The marine industry has faced daunting economic and market challenges. Until recently, one major obstacle—an increasingly expensive and restrictive platform for buying and selling boats—has held businesses back and limited choices for consumers. What started as a groundbreaking and efficient marketplace has now become a costly barrier to growth for brokers of all sizes.
There’s always a reason not to go cruising. The boat’s not ready. The budget’s too tight. You’ve got a job to think about, or a kid who still naps twice a day. There’s always something. There are a thousand reasons not to go, and only one reason to go… The Dream.
I’ve been sailing with Frank for a dozen years. In that time, we’ve cruised in many parts of the world together and he’s brought various family members along, but never the whole clan, not until now. The Tahiti trip formed around the perfect vortex of graduations, birthdays, engagements, and so forth, so the tribe tapped into the Bank of Dad and converged on paradise.
Picture this: your ultimate week-long getaway on the water. The sun is blazing, the breeze is just right to keep you cool as you zip through the crystal-clear waters between the breathtaking British Virgin Islands on a pristine, spacious new catamaran.
The first time I saw Island Lady, I knew she was meant for me. A Tartan 4400, launched in 2007, with the grace of a dancer and the soul of a voyager.
Every offshore delivery is a unique challenge. Unlike sailing my own boat—where everything is dialed in just how I like it—stepping onto a customer’s boat means entering the unknown.
The Tartan-33 was built from 1979 to 1984, comprising a run of over 200 hulls. The design is from the prestigious firm of Sparkman and Stephens.
The final countdown echoed across the bay, a long-anticipated moment: “5… 4… 3… 2… 1…BEEEEEEEEP!” Just like that, a flotilla of 140 yachts was off, sails hoisted all around, headed across the Atlantic, a 2,800 nautical mile navigation towards the Caribbean.
Having sold our house and cars, we downsized our belongings and packed what was left onto our dream boat, a new-to-us 1990 Gemini 3200 catamaran, and set sail for a life on the sea.
We had one of the most frustrating AND breathtaking beginnings in Belize. We had just spent three and a half days on passage from Cuba to Belize, and sadly, less than 12 hours of that had enough wind to fill a sail.
