614 emails!
Our friend Michael likes to tell the story of a particular broker that he met with when he was first shopping for a boat. This particular Florida-based salesman was quick to point out how foolish and naive he was being after Michael shared his plan to have Rebecca and I, two people he knew largely from this blog and from various email correspondence, run his boat for him. Not that it mattered because that broker’s attitude immediately lost him any chance of making a sale, but Michael’s counter question was that “do you not think that if you have read over a 1000 daily entries from a couple (Rebecca and I for those who have not yet had their cup of coffee) that you would have a sense about who they are?” The salesman’s response didn’t matter, of course, Michael had a plan.
Just because I was curious, I checked the other day and found that over the last year and a half, the amount of time that the three of us have been discussing this venture, we had shared well over 600 detailed emails. Yes, it’s true, prior to our visit to CO, we had not spent much more than a week together in the same room/boat. That doesn’t mean that we had not discussed our plans in minute detail.
I should mention that the above mentioned salesman was not the only one playing Devil’s advocate either. We had friends on both sides who advised caution, and that’s OK, and to be expected. We appreciated their advice and counsel, very much. They were all just thinking of our respective welfares. We weren’t about to give up though.
Believe it or not, some boat salesmen actually sail!
Here is our broker Wiley (right) helping to raise the mainsail during the survey / sea trial.
So, here we are now in Florida, enjoying breakfast during our 5-hour layover with our fantastic boat broker, Wiley Sharp (we’re very happy that the other guy was a jerk, and I suspect so is Wiley). By this evening we should be enjoying a glass of wine in Tortola, making last minute preparations for our boat inspection. Hey, even Tropical Storm Dorian decided to dissipate before we arrived, not wanting to mess with our plans. If that isn’t a good omen, I don’t know what is!
So excited for you!
Sure — any adventure or venture had risks. When you’re ninety, you and Rebecca are never going to wonder, “What if?” Glad you are going for it.
Thanks, Barb!
Mike hope you and Rebecca get everything out of this new adventure that you hoped for. Sounds like the perfect opportunity and no doubt y’all will make a fantastic crew. One Love
Thanks very much, Randall!
Tell Wiley he should fix his web site….Floida Yacht Broker.
Blame the web guy, not the broker. 🙂
I did point it out to him at breakfast this morning.
People take risks/chances on jobs after forty minute interviews all the time. If it isn’t a great fit I expect you can walk away unless you have a contract saying there is no “out”. But you are two i deem pretty smart so I bet you are covered. I say enjoy the opportunity. Hey maybe I could organize a knitting week charter. The possibilities are endless for themes. Knitting, cooking, reading, quilting. Hobby charters.
A knitting week in the Virgins… Sounds great! 🙂
With virgin wool too haha
Perfect!
Perhaps most of my business dealings have been with people I have never actually met, or at least had not met before the first transaction. Perhaps my confirmation of there character was through e-mails to other folks who had never met them! Certainly face-to-face is no the only or even best measure, in my humble opinion.
Personally, how could you follow this blog and not be certain that…
a. perpetuating a fraud in character over this many years and posts would be impressive,
b. overall knowledge both of cat sailing and the area is solid, certainly much better than most charter crews,
c. and most importantly, chartering with these folks would be an absolute gas. I wish I had the funds.
I will be stunned if this is not successful venture. They’ve done small business before, have the attention to detail and they’ve got the attitude.
Thanks for the very nice comment, Drew!
When I was looking for my recently acquired cat (a Leopard, BTW), I flew to Florida to look at a used Admiral. The salesman presented it as being in very good condition. Turned out the web pictures were apparently old pictures. This boat was banged up, worn out, dirty, and in general just a turd. I told him he should be embarrassed as to what he was doing and he was insulted. Needless to say, I was pretty irritated after dropping over a grand in all to look at it. I located a different cat on line and this one was generally a pleasant experience to go through. Nice to hear of another Florida broker in Wiley who is a stand up guy.
Wiley does rock.
Your experience sucks. I can definitely see that happening. I think some people employ a local surveyor to do a pre-survey to save them the time and expense of flying to see boats which are obviously not going to be appropriate.
After reading through your website for the new business, I am quite struck by how far you guys have come in the five short years since you had a dream. You guys are living testament to how, if you have the desire and some cash, can make a complete overhaul of one’s life and achieve a big dream… and more!!
Congratulations to you and I wish you every success in this new venture. I will live vicariously through you guys until I find the $$ to join you (as I have been doing for several years now).
You deserve this.
Thanks, Sandra. When you do “find” some cash, let me know where you located it. I have misplaced quite a bit in the past 25 years!
Mike,
Glad to read that things are going so well but you might want to reconsider the last sentence in your post lest you PO the weather gods. I suppose you’re planning to leave on a Friday too!
Hopefully you have a naked woman on board to offset all that bad juju.
The weather gods and I are on good terms. 🙂
It’s a small world!! Wiley is the owner’s broker for the Leopard 40 that we are purchasing in Belize! We are using Gary Fretz for our broker, and he has been excellent! Gary and Wiley both travelled down to Rio Dulce when our boat was surveyed! Hopefully one day we will catch up with you and Rebecca as we have been following your blog from the beginning. We also just ordered a TRX through your link! Ready to head to Belize and start our cruising.
That’s excellent!
Have you started using the TRX?
Mike and Rebecca,
It was great seeing you guys this morning. It is so exciting that this whole process we all started a year ago is coming together! The “One Love Project” is only going to get more fun and more exciting from here on out!
Kind regards,
Wiley Sharp
Denison Yacht Sales
561 613 8985
Wiley@DenisonYachtSales.com
Thanks Wiley. It was great seeing you again too, if only for an hour or so. Hopefully next time it’ll be on One Love.
I only know Mike and Rebecca thru their awesome blog, and of course thru their many Facebook posts. I personally would seek them out to Captain a charter Cat if I was in the business and looking to do so. All one has to do is read their blog from the beginning – its an honest and awe inspiring read (actually a MUST READ for novices) – and they’ll know very well who these two sailors are!
With a new 4 month-old to care for (our 3rd under the age of 4), we’re grounded for the time being. But the day is definitely coming when we will charter a Cat.! And there is no doubt that Cat. will be “One Love” as long as Mike and Rebecca are behind the helm! It’s not the owner Michael in CO (sorry), or even the Leopard 46 (I’m a fan of other Cats.). It’s Mike and Rebecca who I want to sail with, and learn from! They are the real deal, and again… these are two peeps I only know online and through a couple of short personal emails a few months back – they don’t know me.
The only negative and BAD – really BAD – thing that I can find out about these two karate-chopping sailors from Canada, is that they’re not die hard hockey fans, or even fans of the game at all (at least Mike isn’t); I learned this thru their blog. I’m a bonafide American hockey addict, and love Canadians for sharing their sport with us southerners. And despite the fact that we’ll probably rarely, if ever speak about the game when sailing together, I would still choose the two of them to sail with on any given day. No doubt!! The knowledge and wisdom they have from “Making It Happen” is PRICELESS for any one even thinking of going cruising one day!! And a hockey stick isn’t likely to help me out of a jam when on the water!
I personally can’t wait to sail with Mike and Rebecca on “One Love”! Now that is something I am definitely going to “Make (ing it) Happen”!!
🙂
What a nice post, Jonathan. My problem with hockey is that there just isn’t enough touchdowns to make the game exciting! 😉
Greetings again Mike and Rebecca:
We continue to love your postings and the progress and changes that are in store for you both – very excited for all of you.
Mike, if my memory serves me correctly, the 29th of July is your birthday. I wish to pass on my very best wishes to you. We hope that you choose to spend the day reveling in the thoughts and glow not just of all the wonderful years and memories to date, and so too the awesome life and experiences that await you!
Cheers!!
Alan and Christina
(ex SV Mango Groove – the Bahama and Georgetown days of 2010/ 2011)
Thanks for remembering my birthday. I barely remember it some years! I got to spend the day crawling through lockers and inspecting hose clamps. 🙂
What a nice new site for One Love!
CONGRATULATIONS on it.
Mike
Thanks, Mike. It took some work to put together but I’m happy with how it turned out.
How can anyone follow Mike and Rebecca’s blog for years and not be sure that they are awesome people. I live in Florida with my hubby and when we are up for our next vacation will definitely check out the charter. I feel confident that we would have a great time and be in good hands.
Deb
🙂
Thanks, Deb! We would love to have you as guests on our boat.
Hey R & M,
Congrats on the new gig… you’ve got enough mileage to know now that “Deep & Wide” can be far more promising than all that fair winds stuff. The broker we had when we were looking at II the Max had no intention of selling us that boat, he had another one that was ridden hard and put away wet on the hard in another marina. After stringing us along for about 3 weeks I looked up the registration and called the owner who had no idea we’d been looking at his boat. As you said there are all types of brokers out there – it was no fun for this guy when he ended up as a the 3rd wheel between owner and buyers.
Look forward to further tales of adventure… not everyone can make the crusing life work for them. Always fun to see those that do… as you scour the Caribbean we’ll see if we can’t break our chains and get a ways down the Potomac. Bob B. was dead on about attitude… and you two work very hard to keep it fun!
Cheers form DC and Annapolis
Thanks, Mike. Unfortunately some salesmen have agendas that are not always inline with their customer’s wishes. Glad that story worked out for you!
It is almost a record.
A day has gone by without a posting from the ‘Captain’
Maybe he was busy 🙂
Nothing on the blog for “1L-ova-cat”. Lovely new web-site, but no blog. On hand-over day as well!
Mike
You jumped the gun on that a bit. Yes, I was busy but I still posted!
Happy Birthday!
(Is that right?)
Mike
A tad early but yes, thanks. 🙂
There are always crabs in the bucket.
People too afraid to chase their own dreams should stay out of the way of people who aren’t. -Someone, somewhere. Probably on the internet 😀
Crabs in the bucket, I like that. Unless you’re trying to collect crabs for dinner… then there is never enough.