Ship on the horizon!

Life is defined by constant change. We resist it, or we embrace it. It is the only guarantee we have. Eventually we change from living to dead, but we will change. Hence some years ago, maybe 10 years or longer, if someone said that I would be married, be a grandfather, own our company and major investments in other companies, have several homes and land around the world and live a lifestyle that books and movies are about, I would doubt it was me.

Life does have a way of rewarding hard work and determination. Darlene has done a remarkable job of marketing my speaking, and by the way I have been received, I do a great job in front of the audiences. From August to November, I crisscrossed the United States from coast to coast delivering keynotes and doing book signings, working sometimes as much as 3 cities a week.

For several years we had been searching to buy a catamaran. One deal after the next fell apart for various reasons. We tried buying the vessel “Ukama” from a friend because she had Solomon Electric motors and we had invested in Solomon, but the CEO of Solomon was living on the boat with his family and had paid a deposit to purchase her even tough he did not have the cash, we were unable to acquire the vessel.

Then we had a broker, Dennis, who was great. Really trusted him and liked him. He found us one vessel, but upon due diligence, found out that the vessel had previously been sunk and this was not disclosed. He found us another boat, and as we were working on the deal, Dennis got killed less than 24 hours after we were with him.

Just before this hectic schedule began, we got an e-mail from someone Darlene and I met in Tortola, BVI, last winter when sailing our friends 41 foot cat. Ruthard, a German dentist, was selling his 50 ft catamaran and we ran into him in an anchorage and my jaw dropped. His boat, “El Gecco” was stunning with the most impressive lines, huge deck and saloon spaces, dagger boards and carbon fiber rotating wing mast, and was of very light displacement making her supper fast. She had large comfortable cabins, hot and cold running water, a water maker and fridge/freezer. She was a dream boat, but her price was way out of our league. We visited aboard several times, and they with us, breaking bread together, laughter and sharing adventures. The vessel had been built in Australia for Ruthard and his wife, their third commissioning of a sailing craft, but their first catamaran. The yard was late delivering the boat, forcing them to change their sailing plans.

“El Gecco” crossed the Indian Ocean calling in exotic places like Madagascar before arriving in South Africa. Ruthard was impressed with his vessel, but his wife was tired of the sea. They had sailed many distant corners, but the call of home was getting stronger. She had become too much boat for a couple who were getting older and had done it all. Ruthard decided to sell the boat and listed her with a broker. She required a special owner, someone who appreciated for what she was designed for, could respect her powerful sail plan, and would love her simplicity. The typical weekend warrior would be intimidated by her speed, and those with the type of money being asked were accustom to more creature comforts and not necessarily wanted to sail the oceans of the world by themselves. Before departing Tortola, Ruthard gave Darlene a brochure on the boat, which she kept beside her desk as she marketed my speaking career.

Then on day in July, I got an e-mail out of the blue. Ruthard had not sold “El Gecco” and he wanted out. He knew that I was impressed with his boat, but that it was not in my financial plan, but he contacted me with his private price as he had personally shown me the boat. It was still out of what I felt was our budget for the boat, but very realistically priced. I was luke warm and did not give much thought to making a deal as I was heading out on the road and growing our business which meant living in hotels and airports, not drifting quietly on tropical blue water. In the back of my mind was the idea, but in reality was the cost and the commitment of time, either of which we could not afford any quantity.

Ruthard kept at me knowing that I had the ability to love this vessel and appreciate all the fine qualities he had engineered into her. I tossed the idea at Geoff, a doctor friend of ours who dreamt to of owning a catamaran. He was some years away from retiring and too faced the same issues as I did, but when he took a look at the specs, he became interested in the boat as a partnership. Then our business started to grow and I realized that this vessel could be a platform for team building and corporate entertainment and I bounced the idea at a client who bit immediately. Now there were possibilities. If I could have a great partner and another business in a market that I loved and understood, it could make sense.

Geoff, Darlene and I met to brainstorm and we made an offer. Ruthard came back with a counter offer that made sense. Suddenly we had a contract and the potential of a boating business. Geoff flew out to Trinidad where “El Gecco” was being stored to meet a surveyor. There were a few issues requiring attention, but the vessel was solid. Ruthard agreed to address our concerns and give us a sea-ready craft, afloat and ready for the final sea trials.

Ruthard began organizing the work list in Trinidad, but made no progress. He decided to fly over and meet a New Zealand boat builder who was working in the islands. In Trinidad he still could not organize labor, and the day the boat builder was flying in, an earthquake closed the airport and his flight was returned to Grenada. Ruthard’s frustration meter turned boiling red. We were supposed to do the sea trial and close the end of September. In late October Darlene and I planned to deliver the boat to the States, scoping out some locations for team building and doing some entertaining aboard. The vessel was not ready when Ruthard threw up his hands in frustration and on a few hours warning, I flew to Trinidad to assess the situation and re-negotiate the deal with the vessel “as is” and with no sea trial. It was going to be a leap of faith on many sides, nor was it going to be easy.

On inspection of the boat and negotiation from which I was ready to walk away, we reached an agreement. I was not totally committed to go sailing at any price. But when I got my price, I jumped into action and pulled out all the stops. Hence this month, “El Gecco” became the property of Geoff, Darlene and I and a new adventure in our lives was about to begin.

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