got the chance to purchase my own dreamboat to sail around the northeast and East Coast of the United States. My Hunter 44 has been the joy of a lifetime, sharing hundreds of incredible memories with my family and friends.
About 15 years ago, I was introduced to the owner of photosails.com. I signed up as an approved vessel for his “sailboat owners“ database, and I qualified to receive my 50-ton master’s captain’s license.
Almost immediately, he offered me an opportunity to use my vessel to satisfy a corporate advertising project in the Hudson River for Coors Light.
I did a very interesting three-month contract for that summer for $15,000 a month, or a grand total of $45,000, which is comparable to what I made as a contractor in the same time period.
Instead of bending over two-by-fours and hauling heavy equipment around with multiple soap operas to deal with, I was getting paid to go sailing on my own boat. I couldn’t believe it.
