Owners Share Sailing with Family and Friends

June 22, 2018 3 min

Owning a yacht in St Lucia and still being able to sail other yachts all over the world is a pretty special combination. That’s exactly what Frank and Katie, owners of the Sunsail 444 “TomKat”, have enjoyed since joining the Sunsail Yacht Ownership Programme in 2014. Based in St Lucia, they’ve spent time exploring much of the Caribbean and beyond – but what really stands out is how they’ve not only used their owner time with friends and family, but also given their daughters the chance to share unforgettable sailing trips with their own friends as well.

Sharing your owner time

If you’re feeling generous and want to share the joy of sailing, one of the perks of the Sunsail Yacht Ownership Programme is that you can let your adult children use your owner time if you choose. As Frank explains: “One of our daughters sailed out of St Lucia to Bequia, Mustique, Union, Mayreau and back to St Lucia. She and her friends said ‘It was the trip of a lifetime!’ Both daughters joined us on a trip to Belize. They loved the fishing, the snorkelling, and the fresh lobster. We were there at the start of lobster season. The lobster was plentiful and the price was great.”

He adds: “One daughter is just about to finish her veterinary residency and her schedule isn’t flexible. Because she’s had to miss a few sailing trips, she’ll be choosing the destination after she graduates, which may be the Seychelles.” It’s hard to think of a better way to celebrate that kind of milestone than a week or two sailing in a far‑flung archipelago.

Short‑notice bookings, ASA courses and sailing from St Lucia

Talking to owners, it’s always interesting to hear how they make the programme work for their lifestyle. Frank and his family like to mix things up. “We do a combination of everything as Sunsail owners. We’ve sailed out of St Martin a few times and down to Nevis and St Kitts. We’re going to Croatia in September to charter out of Dubrovnik. I got my ASA certifications using my owner points early in the programme so I’d be able to sail in the Mediterranean. For the upcoming trip I’ve booked an extra week in Croatia and I’ll try to book a week of short‑notice, but if that doesn’t work out we’ll enjoy a land‑based week instead.”

He goes on: “We’re heading back to the Caribbean in two weeks to sail from St Lucia to Grenada and back. We’ll spend seven days heading south and nine days sailing back north. The first time we did St Lucia–Grenada–St Lucia we did it in 14 days, but this time we’re going to take it a bit slower. What we usually do is take friends from St Lucia to Grenada, drop them off, and pick up more friends in Grenada for the trip back.”

“A boat is a boat”

For Frank and his family, the specific model isn’t as important as the chance to be out sailing, learning and exploring new cruising grounds. “We like sailing our own boat, but we don’t mind sailing other yachts as well. We’re catamaran owners, but we’ll sail monohulls too. I’ve sailed the Sunsail 50 and the Sunsail 47 monohull. We’re just happy to go sailing. One time I had a 38‑foot catamaran. We’ve also paid the 400‑dollar cross‑brand fee on short‑notice bookings with The Moorings.”

Discovering the programme

Like many owners, Frank and Katie first came across the programme while chartering in the BVI. On one particular trip, Frank was walking the docks at the Sunsail base in Tortola when he came across an open‑house event and met a Yacht Sales Agent – and that conversation led them into ownership. They joined the programme in September 2014 and are due to finish in September 2019. “We’re looking at our options. My family would love us to stay in the programme. We had the chance to sail the Sunsail 454 and it’s a very nice boat – they’ve made some great improvements. We really like the galley layout on the newer model,” he says.

Whatever they decide to do next, it’s clear Frank and Katie will make the most of it, just as they have throughout their first years as Sunsail yacht owners. If you’d like to follow their adventures, head over to their Instagram account, The Captain and the Admiral, and give them a follow.